When this was a two-part episode. the producers did not want a cliff-hanger ending suspended over a week’s time. So, the cliffhanger trap was cut out. But no one caught the plot error that developed. When the duo arrive at the lighthouse the Joker is surprised when Batman, Robin, and Batgirl. He believed they were all dead. When it was decided to cut out the trap, no one apparently caught the error in the Joker’s dialogue.
Yvonne Craig: ‘The production crews on ‘Batman’ were sensational; they all liked one another. We worked very well together. They had worked together for a long time and were held together by the production manager, who was Sam Strangis, who later went on to direct a couple of them and produce other shows at Paramount. If you are a regular in a series, everywhere except Universal, where they change crews on you, you get the same crew every week, so they all get along and work well together and are pulling for the show.”
The guest stars in this episode are mixed bag, Joe E. Ross (Ooh Ooh!) fresh from It's About Time makes a cameo appearance. Ronald Long, as Karnaby Katz, does his trademark Charles Laughton impersonation (he was Admiral Zahrk on the Lost in Space episode Mutiny in Space). Dick Kallman was formally the star of a short lived sitcom called Hank (he was later brutally murdered) was Little Louie Groovy. Louis Quinn as the Lighthouse Keeper was formerly Latch in the Impractical Joker episode last season. Gil Perkins returns as Marvin the Moose (the jury forman) a supposed former Catwoman henchman.
When Ross wrote for Julie Newmar he had a good thing going, but when he wrote for Eartha Kitt, he just lost it. Were it not for his two King Tut episodes this season, his work would be a big let down.
Next Milton Berle returns to conquer the perfume market.
I liked these episodes, overall, but mostly for the fight scene in the courtroom at the end, it's really good.
ReplyDelete"… this two part non parter is a mishmosh of nonsense." That sums it up nicely. In the photo above Eartha Kitt looked none to pleased to be there.
ReplyDeletePierre Salinger was John F. Kennedy's press secretary, NOT Nixon's. He was rewarded for his service with an appointment to a US Senate seat from California as a Democrat; he'd just lost the general election to Republican George Murphy when he scored the BATMAN gig.
ReplyDeleteOh - and one of the California Republicans who campaigned for Murphy was ... Cesar Romero.
Also, Mrs. Lighthouse Keeper was Christine Nelson, the real-life wife of Louis Quinn. A few years before, she'd gained some notice as Allan Sherman's singing partner on "Sarah Jackman", the first hit song parody from MY SON, THE FOLK SINGER.
And the craggy judge was Rusty Lane, who was a craggy judge/general/boss on just about every show around at that time.
The Joker's reaction to seeing Batman, Robin and Batgirl alive is NOT a plothole. In part one he shocked B&R with his hand buzzer and expected them to die, then he left. Batgirl showed up later and rescued them.
ReplyDeletePrior to that scene, Joker and Catwoman ambushed Batgirl and tied her up using some kind of line that constricts with body heat. The assumption was she'd sweat and it'd kill her.
So his reaction does make sense.
Incorrect. Joker and Catwoman watched Batman and Robin drive off in the Batmobile AFTER that scene when they were leaving the fashion designer's house, so they knew Batman and Robin had survived the hand buzzer.
DeleteBut how did he miss the Batmobile sitting right beside the Batgirl cycle when they removed the spark plug? There was a rumor of another death trap that got removed partially in favor of the extended courtroom scene.
ReplyDeleteBut how did he miss the Batmobile sitting right beside the Batgirl cycle when they removed the spark plug? There was a rumor of another death trap that got removed partially in favor of the extended courtroom scene.
ReplyDeleteTo affirm what was just said, the Joker and Catwoman's surprise reaction WAS a plothole. They may have had reason to be surprised that Batgirl was still alive, but they had already seen Batman and Robin after the "hand buzzer" incident.
ReplyDeleteHowever, it's also surprising that they showed no reaction when Batman, Robin, and Batgirl came out of that guy's house ! In other words, THAT is when they should have been shocked to see that Caped Crusaders were still alive.