EPISODE NUMBERS: 31-32, Production Code 8731

PLOT SUMMARIES:

Death in Slow Motion:
The Riddler and his felonious fimmaking cronies (Pauline, C.B., Von Bloheim and Wolf) interrupt a silent film festival of a famous silent film collector Mr. Van Jones dressed as Charlie Chaplin and The Keystone Cops (much to the disgust of Van Jones, who believes the act takes all the attention from the movies!), and steal the box-office receipts! Batman and Robin trace Riddler via one of his Riddles to Mother Gotham's Bakery, where he not only plans to pilfer its payroll, but film the whole robbery in the style of an old film comedy. The Caped Crusader and The Boy Wonder rush to the bakery, only to be greeted by its unconscious bookeepers (put to sleep by Riddler's pies topped with sleeping cream!) and another Riddle left by the already departed King Of Conundrums. This new Riddle leads them to The Baker Street Branch of The Gotham Library (closed on Wednesdays due to lack of funds!), where they are hit over the head by a huge tome--which is also captured in its entirety on camera by The Riddler!

As Riddler and his celluloid comical cohorts view and enjoy the day's rushes involving their adversaries in an abandoned cutting room of a bankrupt movie studio, The Dynamic Duo speed back to The Batcave to analyze the tome; it contains yet 2 more Riddles which lead our Duo to a Temperance Party (where the only refreshment served is lemonade) being given by Mr. Van Jones. As The Boy Wonder waits outside, The Caped Crusader enters to find that The Riddler has spiked the lemonade with Temper Tonic, causing the goodnatured party to turn into a hot-tempered free-for-all! Once again The Riddler's ever-present camera crew catches the action. Meanwhile, back at The Batmobile, Pauline, The Riddler's moll, disguises herself as Little Bo Peep and gasses The Boy Wonder to sleep, kidnapping him and taking him to the abandoned Gotham Lumberyard, where in a matter of minutes a giant buzzsaw threatens to slice him in two!

The Riddler's False Notion:
After leaving Van Jones' fatal party, Batman returns to his now-empty Batmobile. There, along with Commissioner Gordon, he finds 2 more Riddles (shot from his Batvehicle's Antitheft Rocket chambers), which lead him to The Gotham Lumberyard, where The Riddler is shooting Robin's demise under the buzzsaw's teeth! As The Caped Crusader makes ready to save The Boy Wonder, The Riddler, disguised as a silent-film cliffhanger villain (complete with black top hat, cape and moustache!) attacks Batman with his bullwhip! Realizing his junior partner is in danger, Batman rushes to his aid, giving Riddler and C.B., Von Bloheim and Wolf the distraction they need to escape. When Batman reaches the boy at the saw, he finds he has been duped by a Robin-disguised dummy. Just then, Pauline spots The Caped Crusader and tries to make her escape, but is quickly captured and taken to The Batcave, along with Commissioner Gordon (as insurance that Batman won't use methods which might bounce back on him in court), after dosing them both with Batgas. There in The Batcave, Pauline reveals 2 more Riddles which lead The Batman to the top of The Chessman Building.

Again, The Caped Crusader finds The Riddler filming The Boy Wonder, this time as Robin is about to be pushed off a ledge onto the street below, and the crooked crew is preparing to film Robin's fatal fall during an unsuccessful "Harold Lloyd"-style scene. Batman tosses down a Batarang just as Riddler thrusts Robin over the edge, and the boy catches it between his teeth. The Batman then lifts him up to the top of the building, but The Duo lose The Riddler and his felonious filmsters, who escape by helicopter and treat The Dynamic Duo to a skywriting clue that has a false meaning. Later, The Riddler, dressed as a desperado, arrives the home of silent-film magnate Van Jones, who has agreed to pay $100,000 for the footage of Batman and Robin; however, Riddler, not content with the money, has his cronies steal Van Jones' entire film collection and hold it for a sizable ransom! This dastardly scheme is, of course, foiled by our heroes, who weren't fooled by Riddler's doubledealing clues one bit! The Dynamic Duo later show up at Wayne Manor to give Aunt Harriet a special birthday kiss.

WRITTEN BY: Dick Carr

DIRECTED BY: Charles Rondeau

CAST:
Frank Gorshin (The Riddler)
Richard Bakalyan (C.B.)
Virginia Wood (Sylvia)
Judy Pace (Cashier)
Walter Woolf King (Theater Manager)
Francis X. Bushman (Van Jones)
Theodore Marcuse (VonBloheim)
Sherry Jackson (Pauline)
Burt Brandon (Wolf)
Alex Bookston (Guard)
Theodore Marcuse (Von Bloheim)

INTERESTING NOTES:
- Francis Xavier Bushman (Mr. Van Jones) was a for-real silent film star who was voted most popular leading man in American films from 1914-1917. A heart attack resulting from a fall took him on August 23, 1966, scant months after his next-to-final onscreen appearance in these episodes of Batman, at age 83. (Coincidentally, Neil Hamilton [Commissioner Gordon] was also a silent film star as well!)

- Based on "The Joker's Comedy Capers!" from Detective Comics #341 (July 1965) by John Broome.

- This is the second time this season Aunt Harriet Cooper celebrates her birthday; the first was in Episode #8719-Pt. 2, "Batman Stands Pat.".

- The ledge used here as part of The Chessman Building will be resued as part of Police Headquarters in Season-2 episode #9709-Pt. 2, "Tut's Case is Shut."

- Batman makes reference to The Batcopter in this episode. The Batcopter will appear for the first time in the 1966 Batman movie.

- Watch for Commissioner Gordon in The Batcave once more in Season-3 Episode #1708, "The Wail of the Siren."