Batman: The Penguin's a Jinx (1966)

"Mmm... Something smells good. Uh-Oh!"

KIDS! It's been awhile and I actually had to re-visit this episode as I've continued watching the series since my last post. I'd just like to remark how much I love the dialog for the minor characters in all of these episodes. The much more subtle and nuanced moments come from many of the character actors in this series. When we left off Batman was trapped and ready for the barbeque. For you nearly a month has gone by. For our guised Gothamite merely seconds but for us nearly a month has gone by. But wait, the worst is yet to come.

Same Bat-Time, Same Bat-Channel at the Penguin's lair.

Next Sunday A.D. as a matter of fact.

It's interesting that for the second cliff hanger of this show we have Bruce Wayne singularly in danger and not Batman or Robin. While the serialized nature was an obvious choice by the production team from the start (how else are you going to sell back to back two part episodes to a network?) neither the first nor the second episode really have an iconic comic book death trap. What Lorenzo did add was an inspired disconnect with this scene by having Penguin become a remote bystander watching events unfold on a TV screen. Penguin shares the experience with the audience and gives his own commentary to the events. His commentary of course will be the exact opposite of what's on the lips of the young audience gripped by the suspense at home. This taunting can help draw out the anticipation in the audience and in its own way fulfills the self mocking attitude of audience members who can appreciate the camp satire of the series. This moment taps into the audience the same way Mystery Science Theater 3000 latter did while riffing on their own viewings. This of course comes full circle on The Penguin as the relieved audience gets to see the villain befuddled by what's happening on the screen. A certain satisfaction is given to the audience as now they can see The Penguin suffer as they had just moments before.

"No Robin, I don't think a rainbow is the color for you."

Joel and the bots... Sorry wrong puppet show...

Last post we discussed the fact that The Penguin is shown as out of ideas; an odd way to introduce a new character to the audience. Both episodes also focus in on the fact that Batman, as a detective, is given clues bizarre as they are colorful clues by criminals from while he is able to deduce their mind bending plots. Here he is given by Penguin what are entirely senseless clues. Not only that, but The Penguin listens in on our costumed sleuths as they try to deduce the clues. Like before while he watched Bruce Wayne struggle on television to escape Penguin gives commentary all the while. This further reinforces the MST3k sense of riffing on the show to establish the comedic absurdity of what is happening on screen. In only the second episode Lorenzo is poking fun at a system of clues that hasn't even been established yet. This was a cunning ploy worthy of The Penguin himself as it establishes the silliness of these plot points throughout the rest of the series. Lorenzo is carefully spelling out the motifs of this series for the audience that's far ahead of anything any network writer would propose to do in a TV series.

Leslie Parrish strikes "The Pose."

Now it's looking less like a puppet show and more like a doll.

It's worth noting here with the introduction of Leslie Parrish as Dawn Robins that The Penguin is often found without the characteristic moll of the other villains. His character is a proud bachelor that we'll take a closer look at eventually. It is also worth noting that Leslie, a repeat guest, co-starred in Li'l Abner along with Julie Newmar some seven years earlier. Here she is introduced as posing for "Funboy Magazine," not in the all together I grant you, but an adult reference that would not have gone over the heads of many kids of the day. It is a somewhat shocking today to see a woman, who otherwise is a good egg, portrayed on a kids' show in the act of posing for a Playboy photo shoot. She even remarks, "I am a commodity" with her character's introduction. Her inflection shows her dislike of the situation but the rest of the plot's development does nothing to redeem the statement. Overall this moment re-enforces the world view that woman of the 60's are relegated to commodities. She further relegates herself to that position by fawning over Batman the moment he appears. A pattern continually repeated over the course of the series, and Batman's lifetime, with only the previous episode's Jill St. John seemingly able to control her flights of fancy enough to dispel Batman's viral charms.

With such commodities this should be CNBC!

"Are you interested in commodity trading?"

The Penguin sure is.

"That's right hug the wall Batman 'cause that's all the action you'll get tonight."

(rather nice Fay Wray-eqsue pose from Leslie)

The Penguin traps Batman and Robin here by placing a giant magnet on the other side of the wall to attract the dynamic duo's utility belts. Our white knights are helpless to prevent the black knight from taking flight you their young maiden from the top of her lofty tower. A commodity trade that happen quite frequently on this show. This should be on CNBC! The belt itself is of course a phallus that with a bat-buckle attracts the eyes to the groin. Ironically their greatest assets becomes their downfall in this confrontation with The Penguin. Batman and The Penguin both seem to share a diversion of women although Batman will visibly show emotional yearning that he himself has to keep in check. Batman has to beat back his desires to remain with Robin. The Penguin is unremitting with his emotional desire to keep his nest room for just one. Batman remarks of the magnet, "It's stronger than we are" as it pulls his belt against the wall and this reflects his own will verses the Penguin's regarding the fairer sex. Or hero's are so helplessly tied to their own utility belts that they cannot free themselves and are rescued later by a waiter. They cannot change their orientations any easier than they can change their belts it would seem. This is actually one of the more heterosexual underpinnings of the show.

"Did you just say Batman heterosexual? SQAUWK!"

"I'm a much more proficient swordsmen."

"Batman doesn't even know how to hold an umbrella."

Afterwards our crime fighters turn the tables on Penguin by trapping him in the end at his own lair. The Penguin however demonstrates one last time his proficiency by using his umbrella to out duel the dynamic duo; two against one. This is an interesting additive by Lorenzo in a scene where both Batman and Robin should simply come out on top during the finale. The umbrella itself is a rather phallic symbol and one tied forever with The Penguin. There's is also a somewhat bizarre moment were Robin shows giddy delight in seeing Batman physically harming his weak foes.

Robin gets as giddy as a school girl watching violence.

After having the Penguin show himself out matching Batman in his commitment to being a lone wolf, Bruce Wayne is shown throwing a party where he entertains three captivated women while being served by a myriad of french maids. However Bruce casts these three aside rather handily showing little interest in them. Robin himself enthusiastically remarks how "gorgeous" of a "girl" Robin Dawn is. But Leslie Parrish returns only to slight Bruce Wayne; revealing that after only glimpsing Batman for a moment she's fallen "hopelessly in love" with him. Adam West squeezes in the last say however as the credits begin to roll. He approaches Leslie in what can only be a second attempt to woe her fancy. Again it is reaffirmed that Batman is straight and won't take "No" for an answer.

Does Bruce Wayne lose when Batman wins?

@brucewayne #winning

Batman: Fine Feathered Finks (1966)

KIDS! Who doesn't already know who The Penguin is? Exactly. Lorenzo Semple Jr. thought so too and decided to hit the ground waddling once again with only his third script and second shot at a villain. The Penguin is portrayed as an established criminal who's not only already in prison for previous crimes, he's already served his full length of time and is about to be released! Instead of introduction or developing the character he's just executed in his fully developed glory. What the script does take the time to do is poke some fun at the "progressive" changes to the prison system that the warden has implemented with The Penguin as his model prisoner. Although Commissioner Gordon and Robin cast doubts on the effectiveness of such programs Batman gives his full support. Of course The Penquin quickly proves to be unredeemed; much to the warden's dismayed reflection of "Where did I go wrong?"

Although Batman is quick to re-affirm the warden's faith in his progressive beliefs the over all message of the sequence is the futility of such measures. The facts of the situation and the parody nature of Batman's character make his statements hard to accept for any audience member. There is a strong conservative streak throughout the Batman series that ranges from not just crime/punishment but also to ineffective government, sexism, and the wise leadership of aristocracy. This is contrary to the spirit of the more well known anti-establishment pop art and comedic styles of the show. Batman takes the counterculture of the 60's only to parody every last bit of it. Yet the liberals at the time still ate it up. Today it can be seen more as a product of its era, a relic ripe for its own mocking. But that all fails to recognize the complex Jekyll and Hyde nature of this show.

The first appearance of The Penguin is similar to The Riddler's first appearance from Hi Diddle Riddle in the sense that writer Lorenzo Semple Jr. has once again used a plot device that is far more advanced then would typically be used in what can be considered as just the second episode. The Penguin has schemer's block and can't come up with a single plan for his next crime wave. So he decides to throw out a bunch of elaborate clues with no real planned connection in the hopes that Batman will make the connections for him. Could you imagine Warner Brothers backing a Batman Returns where Danny DeVito had no fiendish plot and relied on Michael Keaton to do if for him? With all the slack Tim Burton is able to cut for himself he could never get the green light on a script like Fine Feathered Finks. Once again Lorenzo decides to challenge the audience upfront and I commend William Dozier for supporting it.

The almost immediate success of the show helps to prove that giving the audience more credit than their typically due can pay out in dividends. This show mixes the high brow with the low brow in the most ingenious ways and the most ingenious thing about it was the fact that everyone took it to be simply low brow. Unfortunately Batman was a victim of its own success in this regard by making it look too easy. Even today it is seen as a dumb show and by the third season it was even treated as such by its own staff of writers who know longer "got" the true joke. Ren & Stimpy suffered a similar TV fate.