Batman: Smack in the Middle (1966)

KIDS! If Seduction of the Innocent by Dr. Fredric Wertham didn't already have you thinking of Batman and Robin's relationship in a really weird way then this second episode of the Adam West Batman TV series sure will. After tying Robin up to an operating table and performing their cosmetic procedure Robin is awaken one more time. Strapped down Robin is dangled in front of Batman like a cliche damsel in distress. Some of Robin's dignity is preserved as he solves a number of Riddles ahead of Batman. (This is in character for the rest of the series where Robin is normally the best at solving riddles.) But the demasculinization of Robin is far from over yet. After being put under by the application of anesthetic on an operating table, post-op Robin is reawaken as Molly; a near duplicate of the boy wonder.

This episode goes to great length to showcase the sexiness of Jill St. John as Robin. She's initially posed in a suggestive manner in Robin's outfit. After Molly puts the mask on Burt Ward duplicates the seductive pose with a knowing smile. Robin even struts in a bubble gum walk in front of Riddler who then seemingly checks out his/her ass. They took care to dub Jill's voice over Ward's to complete the female effect. Considering producers insist upon including Robin because they believe children see themselves as Robin, it's quite mind blowing for a young boy to see that a beautiful voluptuous woman could be substituted for their proverbial stand-in by Batman's side. One can't help but wonder if an impressionable nine year old Frank Miller saw this episode and was later inspired to put a redheaded female Robin in his opus The Dark Knight Returns by the name of Carie Kelley.

Back to the plot, using the Bat-locator Batman is able to pinpoint Robin's location in a speeding van. Bruce Wayne, Dick Grayson's sworn protector, proceeds to disable the van there by intentionally causing it to crash. The danger of this action is even emphasized by the show because The Riddler and Molly put on crash helmets anticipating the crash. With all the great pains even the first episode takes to mock how safety minded Batman is this course of action is especially out of line. This cartoon level of violence is par the course for this series though.

The most shocking thing about this episode, and of perhaps any of the Batman TV shows, is that Molly's character is killed off in a rather senseless fashion. Not only is just about the entire sequence especially jarring but it ends with a sexist pun, "What a way to Go-Go." It's somewhat amazing in today's culture that this episode is still aired and the show itself is considered safe for children. Perhaps it could be said that the death of Molly demonstrates the resolute of Batman to reject a female substitute as a partner. This theme is later explored with Catwoman. If the 60's taught kids anything it's that the female is an incomplete male.

The rest of the episode plays out rather like the rest of the show's episodes do; setting in stone the plot patterns. It's worth noting that Frank Gorshin gave a much wider range to the Riddler in this episode with many smaller details and subtler emotions. This second episode showcases Gorshin's finer touches better than the first. Gorshin is especially on the mark when on the set of the hideout menacing Robin. There is a moment, before Batman explodes into the Ridder's hideout, where Gorshin takes the character through apprehension, feigns control  into total loss of emotional control. It is a subtle progression that the Riddler masks with apparent humor but is clearly about to turn violent. He his stopped before striking Robin by the explosion. This is a nice complex moment in what might otherwise have been a flat scene of pure anger with another actor. The mixtures of emotions is well measured and executed with camp perfection.

These first two episode came out of no where like a bolt of lightning from the sky and sent electricity coursing through the bodies of kids throughout the neighborhoods. They cemented the style of the show which remained nearly unchanged even by the end of the series's three year run. It was an ingenious two part episode that is not given enough credit for its challenging content and clever wit.

Batman: Hi Diddle Riddle (1966)

Normally I go through an entire TV season watching an episode or two day by day. Today I'll be starting a new round of episodes with the Adam West lead 'Batman' TV series. Tonight will be the first episode, 'Hi Diddle Riddle," first aired on January 12, 1966.

What's most apparent about the very first episode is how fully formed the concept and execution for the entire series already was here. At best only minor alterations were eventually made to the plot structures, villains and general tone for the show. For most TV series the first season is usually seen in hindsight as a work in progress; especially in the pilot or first episode. This show does do a good job establishing the traditional plot structure from the comics with Batman being defeated in a first encounter, coming up evenly matched in the second encounter and finally defeating the villain during the third encounter.

"We're in luck, he's home." Gotham's Finest's got Batman on a dedicated line.

Infrastructure firmly in place. Bruce's Batpole looks a little bigger too.

The typical start of a superhero series either on TV or in the movies is to focus in on the origin story and introduce the lead character before they are even the hero. Instead what we are given here by prolific writer Lorenzo Semple Jr. is a Batman already in the prime of his crime fighting career. Already he has a well establish rogue gallery. He has already been deputized by the police along with putting in place the mechanisms to aid him like the bat phone. The character of Batman and Robin are in many ways already frozen in state from here on out. More and more today we are seeing superheros introduced through origin stories like the rebooting of Spider-Man only ten years after Sam Raimi's origin story in 2002. Ironically today's audiences are becoming much more familiar with these characters and the origin stories are less necessary now then any time after World War 2. Lorenzo understood that kids were already familiar enough with the character and just wanted to get to the pay off point. This also has the benefit of seeing the character already firmly established which helps to build the myth and prestige of the character in the audience's minds. No wonder kids went nuts for Batman from the start. He wasn't a bastard child struggling to become something more. He was just Batman.

Ambitious blocking for this single camera set-up.

Robin stands a safe distance away in a "flight" position.

Compare that to Tim Burton's 'Batman' which established the character already with firm footing on his territory in Gotham (with a teaser opening reminiscent of the loss of Bruce Wayne's own parents.) but struggling with his new life and still not yet fully revealed to the citizen of Gotham. Now follow that up with Christopher Nolan's 'Batman Begins' which goes in depth and at length to show how Bruce Wayne came to be Batman. Nearly the first hour is spent establishing Bruce Wayne before we ever truly get to Batman. With the end of Christopher Nolan's trilogy in 'The Dark Knight Rises' coming later this year already Warner has re-introduced the character with an animated adaptation of Frank Miller's 'Year One.' Once Nolan hangs up his cape and cowl it is expected that Warner will reboot Batman once again with another original rehash. It shows a keen appreciation for the audience when the filmmakers take an already established character and just tell an interesting story with him without the need for lengthy introductions.

Color coordinated Riddler gvies Batman matching blue court papers.

"Boy that Riddler, always thinking of others."

 This episode also takes liberties with Batman's character that aren't normally performed until a character is already firmly established in the audiences' minds. Typically a series would not run the risk of jeopardizing a character's personality until the later seasons. From the start The Riddler tricks Batman into arresting him and sues him for false arrest. This is an intriguing plot twist that many superhero's face occasionally in plot lines still to this day but only after establishing the crime fighter's typical conflict through resolution pattern. The character of Batman is shown placing a false arrest when we haven't even seen him place a legal arrest yet. The typical screenplay would first show Batman defeating crime before having the criminals beating him. This was a refreshing twist that played with audience's expectations. Kids expected Batman to nail Riddler, not be nailed by the Riddler! This script is smart because it already gives the audience credit for being a few steps ahead and so pulls the rug right out from under them in the very first episode. This of course helps set the precedent that this show is primarily camp by placing Batman in such a ridiculous predicament without any context to show him acting competently. Lorenzo is able to establish the tone with a clever plot device within the story structure.

That orange juice ain't the only thing screwy around here.

The Ridder seems awfully touchy feely around an unconscious Robin; much to Molly's dismay.

This two parter also plays off of the hysteria surrounding the book Seduction of the Innocent. Batman is shown as overprotective of Robin's well being by asking him to stand back while Batman throws up a grapple to scale a building. A rather simple act that needs little to protect from. Later Batman has the underage Robin sit outside in the Batmobile like a neglected child while he goes inside a bar to dance with the first strange fascination with legs he can find. The dance itself needs little explanation as to its ridicule. Lorenzo follows this up by compromising Batman's character even further by slipping him a mickey. Not only is Batman portrayed as a drunk driver who needs to have his keys taken away by the police, his slurred speech and near babbling hysterics over the loss of Robin come eerily close to a man crying in an empty glass over a lost love. The police seem to ignore his pleas as intoxicated ramblings with little thought to there being any imminent danger to Robin. The police act the same way they would to any homeless man talking to him self on the street. Batman is a man shown to be out of control of his feelings which are singularly affectionate towards Robin. Again Lorenzo toys with the conventions and hits a nerve with the public's perceptions of the character. A true mark of comedy.

Give me the keys sir.

But I'm the GODDAMN BATMAN!

It's mentioned how Robin's aunt would react if she knew the danger Dick Grayson is exposed to on a regular basis. He is of course captured by The Riddler who leers over Robin's tied unconscious body sadistically with scalpel in ready hand. You may note that after Nurse Jill hands The Riddler a scalpel Robin "awakens" in the next episode as a woman in the impersonation of Molly. The de-masculinization of young Robin as damsel in distress is graphically depicted by the first two episodes in the series. Never in Dr. Fredric Wertham's wildest dreams could he have imagined these events unfolding as they do here.

Give those to Magenta, she knows what to do with bloody rubbers.

Turn them inside out and use 'em for an others.

With an IQ of 162 she never had to say, "I wish these were brains."

Jill St. John is perhaps the only glaring difference between the first two episodes and the way the rest of the series played out. Her roll is also uncharacteristically sinister and unrepentant compared to her later incarnations. Although later episodes would see the molls with small roles in the plots most were worn around the arm by villains but all too often fell for Batman and recanted their evil ways. Molly played a skillful part in the Riddler's plot reflecting Jill's own talents beyond simple eye candy. She could have easily rivaled Julie Newmar if she had been able to strike out on her own as a villainess. Her unique role in Batman would not be duplicated. She has obviously come to be the biggest name actress to play the moll roll during Batman's run.

Next kids we will continue with some final thoughts on 'Smack in the Middle.'

Holy Gender Bender Batman!