Episodes 29 & 30
Th e Bookworm Turns/While Gotham Burns
Plot:The Bookworm wants to steal the Batmobile so he can use the Bat Laser
Guest Stars:Roddy MacDowell as Bookworm. And, I am not a fan of either I must admit. Although that hat is kinda awesome.
Trivia:McDowell was supposed to be brought back but never did
Niitpick:I love how even though the Bat Phone is a thing they still have the Bat Signal (and the same stock footage of the officers standing beside it)
Bat Silliness:Batman makes sure the goons take their glasses off before fighting. I mean, you never hit a man with glasses!
Window Cameo:By this point the show was mega popular. So popular that celebrities wanted to appear, even if there was no villain to play. So the solution was to have someone pop out of a window during the famous bat climb scene. These never did much for me as a kid. Probably because A, I didn’t know who the people were. And B, These scenes were understandably edited in syndication. But there were a few of these and here we have our first one, Jerry Lewis!
Bat Gadget:Batmobile uses parachutes to make a sudden U turn at full speed. But don’t worry, Batman has a service that comes out to get the discarded parachutes. Also we see Bat spray to knock people out so he can get them to the Batcave.
Bat Trap:Robin strung up in a giant bell inside a clock tower. Later the duo is trapped in a giant oven disguised as a cookbook. I think?
Final Thoughts:Neil Hamilton plays Commissioner Gordon and I always loved what he brought to the role. The things he says are silly, but the way her acts makes you believe this guy is a real commissioner meant to be taken seriously. His performance is really underrated. Of course he was a pro with a really impressive career. In fact I think this is why the series works, all the regulars aside from Ward were seasoned pro’s so they knew how to pull off performing here. Look them up, they were in everything! As for the episode, it’s nice to see a different kind of opening rather than the usual run to the bat phone (which is even referenced). But Bookworm never did much for me as a villain. I don’t even get it, is he supposed to be smart? I guess he was a frustrated novelist so his clues are related to books. However that dramatic opening where Gordon is apparently shot and killed goes nowhere. AT ALL. And all Bookworm had going for him is a temper which isn’t much. I like that Batman has learned from previous episodes not to immediately trust the girl in the gang. The look on Robin’s face when she says the clearly made up scheme is great. This one helps Bookworm through the episode and yes is arrested. The episode doesn’t have padding like so many previous but stealing the Batmobile? AGAIN? He stole the Batmobile so he can break into the library. Sure. And why does it take more than half the episode to do it? But Bookworm doesn’t have much going for him besides a cool hat and a bit of temper. Thankfully the episode is sufficiently goofy regardless, I mean you have to see the giant cookbook scene!
Grade:A-, This is one time when the actor outshines the character. MacDowell a delight but Bookworm is lame. There is a lot of silliness in this episode, guess they got the tone LOL. The plot moves on and there is no padding to waste our time, but the script needed another re-write I think since things don’t quite add up.
I raised the rating after watching the next episode. Why? Find out tomorrow, same Bat Time, Same Bat Channel
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