ORIGINAL AIR DATES: 9/14/1967
EPISODE NUMBERS: 95, Production Code 1701
PLOT SUMMARIES:
Fine Finny Fiends:
Batman and Robin, having returned to The Batcave from declawing The Catwoman once again, promptly ascend to Wayne Manor as Bruce Wayne and Richard Grayson, who come calling to take Chief O'Hara, Commissioner Gordon and his daughter, Barbara, to the opera. Unfortunately, Barbara, in an elevator, is kidnapped by The Penguin, with the aim of forcing her to marry him! The Penguin tells the astonished group by phone that they should read the society section of next day's newspaper. When they do, they discover the announcement of a forthcoming wedding — between Barbara and The Penguin (who hopes to gain immunity from the police as Commissioner Gordon's son-in-law!), and they desperately try to locate The Penguin's hideout. Penguin henchmen, in search of a minister to perform the ceremony, fall upon The Reverend Hazlitt and Alfred. The quick-thinking butler pretends that he is The Reverend, and leaves with the thugs (but secretly alerts The Dynamic Duo via the Emergency Batcall on his belt). Bruce and Dick become The Dynamic Duo and, locating Penguin's hideout in a vacant apartment next door to Barbara's own (apparently the last place, Penguin believes, anyone would think to look!), race to the scene, while Alfred is locked up with Barbara. Believing Alf to be a man of The Cloth, she swears him to secrecy and then walks ever so precariously along the ledge to her apartment. She enters her bedroom, activates a secret panel and changes into the costume and accoutrements of Batgirl. Meanwhile, Batman and Robin burst into the apartment which they discover holds a befuddled Alfred Pennyworth and a wedding dress stuffed with pillows!
Just as The Blackbird Of Prey and his Finks confront The Dynamic Duo, Batgirl arrives to help the overcome Penguin and his men. Batman and Robin are definitely taken aback by the arrival of this new crimefightress. Meanwhile, Alfred, who had been listening at the locked door, has guessed Batgirl's secret identity! As The Caped Crusader and The Boy Wonder try to rescue Alfred from the locked room, Batgirl returns to the apartment where (as Barbara) she had been held. However, The Penguin regains consciousness and gasses The Duo asleep with a dose of his insidious Penguingas! Then, after bagging them, along with Alfred and what he thinks is Barbara Gordon but is actually the wedding dress stuffed with pillows, he toses them off the terrace in his waiting truck, which drives them to Penguin's auxilliary hideout. Barbara Gordon spots Penguin making his escape in the truck, transforms once again into Batgirl, and pursues the truck to the hideout on her Batgirlcycle and arrives in time to gets a chance to show her mettle when she saves The Caped Crusader and The Boy Wonder from being dunked in a avt of boiling water and being steamed alive! As The Dynamic Duo precipitates a melée with The Penguin and his henchmen, Batgirl confronts Alfred for decieving her. Alf merely informs her that he didn't mean to lie, for he chose to take the minister's place to protect him. Apoligizing and forgiving him, Batgirl makes him promise not to reveal her true identity; Alf agrees and she quickly changes into the wedding dress so Batman will not become suspicious of her identity. After bagging The Penguin and his Finks (literally!), Batman and Robin turn to thank Batgirl for her help, but she is nowhere to be found; she eventually returns as Barbara to thank Batman and Robin for protecting her.
After Bruce Wayne donates a sizable fund to a police charity, Gordon is shocked by a telephoned Riddle...
WRITTEN BY: Stanford Sherman
DIRECTED BY: Oscar Rudolph
CAST:
Burgess Meredith (The Penguin)
Jon Walter (Henchman #1)
Jonathan Troy (Rev. Hazlitt)
Elizabeth Harrower (Drusilla)
INTERESTING NOTES:
- The comic book story in which Batgirl made her debut was not that far off from the promotional film. In the comic book, Barbara was on her way to a masquerade party dressed as a female version of her favorite hero, Batman. On her way to the party she saw the Killer Moth (the same villain in the Batgirl promo film) and his henchmen attempt to kidnap Bruce Wayne. Barbara then jumped into action and saved Bruce. Thrilled by the excitement, Barbara then decides to start off her own career as a female crimefighter. And so, Batgirl was born.
- The "Barbara Gordon" version of Batgirl was specifically created for the series and was later written into the comic books. Several years later, Barbara was shot and left a paraplegic by the Joker in the graphic novel "The Killing Joke". Also, Aunt Harriet, who was also created for the series, was also written in the comic books and remained a semi-regular character until she was phased out in the mid-1970's.
- Batgirl (Barbara Gordon) wasn't the first heroine in the Bat-comics. Batwoman (a.k.a. Kathy Kane) made her debut in Detective Comics #233 in July 1956. In April 1961 DC Comics introduced Batwoman's niece Betty Kane (who had a thing for Dick Grayson until 1983) a.k.a. Bat-Girl in Batman #139. Both Batwoman & Bat-Girl were gone in 1964, but were back in 1977 as guest stars in the comic book spin-off Batman Family stariing Robin & Batgirl which debuted in 1975 and ended in 1978. Tragically, Kathy Kane/Batwoman was killed off in Detective Comics #485 ("The Vengeance Vow," August-September 1979) in which she was treacherously slain by The League Of Assasins.
- Yvonne Craig (Barbara Gordon/Batgirl) previously starred with Elvis Presley in "Kissin' Cousins (1964)". She was also but for a short time in Elvis' movie "It Happened at the World's Fair (1963)". Elvis and Yvonne also dated at least once.
- Burgess Meredith (The Penguin) later starred with Elvis Presley in "Stay Away, Joe" as Joe's (Elvis') father Charlie Lightcloud.
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