User Reviews

Time travel and the Joker join forces.

The Batman series was produced at 20th Century Fox studios at the same time as Irwin Allen was producing his four sci-fi/fantasy TV shows (Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea, Lost In Space, etc) at the same studio. To many viewers, the 1966 Batman series has just a touch of Irwin Allen in it. This two-parter is a prime example of that.

The following season (1967-68), Voyage to the Bottom of the Sea did two episodes (A Time To Die/No Way Back) about an eccentric time traveller, Mr Pem (Henry Jones), with his own little hand held time device that even employs exactly the same sound effect (as the Joker's) when activated.

The device in both shows also makes people walk backwards.

Take your pick on which show did the best take on time travel but I think both productions are required viewing.

The Joker returns! Or Caesar Romero, that is.

10 STARS.

Romero, you can so tell, enjoyed playing this role, and with that incredible cackle. Any time he appeared on tv talk shows, he was always asked to do his famous laugh. If you listen closely, the cackle resembles, to a degree, Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West. Good trivia question!

This time around the dastardly Joker is busy robbing Gotham City, but its a set of keys that figures prominently in his plans. The big ticket item here is the jeweled key of Kaincardine. The scene where Batman and Robin run through a series of names and phrases to figure out everything is a camp classic. Watch for it as it's fun.

Kathy Kersh, who appeared in such shows as BURKE'S LAW and THE BEVERLY HILLBILLIES, plays Cornelia, the Joker's sly gal pal. Burt Ward took an immediate liking to Kersh and they were married later that year.

Look for veteran Howard Duff as ace detective Sam Stone? Love the name. Christopher Carey makes his only appearance as Angus. Carey was co-starring at the time on GARRISONS GORILLAS, which became a cult series for awhile.

The Joker's torture chamber is one for da' books, especially the wax chamber-- reserved for Robin! You have to admit, the production crew had to have been inspired by all those old 30s and 40s serial cliff hangers back in the day, and it was a great move because the set pieces were very artistic in their own way, and the color only enhanced them.

Yes, the series was primarily filmed at 20th Century Fox, however some shots, such as Gotham City Hall, were filmed at Warner Brothers in Burbank. If you should ever take the tour, that is always pointed out, and look closely as you will see the same extras (same clothes) walking past city hall again and again. That particular scene was never re-done.

Well directed by James B. Clark, who did 15 series episodes. He later directed the WILD, WILD WEST, without too much surprise.

SEASON 2 episode 21 remastered in beautiful color dvd box set.

"The Impractical Joker" marked the long awaited return of Cesar Romero, not seen since the feature film months earlier, but the script isn't up to the first season standards. Now the Clown Prince of Crime literally has time on his side, beginning a spree of key-related pranks to lure the Dynamic Duo into the open, where he uses his little magic box to hold them spellbound in place to allow him to spirit away the jeweled Key of Kaincardine, belonging to visiting Scot Angus Ferguson (Christopher Cary). Recalling that the hideous harlequin's previous occupation was stage magician, Batman comes up with a solution to its hypnotic effects, but still falls into a trap set with the aid of Joker's vain, fur loving moll Cornelia (Kathy Kersh). Robin gets a wax job makeover, while Batman finds himself in a human key duplicator, about to be latched, bolted, and skeletonized by its cutting effects. Gorgeous Kathy Kersh did not enjoy the success of rival Sharon Tate, but for a time was wed to first Vince Edwards, then Burt Ward himself, divorced by 1969. The Batclimb cameo is from Howard Duff, in his current guise on ABC's FELONY SQUAD, Detective Sgt. Sam Stone, in the first of its three seasons on the air.