The Bookworm Turns (20 Apr. 1966)

Commissioner Gordon appears to have been assassinated during the opening of a new bridge. A copy of Hemmingway's 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' nearly blows up the Batmobile. Both incidents are ... See full summary »

Director:

Larry Peerce

Writers:

Hendrik Vollaerts, Bob Kane (characters)

Stars:

Adam West, Burt Ward, Alan Napier

Cast

Episode cast overview:
Adam West	...	Batman / Bruce Wayne
Burt Ward	...	Robin / Dick Grayson
Alan Napier	...	Alfred (credit only)
Neil Hamilton	...	Commissioner Gordon
Stafford Repp	...	Chief O'Hara
Madge Blake	...	Aunt Harriet Cooper
Francine York	...	Lydia Limpet
John Crawford	...	Printer's Devil
Tony Aiello	...	Pressman
Jan Peters	...	Typesetter
Byron Keith	...	Mayor Linseed
Roddy McDowall	...	The Bookworm

Storyline

Commissioner Gordon appears to have been assassinated during the opening of a new bridge. A copy of Hemmingway's 'For Whom The Bell Tolls' nearly blows up the Batmobile. Both incidents are clues to the Bookworm's latest scheme. Batman and Robin interrogate The Bookworm's henchwoman Miss Limpet but deduce she is leading them into a trap. And while Batman intends to walk right into it, it is Robin who falls first.

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Plot Keywords:

book | knockout gas | tied to chair | bound and gagged | character name in title

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Genres:

Action | Adventure | Comedy | Crime | Family | Fantasy | Mystery | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

20 April 1966 (USA)

Filming Locations:

20th Century Fox Studios - 10201 Pico Blvd., Century City, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Greenway Productions, 20th Century Fox Television

Technical Specs

Runtime:

23 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This episode featured the first of the many "head-out-the-window" cameo appearances that would become a hallmark on "Batman" during its' first two seasons. A well-known celebrity would stick their head out the window as Batman and Robin were climbing up the side of a building and exchange a few lines of dialogue with them. In this first case, the cameo was Jerry Lewis. Other celebrities would include Art Linkletter, Sammy Davis Jr., syndicated newspaper columnist "Suzie Knickerbocker" (Aileen Mehle), Van Williams and Bruce Lee (as the Green Hornet and Kato), and, on Christmas week of 1966, Santa Claus (in the person of Andy Devine).

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Goofs

Bruce and Dick watch Commissioner Gordon being shot on their color television, yet the shot of somebody falling off the bridge is in black and white.

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Quotes

Batman: [about to fight the Bookworm's gang] Your glasses!
[to Robin]
Batman: Remember: never hit a man with glasses.

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