When Commission Gordon's death is faked by the Bookworm, the Dynamic Duo must track down the literate criminal to find out what he is up to.When Commission Gordon's death is faked by the Bookworm, the Dynamic Duo must track down the literate criminal to find out what he is up to.When Commission Gordon's death is faked by the Bookworm, the Dynamic Duo must track down the literate criminal to find out what he is up to.
Alan Napier
- Alfred
- (credit only)
Anthony Aiello
- Pressman
- (as Tony Aiello)
Roydon Clark
- Henchman
- (uncredited)
William Dozier
- Narrator
- (voice)
- (uncredited)
Jerry Lewis
- Citizen
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaThis featured the first of the many "head-out-the-window" cameo appearances that would become a hallmark on Batman (1966) 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 "Suzy 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).
- GoofsWhen the book bomb is ejected from the Batmobile and explodes in the air, the shot of it exploding in the air clearly shows the explosive hanging from a long rope of some kind.
- ConnectionsFeatured in Biography: Batman: Holy Batmania! (2003)
Featured review
The great Roddy McDowall supported by fetching Francine York
"The Bookworm Turns" is that rarity of two part episodes, a perfect melding of 'Special Guest Villain' and gorgeous female moll that failed to earn a repeat performance (the only script from the prolific Rik Vollaerts, who sought to create an intelligent super criminal). The great Roddy McDowall admittedly had a ball as The Bookworm (despite the dreadfully hot costume he wore, made of vinyl plastic), mapping out his crimes like the frustrated author he is, with Francine York, surely one of the most beautiful actresses ever to grace television, the perfect moll as Lydia Limpet. McDowall was quite a versatile actor, capable of doing serious and high camp, maintaining a generally low key performance that makes his screaming tirades all the more psychotic and creepy. We begin with perhaps the most shocking scene the series ever tried, as we witness an assassin's bullet claim the life of Commissioner Gordon at the dedication of a bridge, the corpse falling into the water below. Bruce Wayne is watching of course: "this is one time we don't wait for the Batphone!" It's no surprise when Gordon turns up a short time later, complaining of being ticketed by a dense (and phony) police officer, but it kicks things off in serious fashion, and establishes that The Bookworm means business. The shooter was Printer's Devil, played by John Crawford, a familiar character actor whose career dated all the way back to the mid 40s, perhaps best remembered as the Mayor rescued by Clint Eastwood's Dirty Harry in 1976's "The Enforcer." The book title "For Whom the Bell Tolls" features a plot where the villain blows up a bridge, the Dynamic Duo on the spot to see a bridge blown up - in a photograph! A brief Batfight concludes with the worms retreating beneath the earth, leaving behind a beautiful captive in Miss Limpet, who reveals what she knows under hypnosis in the Batcave, but still manages to hoodwink Robin into a book full of knockout gas. As Batman races across town on a false lead, The Bookworm ties Robin to the clapper of a clock bell set to go off at midnight: "do not ask for whom this bell tolls, it tolls for thee!" This marked the second of ten appearances for Byron Keith as Mayor Linseed, still unnamed at this early stage. Incidentally, this episode marked the debut of the infamous Batclimb cameo, in the person of Jerry Lewis, one of the biggest current stars at the time, which goes by fast, blink and you'll miss him.
- kevinolzak
- May 13, 2016
- Permalink
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- See more company credits at IMDbPro
- Runtime25 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 4:3
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