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Episode Review
Filmography
Gallery
History of Batman (1968-1969)
Jane Webb
Quick Facts
Voice Cast
History of Batman (1968-1969):
This
was
Batman's
first foray into animation. The Filmation
studio did an excellent job. The live-action "Batman" series on
ABC was at the peak of its popularity. Due to an oversight of
Batman's live-action producers, Filmation was able to do this series
for the CBS network. Consequently, the live-action Batman and
Robin (Adam West and Burt Ward, respectively) did not do the voices for
the cartoon. Batman was handled very well by Olan Soule, and
Robin was done by Casey Kasem (later of Shaggy from "Scooby Doo" fame).
While the live-action series was pure camp, this cartoon series was action-based and more like the "real" Batman we know. Since this was still a kiddy cartoon show, we don't see any dark storylines, but the cartoons were a better match for the comics. There are still light moments, but nothing that's outright stupid. I think this series is very colorful and fun; well-drawn despite the limited animation.
The "Batman" cartoons were pretty detached from the "Batman" live-action shows, but they definitely played on the popularity of the live-action Batman in a few ways. Some of the things Batman says, like "old chum", are certainly borrowed from the live-action series, as well as the inclusion of Batgirl. There was a narrator, like in the live-action series, but Filmation cartoons were largely narrated, anyway.
It's cool to see the characters in this cartoon as they looked in the comics at the time. This is one of the best comic-to-cartoon adaptations ever done. It not only matches the look of the comics, but the feel as well. The Batman comics at that time were not very serious, but they weren't stupid slapstick, either.
Filmation opened its doors in 1966 with its first-ever series, "The New Adventures of Superman" on September 10. The cartoon shorts of the same name, as well as the backup feature cartoons, "The Adventures of Superboy", became an instant hit and started the trend of Filmation-produced cartoons based on DC Comics superheroes. Despite this, it took a little over two years for Batman to see the light of day in cartoons. "The Batman/Superman Hour" debuted on September 14, 1968 (also on CBS). New "Batman" cartoons were added to the existing line-up of "The New Adventures of Superman" and "The Adventures of Superboy" cartoons. An impressive 34 episodes of "Batman" cartoons were made in just one season. That was all she wrote for Filmation's original "Batman" cartoons. However, these "Batman" cartoons were repackaged by themselves the next season in a show called "Batman With Robin the Boy Wonder". This next series was all Batman, no Superman/Superboy. Throughout the rest of the 1960s, Filmation carried on with new Superman and Superboy cartoons, as well as cartoons of other DC superheroes.
Olan Soule and Casey Kasem reprised their roles of Batman and Robin in later cartoons for the Hanna-Barbera company, chiefly the "Super Friends" series. However, the next Batman cartoons from Filmation featured Adam West and Burt Ward from the live-action series, which had been cancelled nearly a decade earlier! This next series was called "The New Adventures of Batman" (1977). Although a cute cartoon, it was far different from Filmation's first "Batman" series. There was almost NO violence. The character of Batmite was added for comic relief, and Batgirl was a regular character instead of a recurring guest star. "The New Adventures of Batman" seemed to be made more for smaller children, where the earlier series could've been watched by kids 8-12. What some watchers might notice is that "The New Adventures of Batman" is even different from the live-action series, despite the fact that Adam West and Burt Ward were on board. The cartoons from "The New Adventures of Batman" were also repackaged in a number of series going into the 1980s.
Why did the original "Batman" cartoons last only one season? It really had nothing to do with ratings. The cartoons were pretty well-received at the time. Filmation liked to mix things up every season to give viewers something new, or to present old material in a new way. The first phase of a DC Comics superhero cartoon show was "The New Adventures of Superman", which ran from 1966-1967. The second phase was called "The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure" and ran from 1967-1968. New Superman and Superboy cartoons were made for this season, as well as Aquaman. Thrown in the pot was another cartoon of any one of a series of rotating superhero characters including: The Atom, The Flash (with Kid Flash), The Green Lantern, Hawkman, and The Teen Titans (Speedy, Kid Flash, Wondergirl, and Aqualad). Batman was a late-bloomer and didn't get his cartoon respect until the third season.
"The Batman/Superman Hour" was the third and final phase of the original DC cartoons and ran from 1968-1969. 8 new "The Adventures of Superboy" cartoons were created for this series. The Superman cartoons were changed a bit. There were 8 new two-part cartoons (16 cartoons in all) created for "The New Adventures of Superman". The Batman cartoons were handled a bit odd. Batman (with sidekicks Robin and Batgirl) had half of the hour-long program. In each episode one two-part cartoon (each part 6.5 minutes long) was shown, and one short 6-minute cartoon was also shown.
Quick Facts:
Filmography:
"The Batman/Superman Hour" (1968-1969)
"Batman With Robin the Boy Wonder" (1969-1970)
Studio: Filmation
Episode Review:
#3, "The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze": I enjoyed this cartoon. It doesn't have Batgirl in it, but it's still cool. Mr. Freeze is an interesting villain because he hasn't been so overdone like Joker, Penguin, and Riddler. Filmation has always been good at presenting a great visual in a short space of time. The idea of Mr. Freeze and his guys popping out of ice cream trucks, freezing all the water in Gotham City, is a neat story idea.
#18, "The Great Scarecrow Scare": A great Batgirl episode, with the interesting villain, Scarecrow. I think the lesser-used Batman villains, like Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, Simon the Pieman, and others make more fun cartoons because we've seen Joker, Penguin, and Riddler done so many times in Bat-media before, and after, this cartoon series. I think Filmation made Scarecrow unintentionally scarier than they wanted him to be, due to his limited animation. It actually works, because Scarecrow is dependably creepy. This cartoon has some great Batgirl moments with her getting gassed to sleep, taken prisoner, an unsuccessful escape attempt on a farm tractor, a consequent tie-up, another escape while being tied up, yet another capture, and another escape. This one keeps you on your toes, and there's a lot of activity from all our heroes and villains.
#27, "A Perfidious Pieman is Simon": A great Batgirl episode. She certainly takes a beating in this one, as she helps bring down the colorful villain Simon the Pieman. The obscure Batman villains almost always make the better stories! Batgirl is knocked out in a motorcycle accident after she's attacked with a whipped cream gun. Then, as she's running away, Simon hits her with a slingshot and she's felled by a sleeping gas apple turnover. Later on, we see Batgirl climbing up the side of a building with suction cups; a cool visual. Then she's caught again and tied down to a pedestal. Since all of the cartoons from this series are short, all we really get out of it is that the bad guy is doing "something", and our heroes have to do a whole bunch of stuff to take him down. This is a good cartoon, but don't expect anything profound.
Voice Cast:
Olan Soule as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth
Casey Kasem as Robin/Dick Grayson, Chief O'Hara
Jane Webb as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon, Catwoman
Ted Knight as Commissioner Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, Mr. Freeze, Narrator, Penguin, Riddler, Scarecrow
Larry Storch as The Joker [uncredited]
Jane Webb: Jane Webb's voice for Batgirl/Barbara Gordon was just perfect for this cartoon series! Her voice is how we all imagined Batgirl would really sound like! Jane also provided the voice of Catwoman in this series. Her Catwoman was good, too, but Batgirl was the better fit. Ms. Webb doesn't always get the recognition she deserves, so I felt it important to create a little "spot" for her in this feature. If you know anything about Jane Webb, please CONTACT ME.
Webb was busy, especially for the 1967-1978 period, doing cartoon voiceovers for many sexy female characters. There were a few "ugly" characters she did, but for the most part Jane did voices of hot cartoon babes like Batgirl, Betty & Veronica, Ginger Grant in the "Gilligan's Island" cartoon known as "The New Adventures of Gilligan", and Sabrina the Teenage Witch to name a few.
While the live-action series was pure camp, this cartoon series was action-based and more like the "real" Batman we know. Since this was still a kiddy cartoon show, we don't see any dark storylines, but the cartoons were a better match for the comics. There are still light moments, but nothing that's outright stupid. I think this series is very colorful and fun; well-drawn despite the limited animation.
The "Batman" cartoons were pretty detached from the "Batman" live-action shows, but they definitely played on the popularity of the live-action Batman in a few ways. Some of the things Batman says, like "old chum", are certainly borrowed from the live-action series, as well as the inclusion of Batgirl. There was a narrator, like in the live-action series, but Filmation cartoons were largely narrated, anyway.
It's cool to see the characters in this cartoon as they looked in the comics at the time. This is one of the best comic-to-cartoon adaptations ever done. It not only matches the look of the comics, but the feel as well. The Batman comics at that time were not very serious, but they weren't stupid slapstick, either.
Filmation opened its doors in 1966 with its first-ever series, "The New Adventures of Superman" on September 10. The cartoon shorts of the same name, as well as the backup feature cartoons, "The Adventures of Superboy", became an instant hit and started the trend of Filmation-produced cartoons based on DC Comics superheroes. Despite this, it took a little over two years for Batman to see the light of day in cartoons. "The Batman/Superman Hour" debuted on September 14, 1968 (also on CBS). New "Batman" cartoons were added to the existing line-up of "The New Adventures of Superman" and "The Adventures of Superboy" cartoons. An impressive 34 episodes of "Batman" cartoons were made in just one season. That was all she wrote for Filmation's original "Batman" cartoons. However, these "Batman" cartoons were repackaged by themselves the next season in a show called "Batman With Robin the Boy Wonder". This next series was all Batman, no Superman/Superboy. Throughout the rest of the 1960s, Filmation carried on with new Superman and Superboy cartoons, as well as cartoons of other DC superheroes.
Olan Soule and Casey Kasem reprised their roles of Batman and Robin in later cartoons for the Hanna-Barbera company, chiefly the "Super Friends" series. However, the next Batman cartoons from Filmation featured Adam West and Burt Ward from the live-action series, which had been cancelled nearly a decade earlier! This next series was called "The New Adventures of Batman" (1977). Although a cute cartoon, it was far different from Filmation's first "Batman" series. There was almost NO violence. The character of Batmite was added for comic relief, and Batgirl was a regular character instead of a recurring guest star. "The New Adventures of Batman" seemed to be made more for smaller children, where the earlier series could've been watched by kids 8-12. What some watchers might notice is that "The New Adventures of Batman" is even different from the live-action series, despite the fact that Adam West and Burt Ward were on board. The cartoons from "The New Adventures of Batman" were also repackaged in a number of series going into the 1980s.
Why did the original "Batman" cartoons last only one season? It really had nothing to do with ratings. The cartoons were pretty well-received at the time. Filmation liked to mix things up every season to give viewers something new, or to present old material in a new way. The first phase of a DC Comics superhero cartoon show was "The New Adventures of Superman", which ran from 1966-1967. The second phase was called "The Superman/Aquaman Hour of Adventure" and ran from 1967-1968. New Superman and Superboy cartoons were made for this season, as well as Aquaman. Thrown in the pot was another cartoon of any one of a series of rotating superhero characters including: The Atom, The Flash (with Kid Flash), The Green Lantern, Hawkman, and The Teen Titans (Speedy, Kid Flash, Wondergirl, and Aqualad). Batman was a late-bloomer and didn't get his cartoon respect until the third season.
"The Batman/Superman Hour" was the third and final phase of the original DC cartoons and ran from 1968-1969. 8 new "The Adventures of Superboy" cartoons were created for this series. The Superman cartoons were changed a bit. There were 8 new two-part cartoons (16 cartoons in all) created for "The New Adventures of Superman". The Batman cartoons were handled a bit odd. Batman (with sidekicks Robin and Batgirl) had half of the hour-long program. In each episode one two-part cartoon (each part 6.5 minutes long) was shown, and one short 6-minute cartoon was also shown.
Quick Facts:
- Alfred Pennyworth, Batman's butler, was voiced by two different people throughout this series. Notice how he sounds different in some cartoons? One voice is definitely more English, while the other is more American. Alfred was voiced by Olan Soule and Ted Knight.
- Larry Storch voiced the Joker in this series, but received no onscreen credit! This is a rather large oversight, as the Joker is Batman's most popular villain.
- Listen to the Riddler's voice in the cartoons. Many sources say Ted Knight did the voice, but to me it sounds a LOT like Larry Storch!
- This cartoon series was VERY rushed. Filmation had to pull in as many people as they could in a big hurry to get these cartoons made. Although the overall quality is very good, you'll notice little goofs here and there. Especially with Batman and Robin's costumes.
- In most Batman media, Catwoman has an attraction for
Batman. In this cartoon series, Catwoman wholeheartedly hates
Batman and wants him dead.
Episode 4, "The Joke's
on Robin"
Knocked out once. Batgirl and Batman are kayoed by a pendulum. They are then tied to gears.
Episode 8, "Long John Joker"
Knocked out once. Batgirl is clubbed from behind.
Episode 18, "The Great Scarecrow Scare"
Knocked out once. Batgirl is knocked out by a gas-filled egg. She is then kept prisoner by the Scarecrow and later tied up.
Episode 27, "A Perfidious Pieman is Simon"
Knocked out twice. The first time around, Batgirl is knocked out in a motorcycle accident when she is attacked by the Pieman's whipped cream gun. The second time around, Batgirl is hit with an exploding, gas-filled apple turnover from the Pieman's slingshot. Off the subject, other cool scenes include Batgirl climbing a wall with suction cups, and being tied down to a pedestal.
Knocked out once. Batgirl and Batman are kayoed by a pendulum. They are then tied to gears.
Episode 8, "Long John Joker"
Knocked out once. Batgirl is clubbed from behind.
Episode 18, "The Great Scarecrow Scare"
Knocked out once. Batgirl is knocked out by a gas-filled egg. She is then kept prisoner by the Scarecrow and later tied up.
Episode 27, "A Perfidious Pieman is Simon"
Knocked out twice. The first time around, Batgirl is knocked out in a motorcycle accident when she is attacked by the Pieman's whipped cream gun. The second time around, Batgirl is hit with an exploding, gas-filled apple turnover from the Pieman's slingshot. Off the subject, other cool scenes include Batgirl climbing a wall with suction cups, and being tied down to a pedestal.
Filmography:
"The Batman/Superman Hour" (1968-1969)
"Batman With Robin the Boy Wonder" (1969-1970)
Studio: Filmation
| Episode
No. |
Title |
Original
Airdate |
Batgirl? |
Villain(s) |
| 1 |
My Crime is Your Crime |
September 14, 1968 |
No |
Joker, Penguin |
| 2 |
A Bird Out of Hand |
September 14, 1968 |
No |
Penguin |
| 3 |
The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze |
September 21, 1968 |
No |
Mr. Freeze |
| 4 |
The Joke's on Robin |
September 21, 1968 |
Yes |
Joker |
| 5 |
How Many Herring in a
Wheelbarrow? |
September 28, 1968 |
No |
Joker |
| 6 |
In Again, Out Again Penguin |
September 28, 1968 |
No |
Penguin |
| 7 |
The Nine Lives of Batman |
October 5, 1968 |
No |
Catwoman |
| 8 |
Long John Joker |
October 5, 1968 |
Yes |
Joker |
| 9 |
Bubi, Bubi, Who's Got the Ruby? |
October 12, 1968 |
Yes |
Catwoman, Penguin |
| 10 |
1001 Faces of the Riddler |
October 12, 1968 |
No |
Riddler |
| 11 |
The Big Birthday Caper |
October 19, 1968 |
No |
Penguin, Riddler |
| 12 |
Two Penguins Too Many |
October 19, 1968 |
No |
Joker, Penguin |
| 13 |
Partners in Peril |
October 26, 1968 |
Yes |
Catwoman, Joker, Penguin, Riddler |
| 14 |
The Underworld, Underground Caper |
October 26, 1968 |
No |
Catwoman, Riddler |
| 15 |
Hizzoner the Joker |
November 2, 1968 |
No |
Joker, Penguin, Riddler |
| 16 |
Freeze's Frozen Vikings |
November 2, 1968 |
No |
Mr. Freeze |
| 17 |
The Crime Computer |
November 9, 1968 |
No |
Penguin |
| 18 |
The Great Scarecrow Scare |
November 9, 1968 |
Yes |
Scarecrow |
| 19 |
A Game of Cat & Mouse |
November 16, 1968 |
No |
Catwoman, Joker |
| 20 |
Beware of Living Dolls |
November 16, 1968 |
No |
Dollman |
| 21 |
Will the Real Robin Please Stand
up |
November 23, 1968 |
No |
Catwoman |
| 22 |
He Who Swipes the Ice, Goes to
the Cooler |
November 23, 1968 |
No |
Mr. Freeze |
| 23 |
Simon the Pieman |
November 30, 1968 |
Yes |
Simon the Pieman, Catwoman,
Joker, Mr. Freeze, Penguin, Riddler |
| 24 |
A Mad Mad Tea Party |
November 30, 1968 |
No |
Mad Hatter |
| 25 |
From Catwoman With Love |
December 7, 1968 |
Yes |
Catwoman |
| 26 |
Perilous Playthings |
December 7, 1968 |
No |
Catwoman |
| 27 |
A Perfidious Pieman is Simon |
December 14, 1968 |
Yes |
Simon the Pieman |
| 28 |
The Cool, Cruel Christmas Caper |
December 14, 1968 |
||
| 29 |
The Fiendishly Frigid Fraud |
December 21, 1968 |
||
| 30 |
Enter the Judge |
December 21, 1968 |
||
| 31 |
The Jigsaw Jeopardy |
December 28, 1968 |
||
| 32 |
Wrath of the Riddler |
December 28, 1968 |
||
| 33 |
It Takes Two to Make a Team |
January 4, 1969 |
||
| 34 |
Opera Buffa |
January 4, 1969 |
#3, "The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze": I enjoyed this cartoon. It doesn't have Batgirl in it, but it's still cool. Mr. Freeze is an interesting villain because he hasn't been so overdone like Joker, Penguin, and Riddler. Filmation has always been good at presenting a great visual in a short space of time. The idea of Mr. Freeze and his guys popping out of ice cream trucks, freezing all the water in Gotham City, is a neat story idea.
#18, "The Great Scarecrow Scare": A great Batgirl episode, with the interesting villain, Scarecrow. I think the lesser-used Batman villains, like Scarecrow, Mr. Freeze, Simon the Pieman, and others make more fun cartoons because we've seen Joker, Penguin, and Riddler done so many times in Bat-media before, and after, this cartoon series. I think Filmation made Scarecrow unintentionally scarier than they wanted him to be, due to his limited animation. It actually works, because Scarecrow is dependably creepy. This cartoon has some great Batgirl moments with her getting gassed to sleep, taken prisoner, an unsuccessful escape attempt on a farm tractor, a consequent tie-up, another escape while being tied up, yet another capture, and another escape. This one keeps you on your toes, and there's a lot of activity from all our heroes and villains.
#27, "A Perfidious Pieman is Simon": A great Batgirl episode. She certainly takes a beating in this one, as she helps bring down the colorful villain Simon the Pieman. The obscure Batman villains almost always make the better stories! Batgirl is knocked out in a motorcycle accident after she's attacked with a whipped cream gun. Then, as she's running away, Simon hits her with a slingshot and she's felled by a sleeping gas apple turnover. Later on, we see Batgirl climbing up the side of a building with suction cups; a cool visual. Then she's caught again and tied down to a pedestal. Since all of the cartoons from this series are short, all we really get out of it is that the bad guy is doing "something", and our heroes have to do a whole bunch of stuff to take him down. This is a good cartoon, but don't expect anything profound.
Voice Cast:
Olan Soule as Batman/Bruce Wayne, Alfred Pennyworth
Casey Kasem as Robin/Dick Grayson, Chief O'Hara
Jane Webb as Batgirl/Barbara Gordon, Catwoman
Ted Knight as Commissioner Gordon, Alfred Pennyworth, Mr. Freeze, Narrator, Penguin, Riddler, Scarecrow
Larry Storch as The Joker [uncredited]
Jane Webb: Jane Webb's voice for Batgirl/Barbara Gordon was just perfect for this cartoon series! Her voice is how we all imagined Batgirl would really sound like! Jane also provided the voice of Catwoman in this series. Her Catwoman was good, too, but Batgirl was the better fit. Ms. Webb doesn't always get the recognition she deserves, so I felt it important to create a little "spot" for her in this feature. If you know anything about Jane Webb, please CONTACT ME.
Webb was busy, especially for the 1967-1978 period, doing cartoon voiceovers for many sexy female characters. There were a few "ugly" characters she did, but for the most part Jane did voices of hot cartoon babes like Batgirl, Betty & Veronica, Ginger Grant in the "Gilligan's Island" cartoon known as "The New Adventures of Gilligan", and Sabrina the Teenage Witch to name a few.