"Dizzoner the Penguin" has Batman bravely diving into the sulfuric acid, uninjured due to the acid proof material used in making their costumes! (what a groaner). The Penguin (Burgess Meredith) delights in using every slimy, underhanded trick in the book, overjoyed that in politics it's all legal. A television debate (Jack Bailey the moderator) finds Penguin extolling his own virtues in being surrounded by police, excoriating Batman for constantly hobnobbing with criminals! Also televised is a curious Batfight presided over by Walter Klondike (Jack Benny sidekick Don Wilson, in his final performance), with Chet Chumley (Dennis James) counting notches for each candidate, and David Dooley (Allen Ludden) trying to avoid punches on the floor. Election night is fraught with tension as polls indicate victory for Penguin, boldly phoning Commissioner Gordon to boast about replacing him with The Riddler, promoting The Joker to Chief of Police! All ends well however, as Batman's trust in the electorate proves that the voters, not the polls, are what truly matters. The conclusion finds the Caped Crusader receiving a call from a certain political party, asking if he'd like to run for President in 1968, followed by a call from the 'other' party with the same request! All of Burgess Meredith's best virtues are on display, broadcast just in time for the 1966 midterm elections.
4 Reviews
Politics 101 Lesson That We Had Repeated Recently
DKosty12314 April 2017
Warning: Spoilers
Usually when a raft a guest stars floods an episode like this, too much time is spent on the cameos, and not enough on the plot. In this case, that does not happen. Batman and Robin do escape the GOONS, but that is only the beginning here.
Penguins campaign is brilliant here in every respect, and actually proves what has become a major problem today with our news media in a capsule of 30 minutes. If I had a Nickel for every time I have turned on CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and the main stream media and heard them report a Political Poll as a news story, I'd be the richest man on this planet. In 30 minutes, this episode proves what is wrong with polls being news, and pokes major fun at a faulty political system that we still have today.
The pollsters on this might not be as Scientific as the modern computer driven ones, but their results are just as incorrect. After they fail to predict the mayor election votes correctly (kind of like a bunch of hacks just did last November, and during the Democratic Primary Season), a broad throw away line is made at televisions Nielsen Ratings which were also screwed up in the 1960's being manipulated by one party and one network. (History repeated itself last year just that way on the election, as one party tried to rig the election then too).
Batman Civics Lesson 101, Polls are not Elections. It is the actual votes which decide the real results. Batman puts his faith in the voters, not the pollsters. (Our cost last election was one party not nominating their best candidate and costing themselves the election and power, and still remaining out of touch with reality, but when you spin a poor narrative for 8 years and use your power to force things down voters throats but do not do what you promised to do, even the media can not change what the voters actually wanted to show up in the results).
Penguin for his part here runs a dirty campaign smear of Batman. His smear sounds exactly like smears always have. There are so many guest stars here, poking classic fun at the 1960's lesson that even Betty White's husband, and Jack Benny's Announcer show up for the fun. They hang our political system out to dry. In the end, Batman wins, and the dirty bird goes back to jail.
As for last year, it appears justice is not being served, as every time I turn on the major news, I am still getting more Political Polls as news, and now people are even confusing the Late Night Talk shows for news as they take real polls, mix them with fake polls, and continue to get a lot of people to buy into an alternate reality which was exposed for what it is last November.
Ironic that Batman and the Penguin could move on, but the current system is doubling down on it's faults and has been for a long time. Doubling down on a screw-up does not make things better. Score a big win here for Batman, and more free room and board for Pengy.
Penguins campaign is brilliant here in every respect, and actually proves what has become a major problem today with our news media in a capsule of 30 minutes. If I had a Nickel for every time I have turned on CNN, CBS, NBC, ABC, FOX, and the main stream media and heard them report a Political Poll as a news story, I'd be the richest man on this planet. In 30 minutes, this episode proves what is wrong with polls being news, and pokes major fun at a faulty political system that we still have today.
The pollsters on this might not be as Scientific as the modern computer driven ones, but their results are just as incorrect. After they fail to predict the mayor election votes correctly (kind of like a bunch of hacks just did last November, and during the Democratic Primary Season), a broad throw away line is made at televisions Nielsen Ratings which were also screwed up in the 1960's being manipulated by one party and one network. (History repeated itself last year just that way on the election, as one party tried to rig the election then too).
Batman Civics Lesson 101, Polls are not Elections. It is the actual votes which decide the real results. Batman puts his faith in the voters, not the pollsters. (Our cost last election was one party not nominating their best candidate and costing themselves the election and power, and still remaining out of touch with reality, but when you spin a poor narrative for 8 years and use your power to force things down voters throats but do not do what you promised to do, even the media can not change what the voters actually wanted to show up in the results).
Penguin for his part here runs a dirty campaign smear of Batman. His smear sounds exactly like smears always have. There are so many guest stars here, poking classic fun at the 1960's lesson that even Betty White's husband, and Jack Benny's Announcer show up for the fun. They hang our political system out to dry. In the end, Batman wins, and the dirty bird goes back to jail.
As for last year, it appears justice is not being served, as every time I turn on the major news, I am still getting more Political Polls as news, and now people are even confusing the Late Night Talk shows for news as they take real polls, mix them with fake polls, and continue to get a lot of people to buy into an alternate reality which was exposed for what it is last November.
Ironic that Batman and the Penguin could move on, but the current system is doubling down on it's faults and has been for a long time. Doubling down on a screw-up does not make things better. Score a big win here for Batman, and more free room and board for Pengy.
A GREAT SATIRE ON POLITICS AND THE ELECTORAL SYSTEM
asalerno1022 June 2022
The Penguin starts an electoral campaign with a view to being the next mayor of Gotham City. The polls position him as the winner, it is then that Commissioner Gordon convinces Batman to compete with the villain since he is the only one who could beat him. In this way, an extremely original electoral competition begins between the two that indirectly exposes the most shady handling of politics, showing how voters often end up giving more importance to slogans and posters than to the proposals themselves. The dialogues in this episode are intelligent and the television debate between the two opponents is a memorable scene.
PENGUIN'S POLITICS CAN GET YOU KILLED!
tcchelsey25 November 2023
The nasty, qwacking Penguin is on a roll, entering the political arena and running for mayor of Gotham City! There's a loophole in the rules, which actually allows the villains of villains to run for office. And he's having a blast since anything low down and dirty is legal in politics!
The polls show the Penguin could actually win, and there's the great debate betwen he and challenger Batman! Penguin insults the caped crusader, claiming HE is the one who hangs around criminals! BOOOO! HISSSS! In a super gag scene, the Penguin calls Commissioner Gordon and tells him he will be REPLACED by the Riddler. You're fired!
The are so many pop figures in this one, including appearances of game show hosts Jack Bailey, Dennis James and Allen Ludden. Best of the best is Jack Benny's long time announcer Don Wilson, playing Walter Klondike(?), veteran Gotham City news anchor. Don retired from showbiz after this episode.
As always, lots of insanity, classic dialogue, one liners and the colors! This may be one of the most original episodes.
Look for Byron Keith as the mayor, who would appear on the show 10 times. Keith was best known from 77 SUNSET STRIP. Popular Joe E. Tata shows up again as a goofy goon.
To note, the scene were Batman dives into acid and survives --thanks to his costume-- may have been lifted from a SUPERMAN episode where Clark Kent is dropped into a tub of acid --but survives because he is wearing his costume! Amazing!
Real reel CAMP classic stuff, 10 PLUS STARS!
SEASON 2 EPISODE 18 remastered dvd box set.
The polls show the Penguin could actually win, and there's the great debate betwen he and challenger Batman! Penguin insults the caped crusader, claiming HE is the one who hangs around criminals! BOOOO! HISSSS! In a super gag scene, the Penguin calls Commissioner Gordon and tells him he will be REPLACED by the Riddler. You're fired!
The are so many pop figures in this one, including appearances of game show hosts Jack Bailey, Dennis James and Allen Ludden. Best of the best is Jack Benny's long time announcer Don Wilson, playing Walter Klondike(?), veteran Gotham City news anchor. Don retired from showbiz after this episode.
As always, lots of insanity, classic dialogue, one liners and the colors! This may be one of the most original episodes.
Look for Byron Keith as the mayor, who would appear on the show 10 times. Keith was best known from 77 SUNSET STRIP. Popular Joe E. Tata shows up again as a goofy goon.
To note, the scene were Batman dives into acid and survives --thanks to his costume-- may have been lifted from a SUPERMAN episode where Clark Kent is dropped into a tub of acid --but survives because he is wearing his costume! Amazing!
Real reel CAMP classic stuff, 10 PLUS STARS!
SEASON 2 EPISODE 18 remastered dvd box set.
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