Smack in the Middle
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| “Smack in the Middle” | |
|---|---|
| Batman episode | |
| Episode no. | Season 1 Episode 2 |
| Guest stars | Michael Fox, Jack Barry, Ben Astar, O'Flyn Damian, Richard Reeves, William Dozier, Jill St. John, Richard Reeves (uncredited) Special Guest Villain: Frank Gorshin as The Riddler |
| Written by | Lorenzo Semple Jr. |
| Directed by | Robert Butler |
| Production no. | 6028-Pt. 2 |
| Original airdate | January 13, 1966 (ABC) |
| Episode chronology | |
| ← Previous | Next → |
| "Hi Diddle Riddle" | "Fine Feathered Finks" |
"Smack in the Middle" is a first-season episode of Batman. It first aired on ABC January 13, 1966 as the second episode of the series, and was repeated on August 25, 1966 and April 6, 1967.
[edit] Trivia
- William Dozier originally auditioned people to narrate the series, but when none of them seemed to fit, he decided do it himself.
- For the first two seasons, a tag preview of next week's villain followed every Part 2 episode, except the pilot.
- This is the only occurrence of the whole Batman TV series of a Batvillain escaping apprehension.
- Aunt Harriet speaks her first lines of dialogue on the series in this episode...in its final minutes.
- We learn here that Bruce Wayne has an uncle.
- Jill St. John (Molly) would go on to play the role of Tiffany Case in the James Bond movie Diamonds are Forever (United Artists, 1971).
- The exterior shots of Wayne Manor were really filmed at 380 South San Rafel Ave, Pasedena, CA.
- The scene of the Batmobile leaving the Batcave to race the remaining fourteen miles to Gotham was really filmed at Bronson Cavern in Hollywood Hills. This cave was used in many horror films including Invasion of the Body Snatchers (Allied Artists, 1956). The problem they ran into when filming the scene was that the Batmobile was just about the same width as the cave entrance. To keep from ripping the fenders off of George Barris' creation, they undercranked the cameras so it could come out slowly and then later speed up the film to give the illusion of speed!
- In all the scenes of the villains hideouts, the camera is slanted at an angle, almost "crooked"--to reflect the villains' being crooked themselves!
- The Batmobile's ever-popular Emergency Bat-Turn Lever is put into use for the first time in this episode.
- For the 1966 Emmys, Batman was nominated as Oustanding Comedy Series while Frank Gorshin was nominated for Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role in a Comedy ("Hi Diddle Riddle"). A third nomination was made for editing.
- Lyle Waggoner was originally cast as Batman and filmed for a test reel. Waggoner later on played Major Steve Leonard Trevor on Wonder Woman.
- This is one of two episodes of Batman in which characters lose their life; the second is Episode #8705-Pt. 2, A Death Worse Than Fate, wherein the gunmen, intending to drill Batman and Robin full of bullets, shoot each other to death as the Dynamic Duo dodge them, aided by Zelda the Great (Anne Baxter).
- The Riddler's maniacal high-pitched giggle was inspired by the character Tommy Udo (portrayed by Richard Widmark) in the 1947 20th Century-Fox crime film-noir Kiss of Death.
