Dizzoner the Penguin

Plot[]

Tottering on the brink of a deadly acid bath, Batman, covering his face with his cape, leaps off of the balance scale into the vat, and then to Robin's surprise climbs out. Unbeknownst to Robin, Alfred had insisted on using acid-proofed material to make their latest costumes. He then uses the acid to dissolve his bonds, and frees Robin.

Later, Batman appears in a televised debate with The Penguin, in which Penguin states that Batman associates with criminals, while he labels himself as an "associate with the law," despite his claim of "no mudslinging in this campaign" . The debate is interrupted by news of the GOONs' breaking into The Gotham City Convention Hall to steal the priceless collection of gems set up for display at an upcoming jeweler's convention. The Penguin and The Dynamic Duo both rush off to the Hall to thwart the crooks. After a heated fight (which is also televised and anchored by several news reporters), Penguin emerges victorious, giving him a wide lead over his caped opponent in the subsequent polls.

The final election results, however, show an increase of support for Batman. The Penguin, his campaign funds now depleted, realizes his political career is finished, thus forcing him to kidnap members of the election board on in an elaborate attempt to sway the votes in his favor.

Batman and Robin trace The Penguin to his hideout. There, they rescue the election board and package the Penguin along with the GOONs inside Penguin's own campaign literature machine. The Duo then tell Penguin that Batman won the election by an overwhelming margin, as the votes had already been counted when he kidnapped the board members.

Returning to police H.Q., The Caped Crusader turns down his new position in Mayor Lindseed's favor. Over the phone, Batman also talks to the two major political parties in the United States. Both offer him the 1968 nomination for President of the United States. The first offer he declines. The second offer he responds by saying he thought the party already had a candidate.

NEXT WEEK[]

Mr. Freeze returns!

Appearances[]

Individuals[]

Guest cast[]

Gallus - George Furth
Rooper - Woodrow Parfrey
Trendek - Murray Roman
Chet Chumley - Dennis James
Debate Moderator - Jack Bailey (uncredited)
Walter Klondike - Don Wilson (uncredited)
David Dooley - Allen Ludden (uncredited)

Behind the scenes[]

The newscasters in the fight scene at the Convention Hall were imitations of three of the top TV newscasters of the day:

"Walter Klondike" was a parody of CBS Evening News anchor Walter Cronkite. He was played by Don Wilson, who was an announcer for Jack Benny on both his radio and television programs. Outside of subsequent interviews, this was Wilson's last on-screen role.
"Chet Chumley" and "David Dooley" were imitations (at least in name only) of Chet Huntley and David Brinkley, known for co-anchoring The Huntley-Brinkley Report on NBC from 1956 to 1970. Chet was played by sportscaster and game show host Dennis James, while David was portrayed by former GE College Bowl emcee Allen Ludden, who at that time was hosting the popular CBS game show Password.

Jack Bailey, who appeared uncredited as the debate moderator, was known for hosting Truth or Consequences during the mid-1950s, and better known for hosting the daytime testimonial game show Queen For a Day, which ran on radio and television for a combined 19 years.

In the epilogue, during the second phone call to Batman in the Commissioner's office- in which Batman states that, "I thought your party already had a candidate", the implication is that the second call was from the Democrat Party, then led by President Lyndon Johnson whom, though he served as president for just over a year following John Kennedy's assassination in November 1963, and also after overwhelmingly winning the 1964 election against Republican Barry Goldwater, was still eligible to run for re-election in 1968. Johnson opted out in March of that year when he declared in a televised address that, "I shall not seek, and I will not accept, the nomination of my party for another term as your president".

Batman Episodes

Season 1: Hi Diddle Riddle • Smack In The Middle • Fine Feathered Finks • The Penguin's a Jinx • The Joker Is Wild • Batman Is Riled • Instant Freeze • Rats Like Cheese • Zelda the Great • A Death Worse Than Fate • A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away • When the Rat's Away the Mice Will Play • The Thirteenth Hat • Batman Stands Pat • The Joker Goes to School • He Meets His Match, The Grisly Ghoul • True or False Face • Holy Rat Race • The Purr-Fect Crime • Better Luck Next Time • The Penguin Goes Straight • Not Yet, He Ain't • The Ring of Wax • Give 'Em the Axe • The Joker Trumps An Ace • Batman Sets the Pace • The Curse of Tut • The Pharaoh's in a Rut • The Bookworm Turns • While Gotham City Burns • Death In Slow Motion • The Riddler's False Notion • Fine Finny Fiends • Batman Makes the Scenes

Season 2: Shoot A Crooked Arrow • Walk the Straight and Narrow • Hot Off the Griddle • The Cat and the Fiddle • The Minstrel's Shakedown • Barbecued Batman? • The Spell of Tut • Tut's Case is Shut • The Greatest Mother of Them All • Ma Parker • The Clock King's Crazy Crimes • The Clock King Gets Crowned • An Egg Grows In Gotham • The Yegg Foes In Gotham • The Devil's Fingers • The Dead Ringers • Hizzonner the Penguin • Dizzoner the Penguin • Green Ice • Deep Freeze • The Impractical Joker • The Joker's Provokers • Marsha, Queen Of Diamonds • Marsha's Scheme of Diamonds • Come Back, Shame • It's How You Play the Game • The Penguin's Nest • The Bird's Last Jest • The Cat's Meow • The Bat's Kow Tow • The Puzzles Are Coming • The Duo is Slumming • The Sandman Cometh • The Catwoman Goeth (A Stitch in Time) • The Contaminated Cowl • The Mad Hatter Runs Afoul • The Zodiac Crimes • The Joker's Hard Times • The Penguin Declines • That Darn Catwoman • Scat! Darn Catwoman • Penguin is a Girl's Best Friend • Penguin Sets A Trend • Penguin's Disastrous End • Batman's Anniversary • A Riddling Controversy • The Joker's Last Laugh • The Joker's Epitaph • Catwoman Goes to College • Batman Displays His Knowledge • A Piece of the Action • Batman's Satisfaction • King Tut's Coup • Batman's Waterloo • Black Widow Strikes Again • Caught In The Spider's Den • Pop Goes the Joker • Flop Goes the Joker • Ice Spy • The Duo Defy

Season 3: Enter Batgirl, Exit Penguin • Ring Around the Riddler • The Wail of the Siren • The Sport of Penguins • A Horse of Another Color • The Unkindest Tut Of All • Louie, the Lilac • The Ogg and I • How To Hatch A Dinosaur • Surf's Up! Joker's Under! • The Londinium Larcenies • The Foggiest Notion • The Bloody Tower • Catwoman's Dressed to Kill • The Ogg Couple • The Funny Feline Felonies • The Joke's on Catwoman • Louie's Lethal Lilac Time • Nora Clavicle And The Ladies' Crime Club • Penguin's Clean Sweep • The Great Escape • The Great Train Robbery • I'll Be a Mummy's Uncle • The Joker's Flying Saucer • The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra • Minerva, Mayhem And Millionaires

Other/Tie-In Media: Batman: The Movie • Batman '66 • Batman: Return of the Caped Crusaders • Batman vs. Two-Face