Mr. Freeze (Dozierverse)

Mr. Freeze
General Information
Real name:	Art Schivel
Aliases:	Mr. Freeze
Portrayed by:	George Sanders Otto Preminger Eli Wallach
Appearances:	Batman

"This place is about to get cold!"

―Mr. Freeze

Mr. Freeze was an enemy of Batman. Cold in appearance and personality, he decided to put all of Gotham on ice as well as avenge himself on Batman whom he blamed for his condition.

Biography

Dr. Art Schivel was a criminal scientist who during a fight with Batman was exposed to a solution of instant freeze, which turned him in to the diabolical Mr. Freeze. Now unable to live in an environment warmer then fifty-degrees below zero without the aid of a refrigerated suit, he sought revenge on Batman for his condition. In keeping with his new theme, Mr. Freeze began stealing finest diamonds, "ice" to him, in the city. After two clashes with Batman and Robin he successfully used his Freeze Gun to freeze them solid. It was only quick emergency care that saved the pair.

After this attempt failed, he had baseball pitcher Paul Diamante kidnapped so he would have a valuable "diamond" to trade for Batman. While Batman cooperated, he didn't count on Robin following him to Freeze's hideout. After a quiet dinner, Freeze decided to slowly freeze them, starting with Batman. Batman quickly stopped him however, thank to a special thermal layering under his suit. After a quick battle with Freeze's henchmen, Batman sent them and Freeze to prison so they could cool off.

Eventually Freeze's skin began to turn blue from unknown circumstances and he returned to seek revenge on the Caped Crusader once again. This time he captured Miss Iceland from a beauty pageant as part of a plot to discredit Batman and make her a being of pure cold like himself. He later decided to ice Gotham City and hold it for ransom, but was thwarted by the Dynamic Duo and once again sent to prison.

His final appearance involved his most diabolical scheme of all when he decided to steal a icing formula from scientist Professor Issac Issacson who had a photographic memory it in his head.He also had famous figure skater Glacier Glaze to act as his spy. After capturing the professor, Freeze tried every way to get him to talk but Issacson proved to be a tough nut to crack when it was revealed that he i=ws an Icelander so freezing temperatures didn't affect him. Freeze then injected him with dry ice and placed him back in his quick freezer, which finally made Issacson spill the beans. After succeeding in getting the formula, Freeze began his scheme of freezing all of Gotham City using a deadly ice ray. However his plans were foiled again when the Dynamic Duo found his iceberg disguised submarine thanks to a homing device that had been attached to one of the flippers of his own pet homing seal Isolde. He, Glacier and his henchman when then handed over to the police for imprisonment once more.

Weapons and Equipment

• Cooling Suit - Freeze must wear this at all times, unless he is inside one of his sub-zero lairs. It has large tanks of cold air on the back that circulate through the suit, keeping his body below zero. In his first appearance he wore it with a helmet.
• Freeze Gun - Sprays a freezing gas that instantly freezes anyone solid. It also leaves them glowing a sickly green. With proper medical attention or handy bat-attire, a person can recover from the freezing process.
• Freeze Collar - Developed later on in the series. It has several jet nozzles placed around it that emit cold air. Mr. Freeze wears it with his cooling suit in the place of his helmet to keep his head below zero degrees.

Known Associates

Just as Batman and Robin do not go at crime-fighting alone, Mr. Freeze needs fellow partners in crime to assist him with his malicious schemes.

• Chill (portrayed by Troy Melton and Kem Dibbs) - Mr. Freeze's henchman.
• Nippy (portrayed by Guy Way) - Mr. Freeze's henchman.
• Moe (portrayed by Roy Sickner) - Mr. Freeze's henchman.
• Kolevator (portrayed by John Zaremba) - Mr. Freeze's henchman.
• Phony Batmen - Mr, Freeze's henchman. 
• Phony Mr Freezes (portrayed by Charlie Picerni) - Mr. Freeze's henchman.
• Shivers (portrayed by Nicky Blair) - Mr. Freeze's henchman.
• Frosty (portayed by Tom McDonough and later H.M. Wynant) - Mr. Freeze's henchman.
• Waiter #1 (portrayed by Charles Bail) - Mr. Freeze's henchman.
• Waiter #2 (portrayed by Hubie Kerns) - Mr. Freeze's henchman.
• Waiter #3 (portrayed by Victor Paul) - Mr. Freeze's henchman.
• Waiter #4 (portrayed by Tony Santoro) - Mr. Freeze's henchman.
• Glacia Glaze (portrayed by Leslie Parrish) - A female ice skater who assisted Mr. Freeze in capturing Professor Isaacson. Her real name is Emma Strunk.
• Chillblaine (portrayed by Al Wyatt Sr.) - Mr. Freeze's henchman.
• Isolde - Mr. Freeze's pet seal 

Quotes

• "Waiters, clear your trays and fill them up with real goodies...wild! (Green Ice, 1966)
• "You, a glacier? Darling Miss Iceland, never." (Green Ice, 1966)
• "Enough amusement for now...and so you don't do anything foolish like following us...everybody into the pool, please" (Green Ice, 1966)
• "Batman, but--but you were supposed to be a famous frostie freezie by now!" (Deep Freeze, 1966)
• "Inhuman? Demon? Wild! Why don't you join me in my frozen frigid world? Perhaps you would like to be the best iceman at our wedding? You and Robin!" (Deep Freeze, 1966)
• "What's the matter? First the commentator said the stock market went kaput and now the TV set went kaput." (Deep Freeze, 1966)

Appearances

Season 1

• Instant Freeze/Rats Like Cheese

Season 2

• Green Ice/Deep Freeze
• Ice Spy/The Duo Defy

Behind the scenes

Like Catwoman, Freeze was played by three different actors, George Sanders, Otto Preminger and Eli Wallach and the character's appearance would vary without explanation.

Trivia

• Unlike most villains of the Dozier series, this Freeze didn't bother with a standard death trap, but instead basically "just shot them" with his Freezing Gun. He admits he did want to toy with them longer, but was willing to finish them off if they forced him.
• George Sanders was briefly married to another actor who portrayed a Batman foe on the show, Zsa Zsa Gabor, who played the villainess Minerva.
• Many years later the name of Dr Schivel would be changed to Dr. Victor Fries by Paul Dini in the Batman: The Animated Series episode Heart of Ice.
• Mr. Freeze has mentioned being married in one episode, though his wife's name has never been revealed.
• Otto Preminger's appearance was the basis of the Batman '66 comic version and nearly all merchandise, as his portrayal is the most compatible with the modern perception of the character.
• Otto Preminger is the only version of the character that has red hair.
• Otto Preminger was the most unpopular actor to guest star on the show. Adam West called Preminger "despicable" in his autobiography "Back to the Batcave" and Alan Napier, who played Alfred in the series, recalled Otto Preminger in an interview, saying: "I had worked before 'Batman' with Awful Otto Preminger in 'Forever Amber' as the English expert and dialogue director. Otto got me mad because if anyone dried up on a close-up, he would say, 'Why don't you concentrate?' Then he comes on the set of 'Batman'. Instead of looking six foot tall, as I thought, he looks five foot tall, because it is now my territory and he is playing Mr. Freeze. It happens that I was on the set while he was doing a series of close-up's. And in everyone of them Otto dried up and it was only because of the gentleman built into my nature that I didn't say: 'Otto, why don't you concentrate?'"

Gallery

Screencaps

Photos

External links

• DC Database page