Batman (TV Series) The Joker Is Wild (1966) User Reviews

The Serious Business of a guy called JOKER!!

[redryan64 · 8/10 · 28 June 2007]

The ultimate success of a truly "diferent" type of Series TV,like this BATMAN would rely even more heavily on proper treatment, beyond the 'Camp' Humor. Therefore, careful casting of Actors to portray Old, Established foes from the Comics Pages was a must. Next, the stories would best be like the tales from the printed page. Like so many of the better BATMAN TV Scripts, this adventure was adapted from the pages of the "Joke Books".*

The greatest single occurrence in the Batman Series 1st season, other than the premiere, had to be the way The Joker burst onto the Television screen. Emitting a shrill, Joker Laugh, displaying that wide eyed expression with that trademark Sardonic Grin. At that time he was pitching in an Intramural** Softball Game. It was during this game that The Joker "sprung" himself from Gotham State Prison, with Chief O'Hara and Warden Creighton's "Progressive" Corrections Crew watching.

That the Production Crew was able to create such a most nearly perfect image and introductory scene for the Joker. It was too good to be true. The bouquets must also be given to Mr. Ceasar Romero, for in the final analysis, it was he as the actor to bring all the elements together and give us the 1st celluloid Joker, who has to be the very greatest of Batman's enemies. (The Make-up Department even managed to save the famous Ceasar Romro trademark, his mustache, simply by applying heavy grease paint over it, rendering it nearly invisible, unless of course, you really looked for it.)***

Once out, the Clown Prince of Crime gathers up a Gang and immediately plots out a new crime wave. The new crimes spree led off with the Robbery of a newly opened display, a Comedians' Hall of Fame**** at Gotham Art Museum. Batman & Robin nearly nab the Joker & Gang, but are foiled by a sword's falling off the wall. It is after they escape the Joker's clutches by using exploding capsules from Batman's Utility Belt, that the Joker gets the idea for a Utility Belt of his own.

After a clue in the form of a Clown Kewpie Doll is thrown through the window of Commissioner Gordon's window when not Batman & Robin were present, but rather Bruce Wayne & his Ward,Dick Grayson were visitors.

The 'clue' leads the Crimefighters to a Live Telecast of the Opera, PAGLIACCI that evening, performed by the Gotham Opera Company. Once the fake Pagliacci is confronted and revealed to be The Joker, the Henchmen get the best of the Dynamic Duo, and are going to unmask them right before the TV audience, in front of God and Everybody, when....................TOMORROW, SAME BAT-TIME, SAME BAT-CHANNEL!! And Remember, THE WORST IS YET TO COME!!

* In this case the Comic Book Story used for adaption was titled: "The Joker's Utility Belt", from Batman Comics # 71, October-November 1952 issue.

** INTRAMURAL: from the Latin; Intra(within), Mural(wall) or 'within the walls'. A competition, athletic or otherwise, held between individuals or teams all from the same school, be it College or High School. In this case, it is a Prison Game, really within the Walls!

*** When it was announced and The BATMAN Series began production,the only other Actor mentioned for the Role of The Joker other than Ceasar Romero was Jose Ferrar.(In my recollection,anyway. Know of any others? Let's hear from you!)

**** The Writing/Direction/Production team paid a fine tribute to some of Filmdom's Finest Funnymen namely: Stan Laurel, Oliver Hardy, W.C. Fields and TV's own Ernie Kovacs.

No Doubt About The Joker Here In Spring

[DKosty123 · 8/10 · 27 December 2016]

While this opener was being broadcast in January, the ratings for this series on ABC were hotter than spring. This one is too as the Joker springs himself out of prison to start a new crime wave. There is a lot of things going on a this series is rolling. Ceasar Romero is a great Joker, without a doubt.

First he visits the Comdians Hall of Fame to steal priceless jewels. These scripts are sharp as Bob Kane is already on the writing team. Bob would go on to write on several of the later Batman movies out of Hollywood and he has written on other series including Gotham. Kane has just started working on another series writing for episodes in 2017.

This one concludes with a disguised Joker on television singing opera, and then trapping Batman & Robin after they unmask him and threatens to unmask them. Stay tuned for tomorrow, same bat time, same bat channel.

Wild funny clever episode with the "Joker"

[blanbrn · 8/10 · 2 November 2019]

As far as I know this is the first episode involving "The Joker" in the "Batman" TV series from season 1 episode 5 called "The Joker is Wild" the first of a two part episode. It's clever funny and you see the clown prince break away from prison to go rob the Gotham Comedy hall of fame. And along the way the unique and clever trick happens when the clown forms his own utility belt to battle "Batman and Robin". And it was nice to see the camp yet funny work from Cesar Romero as his "Joker" was funny with laughs and wit and some of the action moments from this episode were cool too.

I Am Wild About This Two-Parter

[StuOz · 28 March 2010]

I have reviewed many Batman episodes on the IMDb and this two-parter is probably the second best two-parter (after the pilot) in the whole Batman series. I tell it like it is, and with that in mind, let me say that there is nothing I can point out as being wrong with this two-parter: it just goes from one great scene to the next!

Amazing film-like television with amazing characters and amazing images. Even narrator William Dozier sounds more thrilling than usual. In this first season, Batman was an adventure series first and a comedy second. The Joker Is Wild features some Joker moments in act one that are not too unlike some of The Joker moments in the Warner Brothers Batman motion picture of 1989.

So here it is, some totally wild film-like television that you will never forget!

Cesar Romero debuts as The Joker

[kevinolzak · 10/10 · 21 May 2016]

"The Joker is Wild" sees the new series going from strength to strength, this time by the incredibly intuitive casting of Cesar Romero for Batman's most popular villain The Joker, Clown Prince of Crime. First choice Jose Ferrer had a scheduling conflict, and second choice Gig Young seems a baffling selection, so things worked out even better than expected. Romero, like Burgess Meredith before him, was a longtime Hollywood professional whose starring days were far behind him, but unlike Frank Gorshin's high pitched giggle for The Riddler, the laugh that bellowed out of Cesar's mouth was really his own, simply exaggerated for the screen. In many ways, this was a major factor in the actor's total immersion in the role, similar to Meredith, allowed to pull out all the stops in highly engaging fashion, for a series where the villains outshined the hero. Interesting in that our first glimpse of the famous Joker should be in prison garb, his distinctive laugh the first thing we hear, seemingly enjoying a softball game pitching on the mound. A trick ball results in the devilish clown literally springing himself, to begin a new crime wave that makes The Riddler look like small potatoes. Having been foiled once too often by Batman's utility belt he decides to make his own, with the climax featuring his unmasking as Pagliacci, his grinning features frightening a drunk (Dick Curtis) watching in a bar: "it's my mother-in-law!" With Batman helpless, the hateful harlequin moves closer to unmask him on live television!

O M G! ENTER THE JOKER!

[tcchelsey · 10/10 · 4 June 2023]

What better combination would there ever be; veteran director Don Weis and Caesar Romero as the Joker. Weis had his hand in about every hit show on tv, and just before BATMAN directed the cult classic GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI. While he was directing Batman he also did a ton of episodes for IRONSIDE. Caesar Romero may have landed the job as the wildly mad Joker due to his many comic performances on the RED SKELTON SHOW. One thing for certain, he was one heck of an actor, both in dramatic and comedic roles for decades. He may also have adapted the iconic Joker laugh from Margaret Hamilton's Wicked Witch of the West (THE WIZARD OF OZ). Ya think? They sound a lot alike, and that's what caught me by surprise. In perhaps the most ingenious escape plan ever, we get our very first glimpse of the Joker in prison, pitching for the baseball team. Beneath the pitcher's base is a giganic spring which elevates him up in the air and over the prison walls! Now that's original. His mission is to rob the Gotham Comedy Hall of Fame. Why not? If you look closely, Romero's famous moustache (which he did not want to shave off) is painted over in heavy white makeup.

Look for beautiful Nancy Kovack, playing Queenie.

Kavack was enormously popular in both movies and tv, and prior to this episode appeared in TARZAN AND THE VALLEY OF GOLD. Of course best remembered for the cult film JASON AND THE ARGONAUTS. A real reel camp episode, not to be missed. SEASON 1 EPISODE 5 dvd box set (remastered) in beautiful color.

The Joker Is Wild

[Prismark10 · 6/10 · 6 March 2024]

The writers went wild with the metaphors. The Clown Prince of Crime is in jail.

For the Joker (Cesar Romero) imprisonment is a laughing matter. The governor's new fangled scheme regarding prisoners has been the Joker's foil. He looks to be rehabiliated.

Gotham City would learn that the Joker is not tight as a cobra's coil. The Joker springs to his freedom.

His next gag is to steal valuable diamonds from the museum. Only Batman and Robin and his infernal utility belt, aids the dynamic duo when they are pushed into a tight corner.

That utility belt is not to be sneezed at and the Joker makes his own copy.

It is all ludicrous but this story is packed tightly than a Jack in the box.