The Joker's Hard Times

Infobox Television episode | Title = The Joker's Hard Times


Series = Batman
Season = 2
Episode = 72
Airdate = January 12, 1967 (ABC)
Production = 9733-Pt. 2
Writer = Teleplay by Stephen Kandel and Stanford Sherman, based on a story by Stephen Kandel
Director = Oscar Rudolph
Guests = Charles Picerni
Milton Stark
Terry Moore
Hal Baylor
Joe Di Reda
Eddie Saenz
Dick Crockett
Charles Fredericks
Howard Wendell
Louis Cordova
Vincent Barbi
Jonathan Kidd
Special Guest Villain: Cesar Romero as The Joker
Prev = The Zodiac Crimes
Next = The Penguin Declines

"The Joker's Hard Times" is the seventy-second episode of the "Batman" television series in its second season. Part 2 of a three-part story, it first aired on ABC January 12, 1967 (a full year after the series' debut on The Alphabet Network) and repeated June 15, 1967. It guest-starred Cesar Romero as The Joker.

Plot Synopsis

Batman frees one of his hands, takes a Batarang from his utility belt, and tosses it at the burning thermite. Breaking off a piece, Batman frees himself, pulls out a Batknife and cuts Robin loose, and they escape with seconds to spare before the great stone drops! Joker believes the duo are finished and snatches a statue of Justice (Libra The Scales!), worth a fortune in Carrara marble (about $500,000 worth!), from outside Police HQ, just as Venus, incognito as a trenchcoat detective, plucks a jeweled scorpion (Scorpio!). The Dynamic Duo arrive at Police HQ in time to chase down The Joker, who disguises himself as a cop and beats a retreat in a stolen police car. The Clown Prince then leads the police and The Dynamic Duo on a merry chase all over Gotham City by broadcasting bogus instructions on the police citizen's band radio, until The Caped Crusader foils this plan.

Unable to catch him, The Duo set a trap for Joker and his crew at the home of Basil Bowman (Sagittarius The Archer!). When The Criminal Clown arrives and finds Batman and Robin, he grabs Venus and, with a knife at her throat, makes his escape using her as his shield! Finally realizing Joker isn't to be trusted, Venus defects to The Dynamic Duo's side and leads him to a record shop and there, following a fierce battle with Joker's thugs, they find Leo Crustash. Later, not only does Joker snatch 2 rare "palaremus demnese" fish (Pisces!!) that were on exhibit at The Gotham City Park Fountain, but one of his men manages to snatch Venus as well, not long after The Dynamic Duo speed off in a hot pursuit.

En route to their hideout at the warehouse, The Joker's henchmen start shooting at the bullet-proof Batmobile as The Dynamic Duo gives chase, forcing them to take a detour. Back at his GHQ, The Joker catches The Caped Crusader and The Boy Wonder in a huge net and are quickly taken to a water-filled tank, where, along with Venus, they are about to become the main course of a giant clam. The Joker and his henchmen departs to commit his next crime, while the clam tries to swallow Robin!

Cliffhanger Text

:ARE OUR EYES DECEIVING US?? HAS THE GIANT CLAM REALLY SWALLOWED ROBIN??:WITH BEAUTIFUL VENUS NEXT ON HIS MONSTROUS MENU??:LEAVING THE JOKER FREE TO CONFUSE, CONFOUND AND CONTROL GOTHAM CITY??:FIND OUT NEXT WEEK! SAME TIME! SAME CHANNEL...!

Trivia

* Plans to stitch these episodes together and release them as a second "Batman" feature film in Europe never reached fruition.
* The Emergency Bat-Turn is put to use for the last time on the "Batman" TV series; it incorporates footage from previous installments "Smack in the Middle" and "Fine Feathered Finks".