The Penguin Goes Straight

Last updated
"The Penguin Goes Straight"
Batman episode
Episode no.Season 1
Episode 21
Directed by Leslie H. Martinson
Written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. and John Cardwell
Production code8723-Pt. 1
Original air dateMarch 23, 1966 (1966-03-23)
Guest appearances
Kathleen Crowley
Al Checco
Harvey Lembeck
Special Guest Villain: Burgess Meredith as The Penguin
Episode chronology
 Previous
"Better Luck Next Time"
Next 
"Not Yet, He Ain't"
List of episodes

"The Penguin Goes Straight" is the 21st episode of the Batman television series, first airing on ABC March 23, 1966. It guest starred Burgess Meredith as The Penguin.

Plot

Attending a matinee performance at a Gotham City theatre, the Penguin foils a thief's attempts to steal a ruby from the beautiful actress Sophia Starr. Then, at the Millionaire's Club, he stops two crooks from kidnapping millionaire Reggie Rich from a steam room. When Batman and Robin arrive, the Penguin announces his Penguin Protection Agency, which will protect the wealth of Gotham City's society crowd. Batman and Robin are immediately suspicious, believing this to be a plot to steal Sophia Starr's jewels, which Penguin has been hired to protect; they send Alfred Pennyworth, in the guise of an insurance company agent, to photograph the jewellery and switch Penguin's cigarette holder for one with a hidden microphone; however, a bug detector located in the handle of the Penguin's umbrella spoils Alfred's ruse, and he only just manages to escape with the photos. After using the pictures to create fake jewels, the Caped Crusader and the Boy Wonder break into Sophia's apartment in order to swap them with the real jewels, but they are caught red-handed by the Penguin and his agents and charged with burglary....

Related Research Articles

<i>Batman</i> (TV series) 1966 American action comedy television series

Batman is an American live-action television series based on the DC Comics character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Bruce Wayne/Batman and Burt Ward as Dick Grayson/Robin—two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City from a variety of archvillains. It is known for its camp style and upbeat theme music, as well as its intentionally humorous, simplistic morality aimed at its preteen audience. It was described by executive producer William Dozier at the time as "the only situation comedy on the air without a laugh track". The 120 episodes aired on the ABC network for three seasons from January 12, 1966, to March 14, 1968, twice weekly during the first two seasons, and weekly for the third. In 2016, television critics Alan Sepinwall and Matt Zoller Seitz ranked Batman as the 82nd greatest American television series of all time. A companion feature film was released in 1966 between the first and second seasons of the TV show.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Penguin (character)</span> DC Comics supervillain

The Penguin is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly as an adversary of the superhero Batman. The character made his first appearance in Detective Comics #58 and was created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger. The Penguin is one of Batman's most enduring enemies and belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up Batman's rogues gallery.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Alfred Pennyworth</span> Fictional character throughout the DC Universe

Alfred Thaddeus Crane Pennyworth, originally Alfred Beagle and commonly known simply as Alfred, is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics, most commonly in association with the superhero Batman.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Man-Bat</span> DC Comics character

Man-Bat is a fictional character appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Introduced in Detective Comics #400 as an enemy of the superhero Batman, the character belongs to the collective of adversaries that make up his rogues gallery. Originally portrayed as a supervillain, later incarnations show the Man-Bat as a sympathetic villain or antihero.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman: No Man's Land</span> American comic book crossover storyline

"Batman: No Man's Land" is an American comic book crossover storyline that ran for almost all of 1999 through the Batman comic book titles published by DC Comics. The story architecture for "No Man's Land" and the outline of all the Batman continuity titles for 1999 were written by cartoonist Jordan B. Gorfinkel.

<i>The Batman vs. Dracula</i> 2005 animated superhero film

The Batman vs. Dracula is a 2005 American direct-to-video animated superhero-horror film based on The Batman television series. The film is a crossover with the 1897 horror novel Dracula. The film was released to DVD on October 18, 2005, and made its television debut on Cartoon Network's Toonami block on October 22. In the film, the Batman races to save Gotham City from his most challenging foe yet: the legendary vampire Count Dracula, who hatches a plot together to enslave the city and create a race of vampires along with his two new henchmen, the Penguin and the Joker. It was released on DVD as a tie-in with the live action Batman Begins.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman: Cataclysm</span> DC Comics crossover story arc

Cataclysm is an 18-chapter DC Comics crossover story arc that ran through the various Batman family comics from March to May 1998. The plot of the storyline centers on Gotham City being hit by a massive earthquake, the epicenter of which is less than a mile from Wayne Manor. In the wake of the destruction, Batman and his allies join the frantic rescue efforts around the devastated city, which soon spirals into chaos. This story arc would act as a catalyst for the Batman comics and its spin-off titles, signaling the beginning of nearly two years of storylines that would spring forth in the earthquake's aftermath, culminating in the year-long Batman: No Man's Land saga. Cataclysm itself takes place a short time after the events of Batman: Contagion and Batman: Legacy, two previous crises which also nearly resulted in Gotham City's destruction.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Orca (DC Comics)</span> Comics character

Orca is the name of two fictional anti-hero characters who appear in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly known as one of the adversaries to the superhero Batman.

<i>Batman: Nine Lives</i>

Batman: Nine Lives is an Elseworlds graphic novel published by DC Comics in 2002, written by Dean Motter, with art by Michael Lark.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Batman: Legacy</span> Crossover story arc

Legacy is a crossover story arc in the Batman comic book series, which is a sequel to another Batman story arc, Contagion and also serves as a follow-up to the Knightfall story arc.

<i>Batman</i> (serial) 1943 film serial directed by Lambert Hillyer

Batman is a 1943 American 15-chapter theatrical serial from Columbia Pictures, produced by Rudolph C. Flothow, directed by Lambert Hillyer, that stars Lewis Wilson as Batman and Douglas Croft as his sidekick Robin. The serial is based on the DC Comics character Batman, who first appeared in Detective Comics #27 in May 1939. The villain is an original character named Dr. Daka, a secret agent of the Japanese Imperial government, played by J. Carrol Naish. Rounding out the cast are Shirley Patterson as Linda Page, Bruce Wayne's love interest, and William Austin as Alfred, the Wayne Manor butler.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">The Penguin Declines</span> 73rd episode of the 2nd season of Batman

"The Penguin Declines" is the 73rd episode of Batman, the conclusion of a three-part story in its second season on ABC. Its original telecast occurred on January 18, 1967, with a rerun on June 21. It guest-starred Cesar Romero as Joker and Burgess Meredith as Penguin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mr. Freeze</span> Supervillain in the DC Universe

Mr. Freeze is a supervillain appearing in American comic books published by DC Comics. Created by writer Dave Wood and artists Sheldon Moldoff and Bob Kane, the character initially debuted in Batman #121 as Mr. Zero, a mad scientist with an unknown birth name who, after a physiology-altering mishap, becomes an ice-themed criminal typically armed with freezing weapons and an adversary of the superhero Batman forced to live in sub-zero temperatures and wear a special "cryo-suit" for survival. He was later renamed "Mr. Freeze" after the version featured in the 1966 Batman television series.

<i>Batman: Night of the Owls</i>

"Batman: Night of the Owls" is a comic book crossover storyline published by DC Comics in mid-2012, and featuring the Batman family of characters. Primarily written by Scott Snyder, the arc is the first major crossover storyline of The New 52.

"Not Yet, He Ain't" is an episode of the 1960s Batman television series, first airing on ABC March 24, 1966. It was the 22nd episode in the series. It guest starred Burgess Meredith as the villain The Penguin.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Robin Lord Taylor</span> American actor and director

Robin Lord Taylor is an American film and television actor and director, known for his role as Oswald Cobblepot in the Fox TV series Gotham, as well as Accepted (2006), Another Earth (2011), Would You Rather (2012), John Wick: Chapter 3 – Parabellum (2019) and You (2019).

<i>Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts</i> 2015 American film

Batman Unlimited: Animal Instincts is an American animated superhero film and the first entry in the Batman Unlimited series. It was released on May 12, 2015 on Blu-ray, DVD and Digital HD.

<i>Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants</i> 2016 American film

Batman Unlimited: Mechs vs. Mutants is an American animated superhero film and the third and final entry in the Batman Unlimited series. It premiered on July 24, 2016, at San Diego Comic-Con International, to be followed by a digital release on August 30 and a DVD release on September 13.

Selina Kyle (<i>Gotham</i> character) Fictional character on Gotham

Selina Kyle, nicknamed "Cat", is a fictional character on the Fox TV series Gotham. Based on the DC Comics character of the same name who goes on to become Catwoman, Selina is a morally ambiguous street thief who becomes an ally and later love interest to Bruce Wayne, the orphaned son of Thomas and Martha Wayne. Camren Bicondova portrays Selina Kyle for the majority of Gotham's run, but is replaced by Lili Simmons as an adult in the series finale.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duke Thomas (character)</span> Comics character

Duke Thomas is a fictional character appearing in comics published by DC Comics. He was created by Scott Snyder and Greg Capullo. He was introduced as a supporting character of Batman, his first appearance being in 2013 in Batman #21, before later leading a youth vigilante movement inspired by Robin, in the comic book We Are... Robin, in May 2015. He officially became Batman's newest partner and joined the Batman family in 2016.