Batman: The Cat's Meow & The Bat’s Kow Tow

The Cat’s Meow

“Oh, nonsense, Chief O’Hara. I know a reformed woman when I see one.”

Oh my. Catwoman is back, so let there be much rejoicing... and this two parter is utterly, spendidly bonkers, Let's just examine what it's about:

• Catwoman has some sort of MacGuffin thingy that can steal people's voices.
• Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara foolishly believe Catwoman to have reformed because, essentially, they're hopelessly naive and she's flirty with them. Then again, she is rather delectable.
• Her plot involves a singing duo called Chad and Jeremy, who play themselves. I've never heard of them, but a little light Googling tells me that, while a one hit wonder here in their native UK, they had loads of hits in America. Blimey. I love their witty, Ringo-like press conference, and their confession to Aunt Harriet that they are only being pop stars so they can become brain surgeons and fancy lawyers.
• Once again Julie Newmar is superb- she's really perfected Catwoman's mannerisms, and once again gets to play her in another amusing disguise, this time a dance teacher. 
• The cliffhanger is essentially a version of Chinese water torture intended to turn Batman and Robin into mindless sex slaves.

There's a reason why I've come to see the name of Stanley Ralph Ross as the harbinger of what is likely to be a superior script. All this is utterly doo-lally. I love it.


The Bat’s Kow Tow

“A bit on the groovy side, aren't they?"

The cliffhanger resolution- finding the right note to shatter the glass in the echo chamber- is hilarious. So is Catwoman's stealing Chad and Jeremy's voices to blackmail us in Blighty, on the grounds that they pay so much income tax our "Empire" would collapse, taking the world economy with it. Even funnier is Batman's lengthy explanation of the economic consequences if Catwoman stealing the voices of everybody in the whole world.

And then we have the British consulate, and the delightfully stereotypical Sir Sterling Habits, who answers a phone call from back home with "Oh, Harold, how are you?". I'm loving every minute of this episode- and then we get the final scrap, and the exquisite flirting and near-kiss as Batman nicks Catwoman. The chemistry between the two of them is electric- I love how pleased she is when he describes her scheme as "one of your best".

None of the above has anything to do with cats. I don't care. Much more Catwoman please.