Batman: The Spell of Tut & Tut’s Case Is Shut

The Spell of Tut

“Gosh, Batman! What are they dressed like that for?”

After a strangely underwhelming pre-titles it's time to jump with joy- King Tut, the first and still the bst original villain created for this series, is back. Not only does the wonderful Victor Buono chew the scenery as magnificently as ever but his, ahem, "Chief Apothecary" is none other than the splendid, and now sadly departed, Sid Haig- who, at this point, is a mere stripling in his twenties, a scary thought. With baddies like this, frankly, we simply don't care how unconvincing and obviously plastic the crocodiles are. Nor do we care about the so-so quality of the script; some performers elevate material just by being there.

Not only that, but we get the second instance of the Dynamic Duo encountering celebrities in a window while climbing, as you do. This time it's the Green Hornet and Kato, in a splendidly bizarre cameo. Yep; this episode features both Sid Haig and Bruce Lee.

The plot is nonsense, of course- scarabs in amber being revived to make a mesmerising liquid- but seeing Tut and his underlings performing an operation in surgeons' scrubs is just so damn fun and Buono, quite rightly, is hamming it up so much more. This is great.


Tut’s Case Is Shut

“On your knees, Helot!”

“You got the wrong Helot.”

“On your knees anyway!”

I've just noticed- the signature onomatopaeic fighty words are now on separate frames. Has this been the case from the start of the new season?

This episode simply carries on the fun. Never mind the rubbishness of the cliffhanger resolution; we get a mesmerised Chief O'Hara performing acrobatic feats on a flagpole several stories up while singing "Molly Malone". We get mesmerised acting from Adam West, with arms held out in front like a zombie. There is no way you can not love this.

We even end with a hilarious look at the camera by Commissioner Gordon. Batman episodes simply don't get any more Batman than this one. Brilliant.

Batman: The Curse of Tut & The Pharaoh's in a Rut

The Curse of Tut

"How many times must I tell you? Queens consume nectar and ambrosia, not hot dogs!"

For the first time ever, and really rather late on in the first season, the series gives us its first genuinely new villain, and he's magnificent- King Tut, played with truly splendid hamminess by Victor Buono. Once a respected Egyptology professor, he was hit on the head during a student riot (it's the '60's, after all) and woke under the delusion that he was the supposedly historical "King Tut" of the 14th dynasty, and that Gotham City is actually Thebes. Well then. And he's already very much a known quantity.

This two parter, elevated by a great villain and much hilarity, is utterly splendid, with Adam West getting to show a new side to his comic talents as Bruce in the museum. Every moment is entertaining, and even the captions during the fight in the park are a cut above the norm ("Qunck!") while the visuals of the mummy's eyes opening are magnificent. This episode milks its premise as much as it can, and ends on a great cliffhanger. I'm loving this.


The Pharaoh's in a Rut

"Batman? He turns me on..."

The above is said by "Nefertiti", who further desripes the Caped Crusader as "handsome, clean cut and groovy". Well then.

Things continue to be awesome in this second episode of plots and counter-plots, even if Batman is indeed taking out of his arse when he says that Alexandria is anywhere near to the Nile delta and the Egyptology throughout is decidedly dodgy. We simply don't care.

The Queen, now out of favour, are subjected to the utterly terrifying pebble torture and forced to dance for Tut's amusement. Fortunately Batman stays sane by reciting his times tables backwards. Phew. Plus Alfred chauffeurs Robin in the Batmobile and a dummy Bruce Wayne is switched to Batman through a series of highly convenient plot contrivances. I love it.

More Tut please. This has been a real season highlight.