SCRIPT: Nora Clavicle and the Ladies' Crime Club

[bat-rss]

Yup, we're finally doing it! We're going to discuss the scripts for "Nora Clavicle," by Stanford Sherman, on TO THE BATPOLES! We'll be recording sometime after Thanksgiving; date to be announced later. Leave your comments and we might quote you on the show.

First Draft

Revised draft

Final

Tag scene (tease of "Penguin's Clean Sweep"

[Ken Holtzhouser]

While the scripts don't answer the most fundamental question I have with this story, ( Is this a satire on Male reaction to Feminism or a straight forward anti-feminism farce?), I'm forced to suggest that the first draft is a better BATMAN episode than the aired episode. For example:
The Lady Wrestlers would allow a reuse of the Ring Around The Riddler set and make the episode more cost effective (although I'm not crazy about the idea of them body slamming Batman. A better idea would have been to lay into Batman's chivalry and have him refuse to fight a female, no matter how well trained).It also makes the Siamese Human Knot fit into the story better. Maybe if the episode was a little more cost effective, money could have been spent on the ending (instead of Mrs. Olsen's fifth grade class painting a backdrop)
The Janitor scene would have allowed for a celebrity cameo AND offered a more plausible reason the Terrific Trio escaped from the Siamese Human Knot than ear wiggling.
The Batgirl cycle radio is an excellent way our heroes can communicate between themselves without having to be face to face.
The non-functional gold watch bit is cute.

HOWEVER

I certainly understand the desire to rewrite the episode to allow Alfred a slice of the action.
What I don't understand at all is holding off on Nora Clavicle's big entrance until after the Titles. Bring your Special Guest Villain in early!
The painful portrayal of the pulchritudinous policewomen keeps us from understanding the author's intent. Satire? Chauvinism? Who can say?
Still, that first draft surprised me and I certainly wasn't expecting that!

[dell]

While the scripts don't answer the most fundamental question I have with this story, ( Is this a satire on Male reaction to Feminism or a straight forward anti-feminism farce?),

I vote for the anti-feminism farce. And men don't come off much better with the mayor caving into his wife's demands because he can't cook, iron, etc. when his wife won't do it for him. The 1960's weren't quite Victorian England with regard to gender roles, but they were a lot closer to it than we are today.

Another thing to look at is how women in general were cast on the show. You basically had three types: arm candy molls for the male villains; matronly characters like Aunt Harriet, Ma Parker, Black Widow, etc.; and sexy female villains like Catwoman and Siren. Professional, capable women as important characters were very rare. We do see one early on with Zelda, but we have to go almost to the end of the series to see another one, and that is Nora Clavicle herself. I may have missed a few, but there just weren't many.

[Jim Akin]

Professional, capable women as important characters were very rare. We do see one early on with Zelda, but we have to go almost to the end of the series to see another one, and that is Nora Clavicle herself. I may have missed a few, but there just weren't many

I'd suggest Barbara Gordon qualifies as a "professional, capable woman." I'd have liked to see Barbara/Batgirl take a stand on Nora and the gulf between legit feminism (shades of the Equal Pay PSA) and Nora's crooked schemes. I don't think that ever would have occurred to Sherman, though. He was painting with a (you'll excuse the expression) broad brush.

[clavierankh]

Betsy Boldface was a career woman you could also had Pinky Pinkston.

[dell]

I did think of Barbara, but she was on the show because of her alter ego, Batgirl. The show could have somehow found a way to have Batgirl without Barbara, but I seriously doubt the show would have had Barbara without Batgirl. The character was on the show because they wanted an attractive woman in a sexy costume, not because they wanted a professional, capable woman as an alter ego. At least Barbara was always portrayed as an intelligent, capable woman, and Batgirl only had a few cringe-worthy scenes where she was made to look foolish (just like Batman and Robin were in season 3).

[bat-rss]

Glad to see some comments coming in! We are planning to record on the morning of Wednesday, November 30.

[Therin of Andor]

Siamese Human Knot, enamelled pin by H+S by Ian McLean, on Flickr

There is so much to love about this episode, but it's always tricky to discuss it with fans because most seem to loath it. In the 60s, this episode was my introduction to Barbara Rush. I didn't think any more of her until The Village People's "Can't Stop the Music" movie was ridiculously successful in Sydney, Australia, running at our now-defunct Paramount Theatre from 19th June to 20th November 1980, whereas it flopped almost everywhere else. Barbara is quirky/wonderful in that, playing the mother of Ron White (Olympian-turned unlikely actor, Caitlyn Jenner). As a newbie Star Trek fan from only months earlier in that same theatre for "Star Trek: The Motion Picture", Barbara Rush is intrinsically linked in my mind with Star Trek. And so few people have seen her in that movie. She is just delightful, brighting up every scene she is in.


"Can't Stop the Music" opening night, Paramount Theatre, Sydney by Ian McLean, on Flickr

And, despite using two sets of rather different prop clockwork mice "bombs" - and those outrageous, painted set backgrounds - I just loved Batman's Piped Piper solution. Even as a kid, those mismatched mice bombs, intrigued me.


My custom Nora Clavicle action figure by Ian McLean, on Flickr

But yeah, those terrified policewomen, with rolling pins in their belts, shimmying up the lamppost to escape the mice, in an episode supposedly about feminism? Weird. But two of them were played by Alyce and Rhae Andrece, the Alice Series of androids in "I, Mudd", a hilarious episode of "Star Trek". Of course, Mrs Jeffrey Hunter, (aka Barbara Rush) had been married to a Starfleet captain, Christopher Pike! And I chat on Facebook every so often with their son.

As terrible as this episode of "Batman" might be, for me it is so bad that it is great!

[Ken Holtzhouser]

Funny, I always associate Barbara Rush with another 1960s camp-fest, ROBIN & THE SEVEN HOODS. She's a scheming "Lady Macbeth" type who plays all sides against each other. Still, despite the scenery chewing of Peter Falk and Victor Buono, how could anyone hope to defeat The Rat Pack? If Cesar "Joker" Romero couldn't do it (in Ocean's Eleven), Nora Clavicle and King Tut surely can't.
She's very similar in "Robin & The Seven Hoods", come to think of it. Her performance is aided by soft focus and an odd tendency to keep her face still while over working her lips.
I mean, she's no Virginia O'Brien, but sheesh....

[bat-rss]

Some problems have cropped up and we haven’t recorded this episode yet. Might be a delay in publication.

[Therin of Andor]

Some problems have cropped up and we haven’t recorded this episode yet.

Nora tied you guys into a Siamese Human Knot and no one knows how to wiggle their ears...?

[Ken Holtzhouser]

Holy Brotherly Bondage!

[bat-rss]

Due to several reasons, we're going to have to take December off and get this episode out sometime in January. More info to come in the regular podcast feed.

[robinboyblunderer]

Due to several reasons, we're going to have to take December off and get this episode out sometime in January. More info to come in the regular podcast feed.

Hope it's nothing bad but if it is, hope it resolves well for you and your brother. Take care!

[robinboyblunderer]

(although I'm not crazy about the idea of them body slamming Batman.

I think it would've been too much, Forget the logistics regarding the stuntman or Adam, it would've been another pointless denigration of the character.