"TROUBLE FOR PRINCE CHARMING"

AIRED: FEBRUARY 17, 1967

The Hornet gets involved in international affairs when a visiting prince and his fiancé are targets of a coup.  There is a great deal of potential in the idea of this story, but the limited time of the individual episode doesn't allow for it.  In addition, Jim and John question if the motivation for the Hornet's involvement is practical with the way the series is set up.  

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The Green Hornet: A History of Radio, Motion Pictures, Comics and Television by Martin Grams and Terry Salomonson is a reference work we're consulting as we move through the series.  Pick up your copy by clicking on the link and getting it today.

Take a listen and then let us know what you think of the episode by writing us here or at thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

"The Cool, Cruel Mr. Freeze" & "The Joke's on Robin"

Aired September 21, 1968

We continue our look at the 1968 Filmation series with a review of a pair of stories.  First, we look at the premiere of Mr. Freeze on the cartoon as he plans to bring Gotham City to its knees with a frosty gamble that not only threatens the city, but the Wayne fortune as well.  Next, Robin is thinking he's losing his touch but we quickly learn, "The Joke's on Robin" thanks to the Joker.

In addition, John and Dan Greenfield, creator and author of the 13th Dimension website discuss the theme song and Ted Knight's contributions to the show and beyond.

Comment on the episode here or write thebatcavepodcast@gmail.com.

A few weeks back, we presented the radio drama version of the classic film, “Sunset Boulevard.”  Tonight, “The Jack Benny Program” is going to render (in the best sense of the word) its version.  Mary is out sick, but her real-life sister, Babe, is on hand to play the Gloria Swanson role.  Then we present three episodes of the little-known Basil Rathbone series, “Word Detective.”  These three-minute investigations into word origins were really just ads for the Underwood typewriter company, but they are informative and entertaining nonetheless.

Episodes

The Jack Benny Program

March 25, 1951

“Sunset Boulevard”

2:33

Word Detective

November 2, 1959

“Tangerine”

November 5, 1959

“Melba Toast”

November 6, 1959

“Stoic”

32:34

Episode 55—Rim of the World

Science fiction writer Scott Pearson and cohost Ella Pearson interview Zack Stentz, screenwriter and producer of the Netflix film Rim of the World, which follows the adventures of four teenagers caught in the middle of an alien invasion while at summer camp. After the interview, Ella and Scott review the film.

Segments

Intro :28

The Interview

The Synopsis 1:30

Eighties Nostalgia and Inspirations 2:43

A Contemporary Teen Adventure 4:10

Rim of the World Highway 4:43

Kids of Diversity 5:30

Greenlit on the Fast Track 7:17

Multitasking Movies and TV 8:04

Writer on the Set 8:58

Stories from Location 10:02

Working with McG 11:10

Big Trouble in Little China 13:54

Booster Gold 14:35

Lore 16:35

Thor 17:32

The Sarah Connor Chronicles 20:40

Terminator and Picard Trailers 21:33

Trek Fans Since Walking 22:18

X-Files Worries 23:00

Old-School TV vs. Streaming 23:45

The Twilight Zone 26:20

Tin Tin 27:14

Netflix, Streaming, and the Future 28:13

The Review

Here There Be Spoilers 32:56

Ella Wants More 33:56

ZhenZhen and 13-Year-Old Ella 34:54

A Contemporary Teen Adventure Redux 35:46

The Young Actors 37:40

The Classic Summer Camp 38:09

The Classic Alien Invasion 39:45

The Classic Three-Stooges Slap 40:40

Easter Eggs and Callbacks 41:07

Action and Character Moments 45:32

The Mystery of ZhenZhen 46:20

Back to the Invasion 48:00

The Kids and the Grown-Ups 49:08

The Man in the Jail 49:34

Seventy Miles to Go 51:15

The Joy of Bicycling 51:58

Ella Wants the Theatrical Release 53:26

Final Comments 54:25

This week, we have two programs we’ve never presented before.  Humphrey Bogart and Lauren Bacall had their own adventure radio series in the 1950s, “Bold Venture.”  It was part “Casablanca” and part “African Queen.”  Bogie plays the proprietor of a Havana hotel frequented by conmen, gamblers, and treasure hunters, and every week brought the couple adventure and excitement.  Next, it’s America’s favorite bow-tie-wearing redhead, “Archie Andrews.”  Light on the adventure, but high on the domestic comedy and teen-aged shenanigans, here Archie finds the simple act of getting dressed for a date to be quite a challenge.

Episodes

Bold Venture

April 23, 1951

“Spanish Gold”

02:47

Archie Andrews

July 10, 1948

“Archie Gets Dressed for a Date”

30:27