Batman Stands Pat (2) - S1-E14
Continuity mistake: Batman's plaster-covered costume gets an instant dry cleaning en route as he drives from the sculptor's studio to the batcave. (00:05:00)
Continuity mistake: When Batman and Robin are in the museum speaking with the director, Batman's chest emblem is high enough on his chest that it nearly touches the bottom edge of his cowl. In the next shot, when he leaves the museum, the emblem has moved down several inches.
Batman Stands Pat (2) - S1-E14
Continuity mistake: When Batman and Robin break through Mad Hatter's window, several large chunks of glass remain attached to the wood frame. In the very next shot, they've vanished. (00:18:00)
The Joker Goes to School (1) - S1-E15
Revealing mistake: Batman drives out of the batcave alone. The first bit of stock footage of the car leaving the cave does indeed show him alone in the batmobile. But the very next stock shot of the car speeding down the dirt road shows us Robin sitting in the passenger seat. (00:05:25)
Revealing mistake: Most of the first season's episodes follow a standard outline where, after the opening credits, Batman and Robin arrive in the Batcave via the Batpoles, run and enter the Batmobile and drive off, along the winding, dusty roads toward Gotham, then arrive in front of City Hall, exit the car and run up the stairs. But very quickly it becomes obvious that every bit of this is the same footage used over and over. As they get in the car, it's on a black platform which vanishes as the car starts moving. The same cloud of dust appears as the car's rear heads into the distance on the winding road, and the same crowd of people are in front of City Hall, nearly every episode.
When the Rat's Away the Mice Will Play (2) - S1-E12
Visible crew/equipment: The microphone dips into the shot at the end, just as Aunt Harriet is kissing Dick and Bruce good-bye. (00:23:20)
Smack in the Middle (2) - S1-E2
Continuity mistake: Molly is about to disguise herself as Robin. But the wig she's holding isn't even remotely the same color as Robin's hair. Of course, as soon as she puts it on and transforms herself, the wig darkens and becomes Robin's actual hair. (00:05:45)
Continuity mistake: While the unconscious Robin is being carried away from the Batmobile by one of Riddler's thugs, his cape loosens and appears to completely fall off just before they exit the frame. In the next shot, Robin is still being carried away but his cape is securely back in place.
Fine Feathered Finks (1) - S1-E3
Continuity mistake: When Batman reverses direction of the Batmobile via a "Bat-Turn", the car is shown from above turning counter-clockwise, but the next interior view shows the car is spinning clockwise. (00:14:20)
Audio problem: Joker's TV debut as an opera singer isn't very convincing. Even through the partially-obscuring clown mask, you can see that his lips aren't moving at all. (00:22:30)
Revealing mistake: The Batcave was a stage set with no real exit for the car. So in many episodes where a shot is looking into the cave from the darker tunnel as the Batmobile approaches and passes to our right, the rear end of the car jumps upward and tire skid marks appear on the floor as the driver slams on the brakes to avoid hitting the studio wall that is out of the shot, while the audio suggests the car is still accelerating.
Fine Feathered Finks (1) - S1-E3
Continuity mistake: When Batman starts the Bat-Turn, the parachutes are shown deploying on a 6-lane major roadway (3 lanes in each direction) in a very open area, but after completing the 180-degree turn, the car is shown driving away from the crumpled chutes on a much narrower side street among tall buildings. (00:14:10)
A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away (1) - S1-E11
Visible crew/equipment: During the first scene in Commissioner Gordon's office, the microphone shadow is outlined on the front of Chief O'Hara's uniform. (00:01:50)
The Joker Goes to School (1) - S1-E15
Continuity mistake: In the batcave, Batman's cape suffers a case of over-the-shoulder/off-the-shoulder blues, going from one to the other several times between takes. (00:19:10)
Smack in the Middle (2) - S1-E2
Deliberate mistake: Ignoring that its very unlikely all of Jill St. John's copious red hair would fit under a wig that passes for Robin's hair, it's impossible that it would emerge from under that wig looking as full and perfectly styled as it does when she's in the Batcave.
Batman Stands Pat (2) - S1-E14
Continuity mistake: At the end, as Bruce Wayne speaks to Magda, he's standing with his arms at his sides. When the shot cuts, his hands are suddenly clasped in front of him. (00:23:30)
Continuity mistake: In close-up, Bruce Wayne folds his newspaper in half, leaving the folded edge facing the camera. The shot cuts to a wider view and immediately, the paper has reversed positions in his hand. (00:04:00)
The Penguin's a Jinx (2) - S1-E4
Continuity mistake: When the Penguin goes to Wayne Manor to put Batman and Robin to sleep with the gas from his umbrella, just before he shoots the orange gas at Robin's suit of armor, there's a quick shot of the armor's helmet. The problem is that there's already an orange stain on the face of the helmet from the orange gas that comes out of the tip of the umbrella, even before Penguin shoots any gas. (00:19:15)
Continuity mistake: When Batman and Robin crash through the window, there's no glass left in the frame - at least not until the next shot, when several large shards that weren't there before suddenly appear at the edges. (00:11:50)
Batman Stands Pat (2) - S1-E14
Visible crew/equipment: When Mad Hatter is sending Lisa in to butter up Mr. Bowinkle, the microphone shadow is bobbing up and down above their heads. (00:11:25)
Answer: It's wasn't unusual for multiple actors to play one character on this show. The villains on the TV Batman were played by guest stars, not regular cast members. George Sanders, Otto Preminger, and Eli Wallach played the part at various times. They may simply have only wanted to play the part once or twice, or they were later tied up with other projects, making it necessary to cast someone else. Other characters, like Catwoman, were also played by more than one actress.
raywest ★