A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away

A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away / When the Rat’s Away the Mice Will Play – Batman season 1

The Riddler returns, using a European monarch as part of his plot to destroy the Dynamic Duo. As well as make himself rich, of course.

A Riddle a Day Keeps the Riddler Away – February 15 1966

King Boris, who hails from a European country, comes to Gotham City for a visit. Upon his arrival, there is a disturbance, which includes a clue from the Riddler.

Robin: The riddle itself is pretty basic. A person is a piece of wood when he’s a ruler.

“What is the beginning of eternity, the end of time and space, the beginning of every end, and the end of every race?”

Whiskers: You want a piece of cheese?
King Boris: Not without a good vintage port, you lackey!

The cliffhanger has Batman and Robin tied to death wheels, that will spin them to death …

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When the Rat’s Away the Mice Will Play – February 16 1966

Batman manages to escape the Riddler’s death trap. Pretending to be dead, he and Robin decide to lay low until they can figure out the Riddler’s caper.

King Boris (Reginald Denny) is duped into delivering a bomb for the Riddler. Which, of course, the Dynamic Duo defeat daringly. Sorry, that’s more of a Penguin vibe. 🙂

Batman: Why is a woman in love like a welder? Because they both carry a torch!

[Batman and Robin have cornered Riddler and his three henchmen]
Riddler: There are four of us against the two of you, but we’re not afraid.

Riddler: I’ve… been out-riddled!

Cast of characters

• Adam West (The Outlaws is Coming) … Batman
• Burt Ward (Batman the Movie) … Robin
• Alan Napier (The Mole People, House of Horrors) … Alfred
• Neil Hamilton (Tarzan the Ape Man, What Price Hollywood) … Commissioner Gordon
• Stafford Repp … Chief O’Hara
• Madge Blake … Mrs. Cooper
• Frank Gorshin (12 Monkeys, Bells Are Ringing) … The Riddler
• Susan Silo (The Legend of Korra, Diablo III) … Mousey
• Reginald Denny (Cat Ballou) … King Boris
• Marc Cavell (Cool Hand Luke) … Fangs
• Tim Herbert (Soylent Green) … Whiskers
• Roy Jenson … Whitey
• Tristram Coffin (The Corpse Vanishes) … Ambassador
• Johnny Magnus … M.C.

Trivia

• The Riddler’s henchmen, the ratty gang, have suitable names: Fangs, Whiskers, Whitey, with Mousey as the female accomplice of the Riddler.
• Reginald Denny (King Boris) would later play Commodore Schmidlapp in Batman the Movie (1966).
• This was Reginald Denny’s final television role before his death at the age of 75.
• When the Rats Away the Mice will Play is the first episode of the series in which Alan Napier (Alfred Pennyworth) does not appear. He must be dusting the Bat-Atomic pile off-camera or some other butlerish duty.