Robin the Boy Wonder is the eager, youthful sidekick of Batman, the Caped Crusader, the vigilante crime-fighting alias of millionaire playboy Bruce Wayne. Introduced in 1940 as orphaned acrobat Dick Grayson in the DC comic book series Batman, Robin was played by Burt Ward in the 1966 television series on ABC.
As played by Burt Ward, Robin has a cute, boyish face, clean-cut, brown hair, and a compact, athletic physique which fits perfectly with his character's acrobatic background. His colorful outfit, with his dark green mask, gloves, and booties, his bright, red shirt, his shiny, yellow cape, his tight, green panties, and his form-fitting, flesh-color leggings, certainly catches the audience's attention.
Due to his youth, inexperience, and smaller size, the Boy Wonder is clearly the weak link in the Dynamic Duo, which their opponents often seek to exploit. Robin is also cocky, enthusiastic, and overly eager to prove his independent crime-fighting abilities, especially to Batman. He is often in trouble and in need of rescue.
This week's villain is Riddler.
In the first episode, Batman and Robin are shot in the back by sleeping darts. They are then hung up by their wrists and lowered towards a vat of boiling candle wax.
In the next episode, Batman uses his shiny utility belt buckle to reflect sunlight into the boiling wax, causing an explosion which blows the Dynamic Duo free of the ropes and clear of the vat.Favorite shots:
For fans of Robin peril, the second episode is probably the best yet.
The Dynamic Duo discovers that Riddler intends to loot the coffin of a prehistoric Incan emperor on loan to a local museum. Discovering that the museum is closed but that a small window was left open, Robin convinces Batman to let him proceed through the window by himself with the understanding that the Boy Wonder would promptly open the door for the Caped Crusader to the museum and that he would avoid confronting the Riddler's men.
Whether he was improperly trained by the Caped Crusader or whether he merely chose to disregard whatever training he did receive, the Boy Wonder gives no thought to avoiding the light upon entry into the building, thereby casting a shadow which alerts one of Riddler's henchmen to his presence. Not that it matters at this point, but the Boy Wonder confidently struts through the center of each room, rather than hugging the walls, also increasing his visibility to potential criminals.
While entering each room, Robin also fails to check the corners. As a result, he misses one of Riddler's henchmen, who was hiding in one of the corners. Fortunately, the Boy Wonder is alerted to his presence when the henchman expresses surprise that the young sidekick was still alive.
Rather than running to the entrance to open the door to the museum, as Batman instructed, Robin chooses to fight the henchman, which was exactly contrary to the Caped Crusader's instructions. While the Boy Wonder is clearly winning, he is unable to knock out the the henchman, who alerts the other henchman to the fight.
Turning to face the other henchman, Robin is placed in a double chicken-wing hold by the first henchman. The Boy Wonder demonstrates his fighting prowess by kicking the larger henchman away, and propelling himself and the smaller henchman with him towards a couch next to the wall. However, the young sidekick is unable to break free from the first henchman, resulting in the Boy Wonder's giving the villain a frantic lap dance as the other henchman rejoins the fight.
The two henchmen quickly overpower Robin and bring the Boy Wonder to Riddler, who orders the young sidekick placed on the rack.
Fortunately, Batman eventually realizes that Robin will not be opening the door to the museum for him, uses the bat ram to gain entry, foils the Riddler and his men, and rescues the Boy Wonder.
This blog is intended to promote the appreciation of Burt Ward's portrayal of Robin in the 1966 television series "Batman". You may purchase both episodes at the following link:
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