The Impractical Joker

"The Impractical Joker" marked the long awaited return of Cesar Romero, not seen since the feature film months earlier, but the script isn't up to the first season standards. Now the Clown Prince of Crime literally has time on his side, beginning a spree of key-related pranks to lure the Dynamic Duo into the open, where he uses his little magic box to hold them spellbound in place to allow him to spirit away the jeweled Key of Kaincardine, belonging to visiting Scot Angus Ferguson (Christopher Cary). Recalling that the hideous harlequin's previous occupation was stage magician, Batman comes up with a solution to its hypnotic effects, but still falls into a trap set with the aid of Joker's vain, fur loving moll Cornelia (Kathy Kersh). Robin gets a wax job makeover, while Batman finds himself in a human key duplicator, about to be latched, bolted, and skeletonized by its cutting effects. Gorgeous Kathy Kersh did not enjoy the success of rival Sharon Tate, but for a time was wed to first Vince Edwards, then Burt Ward himself, divorced by 1969. The Batclimb cameo is from Howard Duff, in his current guise on ABC's FELONY SQUAD, Detective Sgt. Sam Stone, in the first of its three seasons on the air.