Batman and Robin (1949) s01e01 Episode Script

Batman takes over

[Sirens wailing]
(Narrator) Crime, stalking
our city by night and day,
is on the increase.
Our undermanned police force is
helpless to cope with the situation.
But they have an ally, Batman.
Who, with the faithful Robin,
wages unending war
against all criminals.
With their mission
accomplished,
these glamorous figures vanish
as suddenly as they appear.
Where do they go?
What strange place can
conceal their identities?
(Narrator) In the suburbs of Gotham
City is the home of Bruce Wayne,
known to his neighbors
as a wealthy playboy.
Only the faithful Alfred knows
the closely guarded secret
of what lies beneath the house:
The batcave.
Famed headquarters of those relentless
crusaders for law and order.
Batman and Robin.
Good evening, miss Vale.
Hello, Alfred.
Is your hardworking boss in?
He's somewhere about.
I'll let him know you're here.
Will you go right in?
[Phone buzzing]
Yes?
(Alfred)
Miss Vale is here, sir.
Give it the usual tests
for invisible ink.
I'll change
and go entertain Vicki.
You'd better be careful,
I think she's
beginning to get wise
that Batman and Bruce Wayne
are the same.
Well, if she gets too close,
we know how to throw
her off the track.
Hello, Vicki.
Hello, Bruce.
[Sighing]
Oh, you poor boy.
Worn out with your social
duties, I suppose.
Utterly.
Don't you ever go anywhere
without this camera?
Well, that is how I make
my living, you know.
How strenuous.
You should join
the police department.
Well, perhaps you'll speak to your
friend commissioner Gordon about me
I'll be glad to.
This is commissioner Gordon.
I have confidential
information from Washington
that you've perfected your
remote-control machine,
it's the biggest thing
we've ever done
it will revolutionize
transportation.
Well, Washington wants
me to, uh, furnish you
with protection for your plant.
We have plenty of guards. I
know how short-handed you are.
I know, mr. Williams, but
Washington is very insistent,
I'll send a man out tomorrow
to check your guard system.
OK, if it'll make you
feel better.
Thank you. Goodbye, Gordon.
Mr. Williams, you told me
to let you know
when the armored car with
the payroll is arriving.
It's just now
entering the gates.
Well, it's about time.
Thank you, Norwood.
[Guns firing]
[Gunfire continues]
Get me the Gotham City police.
Hurry.
Right.
Right. I've got it.
Sergeant, radio all cars in district
4 to get to the research plant.
Armed robbery.
[Car engine starting]
[Siren wailing]
[Siren wailing]
[Phone buzzing]
Yes?
(Alfred) The bat signal is on
and miss Vale is still here.
OK. I'll get rid of her.
[Telephone ringing]
Mr. Wayne's residence.
Yes, she's here.
I'll tell her at once, sir.
Pardon me, miss.
Your office wishes you to cover
an accident on Harbor Blvd.
Come along, Bruce.
The excitement will be good for you.
Oh, Vicki, please.
I'm so tired.
I'm not the least bit surprised.
Poor old man.
Take care of him, Alfred.
I'll do my best, miss.
Is the Batman signal still on?
Yes, sir, but but what?
Suppose there is no
accident on Harbor Blvd.
Unfortunately, there's at
least one every night.
[Car engine starting]
Where is it?
It's the electronic research
plant on South Main Street.
I got it over the police radio.
[Siren wailing]
[Gun firing]
[Engine starting]
[Sirens wailing]
[Tires screeching]
The armored car
must have been stolen.
We didn't suspect anything until
the men started shooting.
Then one of them came
in here and tied me up.
It was a smartly planned job.
No trace of the car
has been found yet.
The loss of the remote-control
machine is a serious matter.
In criminal hands it will
be a very dangerous weapon.
Didn't prof. Hammil design it?
Yes. But after he
became ill and, uh,
rather eccentric,
we completed it.
Where is he now?
At home, in retirement.
[Door opening]
(Williams)
Prof. Hammil.
So, you let
my machine be stolen,
my life work.
You're a pack
of careless idiots.
We're doing everything
we can to get it back.
Whoever stole it probably has
more brains than all of you.
You'll never see it again.
Take me home, Carter.
[Door opening]
Did you tell professor Hammil
that his machine was stolen?
No.
Then how could he know it so soon?
I'll look into that.
Will you work with us on the
job of recovering the machine?
Yes. But I'd like
to know more about it
and what it can do.
If you're free to tell me.
Why, certainly.
We have a small
working model over here.
This machine operates on an
entirely new electronic principle.
Any moving vehicle can be
brought under control.
And guided to any destination
the operator desires.
[Machine buzzing]
What's the machine's range?
About 50 Miles.
We're trying to extend that.
The possibilities of this thing
in criminal hands
are appalling.
Why, one man could control the
industry of an entire city.
What keeps the machine in operation?
Diamonds.
Even the industrial kind.
Without them, the machine is useless.
Then every place where diamonds can be had
must be closely guarded.
Why, that's almost impossible.
You must make it possible
even if you have
to hire special police.
It's our chance to get a
lead on those responsible
for the theft of this dangerous machine.
That's all, Carter,
leave me alone.
But you haven't
had your dinner, sir.
You heard me, get out.
Yes, sir.
[Lock clicks]
[Door closes]
[Sighs]
[Chair humming]
[Humming stops]
[Lock clicks]
[Clicking]
Take it easy.
I don't want to turn any juice
into this
million-dollar baby
till the boss gives the word.
The Wizard.
You've done very well.
Your reward will be a share
of the great power this
machine will give me.
The plan worked exactly as
you said it would, sir.
Of course it did.
With this in operation,
I'll be able to control
everything that moves,
including man himself.
[Switch clicks]
Don't touch that!
Oh, I'm sorry, sir,
being sorry is stupid.
When you've made a mistake,
learn what's right
so you won't make the same
mistake again. Yes, sir.
We'll need a lot of diamonds
to operate this machine.
Our next job will be
to get those diamonds.
You You have a plan, sir?
I always have a plan.
[Brakes squealing]
[Lock rattling]
[Beeping]
This is Barry Brown,
your radio newscaster,
with another exclusive, sensational
summary of world and local events.
It's a quiet Sunday
afternoo in Gotham City.
(Barry) The police state
that the recent wave of crime
has been brought under control
now, this may be so.
But somehow I believe that it's
just the calm before the storm.
(Barry) There are always
sinister forces at work
to disrupt public peace.
And now for a peek
at the foreign news.
He might have
given Batman credit
for helping the police.
Batman gets too much
publicity as it is, Vicki.
How can you say that?
Nobody even knows who he is.
I get tired just
hearing about him.
You get tired, period.
[Explosion]
[Brakes squealing]
Wasn't that an explosion?
Sounded like somebody
blasting to me.
- On Sunday?
- Could be
I doubt it.
If it was blasting,
there's no picture.
And if it wasn't, it
might be dangerous.
Well, dangerous or not, I'm
going to find out what it was.
Let me out, please.
We'll look into that explosion
as Batman and Robin.
Take over.
(Man) Attention all cars
in Central District.
Investigate explosion in vicinity
of 217 Ellsworth Ave., code 3.
[Siren wailing]
[Engine starting]
[Machine humming]
[Tires screeching]
[Crashing]
[Grunts]
[Groans]
[Zipper slides]
Diamonds!
That proves it's the same bunch
who stole the remote-control
machine.
We'll turn them over
to the police
then check with com. Gordon.
[Lid clattering]
[Tires screeching]
[Sirens stop]
[Machine running]
[Crackling]
I doubt if we'll get anything
out of those men we caught.
We can try.
At least they're out of
circulation, thanks to you.
Now you can see
how important it is
to guard every place
where diamonds are kept.
I certainly do.
We can get a line
on who's after the diamonds,
and where they're taking them.
[Radio beeps]
Nolan and Evans are on their
way from rendezvous C.
Very well, Gabe.
[Hatchway locking]
[Shrill beeping]
[Continues humming]
[Submarine gurgling]
It gives me a funny feeling,
cruising in this sub
with no crew aboard,
the Wizard directs it to
headquarters by electronic control.
Where is headquarters?
On some island?
None of us knows.
It's not too healthy
to get curious.
[Electronic buzzing]
[Continues buzzing]
[Buzzing stops]
We ran into trouble.
Batman was there and
he I know all about it.
You didn't get all the diamonds.
No, sir.
Our next job
will be better planned.
A shipment
of industrial diamonds
is leaving the Gotham City
airport tomorrow morning.
I'm going to get those diamonds
and no one's going to stop me.
Not even Batman.
I shall publicly defy him.
(Barry on radio)
Good evening, everybody.
Today, a group of scientists
and high officials
discussed the daring theft
of a vital invention.
It may interest them to know
that this stolen control device
will be used tomorrow morning,
when a plane
carrying valuable diamonds
is scheduled to leave the
Gotham City airport.
Diamonds again.
Yes, I noticed that.
How could Brown know they're
going to be stolen?
He knew about the theft of
the remote-control machine.
Then he could be right
about tomorrow.
I'd better check with Gordon.
Com. Gordon, this is Batman.
Did you hear Brown's broadcast?
Yes, I heard it.
(Batman) What do you think?
Well, either Brown's
having bad dreams,
or he should be investigated.
When that plane
takes off tomorrow,
Batman and Robin will be in the
place of the regular pilots.
All right,
I'll make all arrangements.
[Airplane roaring]
There's a big plane
coming in behind us.
That cargo ship's a fast job.
He's getting away from us.
I'll fix that.
Nolan calling headquarters.
(Nolan)
Nolan calling headquarters.
Come in, Nolan.
We're trailing the plane,
but it's too fast for us.
Mmm. I just saw it. Batman
and Robin are in it.
Keep following.
I'll take control of their
plane and bring it down.
[Machine humming]
The controls aren't working.
But we're flyin' all right.
We're being flown
by remote control.
We're in the hands of the
man who stole the machine.
The Wizard's got 'em.
They're goin' down.
We'll land near them.
Get back in that plane and
throw out those diamonds,
and no tricks.
Evans, you know all about gems.
Take a look at 'em.
Yeah, these stones
are the real thing.
Jimmy!
Tell headquarters it's OK.
(Jimmy) Plane one
calling headquarters.
Plane one calling headquarters.
Come in, plane one.
We have the diamonds.
Splendid. We won't keep
Batman waiting any longer,
[Machine humming]
[Gas exploding]
[Hissing]
It's going to blow!
[Gas whistling]
[Crackling]
(Narrator) Who is
this mysterious Wizard?
What new villainy
are his men up to?
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