BrianRxm Coins on Television 8/88
Batman - The Joker Goes to School (1966)
High school vending machines dispense silver dollars
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"Batman" was a half hour television program which ran on the ABC television network from 1966 to 1968. It was based on the long-running comic book series of the same title. However, the television series was written and performed as a comedy.
 
Bruce Wayne is a millionaire with an adopted "ward" son named Dick Grayson. They have secret identities as (fictional) Gotham City's crime-fighters Batman and Robin.
 
This episode is titled "The Joker Goes to School" and was first broadcast on March 2, 1966 as part one of a two-part episode. It was followed by "He Meets His Match, the Grisly Ghoul", first broadcast a day later on March 3, 1966. In this episode the police and Batman battle a notorious criminal known as "The Joker".
 
Dick Grayson attends high school where he is on the basketball team. The team along with three cheerleaders are practicing in the gymnasium.
 
The cheerleaders take a break and one puts a dime into a vending machine to buy milk. The machine instead dispenses silver dollars and real United States Morgan and Peace dollars appear in the scene. The Joker has two henchmen who have numismatic nicknames and there are remarks about "bad pennies" and other numismatic terms.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
1. Title
The program opens with a scene of Woodrow Roosevelt High School and it's gymnasium.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
2. Three high school cheerleaders
Three pretty high school cheerleaders take a break from practicing and go to a vending machine. Susie, the chief cheerleader, puts a coin in and expecting a carton of milk finds instead some silver dollars.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
3. Silver dollars
A reverse of a United States Morgan dollar appears on the left and on the right are the obverse and reverse of Pease dollars. Although Morgan dollars were minted from 1878 to 1921 and Peace dollars were minted from 1921 to 1935, they were still in circulation in the early sixties but were disappearing by 1966.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
4. Silver dollars
A second view of the silver dollars.
 
The girls call to the boys who also receive silver dollars.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
5. High school basketball players
Someone calls the police and some silver dollars are given to the police.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
6. Police Commissioner Gordon examines silver dollars
He expresses his suspicions based on his knowledge of Gotham City's large criminal underworld.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
7. Commissioner Gordon's suspicions
Commissioner Gordon tells two police officials that he suspects that the Joker arranged the coin distribution as part of a wider scheme. He contacts Bruce Wayne (whom he knows as Batman).
 
Batman's "office" is located in a cave underneath the Wayne mansion and he drives his special car to the police office
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
8. The Batmobile
Back at the high school Susie is in the library.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
9. Susie purchases coffee
This time she receives a paper cup but no coffee.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
10. Cup full of quarters
At a local bar a customer walks up to a vending machine (or musical juke box) and puts in a coin.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
11. Bar customer makes a purchase
This time there are no silver dollars but a shotgun appears.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
12. Shotgun robbery
Two of the Joker's henchmen "Two Bits" and "Nick" appear.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
13. Two Bits and Nick at the cash register
One robber is shown scooping out coins from the cash register coin tray.
 
"Two Bits" is a slang term for a quarter-dollar coin and it is possible that his partner's name is also numismatic, short for "nickel".
 
At a meeting at the school Batman explains to the principal about the Joker who then appears in the room.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
14. The Joker appears
Batman first suspects that the Joker is handing out money to corrupt high school students.
 
The Joker has an office located under a candy store where he and his two accomplices hang out.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
15. The Joker and Nick discuss money
The proceeds of the bar robbery are spread out.
 
Batman finds out that Susie is working for the Joker and she is the one filling the vending machines with money.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
16. Susie gets paid off
The Joker gives her a fox fur coat and some "Mexican perfume".
 
He then uses a sleep gas to capture Batman and Robin and lock them in two electric chairs designed to execute them.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
17. Batman and Robin doomed
A fortunate power failure stops the execution and two policemen release the "Dynamic Duo".
 
Back at the school a basketball player goes to the vending machine.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
18. Vending machine dispenses papers
The papers are answers to a college entrance examination. The Joker's henchman takes a photograph of the boys holding the papers.
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
19. The Joker discusses sportsmanship
The Joker threatens to give the photograph to the authorities unless they quit the team. (He has placed a large bet on an opposing team).
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
20. Batman and Robin appear
A comical fight ensues between the pair and the Joker's gang. Batman manages to knock out the Joker with a "Bat-boomerang".
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
21. Batman explains
He tells them that the examination papers are phony and that they can continue on the team.
 
Cheerleader Susie is headed for the "delinquent girls school".
 
Batman - The Joker Goes to School
22. Bruce and Dick say goodbye
Cast, Directors, Writers:
 
Adam West as Batman / Bruce Wayne
Burt Ward as Robin / Dick Grayson
Alan Napier as Alfred (the butler)
Neil Hamilton as Commissioner Gordon
Cesar Romero as The Joker
Donna Loren as Susie (chief cheerleader)
 
Director: Murray Golden
Writers: Lorenzo Semple Jr., based on the "Detective Comics" and "Batman" characters
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