PHENOMENALITY: *marvelous*
MYTHICITY: *fair*
FRYEAN MYTHOS: *adventure*
CAMPBELLIAN FUNCTIONS: *psychological, sociological*
The one-shot outing for Van Johnson’s
Minstrel is written by the team of Francis and Marion Cockrell, who
crafted an above-average episode with “The Thirteenth Hat.” The
episode is one of the strongest second-season stories, though, as
with Bookworm, one isn’t inclined to regret that the villain never
re-appeared. Despite being a charming singer and an electronic
genius, Minstrel is—to invoke the obvious pun—a little too
“one-note.”
His moneymaking plot, though, is more
inventive than most such big scores. Minstrel uses electronic
oscillators (or something like that) to play havoc with the Gotham
Stock Exchange, and then he demands regular protection payments to be
sent to a bank account in Switzerland. For once, the heroes don’t
have a villain who conveniently sends them clues as to his next
crime; they just have to figure out where in Gotham the evildoer is
based.
During their quest, the script sets up
the duel between Batman and the Minstrel as one between scienfitic
geniuses, not to mention being a duel of two attractive guys (even if
Johnson’s matinee-idol days were behind him). Minstrel’s moll
Octavia continues the tradition of lusting after the manly crusader
and hoping that it won’t be necessary to slay the noble lawman.
However, when the crimefighters blunder into the Minstrel’s hideout
and get captured, they’re condemned to be roasted to death on an
electronic spit. However, Batman shows a little more foresight than
he does in most of the deathtrap-setups, for he seeds the hideout
with diversionary “Bat-bombs.” Thus, even though the Minstrel and
his gang don’t intend to leave the room before their foes perish,
the bombs lure the crooks away long enough for the heroes to make
their escape.
Though the Minstrel and his henchmen
escape, Octavia gives herself up. But this time, Batman seems to
mildly flirt with the woman before letting her go. However, he only
does so because he’s planted a bug in her purse, hoping she’ll
lead the heroes to her employer. However, once again the savvy
schemer counteracts Batman’s gambit by finding the bug, much to
Octavia’s indignation. Minstrel then ups the game by threatening to
decimate Gotham with subsonic waves, but his eagerness to be on hand
for a payoff marks finis to his career.
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