Batman (1966 TV Series) Episode: The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra

"The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra"
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Batman  Season 3: Episode 25
March 7, 1968
Directors	Sam Strangis
Writers	Stanley Ralph Ross
Producers	William Dozier Howie Horwitz William P. D'Angelo
Previous Episode	"The Joker's Flying Saucer" (February 29, 1968)
Next Episode	"Minerva, Mayhem and Millionaires" (March 14, 1968)

Rogue alchemist and inventor Cassandra Spellcraft begins a crime spree alongside her husband-assistant Cabala, using invisibility-granting "camouflage pills" to loot Gotham's banks and jewelry stores with impunity. So perfect is this invisibility that Cassandra is able to invade police headquarters

Just zip your lip while I lay the word on you, Batcat. I'm gonna put Gotham City in a trance and there's not a thing you or that junior birdman can do about it.

—Dr. Cassandra

The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra is an episode of season 3 of Batman. It premiered on March 7, 1968.

Synopsis for "The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra"

Rogue alchemist and inventor Cassandra Spellcraft begins a crime spree alongside her husband-assistant Cabala, using invisibility-granting "camouflage pills" to loot Gotham's banks and jewelry stores with impunity. So perfect is this invisibility that Cassandra is able to invade police headquarters in broad daylight, overpower Commissioner Gordon and Chief O'Hara, and taunt Batman over the Batphone.

Batman, Robin, and Batgirl eventually corner the pair at Spiffany's Jewelry Salon, but fall victim to another of Cassandra's inventions - a ray-gun that turns them into two-dimensional figurines. As further humiliation, the immobilized trio are sent to GCPD Headquarters, where all expert opinions declare their condition irreversible, until O'Hara thinks to contact "the voice that answers the Batphone every now and then". A short time later, a disguised Alfred recovers the crimefighters and revives them with Batcave equipment, leaving before Batgirl spots him.

While Batman develops a countermeasure against the ray-gun, Cassandra and Cabala invade the state penitentiary and free Joker, Penguin, Riddler, Catwoman, Egghead, and King Tut, all of whom agree to work under Cassandra in exchange for camouflage pills. This new gang is soon found by Batman, Robin, and Batgirl, but easily outfight the trio with their newfound invisibility. In desperation, Batman shatters the lights inside Cassandra's hideout, granting the crimefighters a similar "invisibility" that lets them turn the tables. Once knocked unconscious, the villains become visible once more.

Once subdued, Cassandra and her new gang are quickly (re)incarcerated. Afterward, Gordon and O'Hara prepare to relax at a newly-opened luxury spa, unaware the proprietress is planning crimes of her own.

Appearing in "The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra"

Featured Characters:

• Batman
  • Robin
• Batgirl

Supporting Characters:

• Alfred
• Gotham City Police Department
  • Commissioner Gordon
  • Chief O'Hara

Antagonists:

• Dr. Cassandra (Final appearance)
  • Cabala (Final appearance)
  • Catwoman
  • Egghead
  • Joker
  • King Tut
  • Penguin
  • Riddler
• Minerva (First appearance) (Cameo)

Others Characters:

• G. David Schine (Single appearance)
• Warden Crichton
• Mrs. Frisk (Mentioned only)
• Spellcraft Clan (Mentioned only)
  • Cassandra's grandmother (Deceased) (Mentioned only)
  • Cassandra's great-grandmother (Deceased) (Mentioned only)
  • Cassandra's mother (Deceased) (Mentioned only)

Locations:

• Gotham City
  • Abracadabra Alley
    • Mortar and Pestle Building
  • Astral Avenue
    • Gotham City Alchemical Bank & Trust Company
  • Gotham City Police Headquarters
  • Gotham City Post Office
  • Gotham City Public Library
  • Gotham State Prison
  • Minerva's Mineral Spa
  • Spiffany's Jewelry Salon
  • Stately Wayne Manor
    • Batcave
      • Atomic Pile
• Londinium (Mentioned only)

Items:

• Alvino Ray Gun
• Anti-Antidote Pills
• Batcomputer
  • Batmobile Remote Bat-Control
  • Special Escaped Archcriminal Bat-Locator
  • Three-Dimensional Bat-Restorer
• Batman's Utility Belt
  • Anti-Alvino Ray Bat-Disintegrator
  • Bat-Flashlight
  • Bat-Laser
  • Bat-Sleep
  • Portable Batphone
• Batphone
• Batpoles
• Camouflage Pills
• Mope Diamond
• Shakespeare Bust
• Who's Who in Alchemy Book

Vehicles:

• Batmobile

Notes

• The six arch-criminals Dr. Cassandra frees were all played by uncredited extras, hence the lack of focus on their faces. Archived recordings of Cesar Romero, Burgess Meredith, and Frank Gorshin were used to further the illusion.
  • Interestingly, a Caucasian stand-in is used for Catwoman, despite season three of Batman casting Eartha Kitt in the role. The stand-in was Marilyn Watson, who previously served as Julie Newmar's stunt double on the show before the Catwoman role was recast with Kitt for the third season.
• According to Stanley Ralph Ross, this episode ran over-budget; avoiding stuntwork costs is why the sole fight sequence takes place in a completely darkened room.
• Uniquely for the series, a The End card is placed over the episode's final shot.

Trivia

• Alchemical Bank, Spifanny's, the Mope Diamond, and the Alvino Ray Gun are lampoons of Chemical Bank, Tiffany & Co., the Hope Diamond, and musician Alvino Rey respectively.
  • The Alvino Ray Gun was originally to be named the Ronald Ray Gun, lampooning then-California Governor Ronald Reagan.

See Also

• 3 Images from Batman (1966 TV Series) Episode: The Entrancing Dr. Cassandra
• Episodes of Batman (1966 TV Series)
• Images from Batman (1966 TV Series)
• Gallery for the Batman (1966 TV Series) series

Recommended Media

• None.

Links and References

• None.

Footnotes