The Zodiac Crimes (1) - S2-E37
Continuity mistake: In Commissioner Gordon's office, after Batman uses his handy mini fire extinguisher to extinguish Joker's flaming 2-way spy device, when he walks over to Gordon's desk the mini fire extinguisher is in his left hand, but when it cuts to the closeup as he realises the significance of RAM, the fire extinguisher is suddenly in his raised right hand. (00:06:50)
Marsha, Queen of Diamonds (1) - S2-E23
Continuity mistake: After Batman has been hit by Marsha's love dart, when Robin pulls the dart out and then begs Batman to resist it, in these semi closeups note Burt Ward's uncovered forearm with his still-healing burn wound. Then, while the Dynamic Duo fight Marsha's sabre wielding goons, Marsha hits Robin with another one of her darts and orders him to attack Batman. When this happens, Burt Ward's forearm now has a compression bandage around the wound. (00:13:55)
The Joker's Provokers (2) - S2-E22
Continuity mistake: While Joker and his baddies are in the vent shaft at the waterworks, Joker takes out the envelope and holds the envelope with his left palm up, but in the closeup his left palm is down as he pours the pills into his right hand. (00:14:50)
The Clock King's Crazy Crimes (1) - S2-E11
Continuity mistake: When Clock King steals his favorite painting from the gallery, as he places it through the wall hole note the strips of tape adhered to the paintings back, and its hanging wire near the bottom (it's upside down). In the next shot from the other side of the wall hole, the painting is now turned the opposite way (it's right side up), note the tape strips. (00:16:25)
While Gotham City Burns (2) - S1-E30
Continuity mistake: While Bookworm is at stately Wayne Manor he hands Aunt Harriet a book, and when she opens it Harriet and Alfred are gassed unconscious. In the next closeup of the rare book encased in glass, its open pages have colorful illustrations, but in the next shot the open pages have only plain text. (00:09:30)
Better Luck Next Time (2) - S1-E20
Continuity mistake: While Batman is increasing his communicator's audio modulation so as to incapacitate the tiger, Batman is wearing Bat Ear Plugs to protect his hearing. As Batman turns his head in the closeup, we're able to see that the Bat Ear Plug has vanished from his right ear, then it reappears in its proper place. (00:04:55)
Continuity mistake: When False Face escapes from the bank he has Blaze with him in the Town Panel truck, and she's handcuffed to the overhead pipe. Blaze is wearing a neutral color nail polish, but in the closeups of her cuffed hand her nail polish is salmon colored. (00:14:30)
Continuity mistake: When Batman and Robin scale the warehouse wall then watch Joker and his cohorts, each of the two windows have latches at the bottom, but when the Dynamic Duo burst in through the window, only the left window has a latch. (00:11:45)
Continuity mistake: When Robin has the idea that Riddler placed two other riddles hidden in the legal documents, Robin holds the papers up with his raised right hand, but in the next shot the documents are being held up in Robin's left hand. (00:13:45)
Continuity mistake: At the secret HQ of the Mole Hill Mob, Molly is wearing a ring on her right hand and many bangle bracelets as she dances, but in the closeup when reaches into the caviar jar the ring and bracelets are gone, then it all reappears. (00:15:00)
Continuity mistake: During the fight, the desk mat and desk calendar are moved initially and then moved again later in the fight. (00:19:03 - 00:22:00)
The Bird's Last Jest (2) - S2-E28
Continuity mistake: When the Dynamic Duo goes up the Bat Pole chute, the NEGATE COSTUME CHANGE lever is down. When they come down as Dick and Bruce, the lever is up, and Robin pulls it down to stop the instant change back to Dick and Bruce.
The Clock King's Crazy Crimes (1) - S2-E11
Continuity mistake: After starting the sand in the giant hourglass, Clock King puts on his alarm clock top hat. Between distance and close shots, the clock reads a few minutes to three, then Three o'clock in the closeups.
Not Yet, He Ain't (2) - S1-E22
Continuity mistake: When the Batmobile is blocked by the second police car, it's stopped on an angle, and almost touching the car. When the Penguin commandeers the Batmobile, it's sitting correctly on the road, so that it can be driven easily without really needing to back up.
The Joker Goes to School (1) - S1-E15
Continuity mistake: As Batman goes to cuff the Joker, the Joker holds up his right hand. In the close up, his left hand is raised.
Continuity mistake: Batman and Robin are being summoned by Commissioner Gordon, but are still in civilian clothes, so it's time to get to the Bat-cave. Bruce presses the switch and the bookshelf begins to slide open. Pay attention to the white books in the third row and the red books on the top shelf. In the close-up that follows there are fewer white books, their cluster aligned with the last of the red books, a different proportion from the previous shot. The name tags on the bat-poles are also misaligned in the wider shot and perfectly at the same level in the close-up (which is a reused shot from the pilot episode). (00:05:10)
Continuity mistake: Despite his lackadaisical pitching, the Joker manages to eliminate a series of batters. In particular, there is one elimination before and after the warden tells O'Hara about the joys in life, when Joker didn't really have time to throw the ball 2 more times. (00:01:55)
Continuity mistake: The Joker sends a doll crashing through the window of Commissioner Gordon's office. O'Hara is holding in close-up the doll in a different way from the wider shots, and the jester cap of the figurine is also blatantly folded in a different fashion. (00:18:30)
Smack in the Middle (2) - S1-E2
Continuity mistake: After the Garbo joke, the various extras begin to pass out from the gas with multiple inconsistencies between shots. In the shot that follows the joke, the woman with the red and black dress is fainting, but she's back up in the next, in which the policeman goes down, only to be up in the one later, etc. (00:19:35)
Smack in the Middle (2) - S1-E2
Continuity mistake: Riddler wakes Robin up, and the Boy Wonder does not waste time in his tongue lashing. During the scene, the lighting on set is very noticeably different; with the camera positioned between the two, Frank Gorshin's jaw casts a shadow; with the camera behind Burt Ward, it's him casting a big shadow on the green unitard. (00:03:40)
Answer: It's wasn't unusual for multiple actors to play one character on this show. The villains on the TV Batman were played by guest stars, not regular cast members. George Sanders, Otto Preminger, and Eli Wallach played the part at various times. They may simply have only wanted to play the part once or twice, or they were later tied up with other projects, making it necessary to cast someone else. Other characters, like Catwoman, were also played by more than one actress.
raywest ★