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: In close-up, Bruce Wayne folds his newspaper in half, leaving the folded edge facing the camera. The shot cuts to a wider view and immediately, the paper has reversed positions in his hand. (00:04:00)
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: Arriving at the museum, the dynamic duo is greeted by some rabid Robin fans; when they start screaming and cheering for him in a close-up, there are men passing by behind them that were not there in the wider shot with the Batmobile approaching. (00:09:40)
Continuity mistake: The first fight, in the museum, besides the obvious dose of wild haymakers has a rather messy phase when the "THWAPP!"; appears; Robin is facing two enemies, but the one with the red shirt lost his hat, which is back on in the next shot (and was on in the previous). (00:14:10)
Continuity mistake: When Joker shows off for the first time his utility belt, it switches sides between shots. First each pocket has its buckle on the right, towards the blonde bimbo, then in close-up the buckles are on the left, and when it switches back to a wider angle, again they are on the right. (00:16:45)
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)
Continuity mistake: When Batman and Robin are in the museum speaking with the director, Batman's chest emblem is high enough on his chest that it nearly touches the bottom edge of his cowl. In the next shot, when he leaves the museum, the emblem has moved down several inches.
Continuity mistake: Everytime the Joker is shown on TV his hair is brown, but before and after the broadcasts, it's his usual green with no time for him to change it.
Continuity mistake: Batman's utility belt is normal in the beginning, but suddenly has a triple sized compartment when Batman goes to get up on the catwalk with his rope. (00:03:30)
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 Batman and Robin crash through the window, there's no glass left in the frame - at least not until the next shot, when several large shards that weren't there before suddenly appear at the edges. (00:11:50)
Continuity mistake: During the climactic fight, Batman tosses the Joker utility belt, causing confetti and streamers to fall down all over the place in some shots, while there is no such paper rain in others. (00:21:40)
The Thirteenth Hat (1) - S1-E13
Continuity mistake: When Batman parks the Batmobile in front of Octave Marbot's studio, Batman tells Robin to activate the vehicle's anti-theft device. Robin is wearing green leather gloves, but in the closeup Robin's green glove is made out of a material (looks like cotton) very different than Robin's gloves. (00:18:15)
Batman Stands Pat (2) - S1-E14
Continuity mistake: Batman's plaster-covered costume gets an instant dry cleaning en route as he drives from the sculptor's studio to the batcave. (00:05:00)
Batman Stands Pat (2) - S1-E14
Continuity mistake: When Batman and Robin break through Mad Hatter's window, several large chunks of glass remain attached to the wood frame. In the very next shot, they've vanished. (00:18:00)
Batman Stands Pat (2) - S1-E14
Continuity mistake: At the end, as Bruce Wayne speaks to Magda, he's standing with his arms at his sides. When the shot cuts, his hands are suddenly clasped in front of him. (00:23:30)
The Joker Goes to School (1) - S1-E15
Continuity mistake: In the batcave, Batman's cape suffers a case of over-the-shoulder/off-the-shoulder blues, going from one to the other several times between takes. (00:19:10)
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.
He Meets His Match, the Grisly Ghoul (2) - S1-E16
Continuity mistake: In the bistro, Batman thwarts Joker's booby-trapped juke box by whipping out his bat shield. Afterward, he places the shield on the floor behind him. In the next shot, as he turns around, the shield has disappeared. He and Robin race off without retrieving it. (00:15:00)
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 ★