Fine Feathered Finks (1) - S1-E3
Revealing mistake: When Penguin pulls the lever, Adam West assumes the position to receive the net dropped on his head a couple of seconds early and as if Bruce/Batman knew beforehand that something was coming from the ceiling, in that spot, passively accepting it. (00:22:10)
Smack in the Middle (2) - S1-E2
Revealing mistake: Batman tosses the Batarang at Riddler after bursting through the door and yelling "Surrender, you rat." Such is Adam West's physical prowess and the strength he puts in the athletic gesture, that the mere touch of his foot moves the heavy cement block lying on the floor. That or it's made of plastic (same one he picks up later in the scene tossing it at the 'bulletproof glass'). (00:14:30)
Revealing mistake: To free himself from the Joker's goons, Batman throws a gas capsule on the floor. Two things; first, the Joker is instantly asphyxiated by a lot of smoke, but when the henchmen let Batman go in the next shot, the puff of colored fumes has barely started to rise, and the Joker is further away. Second, the capsule that Adam West throws with panache on the ground and that should generate the noxious cloud can be seen actually bouncing back up after his energetic toss. (00:15:30)
Fine Feathered Finks (1) - S1-E3
Revealing mistake: The trademark vertical rope climb of this episode is done on the handle of a huge umbrella. The umbrella though is at an angle in the various wide shots, and Batman is climbing a perfectly vertical handle. (00:18:30)
Fine Feathered Finks (1) - S1-E3
Revealing mistake: In the close-ups of the basket filled with umbrellas at the bank, the asbestos blanket is continuously bumping up and shaken not by the 'explosions' of the booby trapped parasols, but rather by the thin wires you can make out at the top of the frame. (00:15:10)
Smack in the Middle (2) - S1-E2
Revealing mistake: Of all the possible mistakes related to the Robin mask Molly supposedly wears, the one that really could have been avoided was the fact that the camera does not cut away from Burt Ward while he is in the middle of the gesture of turning around and 'ripping away the mask', but only after he's done it, so you can tell nothing came off, nothing moves in his hair, let alone the face itself. (00:10:25)
The Penguin's a Jinx (2) - S1-E4
Revealing mistake: When Batman throws the first punch at Burgess Meredith, he is hitting him with an uppercut so wide that it misses by a mile even the tip of his cigarette holder, it's incredibly fake even for the understandably low and cartoonish standards of this show. (00:21:30)
Revealing mistake: The newsreel shows several issues of the imaginary Gotham City Times. Nice job with the headlines and the page layout, but every single one of them is issue number 11. (00:14:00)
Revealing mistake: Riddler laughing maniacally after handing Batman the lawsuit turns around and leaves, not before tipping a vase over. There is a crashing noise as if the vase shattered, but the vase is tumbling in a full 360°, undamaged. (00:11:50)
Smack in the Middle (2) - S1-E2
Revealing mistake: When Batman bursts out from the mammoth, one of the 'unconscious' extras changes position reacting to the practical effect. (00:20:45)
Revealing mistake: As the Batmobile exits the Batcave, if you watch the exit closely, you see the shadow of the back end of the car come to a stop, meaning that it was at the wall of the set. (00:05:10)
The Pharaoh's in a Rut (2) - S1-E28
Revealing mistake: When Bruce Wayne is strapped to the stretcher hurtling toward the cliff, after he breaks through the "300 Ft. Drop" sign, we cut to a different angle where the wire pulling the stretcher is visible. (00:02:40)
The Bookworm Turns (1) - S1-E29
Revealing mistake: At about the 6:40 mark into the episode, The Bookworm puts an explosive device in the Batmobile which is detected automatically. Batman pushes the auto eject to throw it out of the car. As the special effects prop explodes, you can see the rope it is hanging from as it swings to the side.
Not Yet, He Ain't (2) - S1-E22
Revealing mistake: When being gunned down by O'Hara cops, there are no bullets coming from the cop who gunned Batman down, but he still reacts to it.
Batman Stands Pat (2) - S1-E14
Revealing mistake: As Batman is about to use his batarang to Mad Hatter's hideout, right before getting caught by him and his henchmen towards the end of the episode, as he moves his cape back, the back part of his costume is open.
Revealing mistake: In this episode and the next one, Robin's stunt double is very obvious from the back, especially in the scene where they enter the Hall of Fame museum.
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 ★