Zelda The Great
Encyclopedia
"Zelda The Great" is the ninth episode of the Batman
television series in its first season, first airing February 9, 1966 and rerun June 22, 1966. It begins the story of Zelda the Great, an magician
whose fading career has led her to crime. The story concludes in "A Death Worse Than Fate
."
, someone has robbed
the Gotham City Bank of exactly $100,000, passing up the chance to take other money worth nearly a half million dollars from the same vault. In two years, the Gotham Police Department has gotten nowhere with the case, leading Chief Miles O'Hara and Commissioner Gordon
to call in the one man who can solve the mystery: Batman.
Batman and Robin have no leads, so he determines the right course of action is to manufacture a lead. He phones the Gotham paper and plants a story that the cash taken from the Gotham City Bank was counterfeit
, held there until authorities could destroy it. He hopes to force the criminal to strike again. Meanwhile, he analyzes a bullet found at the scene and discovers from it that the thief was wearing orange wool and dozens of colorful silk scarves. From a smear of ambergris
he concludes that the criminal was a woman.
Meanwhile, in the secret workshop of Eivol Ekdol, behind the Gnome Bookstore, Eivol's client Zelda the Great meets with him. Each year she purchases, for $100,000, a new trick to re-invigorate her fading act. ("Oh, I hate robbing banks." she complains "All I ever wanted to be was poor, but honest magician.") This year, Ekdol has prepared a clever escape proof cabinet, but when Zelda asks how to escape it, he informs her that she won't even get into it unless she can produce $100,000 in real money. He shows her a newspaper
article reporting that the Star of Sammarkand, a rare emerald
, will be displayed. It is a tempting target and Zelda realizes this is a "Batman trap".
At Wayne Manor
, Aunt Harriet Cooper receives a phone call from Miss Smith, a playground matron. It seems her fifteen year old nephew Dick Grayson
has been struck in the head by a baseball
and she has sent a special taxi to collect Mrs. Cooper and drive her to the playground.
At the jewelry salon, an elderly woman approaches the Star, and with a quick tap of her cane, releases a cloud of gas. It is Zelda in disguise
and she has escaped with the Star. Fortunately, the stone is a counterfeit
, and equipped with a homing device. Batman contacts Officer Clancy nearby and asks him to uncover the Batmobile
. But outside, Robin finds the false stone in a gutter. Zelda's appearance here was a ruse. Then Batman receives a threatening phone call. It seems someone has kidnapped Aunt Harriet and demanded $100,000 for her safe release
. And as Commissioner James Gordon continues, no one can find Bruce Wayne. It then shows Aunt Harrier at Zelda's hide out encased in a straitjacket suspended over a vat of boiling oil.
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
television series in its first season, first airing February 9, 1966 and rerun June 22, 1966. It begins the story of Zelda the Great, an magician
Magic (illusion)
Magic is a performing art that entertains audiences by staging tricks or creating illusions of seemingly impossible or supernatural feats using natural means...
whose fading career has led her to crime. The story concludes in "A Death Worse Than Fate
A Death Worse Than Fate
"A Death Worse Than Fate" is the tenth episode of the Batman television series in its first season. This Batepisode was first broadcast on ABC February 10, 1966 and rerun June 23, 1966, and continues and concludes the story of Zelda the Great, an magician whose fading career has led her to crime...
."
Plot synopsis
For the third consecutive April Fools' DayApril Fools' Day
April Fools' Day is celebrated in different countries around the world on April 1 every year. Sometimes referred to as All Fools' Day, April 1 is not a national holiday, but is widely recognized and celebrated as a day when many people play all kinds of jokes and foolishness...
, someone has robbed
Burglary
Burglary is a crime, the essence of which is illicit entry into a building for the purposes of committing an offense. Usually that offense will be theft, but most jurisdictions specify others which fall within the ambit of burglary...
the Gotham City Bank of exactly $100,000, passing up the chance to take other money worth nearly a half million dollars from the same vault. In two years, the Gotham Police Department has gotten nowhere with the case, leading Chief Miles O'Hara and Commissioner Gordon
James Gordon (comics)
James Worthington Gordon, Sr. is a fictional character, an ally of Batman that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. The character first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and was created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane...
to call in the one man who can solve the mystery: Batman.
Batman and Robin have no leads, so he determines the right course of action is to manufacture a lead. He phones the Gotham paper and plants a story that the cash taken from the Gotham City Bank was counterfeit
Counterfeit money
Counterfeit money is currency that is produced without the legal sanction of the state or government to resemble some official form of currency closely enough that it may be confused for genuine currency. Producing or using counterfeit money is a form of fraud or forgery. Counterfeiting is probably...
, held there until authorities could destroy it. He hopes to force the criminal to strike again. Meanwhile, he analyzes a bullet found at the scene and discovers from it that the thief was wearing orange wool and dozens of colorful silk scarves. From a smear of ambergris
Ambergris
Ambergris is a solid, waxy, flammable substance of a dull gray or blackish color produced in the digestive system of and regurgitated or secreted by sperm whales....
he concludes that the criminal was a woman.
Meanwhile, in the secret workshop of Eivol Ekdol, behind the Gnome Bookstore, Eivol's client Zelda the Great meets with him. Each year she purchases, for $100,000, a new trick to re-invigorate her fading act. ("Oh, I hate robbing banks." she complains "All I ever wanted to be was poor, but honest magician.") This year, Ekdol has prepared a clever escape proof cabinet, but when Zelda asks how to escape it, he informs her that she won't even get into it unless she can produce $100,000 in real money. He shows her a newspaper
Newspaper
A newspaper is a scheduled publication containing news of current events, informative articles, diverse features and advertising. It usually is printed on relatively inexpensive, low-grade paper such as newsprint. By 2007, there were 6580 daily newspapers in the world selling 395 million copies a...
article reporting that the Star of Sammarkand, a rare emerald
Emerald
Emerald is a variety of the mineral beryl colored green by trace amounts of chromium and sometimes vanadium. Beryl has a hardness of 7.5–8 on the 10 point Mohs scale of mineral hardness...
, will be displayed. It is a tempting target and Zelda realizes this is a "Batman trap".
At Wayne Manor
Wayne Manor
In DC Comics, Wayne Manor is a fictional setting, the personal residence of Bruce Wayne, who is also Batman. The residence is typically depicted as a huge stately mansion on grounds outside Gotham City, maintained by the Wayne family's servant, Alfred Pennyworth...
, Aunt Harriet Cooper receives a phone call from Miss Smith, a playground matron. It seems her fifteen year old nephew Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson
Dick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940....
has been struck in the head by a baseball
Baseball
Baseball is a bat-and-ball sport played between two teams of nine players each. The aim is to score runs by hitting a thrown ball with a bat and touching a series of four bases arranged at the corners of a ninety-foot diamond...
and she has sent a special taxi to collect Mrs. Cooper and drive her to the playground.
At the jewelry salon, an elderly woman approaches the Star, and with a quick tap of her cane, releases a cloud of gas. It is Zelda in disguise
Disguise
A disguise can be anything which conceals or changes a person's physical appearance, including a wig, glasses, makeup, costume or other ways. Camouflage is one type of disguise for people, animals and objects...
and she has escaped with the Star. Fortunately, the stone is a counterfeit
Counterfeit
To counterfeit means to illegally imitate something. Counterfeit products are often produced with the intent to take advantage of the superior value of the imitated product...
, and equipped with a homing device. Batman contacts Officer Clancy nearby and asks him to uncover the Batmobile
Batmobile
The Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting...
. But outside, Robin finds the false stone in a gutter. Zelda's appearance here was a ruse. Then Batman receives a threatening phone call. It seems someone has kidnapped Aunt Harriet and demanded $100,000 for her safe release
Ransom
Ransom is the practice of holding a prisoner or item to extort money or property to secure their release, or it can refer to the sum of money involved.In an early German law, a similar concept was called bad influence...
. And as Commissioner James Gordon continues, no one can find Bruce Wayne. It then shows Aunt Harrier at Zelda's hide out encased in a straitjacket suspended over a vat of boiling oil.
Cliffhanger Text
- HOLY BACKFIRE'S RIGHT!
- AUNT HARRIET HAS JUST ONE HOUR!
- WHAT'LL IT BE??
- SPLASH OR SALVATION??
- HOLD A HOPEFUL BREATH FOR AUNT HARRIET UNTIL TOMORROW.. SAME BAT-TIME!! SAME BAT-CHANNEL!!