Shapely brunette Grace Gaynor as Chickadee was one of my favorite Batman molls because she was just so mean and committed vile acts without a second thought.  Clad in a sexy red cigarette girl costume the entire two episodes, she abetted the Penguin in “The Penguin’s Nest” and “The Bird’s Last Jest,” which aired originally on Dec. 7 & 8, 1966. How despicable was Chickadee? She threatened to kill both Chief O’Hara and Aunt Harriet! This was one chickadee who was no bird brain.

In this crime caper, the Penguin opens a fancy restaurant for rich people only and has his diners write down their orders on a card. This is a ruse for him to accumulate their signatures so he can get into prison to give to the ultimate forger Ballpoint Baxter to write blank checks. A paroled Chickadee is introduced by Penguin as his “hat chick and cigarette girl,” but adds Commissioner Gordon, “not to mention notorious bootlegger of untaxed cigars.” Penguin’s attempts to get himself imprisoned, including pilfering Aunt Harriet’s diamond bracelet, finally gets him arrested but he winds up in the city jail, not the state pen, as Batman has figured out the felonious bird’s plan.  Chickadee and Penguin’s henchmen break him out just as the Dynamic Duo arrives. Holding a guard’s gun, she takes a shot at the crime fighters and misses as Batman says “you deluded murderous girl.”  A fight begins and Penguin’s crew is losing until Chief O’Hara arrives only to be tripped by Chickadee who points her gun at him and exclaims in a sing-song voice, “Dynamic Duo look.” The felons escape with the Chief as hostage.

Chief O’Hara is then locked in a trunk and is pushed down a water slide by a gleeful Chickadee into an electrified pool of water but lucky for him Batman is able to reverse the current foiling Penguin’s vicious scheme. He and his gang of rascally raconteurs are then sent to court for arraignment with Batman stepping in for the District Attorney. To his amazement and the Penguin’s disappointment, the judge dismisses all charges. Trying to trap the Penguin, Batman sends Alfred to impersonate Quill Pen Quarch “the most brilliant criminal pen man who ever lived” but Penguin recognizes him as Bruce Wayne’s trusted butler and has his chef bake him in a pie that is delivered to Wayne Manor where he demands $1 million.  The Dynamic Duo arrives and a fight with Penguin and his cohorts begin. Seeing her team is losing, Chickadee holding an umbrella gun on Aunt Harriet threatens “stop Batman or I blow the ladies’ brains out!” However, Alfred pops out of the pie distracting her as a quick thinking Aunt Harriet grabs a vase and cracks it over Chickadee’s head (Bonck!).  Happy that he and his crooked birds are finally going to the state pen, Penguin is foiled again as Bruce Wayne announces that Ballpoint Baxter has been paroled and will be teaching penmanship to underprivileged children.

Grace Gaynor really is quite good as Chickadee. It is fun to watch a moll who is as vicious as the boys and who doesn’t moon over Batman or Robin. Surprisingly, Gaynor’s career didn’t go farther. Her lone film role during the sixties was as Katherine Houghton’s best friend in Guess Who’s Coming to Dinner (1967). After Batman, TV viewers could watch her on episodes of Occasional Wife, The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Wild Wild West, and The FBI.  She made the occasional TV guest appearance during the seventies and then surprisingly turned up playing Mrs. Underhill in the Chevy Chase comedies Fletch (1985) and Fletch Lives (1989).

Next bat time, next bat channel: Julie Gregg as Finella

My four year old nephew Joe Thomas, believe it or not, brought to his mother’s attention that the Hub TV network was re-running the 1960s Batman series when she discovered that he programmed their DVR to record it. Don’t ask us how since the kid can’t even read.  Anyway, she told me because it was one of our favorites as kids.  I thought then as I watch it would be fitting to pay tribute the Molls of Batman in honor of all the 60s starlets who guest starred.

During the course of the series, the molls fell into three categories.  There were the innocents led astray by the nefarious evil doers. By the episodes end, the gals have repented their crooked ways turning on the villains to help the Dynamic Duo. Next were the vain glamour girls so self-absorbed they did not care one way or the other to what wicked plots they were abetting. And finally there were the vixens just as devilishly cunning as the villains and who reveled in threatening lives or going for the big score to get rich.

First up is pretty blonde Linda Gaye Scott as Moth. She was the Riddler’s moll in “Ring of Wax” and “Give’em the Axe” originally televised on March 30 & 31, 1966. Clad in a tight form fitting purple cat suit with matching lavender cape (similar to what Yvonne Craig would wear as Batgil later on) to give her that insect look, Moth is totally enamored of the Riddler.  A greedy Moth is eager to help him steal a prized rare book from the Gotham City Library that will lead them to the lost treasure of the Incas. While Robin and Batman (with his bulge in full view) dangle above of vat of scolding wax slowly being lowered into it, Batman reflects the sun off his utility belt causing an explosion and knocking them to the ground. While the Riddler watching from another room rejoices thinking they are dead, Moth gets testy with him when he slows down their plans to retrieve the treasure when he decides to leave the police another riddle.  “What’s more important that all those Incan baubles, bangles and beads,” she exclaims.

Of course, the Dynamic Duo survive and thwart the evil doers’ plan at the Gotham Museum as they search for an ancient Incan sarcophagus containing the map to the treasure. Surrounded by ancient torture devices, Batman begins knocking heads while Robin capture previously watches helplessly from a torture rack. Moth tries to make a run for it but trips and falls into a maiden’s tub as Batman locks her in. While the police release her, a desperate Moth pleads to Batman, “Moth learned her lesson—crime doesn’t pay.” Batman tells her it is too late as she is carted away with the Riddler.

Linda Gaye Scott was one of the more memorable molls due to the sexiness she brought to the role in her form fitting Moth costume and the fiestiness she brought to the part.  She quickly became one of the most popular TV actresses of the mid-sixties with memorable guest appearances on The Man from U.N.C.L.E., The Green Hornet, and Lost in Space.  You can read more about Linda Gaye Scott in my book Glamour Girls of Sixties Hollywood. And Ms. Scott if you see this and are out there I would love to interview you for my next book!