Wild World of Batwoman, The (1966) – Nostalgia Central

Observing the popularity of the 1966 Batman TV series and feature film, Jerry Warren decided to write, direct and produce his own Bat-like superhero movie, casting Katherine Victor (who had appeared in Warren’s previous productions Teenage Zombies and Curse of the Stone Hand) in the title role.

Batwoman’s costume seems like it was assembled in 10 minutes after a sprint through Goodwill: A black domino mask, a black hairpiece with what appears to be ostrich feathers dyed black, a plunging black bodice, black hot pants, sheer black stockings, and a bat tattoo stamped across her cleavage.

She’s dressed sleazily enough to appear in a Whitesnake video, though Katherine Victor exudes all the charm of a tired madame on the verge of retirement.

Batwoman (Victor) runs a squad of “bat girls” who fight crime (although their true talent is dancing by the pool wearing bikinis) – albeit in an extremely bureaucratic way, with myriad regulations and much rigorous protocol.

During their induction (under article 21, paragraph 2), the bat girls chant an oath of dedication to Batwoman and drink a “blood solution”, although it’s actually just a smoothie containing honey, mint, cherry and strawberry yoghurt.

As one bat girl explains, “Drinking the real stuff went out with Count Dracula!”

Meanwhile, the Ayjax Development Corporation has created a powerful listening device called the “Atomic Hearing Aid”, but is unable to sell the device to the Government due to its unstable plutonium power supply.  Instead, the government has ordered Ayjax to destroy the device.

The company refuses to destroy it, and Batwoman’s arch-enemy Rat Fink (Richard Banks clad in the cliché villain costume – black fedora, black mask, black cloak) – aided by his mad scientist accomplice, Professor Neon (J.G. Mitchell) – who is a bit too close for comfort by 1966 standards to his hunchbacked assistant, Heathcliff (Lloyd Nelson) – is pressuring the company to give him the device.

The Vice President of Ayjax, Jim Flanagan (Steve Brodie), recruits Batwoman to protect the device, but Rat Fink and Neon have a secret weapon – a “happy pill” that turns the batgirls into uncontrolled go-go dancers.

Neon and Rat Fink’s hoods, Tiger and Bruno (Mel Oshins and Steve Conte), use drugged bowls of soup to incapacitate Batwoman and her Bat girls and steal the device.

Most of the actresses were apparently cast when the police raided the strip club where they worked. The casting director showed up in front of the club as it was being shut down and offered all of them work in the film.

“Not associated with National Periodical Publications, Inc.,” reads the disclaimer under the title in The Wild World of Batwoman. But you’d probably already guessed that!

DC Comics sued the production company, Associated Distributors Productions, for copyright infringement. Contrary to popular belief, Warren won. After Batmania died down, the ever-enterprising shlockmeister re-released the film as She Was a Hippy Vampire.

Batwoman
Katherine Victor
Rat Fink/J.B. Christians
Richard Banks
Professor G. Octavius Neon
George Andre
Jim Flanagan
Steve Brodie
Bruno
Steve Conte
Tiger
Mel Oshins
Seltzer
Bruno VeSota
Broakley (Seltzer’s Assistant)/Spirits in Séance (voice)
Bob Arbogast
Heathcliff
Lloyd Nelson
The Young Giants
Themselves
Bat Girls
Suzanne Lodge
Lucki Winn
Pam Garry
Sylvia Holiday
Francis Bryan
Leah London

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