Batman in the 1960s Issue 22: July/ August 1963

The Caped Crusader in the 1960s
by Jack Seabrook
& Peter Enfantino

Moldoff

Detective Comics #317

"The Secrets of the Flying Bat-Cave"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

"The Challenge of the Alien Robots"

Story by Jack Miller (?)

Art by Joe Certa

When Batman and Robin are invited to speak at Center City's Police Convention, they agree it's a perfect time to show off the Flying Bat-Cave, a heretofore unknown gizmo that contains within its incredibly elastic walls all the equipment and weapons the Dynamic Duo need to track criminals and also take a coffee break. On the way, they have to bust a gang of hoods belonging to the Condor, a syndicate that's growing by leaps and bounds in Gotham. The boys finally get to the convention and give the attending officers a look inside the Flying Bat-Cave. The police are obviously impressed.

That night, as off-duty rookie cop, Jack Arno, is walking home from work, a car speeds down the street and sideswipes a hydrant; the trunk pops open and a diamond necklace (literally) flies out. Arno recognizes the bauble as part of the Condor haul and approaches the hoods as they are parking their car, with arrest on his mind. Arno is cold-cocked but rescued by Batman and Robin, who are (what else?) patrolling their usual beat. The thugs get away, but Arno introduces himself to the Dark Knight and recounts his own history from birth ("You see, Batman, I had a rough time when I was a kid. I was a hobo* before I joined the police..."). Once the Bat wakes up, he tells Arno that was one stirring story and that he'll make a good detective someday. Maybe not the world's greatest detective, but a pretty pretty pretty good one.

Meanwhile, the Condor is pissed about Batman's continued interference and decides he'll use the cop convention for some self-promotion; he contacts the newspapers and issues a warning to Bats and the cops to cancel the rest of the gathering. Batman and Robin head to the precinct to compare notes with Arno but discover the rookie hasn't shown up for work. Later that day, while investigating a lead, Batman discovers an abandoned warehouse with an ominous message on its wall from Arno: two hobo* signs etched on the wall and a bullet. Heading back to the Flying Bat-Cave, Bats brings up the incredibly elaborate "Hobo* Code" chart and deciphers Arno's message: goons have kidnapped him and are holding him at a "well-guarded house" at a "turpentine camp" and he's out of bullets.

The boys fly out to the turpentine camp and rescue their new friend, but the Condor Clan escape into a secret passageway. Unbeknownst to Arno or Batman, the Condor has switched Arno's police cuffs with a pair set to explode when he's flying in the Bat-Cave with B&R. As the Cave is approaching the football stadium where the con is being held, Condor activates the switch and the hovering Bat-Cave explodes. The Condor and his henchmen take the field but... wait... what's that? It's the Bat-Cave flying into the arena. A giant hand extends from the craft and scoops up all the baddies. Later, Bats explains to Condor that he noticed the cuffs were too light to be police-issued and examined them. Luckily, they didn't explode in his face. From there, it was only a matter of inflating the Flying Bat-Cave balloon double and sitting back to watch the action. Batman and Robin exchange a knowing smile, while Condor is hauled away to prison.

I love how the "Hobo* Code" includes 16 signs and one of them is for "turpentine camp" (#8 is "triangle chicken" and #15 is "chili pepper with a cat's head"). My guess is that hobos* have a fabulous sense of humor and came up with a code no one could possibly crack (well, except for the world's greatest detective). But possibly even better is that Arno had the time to grab a bullet and etch two obscure hobo codes on a wall while being abducted. I'd have just written "They got me..." before they took me away. The Flying Bat-Cave is one of those optical illusions that looks small on the outside but is actually a 2.5 acre lot on the inside. You gotta love the panel of the boys' workshop, complete with saw, file, and what looks like a barber's chair in the same room as a Batmobile made for preschoolers. 

(* Hobo-a politically insensitive phrase describing a pre-2000s homeless man. He said it, not me!)

The Martian Manhunter must match wits with the diabolical Jasper Dowd, who takes advantage of a gift from outer space to wreak havoc throughout the city. Can J'onn J'onzz overcome "The Challenge of the Alien Robots"? What do you think? As awful as the last installment... and the one before it... and the one before it... Good only for a couple laughs. Biggest would be when Dowd explains to pretty policewoman Diane Meade that the crashed capsule bearing his robot marauders included "complete operating instructions!" No wait, what about when Diane is tracking Dowd as he gets in a boat and she lets us know she's going to go rent a boat to follow him? She's not only pretty, she's fast! Joe Certa continues to make Sheldon Moldoff's work look fantastic!-Peter

Jack-The Flying Bat-Cave is like the TARDIS! It looks to be about the size of a large helicopter, but when Batman gives a tour of the interior, it has multiple rooms and seems much larger. I'm glad they built a replica Batmobile and a replica giant penny so everyone could see those. One thing that puzzled me was how Batman and Robin get back up to the FB-C after they slide down ropes to reach the ground. Do they have to climb back up the ropes? I was even more puzzled when they glided down without ropes! Maybe they have a remote control gizmo that allows them to land the FB-C safely.

The Martian Manhunter story is a dud. Pretty patrolwoman Diane Meade gets in trouble, J'onn J'onzz transforms into something. Problem solved. I guess this story answers the question from last time about whether fire is still a concern.

Moldoff/Paris

Batman #157

"The Villain of the Year"

Story by Dave Wood

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

"The Hunt for Batman's Secret Identity"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

At Commissioner Gordon's office, crime reporter Hal Lake tips Batman and Robin off to a big job planned by the Barker Gang today and tells them to watch out for the Jackal, who steals from other criminals. Lake suddenly gets a bad headache and has to leave to meet a deadline.

At the Gotham Auto Show, the gang tries to steal a solid gold convertible, but the Jackal makes off with the vehicle. The next day, Lake's newspaper column dubs the Jackal, "The Villain of the Year." At gang HQ, the boss offers a reward for a lead to the Jackal and a crook named Marty Kale expresses interest. Batman and Robin put on disguises to prowl the underworld and end up trailing Lake; they discover that he's been disguising himself as Kale to infiltrate the gang. A letter at Lake's office leads the Dynamic Duo to the Busy Bee Honey Farm, where the Jackal has his hideout; on their way there by boat, they happen upon a jewelry theft on the water and witness the Jackal once again make off with another crook's loot.

When Batman and Robin reach the honey farm, they encounter the gang and the Jackal and stop both with little effort. Batman unmasks the Jackal to reveal that he's Hal Lake! Robin finds all of the Jackal's stolen loot, wrapped up and ready to be sent to the police. Batman explains to Lake (and us) that the crime reporter developed a split personality and needs to go to a hospital for treatment.

Dave Wood's script is all over the place. It's obvious that Lake is the Jackal from the first time we meet him, when he gets a sudden headache and has to leave. Lake tells Batman that the Barker Gang has something planned, but when they get to the auto show, the crook is referred to as Reed. When Batman and Robin are rushing to the honey farm, they suddenly appear in Gotham Harbor, where they stop a crime in progress, seemingly not recalling that they're in a rush. It's a bit of a mess.

The Mirror-Man escapes from prison, determined to prove to the world that Batman is Bruce Wayne! "The Hunt for Batman's Secret Identity" begins with the Mirror-Man assigning small-time hood Harry Vance to follow Bruce so that he can't change into his Batman costume. Wayne tricks Vance by intentionally falling into an open manhole and feigning being knocked out; the dopey crook puts the cover over the hole and Bruce is able to slip away and don his Bat-suit.

The  Mirror-Man and his gang appear at a museum to steal a jade mirror that Vicki Vale is photographing for her magazine; the Dynamic Duo foil the attempted theft, but the crooks get away and Vicki overhears the Mirror-Man remark that Batman is Bruce Wayne. Outside the museum, Batman thanks Batwoman, who tried to stop the gang's escape, and Vicki decides that the best way to win the Dark Knight's love is by trying to help him, just as Batwoman did.

The Mirror-Man plans his next crime for the following night: he'll steal a first edition of Through the Looking-Glass at a Gotham Book Society celebration. At Wayne Manor, Bruce asks Alfred to masquerade as Bruce Wayne and attend the gala in order to trick the Mirror-Man. At the gala, the Mirror-Man is puzzled when both Batman and Bruce Wayne show up. But what's this? Alfred, disguised as Bruce, is late in arriving! The Mirror-Man sets in motion a trick by which the museum walls are all replaced by giant mirrors, allowing the gang to escape again.

It turns out that Vicki Vale, in her attempt to help, hired an actor to impersonate Bruce at the event. Outside, Vance tails the actor, while inside, the real Bruce shows up, claiming his car broke down. Vance discovers that the Bruce he was following is an actor and reports back to the Mirror-Man, who thinks this is all the proof he needs. Suddenly, Batman and Robin burst in! They quickly overpower the gang and capture the Mirror-Man. Later, Vicki Vale is among the reporters who arrive at the hideout. The Mirror-Man tells everyone that Batman is Bruce Wayne, so Batman calls Wayne and asks him to come to the hideout, which he does. The Mirror-Man grabs at Wayne's face, thinking he's an impostor in makeup, but it's the real Bruce.

After the crooks are taken away, Batman gives Vicki a big kiss (much to the chagrin of Batwoman). Back at the Batcave, Alfred takes off his Batman disguise and admits that, since Vicki required consolation, he ad-libbed the kiss!

Easily the most fun Batman story in months, "The Hunt for Batman's Secret Identity" is enjoyable from start to finish. It starts with a great splash page, illustrating the scene later in the story where Batman and Robin find themselves among a kaleidoscope of mirrored walls. We're off to a good start as Bill Finger sets up a triangle of jealousy featuring Kathy Kane and Vicki Vale, only to top it with the return of a fun villain. Bruce's fake fall into the open manhole is a riot, as are the romance-comic asides where Vicki displays her jealousy of Batwoman and schemes to get her man.

The Book Society party gives Moldoff an excuse to draw characters from Alice in Wonderland, and the mix-up with the three Bruce Waynes is genuinely funny. Batman fittingly captures the Mirror-Man by using a couple of mirrors, but the highlight of the story for me was the end, where a disguised Alfred plants one right on the lips of Vicki Vale and then proudly admits it back at the Batcave! All Bruce can say is "'Hmmm!'"-Jack

World's Greatest Detective

Peter-Despite the fact that the Jackal's real identity is pretty obvious right from panel four ("Ooooh, my head!"), I enjoyed "Villain of the Year." It's very reminiscent of the Norman Osborn/Green Goblin saga (which wouldn't unfurl  until the following year) and also Marvel's version of the Jackal (normal guy turned crazy villain). If I'd been on the editor's desk, I would have let the mystery smolder over time to keep the kids guessing, but back in 1963 it was all about wrapping it up in twelve pages.

I wasn't as bowled over by the Mirror-Man story as my esteemed colleague. MM has a bee in his bonnet; it's that no one will believe his claim that Batman is really Bruce Wayne. Wouldn't it make more sense to capture the Dark Knight and unmask him rather than assigning your biggest dummies to follow Wayne around Gotham? The idea that Alfred could somehow fill Batman's shoes (and cowl and mask) will always be a ridiculous gimmick. At least on the '66 show, it looked like Alfred under the costume!

Dillin/Moldoff

Detective Comics #318

"The Cat-Man Strikes Back"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Jim Mooney, Sheldon Moldoff & Mike Esposito

"J'onn J'onzz' Enemy--Zook"

Story by Jack Miller (?)

Art by Joe Certa

While making a rare public appearance at the rodeo, Batman and Batwoman are horrified to witness the return of the previously-alleged-dead Cat-Man! The villain with nine lives grabs the prize money and sets off an explosive, setting the steer free to roam the streets of Gotham. Bats and Robin corral the cattle while Batwoman gives chase on her Bat-Cycle. Cat-Man does some dashing moves in his Cat-Car and jumps a ravine, but Catwoman plunges headfirst into the abyss.

Having lassoed the dogies, Batman and Robin return to Commissioner Gordon's office, where they find a flustered Batwoman. She explains that Cat-Man saved her from her deadly fall and then proposed a partnership, explaining that Batman would never marry her and she's getting too old to wait anymore. Robin remarks to his partner that he hopes Batwoman isn't falling for the notorious criminal and Bats sighs and explains to the pre-teen that women are harder to understand than trigonometry.

The next day, the police are called to the scene of a bizarre and brutal crime: three little kittens in stockings hanging from a tree. Turns out the evil deed is the work of... the Cat-Man, who hung the little felines in the tree to attract the attention of every cop in Gotham, thereby leaving all the jewelry stores unprotected ("Why didn't I think of that?" asks the Joker in his cell in Arkham) and ripe for robbery. Bats and Robin put three and twelve together and hypothesize that Cat-Man is planning heists based on "famous felines in fiction." Therefore, Cat-Man's next job will be knocking over the Gotham Coal Company, because (now, keep up) in the 14th century, coal was transported in a "cat." Brilliant!

I'd like to say that Batman and Robin showed up and stayed for six hours while the Gotham Cat Litter Company across town was being knocked over but, as is usually the case, the "World's Greatest Detective" is right on the money. Cat-Man and his henchmen are interrupted just as they're about to break in and they make a hasty getaway to a waiting boat. Batwoman shows up but pulls a major boner by accidentally dumping a truck full of coal on our heroes. Out on the boat, Cat-Man wonders if he's finally talked sense into the attractive Batwoman. Has she drifted over to the dark side?

Later, at the precinct, while handing in a captured Cat-thug, Batman lays into his female counterpart, blaming her for Cat-Man's escape. In front of Gotham reporters (hmmmm...), Kathy slaps her cowled beau right across the face and tells him to never speak to her again. About ten minutes later, the newspapers are rolling off the presses and the headlines scream about the breakup of the Bat-Couple. The next day, Cat-Man's henchman, Slim, is bailed out by a kind old lady who unmasks in an alley and reveals herself to be... Batwoman! No way! Slim calls the boss and relates the shocking news; Cat-Man orders Slim to blindfold his new accomplice and bring her to the Cat-Cave pronto. Once there, Batwoman explains that she's ready to be loved by a man as virile as the Cat and then dons her new costume as Catwoman (unaware that the moniker is already taken).

At that moment, the Caped Crusaders storm the hideout and are shocked by the transformation before their very eyes. When Cat-Man's goons head for the Dynamic Duo, the new Catwoman suddenly shows her true colors, allying herself with Gotham's heroes. But Cat-Man was ready for such duplicity and quickly ensnares all three of his enemies. In an ode to "The Black Cat," the deranged villain walls up Batman and Robin. Bats is able to send out a rescue signal to Ace, the Bat-Hound, who arrives in the nick of time. Bats heads out after Cat-Man, who's kidnapped Kathy and jumped on a boat. Bats rescues his sweetheart, but Cat-Man perishes in a fiery explosion. Or does he?

I'm not sure why but this Cat-Man character always seems to bring out the best in the writers, at least in terms of clever, exciting scripts. The art's pretty good as well. The much-ballyhooed team-up on the cover lasts for exactly four panels before the jig is up.

How many speaking engagements and ribbon-cutting ceremonies do the Dynamic Duo attend a week? How do they stop crime if they're always hobnobbing with Alice McGillicuddy and her sewing sisters?

That walled-in scene is hilarious. When Ace is called by Bats, the Hound takes the time to slip into his mask before exiting the Bat-Cave and then manages to enter the doom tomb via a well-placed manhole! But the rescue was only possible because Cat-Man and his brainless heathens had tied up the boys with rope and then left a burning candle behind the wall. These bad guys are pretty dumb!

In "J'onn Jonzz's Enemy--Zook," the Martian Manhunter finds that there's something up with his outer-space, kewpie-doll buddy. Zook seems to be aiding a nattily-dressed bunch of crooks in their heists, continually getting in Manhunter's way. Turns out the hoods stumbled upon a dazed, amnesiac Zook in the woods and convinced him they're Feds, investigating aliens at a carnival... or something like that. Anyway, it all winds up in a happy ending, not only for Zook but also for me and Jack. Zook, because MM forgives him and us, because we've decided enough is enough. The Martian Manhunter series is crap, as are most of the backups, and until the second feature becomes Batman-related (say, Robin or Batgirl solo stories), we'll ignore it altogether.-Peter

Jack-What a great Batman story! Jim Mooney's pencils are much more fun to look at than Moldoff's. I'm really getting to look forward to appearances by Batwoman (and Batgirl!), and even Bat-Hound makes a welcome appearance. The GCD links to a post where a researcher noticed that portions of this story are lifted wholesale from a story in Batman #42 featuring the original Catwoman; I read the earlier story online and it reminded me how great Batman comics of the '40s were. I think that when we finish the '70s that should be our next project.

As to the J'onn J'onzz story--sayonara, Martian Manhunter!

Moldoff/Sprang/Paris/Kaye

Batman Annual #5

"The Power That Doomed Batman"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #268, June 1959)

"The Merman Batman"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #118, September 1958)

"Rip Van Batman"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #119, October 1958)

"The Zebra Batman"

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #275, January 1960)

"The Grown-Up Boy Wonder"

Story by Bill Finger

Art by Sheldon Moldoff & Stan Kaye

(Reprinted from Batman #107, April 1957)

"The Bewitched Batman" 

Story by Jerry Coleman

Art by Curt Swan & Stan Kaye

(Reprinted from World's Finest Comics #109, May 1960)

"The Phantom Batman"
Story by Edmond Hamilton

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Batman #110, September 1957)

"The Giant Batman"

Story by Edmond Hamilton

Art by Dick Sprang & Charles Paris

(Reprinted from Detective Comics #243, May 1957)

Jack-The cover calls this 80-page collection "The Strange Lives of Batman and Robin," so we get eight stories where some mysterious force causes a big change in one or the other and they have to deal with the consequences until they return to normal at the story's end. In "The Merman Batman," the Caped Crusader has to wear a glass helmet filled with water when he can no longer breathe air. In "Rip Van Batman," he appears to sleep so long that he grows a white beard and witnesses Robin take over his role. And so on. Most of the stories follow a pattern, and the fact that five are penciled by Moldoff doesn't add much excitement. I liked the last three best; with pencils by Curt Swan and Dick Sprang; at least they looked more dynamic.

Peter-This was the weakest of the annuals we've covered so far. Might it be due to the dates of each story? All fell in a three-year span from '57-'60. If I were a 1963 Batman fanboy, I'd feel ripped off that we didn't get some of those cool early '50s strips. Chances are, the kid who paid two bits for this 80-page Giant had already read these eight stories. I'm not sure what's worse--the 1960s where Batman fights robots and aliens twice-monthly, or the late '50s, where he's struck by lightning and his cellular composition is thrown in a tizzy every issue.

Next Week...
Who is...
The Man From the Saucer?

Journey Into Strange Tales Issue 111: Atlas/ Marvel Science Fiction and Horror Comics!

 

The Marvel/Atlas 
Horror Comics

Part 96

February 1956 Part I

by Peter Enfantino

and Jack Seabrook

Astonishing #46

Cover by John Severin & Carl Burgos (?)

"Forbidden Forest!" (a: Tony DiPreta) ★★

(r: Where Monsters Dwell #33)

"Was He Just Seeing Things?" (a: Manny Stallman) ★★1/2

(r: Weird Wonder Tales #6)

"Contents: One Human!" (a: Bob McCarthy) ★

(r: Vault of Evil #13)

"What Lurks Beneath?" (a: Ross Andru & Mike Esposito) ★★

(r: Where Monsters Dwell #36)

"I Hear the Thump!" (a: Al Hartley) ★★

While out hunting for big game, Gil and Leo become trapped in a wicked lightning storm and must take refuge in a small cabin. There, they meet the owner, Hubert, who is gracious enough to offer the hunters food and shelter until the storm breaks. When the two mention they'll be heading deep into the woods the next day, Hubert warns that they will be venturing into the "Forbidden Forest!" and that's not a good thing.

Undeterred, the next day the two dopes head into the forest and become uneasy about their surroundings. A giant boar rushes out of the woods, but bullets won't stop him. Suddenly, Hubert appears and strikes the beast down with a saber. He tells the men they should leave immediately and they exit stage left. When they get back to town and spill their story to the locals, they mock the tourists until Leo presents the dagger that Hubert slew the monster with. It's the dagger of Hubert, Patron Saint of Belgian Hunters, lost since the 16th Century! The plot is the same safe and sanitary old thing, but DiPreta looks better than he has in months. His style is still basic, but with an air of creepiness to it.

In "Was He Just Seeing Things," a group of space explorers land on a remote planet to see if there's anything worth pillaging. They're quickly attacked by a T. Rex and change their vacation plans. "Nothing here worth exploring!" sighs the captain as they lift off. Once they're gone, the mist rises, the protective visual screen disappears, and we see that the planet is actually a futuristic wonderland. Its occupants wisely camouflage it from invaders. Good sci-fi romp with great Manny Stallman art; about as close to Heath as you'll get without the Real McCoy.

Postman Sam Shores stumbles onto an insane racket when he picks up a parcel labeled "Contents: One Human!" Sam immediately takes the package to his postmaster, who opens it and watches in awe as a six-inch man exits the box and grows six feet tall. What's up? The man storms out of the office without an explanation, so Sam's boss tasks him with following the next package so labeled all the way to San Francisco. Still no dice. When Sam investigates where the parcels are mailed from, he locates the sender, a Martian who's trying to make a buck with his Reducto-Gas. Absolutely inane, this could be the silliest strip we've seen so far in the post-code age (and that's saying something). I did appreciate the laughs elicited from the scene where ordinary mailman Sam is sent to San Fran on a secret mission and travels in his postal uniform.

While diving for buried treasure (or whatever these comic dopes dive for), Brad Benson stumbles onto a bevy of mermaids just hanging out at the bottom of the sea. Knowing he can make millions selling them off to zoos, circuses, museums, and rich Hollywood execs, Brad makes a return visit, armed with a harpoon gun. As he's making his treacherous way toward the gorgeous, bikini-clad fish girls, he's kidnapped by mermen and taken to a cage, where he's exhibited for all of the ocean's high society to gaze at. "What Lurks Beneath?" has a creepier premise than what's delivered, but the tale is an enjoyable variation on an old war horse (how many times did we see this plot unfurl on Mars?) and the Andru/Esposito art is almost restrained compared to the goofiness they'd unleash in the DC war comics a couple years later. 

The finale, "I Hear the Thump," deals with a Civil War deserter who continues to hear the thump of a drum all through his life. As an old man, he finally gives up and walks.... off somewhere... I don't know, to Heaven? Before we're forced to drink the saccharine at the climax, "I Hear the Thump!" delivers a solid message about what might have been 19th-Century PTSD long before it became part of our lexicon.-Peter

Journey Into Mystery #31

Cover by Carl Burgos

"The Man Who Had No Fear" (a: Bill Benulis) ★★★

"Timetable" (a: Dave Berg) ★★

"When Dave Opened the Door" 

(a: Joe Sinnott & Bob Brown) ★★★

"Dark Room!" (a: Ed Winiarski) ★

"Monsters on the Moon" (a: Al Hartley) ★★★

Captain David Waters seems to live a charmed life on the sea. He avoids cracking up on jagged rocks, misses whirlpools, and generally stays dry. But his crew are getting antsy and, frankly, a bit freaked out, by all the close calls. What is the secret of "The Man Who Had No Fear?"

Well, the reveal, when it comes, is not earth-shattering, but that's secondary to the creepy atmosphere generated by the great Bill Benulis's artwork. This is artwork, make no bones about it, not a batch of squiggles in front of a blank background like we get with so many of the other Atlas artists. The inking provides a solemn mood that stays with the reader long after the fifth page is turned.

"Timetable" is a charming fantasy about a bored signalman who becomes the recipient of an "Around the World in One Weekend" trip with a mysterious man. It's capped off by the usual reveal of "it was that other-worldy passenger from the beyond!" Sharp art. The signalman's name is Ben Parker, so now we know what Peter's uncle did before he got famous.

Detective Dave Marlin is assigned the case of the missing socialites by his father-in-law, the Chief of Police. Dave is married to the ever-nagging Madge (while wishing he'd married his old sweetheart, Jean). Anyway, back to the main plot... Several rich folk have mysteriously disappeared and the only clue the police have is that each was involved in a cult of "Transitionists," led by a Professor Cawl. Dave goes undercover to infiltrate the Transitionists and ends up arresting Professor Cawl on suspicion of foul play. While Dave is driving the bearded weirdie back to the station, Cawl explains his theory that our world is "one world of parallel time" and, if we choose, we can alter our fates.

Dave becomes convinced the Prof. is a smart cookie, wishing he was Dave's boss instead of the old man, but he brings him back to the Chief's office. "When Dave Opened the Door," the Chief is now Cawl and vice versa. Behind the new Chief stands his daughter, Jean. None of this means a thing to Dave because he's altered his... oh never mind, it's too confusing. It is complicated but it's also fascinating and some extra care was taken with this script. I'm duty-bound to be impressed when one of these Atlas writers actually gives a damn. Also, I think it's hilarious that Dave's parting words are that he wished he'd married Madge instead of the nagging Jean!

In the deadly dumb "Dark Room," Andy is told by his girlfriend that he's a loser while they're dining at the House of Wong but, after they drink a special tea prepared by the owner, they both see things differently. All through this confusing mess, it almost seems as though there are panels missing. 

Though scientists vow there are no "Monsters on the Moon," the fourth Atlas Moon expedition of 1956 is planned and executed, led by the world-famous Captain Drummond, with eyes on the rich metal deposits the moon is sure to hold. The explorers are fully armed, though the men are (again) told to relax, there are no "Monsters on the Moon." The troop land and begin exploring the surface, quickly discovering uranium (hopefully, those suits will protect our heroes!) and lodes of gold. Suddenly, the Earth crew is attacked by forces unknown (could it be there are...). 

The battle wages for hours before the Captain orders a cease-fire and retreat. When he gets back to Earth, Drummond reports to his C.O., explaining that the moon is off limits due to the fierce warriors who live there. Millions of miles away, on Uranus (giggle!), Captain Aahi is telling his C.O. the same story. In between the two worlds, the moon breathes a sigh of relief. Another clever tale, with some really good art by Al Hartley, who didn't contribute enough to the Atlas h/sf titles (23 stories total). Three three-star fantasy/science fiction stories in one issue constitutes some kind of breakthrough. Usually, I have to drink to excess before I read the strips. Now I'll have to celebrate.-Peter

Journey Into Unknown Worlds #42

Cover by Carl Burgos

"The Village That Cried!" (a: Syd Shores) ★★1/2

"Mental Block" (a: Bob Forgione & Jack Abel) ★1/2

"What Lurks Out There!" (a: Bob Powell) ★★

"The Man-Hunters" (a: Jim Mooney) ★★

"Life or Death" (a: Bob Brown) ★★

As a rocketship approaches the unexplored planet named Afra II, the crew argue about whether they'll find life and, if so, what form that life might take. The Spaceman's Field Book cautions explorers not to expect alien life forms to be humanoid, but crewmen discount this theory, scoffing at the idea of dancing trees or talking rocks.

The ship lands and Donner emerges in a spacesuit to scout the planet. Mists close around him and he feels like he's being watched. He comes upon a village but finds no inhabitants, not noticing that all of his unexpressed desires--for water, food, a breeze--come true right after he thinks of them. Returning to his ship, he plans to report finding no intelligent life. The rocketship takes off and the alien life forms in the village--houses, trees, and so forth--lament his lack of imagination.

"The Village That Cried!" is an interesting story where the concept and the writing are more interesting than the pedestrian art. It almost has a Bradbury-esque feel to it and reminds me that this comic is called Journey Into Unknown Worlds, so I should expect more science fiction than watered-down horror.

A man with an unusually bad fear of birds finds himself on a psychiatrist's couch trying to uncover the source of his phobia. He takes truth serum to get around his "Mental Block" and announces that he is a bird and fears being around birds because one might reveal his true identity. The skeptical doctor thinks that asking him to fly will convince him that he's not a bird, but the man climbs up on a desk, starts flapping his wings, and flies around the room! In outer space, a pair of alien birds agree that it's about time to recall Xyli from Earth.

Some fairly interesting art by Jack Abel and Bob Forgione can't save this dud, which resorts to the tried and true Atlas ending where aliens suddenly appear in the final panels to provide an explanation for a seemingly inexplicable event.

A scientist named Jim Pearson has designed and built the first ship capable of going into space. He warns others that intelligent aliens might see it take off and realize that humans can now reach the stars; he cautions them to beware "What Lurks Out There!" The ship takes off, orbits Earth for twenty-four hours, and returns, with the sole occupant bearing a message from aliens. Once it's decoded, a general reads it aloud and discovers that it's a warning to other aliens to beware of humans.

Bob Powell is one of my favorite Atlas artists, but this four-pager is not his best work. The story doesn't get far and the ending is no different from similar ones we've seen many times before. As Pogo put it, we have met the enemy and he is us.

In the future, man has learned how to manufacture humanoids to do all the work while man relaxes. A law is passed requiring humanoids to be tattooed in order to distinguish them from humans. Eventually, humans rebel and insist that no more humanoids be made. Captain Clark Buchan leads the charge to restore humans to dominance; he recalls his loving parents and has no sympathy for parentless humanoids.

The vats used to manufacture humanoids are destroyed and Buchan seeks data to identify every humanoid ever made, even the early ones that were unmarked. The humanoids flee into the subway tunnels, where they resume making more of their kind. Captain Buchan leads a team underground and recovers the records of all the humanoids, but when he reads them he discovers that his parents were humanoids and he was adopted. He becomes sympathetic to the plight of the humanoids and descends below ground to join them, not knowing that the records he read were actually those of real humans who adapted humanoid babies.

There's a lot to digest in "The Man-Hunters," which is a fairly sophisticated science fiction tale that runs only five pages. The twist is interesting but the writer doesn't do much with it. Jim Mooney's art is serviceable but not as eye-catching as that of Bob Powell.

The future Earth is blanketed with heavy snow to such an extent that mankind has moved underground to survive. The snow was caused by radiation that enveloped the planet after Earth ships had been aggressive toward other planets and those planets had joined forces to fight back. One man suggests escaping Earth and colonizing the planet Zebra, whose inhabitants would have to be destroyed. An ethical debate develops regarding this "Life of Death" decision; one man asks if such a heinous deed would be followed by a catastrophe similar to the Biblical flood that wiped the planet clean after a series of great misdeeds. The matter is put to a vote and the invasion is not approved; just then, the sun breaks through the clouds.

There's a religious undercurrent to this story that works well; the supernatural in Atlas stories doesn't always have to be science fiction or horror. Bob Brown's art is sufficient to tell the tale, but no panels stand out. The entire issue is average, but the fact that it's not awful is a good sign.-Jack

Marvel Tales #143

Cover by Bill Everett

"The House on the Hill!" (a: Al Hartley) ★1/2

"The Greed of Silas Plunkett!" (a: Manny Stallman) ★

"Louie's Leprechaun!" (a: Art Peddy & Jack Abel) ★★

"It Tolls By Night!" (a: Ed Winiarski) ★

"Where Dinosaurs Dwell!" (a: Bob Forgione & Jack Abel) ★★1/2

A man drives down a road at night and thinks it's strangely familiar. He falls asleep behind the wheel and the car crashes, but he emerges unharmed and walks through the woods until he sees "The House on the Hill!" He is welcomed in by a creepy old man who tells him that they are all aliens in disguise, the house is really a spaceship, and they're going to use him as a specimen to study. Oh, and he's "'caught in a circle of time.'" The man escapes as the house begins to take off and he finds himself emerging from the wreck, walking through the woods, seeing the house, and being welcomed in once again.

There's a reason this setup was spoofed in the Rocky Horror Picture Show--it was tired even in 1956. I figured the driver would discover he had died in the car crash, but it was worse than that. He's trapped in a loop, kind of like the loop Peter and I are trapped in when reading some of these comics.

Many years ago, there was a cruel lender who loaned money out on usurious terms. "The Greed of Silas Plunkett!" was extreme. When a man named Orville Hartly applied for a loan with no security, Plunkett offered a contract by which the man and his family would become servants for ten years if Hartly defaulted on the loan. Hartly signed and headed off to start a business.

Those kids sure do
resemble their parents!

That night, Plunkett answered the door to meet an old man picking junk; he walked with the man through town and discovered that the man was his future self, after his greed had led to his ruin. In the morning, Silas discovered that Hartly had opened a competing loan business and was thriving. Plunkett vowed to change his ways to ensure that the future he saw would not come true.

If there's one thing worse than a motorist visiting a creepy house at night, it's a story about a greedy old man seeing his own sad future. Charles Dickens was surely rolling over in his grave when this one saw print, and Manny Stallman's art belongs right next to his corpse.

Louie Larkin sees a crowd bullying a wee man with pointy ears and a green hat who appeared when a big rock was lifted. Louie defends the man, who rewards him by granting his wish for gold. Louie tells him wife what happened and she gladly helps supply food that Louie takes to the leprechaun. Every morning, Louie finds another bag of gold on his living room table. The arrangement with "Louie's Leprechaun!" comes to an end when Louie's wife admits that she wrote to her father for help paying off their debts. Louie rushes out, angry that the gold was not coming from the leprechaun; he gathers a crowd and knocks away a pole that had been holding up the big rock above the leprechaun's hole. Louie returns home to find his wife in tears! She shows him a picture of her father...the leprechaun!

They got me with that ending, which I thought was clever. I admit that I never made the connection between her father and the leprechaun. Peddy and Abel's art is fine but nothing special.

"It Tolls By Night!" tells the incredibly dull story of a bell that was built in a town square long ago. It was a cherished object until it was replaced by a skyscraper. Yet when alien ships approached, the bell rang out a warning and saved the planet. Who rang it? Apparently, it rang itself, since "only the bell knew of the love it held for the heart of mankind." I'm glad that Ed Winiarski was chosen to draw four pages of pictures of a bell. It would be a shame to waste the talents of Bernie Krigstein on a story this bad.

Compare this panel to the one
above from this month's issue of
 Journey Into Unknown Worlds.

Bob reluctantly attends a charity bazaar at the urging of his boss, Mr. Chaucer, whose wife insists that Bob visit a fortune teller. The gypsy tells him that he'll take a long trip, be offered a new job, and should beware of animals. Bob emerges from her tent a bit woozy and is met by a fat man who take him in a time machine back to the age "Where Dinosaurs Dwell!" Escaping from a pursuing T Rex, Bob returns to present day. His boss offers him a new job and a cat scratches his hand. Bob goes back to the fortune teller, who admits it was all a setup, something his boss confirms. Bob takes the crystal ball as a souvenir of "the strangest adventure a man ever had."

What, no aliens? In most Atlas stories, the fortune teller would turn out to be from Mars. Here, the twist is that there is no twist. The story just ends without any real explanation of Bob's trip to the Jurassic Age other than to have him think that it must have been a dream. The art by Forgione and Abel is the best in this weak issue.-Jack

Next Week...
The Eagerly-Awaited 
(well, okay, not that eager...)
Return of The Cat-Man!

The Hitchcock Project-Albert E. Lewin and Burt Styler, Part Two-Craig's Will [5.23]

by Jack Seabrook

Anthology shows in the early days of TV would sometimes feature episodes that were not necessarily in sync with what viewers were expecting. "Craig's Will" is such an entry in Alfred Hitchcock Presents--it's about as close to a half-hour situation comedy as the series would ever show. It's not surprising that the teleplay is by Burt Styler and Albert Lewin; after all, the duo made their name writing humor.

"Craig's Will" aired on March 6, 1960, and the credits say that the teleplay is based on a story by Valerie Dyke. Despite exhaustive research, I have been unable to locate any such published story or, for that matter, anything else by Valerie Dyke.

This photo of Valerie
Dyke was published
in 1942.

Valerie Dyke was born Ruth Valerie Edmonds in Toronto in 1915. She grew up in Canada but moved to New York City and modeled for a few years before marrying Collier Young, a Hollywood writer who would go on to be a notable TV producer. The wedding was a social event; one of the groomsmen was Nelson Rockefeller. The couple planned to live in Beverly Hills. They were divorced in 1946 and Valerie went on to marry Kenneth Dyke, a brigadier general and an ad executive at NBC. Valerie Dyke was married to two prominent men, both of whom worked in the entertainment industry, and it is possible that she had an idea for a story that was the germ of the episode that became "Craig's Will." Mrs. Dyke died in 1965.

"Craig's Will" opens and closes in a psychiatrist's office, as a beautiful woman named Judy tells her story to the doctor. In the opening sequence, only her legs are shown as she reclines on the couch. In voiceover narration that will come and go throughout the episode, she explains to the doctor that she set her sights on Wilbur Craig, the only millionaire in Craigsville, and when he died, she transferred her focus to his son, Thomas Craig, whom she describes as "'not bad looking, not too smart, but best of all, unmarried.'"

Dick Van Dyke as Thomas Craig

A lawyer reads Craig's will and, to everyone's surprise, he leaves most of his fortune to his dog, Casper, and only one dollar to his son, Thomas, who is allowed free room and board at the mansion and who will inherit what's left when the dog dies. When Thomas visits Judy at her apartment and breaks the news, her thoughts turn immediately to murder and she uses baby talk and plenty of passionate kisses and caresses to convince her boyfriend that he must kill the dog.

Craig buys a hunting rifle and takes Casper out to the woods, intending to shoot him, but his plan is foiled when another hunter appears. Even after the hunter leaves, Thomas cannot bring himself to kill the friendly dog. Judy's charms no longer work on Thomas, so she goes to the office of a private investigator, Vincent Noonan, who is at first reluctant when she tells him his assignment. "'It would be a snap if you wanted me to follow this dog or rough him up or maybe get some pictures of him in a motel,'" says Vincent, but when Judy offers him $1000 (plus expenses), he quickly agrees.

Stella Stevens as Judy

Judy brings Noonan to the Craig mansion and introduces him as her cousin, who plans to stay awhile. He ponders how to kill the dog and make it look like an accident and, after seeing that the butler gives the dog a steak every night for dinner, the private eye takes ant poison from the kitchen cabinet and applies a liberal dose to a steak that he finds in the refrigerator. Unfortunately, Loomis is served the same steak for dinner that evening and barely survives.

Finally, the private detective takes Casper out in a rowboat, intending to drown the dog and explaining to his canine passenger that "'it's strictly business.'" Loomis stands up in the boat, lifts the oar as if to strike the dog, and the scene dissolves back to the mansion, where Noonan soon turns up with Casper, explaining that "'that dog saved my life.'" As Judy loudly chides Noonan and says that she'll kill Casper herself, Thomas Craig walks in and hears her, and the jig is up. Judy's baby talk no longer works on her fiancé and the show ends back where it began, with her telling her story to the psychiatrist in his office. Judy admits that the only solution is "'to become a dog and marry Casper;'" she lets out a few barks and the screen fades to black.

Paul Stewart as Vincent Noonan

"Craig's Will" is a black comedy, but it doesn't work nearly as well as Lewin and Styler's previous teleplay for Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "Cheap is Cheap," in large part because of the dog at the center of the story. There are too many shots of Casper looking cute and, unlike the wife in the prior episode, who is killed at the end without her killer being punished, it was too much to expect viewers to accept the murder of a dog. Instead, the writers present a series of failed attempts at canine homicide, ending with the architect of the plan giving in and deciding that if she can't beat the dog, she must join him.

This episode aired in early March 1960, so it probably was filmed in early January of that year. Stella Stevens, the star of "Craig's Will," who narrates the show and manipulates the men around her to try to get what she wants, was the Playmate of the Month for January 1960 in Playboy magazine, and she uses her allure in front of the camera in this TV show to great effect. Yet she is not just a pretty face, since she portrays Judy as an intelligent, calculating woman who knows how to change her approach to a man to achieve her ends. At one moment she is using baby talk on Thomas Craig and kissing him passionately to overcome his aversion to killing Casper; at another, she is offering cold, hard cash to Vincent Noonan to persuade him to accomplish the same goal.

Harry Tyler as Sam Loomis

Dick Van Dyke plays Thomas Craig, and his character is not very different from the character he would soon play on The Dick Van Dyke Show to great success. The actor was unknown when this episode was filmed and aired, but only five weeks after it premiered on CBS, Van Dyke opened on Broadway in Bye Bye Birdie, the show that would make him a star and for which he would win a Tony Award.

Paul Stewart steals the show in "Craig's Will" as Noonan, the ethically shady private investigator who is eventually won over by Casper. He strikes the perfect note between drama and comedy, seeming like a character out of film noir who doesn't realize he's in a comic situation. Without Stewart's deadpan performance, the episode would be much less enjoyable.

Joseph Holland as the lawyer

In the end, "Craig's Will" is a below average episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents. There are some funny moments and it's tightly plotted with a solid structure; the cast is good and there's not a poor performance in the half hour. But the writers' inability to go through with Judy's plan to kill Casper dooms the show, and the weak ending is a letdown.

This is the only episode of the series to be directed by Gene Reynolds (1923-2020), who was born Eugene Reynolds Blumenthal. He started out as a child actor in films in 1934 and continued acting in film and on TV until 1967. He began directing TV shows in 1957 and later had success as a TV writer and producer. Among the shows he directed were My Three Sons, Hogan's Heroes, M*A*S*H, and Lou Grant; he also produced M*A*S*H and Lou Grant in the '70s and '80s. Along the way he won six Emmy Awards and became president of the Director's Guild, a position he held from 1993 to 1997.

Almira Sessions as Martha Henderson

Dick Van Dyke (1925- ) started out on TV and starred in The Dick Van Dyke Show from 1961 to 1966, fitting in an important role in Mary Poppins in 1964. He went on to a long career on screen that included another successful TV series, Diagnosis Murder (1993-2001). In addition to his Tony for Bye Bye Birdie, he won four Emmy Awards and is in the Television Hall of Fame.

Stella Stevens (1938-2023) was born Estelle Eggleston and was on screen from 1959 to 2010. "Craig's Will" was her first TV appearance. Among her many films was The Poseidon Adventure (1972).

Maurice Manson

Paul Stewart (1908-1986) was born Paul Sternberg and used his gravelly voice to good advantage on radio from the 1930s to the 1950s. A member of the Mercury Theatre, he was in Orson Welles's radio production of "The War of the Worlds" and appeared on screen from 1937 to 1985, including films such as Citizen Kane (41) and Kiss Me Deadly (55).

"Craig's Will" was the only time any of its three stars appeared on the Hitchcock TV series.

In smaller roles:

• Harry Tyler (1888-1961) as Sam Loomis, the butler; he has hundreds of credits and always seems to have played bit parts; he started out in film in 1929 and worked steadily up to his death. He had minor roles in 11 episodes of Alfred Hitchcock Presents; "Craig's Will" was his last.
• Joseph Holland (1910-1994) as the lawyer who reads the will; he was a member of Orson Welles's Mercury Theatre and appeared on stage, radio, and TV from 1934 to 1961.
• Almira Sessions (1888-1974) as Martha Henderson, the housekeeper who receives a small inheritance; her first stage role was in 1909 and regular appearances on radio followed. She appeared in numerous films and TV shows from 1932 to 1972, including Night Gallery and one other episode of Alfred Hitchcock Presents, "The Dusty Drawer."

Stephen Roberts

• Maurice Manson (1913-2002) as the hunter with the thick glasses; he was on screen from 1948 to 1982 and can be seen in five episodes of the Hitchcock show, including "I Saw the Whole Thing."
• Stephen Roberts (1917-1999) as the psychiatrist; he was on film and TV from 1943 to 1986 and appeared in one episode of The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, "An Unlocked Window."
• Casper the dog was played by Red, who appeared on various TV shows from 1960 to 1966; "Craig's Will" was his first role. He also had a recurring role on Get Smart as Agent K-13/Fang.

Red as Casper

Watch "Craig's Will" online here or order the DVD here. Read the GenreSnaps review of this episode here. Thanks to Art Lortie for helping track down Valerie Dyke!

Sources:

Bird, David. "Kenneth R. Dyke Is Dead at 81; Helped to Democratize Japanese; Pressed for Freedom of Speech Returned to Service in 1942." The New York Times, The New York Times, 18 Jan. 1980, www.nytimes.com/1980/01/18/archives/kenneth-r-dyke-is-dead-at-81-helped-to-democratize-japanese-pressed.html. 

"Collier Young and Ruth Valerie Edmonds." Who’s Dated Who?, www.whosdatedwho.com/dating/collier-young-and-ruth-valerie-edmonds#google_vignette. 

"Craig's Will." Alfred Hitchcock Presents, season 5, episode 23, CBS, 6 March 1960.

The FICTIONMAGS Index, www.philsp.com/homeville/FMI/0start.htm.

"Gene Reynolds." Television Academy Interviews, 6 July 2023, interviews.televisionacademy.com/interviews/gene-reynolds. 

Grams, Martin, and Patrik Wikstrom. The Alfred Hitchcock Presents Companion. OTR Pub., 2001.

IBDB, www.ibdb.com. 

IMDb, www.imdb.com.

RUSC Old Time Radio, www.rusc.com.

"Ruth Valerie (Edmonds) Dyke." WikiTree, 25 June 2020, www.wikitree.com/wiki/Edmonds-

712#:~:text=Valerie%20was%20the%20wife%20of,and%20Georgiana%20Elizabeth%20Miriam%20Sweeny. 

"Toronto Girl Is Wedded to Writer of Hollywood." The Toronto Daily Star, 8 Mar. 1938. 

"Wedding in Chapel for Ruth Edmonds." New York Times, 9 Mar. 1938, p. 26.

Wikipedia, www.wikipedia.org.

Listen to Al Sjoerdsma discuss "I Killed the Count," part one here!

Listen to Annie and Kathryn discuss "Craig's Will" here!

In two weeks: "The Cheyney Vase," starring Patricia Collinge and Darren McGavin!