Liberace?! Yup, Liberace.

The renowned pianist and entertainer shows up as this story’s villain, Harry, as well as the villain’s entertainer twin brother, Chandell, who is being blackmailed by Harry.

A series of musical crimes are striking Gotham City in this two-part story which was written by Lorenzo Semple Jr. The first part, The Devil’s Fingers, aired on 26 October, 1986. As the crimes occur, Commissioner Gordon (Neil Hamilton) reaches out via the bat-phone for the Caped Crusaders, only to learn that Batman (Adam West) and Robin (Burt Ward) are off taking some time off.

Their alter-egos need a rest, so Bruce is off in the woods, while young Dick Grayson is making eyes at a young woman. But when Bruce hears a miscue in a radio broadcast of Chandell’s performance at Gotham Town Hall, he knows something is up, and summons his chum to join him once again in the fight against evil.

Harry/Chandell has a trio of girls working for them, and they use some very deadly bagpipes. They are appropriately named Doe (Marilyn Howard), Rae (Edy Williams) and Mimi (Sivi Aberg).

Chandell wants to go straight and get out from under the thumb of Harry so he figures one last heist should do it, and he’s planning on the long game. If he can find a way to get Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson out of the way, Aunt Harriet (Madge Blake) will get Wayne Manor, and Chandell is going to romance and swindle her.

When he learns Batman and Robin are back in town, that complicates things until the pair end up in a trap (a piano player music roll printer) leading into a cliffhanger!

The following night, 27 October, 1986, brought the conclusion of the tale, The Dead Ringers.

With some noise-making Batman and Robin are able to short out the trap laid for them, and they are able to quickly make their escape, regrouping at the bat-cave under stately Wayne Manor.

There, they are finally able to put together Chandell’s plan, and decide to take it one step further, and by extension, set a trap for the musical criminal. They will fake their own death, clearing the path for Chandell to continue his romantic overtures towards Aunt Harriet.

Chandell falls for it, but his brother and the trio of musical beauties learn of Chandell’s plan as well, and no one seems happy with Chandell going straight. In fact, Harry takes Chandell out of the picture and masquerades as his musically inclined brother to take over the plan and make it his own, still keeping his brother under his control.

But Aunt Harriet realizes the differences in the pair, and before the baddies have a chance, Batman and Robin are amongst them, beating them soundly, and making sure Aunt Harriet doesn’t make a mistake.

Finally, we leave Chandell (and his brother) in Gotham Pen, where Chandell is regaling a captive audience with his piano playing.

This one was a lot of fun, and I loved all the sly little campy things that were going on like the subtle interrogation lights, the blinking light on Dick’s textbook cover to alert him to Bruce’s call when all he wants to do is spend time with a girl (something Batman had commented on only a couple of episodes ago).

And holy piano man, Batman! It was Liberace!

Let’s see what happens next time in Gotham City!!