True or False-Face

"True or False-Face" is the 17th episode of the Batman television series, first airing on ABC March 9, 1966 in its first season. It guest starred Malachi Throne as False-Face.

Plot synopsis

The master of disguise, False-Face, manages to steal the jeweled Mergenberg Crown and replace it with a false one right under the watchful eyes of the police. Included with the false crown is planning to rob an armored car. Batman catches False-Face, who is disguised as one of the armored car drivers but manages to escape in his Trick-Truck.

Batman and Robin follow False-Face into an alley, where they are attacked by False-Face's gang. The police arrive in time to arrest the gang, but False-Face escapes by disguising himself as Chief O'Hara, before gassing the real Chief O'Hara. Batman captures False-Face's assistant, Blaze, who leads the duo to what they think is False-Face's hideout, a deserted subway platform. It is in reality a False-Face trap. Batman is gassed by a vending machine while Blaze gasses Robin. They awake to find that False-Face has glued them to the train tracks with a super-strong epoxy. Momentarily, they will be run over a speeding train.

Cliffhanger text

DISASTER THREATENS
BASHED BY THE BMT?
WILL THE DYNAMIC DUO DICE WITH DEATH - AND DESCEND TO DEFEAT?
CAN BATMAN AND ROBIN BREAK THE UNBREAKABLE, SLIP OUT OF THE CHEMICAL CLUTCHES, ESCAPE THE EPOXY?
KEEP YOUR BAT-WINGS CROSSED UNTIL TOMORROW - SAME TIME - SAME CHANNEL - SAME PERILOUS PREDICAMENT!

Notes

• This episode marks the first time that the cliffhanger scene is frozen while the narrator's commentary is superimposed. The reason: the train supposedly bearing down on them was merely a light at the end of a dark corridor, and keeping the camera rolling would have made it clear that the light was not moving.^[1]
• Much to his chagrin, Malachi Throne (False-Face) was credited as simply "?" until the closing credits of "Holy Rat Race" (where he finally received proper billing).

References