The Wild World of Batwoman
Encyclopedia
The Wild World of Batwoman is an American
science fiction
superhero film
directed by Jerry Warren
. The film stars Katherine Victor
as Batwoman, George Andre as Professor G. Octavius Neon, and Steve Brodie
as Jim Flanagan.
With the popularity of the Batman
television series, director Jerry Warren decided to make his own bat-figured superhero film. After winning a settlement from being sued for copyright infringement, Warren re-released the film under the title She Was a Hippy Vampire.
The Vice President of Ayjax recruits Batwoman to protect the device but Rat Fink's minions use drugged bowls of soup to drug Batwoman and her allies and steal the device. The two storm the lair and retrieve it, unmasking Rat Fink and converting several of his minions to the side of justice after they fall in love with the Batgirls.
; Warren decided to make his own Bat-like superhero character into a film. Warren offered the leading role to Katherine Victor
. Having worked on Warren's previous productions such as Teenage Zombies
and Curse of the Stone Hand, Victor was originally not very excited about working with Warren again. To convince her, Warren promised Victor large production values, colour photography and her own bat boat in the film. None of these promises ever came to fruition. On receiving the script for the role of Seltzer, Bruno VeSota recalled that "...once again I was in for it. It would be like memorizing a telephone book with pages picked at random." Katherine Victor claimed that on set if an actor rubbed Warren the wrong way, their lines would be cut out or given to other actors. Victor claimed "the pretty brunette who was kidnapped in the beginning of the picture was supposed to be the lead girl, but for some reason Jerry thought she was getting too big for her britches and gave all her lines to the girl in the leopard tights".
For the monsters in the film, Warren used footage from the Universal Pictures film
The Mole People.
Due to the similar title, the production company Associated Distributors Productions was promptly sued for copyright infringement. Warren won this lawsuit. After the lawsuit and as the popularity of the television series Batman
died down, Warren re-released the film under the title She Was a Hippy Vampire.
In 1993, The Wild World of Batwoman was released as episode #515 of Mystery Science Theater 3000
where it was featured with the short Cheating. This episode was released later on DVD
by Rhino Entertainment
.
". Film director Fred Olen Ray
noted the film has "all the earmarks of Warren's worst work, but rises above the level as something as tedious as Petrified World
. It is funny in an unintentional way and sometimes is not hard to look at."
Cinema of the United States
The cinema of the United States, also known as Hollywood, has had a profound effect on cinema across the world since the early 20th century. Its history is sometimes separated into four main periods: the silent film era, classical Hollywood cinema, New Hollywood, and the contemporary period...
science fiction
Science fiction film
Science fiction film is a film genre that uses science fiction: speculative, science-based depictions of phenomena that are not necessarily accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial life forms, alien worlds, extrasensory perception, and time travel, often along with futuristic...
superhero film
Superhero film
A superhero film, superhero movie, or superhero motion picture is: action, fantasy and science fiction film; that is focused on the actions of one or more superheroes, individuals who usually possess superhuman abilities relative to a normal person and are dedicated to protecting the public...
directed by Jerry Warren
Jerry Warren
Jerry Warren was an American director, producer, and writer, famous for his involvement in many cult films. He has been described as "one of cult film's most frustrating and maligned members."-Legacy:...
. The film stars Katherine Victor
Katherine Victor
Katherine Victor, born Katena Ktenavea , was an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles in the Jerry Warren films Mesa of Lost Women, The Wild Wild World of Batwoman and Teenage Zombies...
as Batwoman, George Andre as Professor G. Octavius Neon, and Steve Brodie
Steve Brodie (actor)
Steve Brodie was an American movie and television actor.Born John Stevenson in El Dorado, Kansas, he took his screen name from the Steve Brodie who claimed that he jumped from the Brooklyn Bridge in 1886 and survived...
as Jim Flanagan.
With the popularity of the Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
television series, director Jerry Warren decided to make his own bat-figured superhero film. After winning a settlement from being sued for copyright infringement, Warren re-released the film under the title She Was a Hippy Vampire.
Plot Summary
Batwoman employs the services of several young female agents known as "Batgirls", in her pursuit of justice. Her archenemy is a masked villain named "Rat Fink". Added to the mix is the President and Vice-President of the "Ayjax" Corporation. The company, using plutonium as its fuel source, has created a powerful listening device called "The Atomic Hearing Aid", which allows for limitless eavesdropping. The company has been ordered to destroy the hearing aid by the US Government when the government turned down the offer to buy the listening device (due to its unstable power supply) but the President of the company has refused to do so and now is being confronted by Rat Fink about selling him the device.The Vice President of Ayjax recruits Batwoman to protect the device but Rat Fink's minions use drugged bowls of soup to drug Batwoman and her allies and steal the device. The two storm the lair and retrieve it, unmasking Rat Fink and converting several of his minions to the side of justice after they fall in love with the Batgirls.
Production
The original idea for the film began with Jerry Warren realizing there was large popularity with the comic book superhero BatmanBatman
Batman is a fictional character created by the artist Bob Kane and writer Bill Finger. A comic book superhero, Batman first appeared in Detective Comics #27 , and since then has appeared primarily in publications by DC Comics...
; Warren decided to make his own Bat-like superhero character into a film. Warren offered the leading role to Katherine Victor
Katherine Victor
Katherine Victor, born Katena Ktenavea , was an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles in the Jerry Warren films Mesa of Lost Women, The Wild Wild World of Batwoman and Teenage Zombies...
. Having worked on Warren's previous productions such as Teenage Zombies
Teenage Zombies
Teenage Zombies is a 1959 horror science fiction film, written and directed by Jerry Warren.-Synopsis:While boating , a quartet of teens, Reg , Skip , Julie , and Pam , accidentally discover an island run by a mad scientist named Doctor Myra who intends to turn everyone in the United States...
and Curse of the Stone Hand, Victor was originally not very excited about working with Warren again. To convince her, Warren promised Victor large production values, colour photography and her own bat boat in the film. None of these promises ever came to fruition. On receiving the script for the role of Seltzer, Bruno VeSota recalled that "...once again I was in for it. It would be like memorizing a telephone book with pages picked at random." Katherine Victor claimed that on set if an actor rubbed Warren the wrong way, their lines would be cut out or given to other actors. Victor claimed "the pretty brunette who was kidnapped in the beginning of the picture was supposed to be the lead girl, but for some reason Jerry thought she was getting too big for her britches and gave all her lines to the girl in the leopard tights".
For the monsters in the film, Warren used footage from the Universal Pictures film
Universal Pictures
-1920:* White Youth* The Flaming Disc* Am I Dreaming?* The Dragon's Net* The Adorable Savage* Putting It Over* The Line Runners-1921:* The Fire Eater* A Battle of Wits* Dream Girl* The Millionaire...
The Mole People.
Cast
- Katherine VictorKatherine VictorKatherine Victor, born Katena Ktenavea , was an American actress, perhaps best known for her roles in the Jerry Warren films Mesa of Lost Women, The Wild Wild World of Batwoman and Teenage Zombies...
as Batwoman - George Andre as Professor G. Octavius Neon
- Steve BrodieSteve Brodie (actor)Steve Brodie was an American movie and television actor.Born John Stevenson in El Dorado, Kansas, he took his screen name from the Steve Brodie who claimed that he jumped from the Brooklyn Bridge in 1886 and survived...
as Jim Flanagan - Richard Banks as Rat Fink
Release
The film was also released as "The Wild Wild World of Batwoman".Due to the similar title, the production company Associated Distributors Productions was promptly sued for copyright infringement. Warren won this lawsuit. After the lawsuit and as the popularity of the television series Batman
Batman (TV series)
Batman is an American television series, based on the DC comic book character of the same name. It stars Adam West as Batman and Burt Ward as Robin — two crime-fighting heroes who defend Gotham City. It aired on the American Broadcasting Company network for three seasons from January 12, 1966 to...
died down, Warren re-released the film under the title She Was a Hippy Vampire.
In 1993, The Wild World of Batwoman was released as episode #515 of Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000
Mystery Science Theater 3000 is an American cult television comedy series created by Joel Hodgson and produced by Best Brains, Inc., that ran from 1988 to 1999....
where it was featured with the short Cheating. This episode was released later on DVD
DVD
A DVD is an optical disc storage media format, invented and developed by Philips, Sony, Toshiba, and Panasonic in 1995. DVDs offer higher storage capacity than Compact Discs while having the same dimensions....
by Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment
Rhino Entertainment Company is an American specialty record label and production company. It is owned by Warner Music Group.-History:Rhino was originally a novelty song and reissue company during the 1970s and 1980s, releasing compilation albums of pop, rock & roll, and rhythm & blues successes...
.
Reception
Modern reception of the film has been very negative. Fred Beldin of the film database AllMovie gave the film one and a half stars out of five, noting the film as "a rip-off hack job no matter how you slice it, though its innocent veneer, period charm, and forced wackiness might endear the film to fans of similar goofs like Rat Pfink a Boo-Boo or The Nasty RabbitThe Nasty Rabbit
- Cast :*Michael Terr as Mischa Lowzoff*Arch Hall Jr. as Britt Hunter*Liz Renay as Cecelia Solomon*Arch Hall Sr. as Marshall Malout / Malcolm McKinley*Hal Bizzy as Heinrich Krueger*Jack Little as Maxwell Stoppie*Ray Vegas as Pancho Gonzales*John Akana as Col...
". Film director Fred Olen Ray
Fred Olen Ray
Fred Olen Ray is an American director, producer, screenwriter, actor, and cinematographer.-Biography:He is the producer, director, and screenwriter of low to medium-budget feature films in many genres, including horror, science fiction, action/adventure, softcore sex films and crime dramas...
noted the film has "all the earmarks of Warren's worst work, but rises above the level as something as tedious as Petrified World
The Incredible Petrified World
The Incredible Petrified World is a 1958 science fiction film directed by Jerry Warren and starring John Carradine. It was only theatrically released on April 16, 1960, on a double bill with "Teenage Zombies".-Plot outline:...
. It is funny in an unintentional way and sometimes is not hard to look at."