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Mr. Freeze (Adam West Batman)

Dr. Schimmel, also known as, Mr. Freeze, is a recurring villain in the 1960s Batman TV show.

In Season 1, he was portrayed by the late George Sanders, and in Season 2, he was portrayed by the late Otto Preminger and the late Eli Wallach.

History

Dr. Schimmel[1] was a criminal scientist who during a fight with Batmanwas exposed to a solution of instant freeze, which turned him in to the diabolical Mr. Freeze. Now unable to live in an environment warmer than fifty-degrees below zero without the aid of a refrigerated suit, he sought revenge on Batman for his condition. In keeping with his new theme, Mr. Freeze began stealing finest diamonds, "ice" to him, in the city. After two clashes with Batman and Robin he successfully used his Freeze Gun to freeze them solid. It was only quick emergency care that saved the pair.

After this attempt failed, he had baseball pitcher Paul Diamante kidnapped so he would have a valuable "diamond" to trade for Batman. While Batman cooperated, he didn't count on Robin following him to Freeze's hideout. After a quiet dinner, Freeze decided to slowly freeze them, starting with Batman. Batman quickly stopped him, however, thanks to a special thermal layering under his suit. After a quick battle with Freeze's henchmen, Batman sent them and Freeze to prison so they could cool off.

Eventually, Freeze's skin began to turn blue from unknown circumstances, and he returned to seek revenge on the Caped Crusader once again. This time he captured Miss Iceland from a beauty pageant as part of a plot to discredit Batman and make her a being of pure cold like himself. He later decided to ice Gotham City and hold it for ransom, but was thwarted by the Dynamic Duo and once again sent to prison.

His final appearance involved his most diabolical scheme of all when he decided to steal a icing formula from scientist Professor Issac Issacson who had a photographic memory of it in his head. He also had famous figure skater Glacier Glaze to act as his spy. After capturing the professor, Freeze tried every way to get him to talk, but Issacson proved to be a tough nut to crack when it was revealed that he was an Icelander so freezing temperatures didn't affect him. Freeze then injected him with dry ice and placed him back in his quick freezer, which finally made Issacson spill the beans. After succeeding in getting the formula, Freeze began his scheme of freezing all of Gotham City using a deadly ice ray. However, his plans were foiled again when the Dynamic Duo found his iceberg disguised submarine thanks to a homing device that had been attached to one of the flippers of his own pet homing seal Isolde. He, Glacier and his henchman were then handed over to the police for imprisonment once more.

Weapons and Equipment

  • Cooling Suit - Freeze must wear this at all times, unless he is inside one of his sub-zero lairs. It has large tanks of cold air on the back that circulate through the suit, keeping his body below zero. In his first appearance, he wore it with a helmet.
  • Freeze Gun - Sprays a freezing gas that instantly freezes anyone solid. It also leaves them glowing a sickly green. With proper medical attention or handy bat-attire, a person can recover from the freezing process. It can also shoot a powerful laser beam that causes great damage.
  • Freeze Collar - Developed later on in the series. It has several jet nozzles placed around it that emit cold air. Mr. Freeze wears it with his cooling suit in the place of his helmet to keep his head below zero degrees.

Trivia

  • Like Catwoman, Freeze was played by three different actors, George Sanders, Otto Preminger and Eli Wallach and the character's appearance would vary without explanation.
  • Otto Preminger was the most unpopular actor to guest star on the show. Adam West called Preminger "despicable" in his autobiography "Back to the Batcave" and Alan Napier, who played Alfred in the series, recalled Otto Preminger in an interview, saying: "I had worked before 'Batman' with Awful Otto Preminger in 'Forever Amber' as the English expert and dialogue director. Otto got me mad because if anyone dried up on a close-up, he would say, 'Why don't you concentrate?' Then he comes on the set of 'Batman'. Instead of looking six foot tall, as I thought, he looks five foot tall, because it is now my territory and he is playing Mr. Freeze. It happens that I was on the set while he was doing a series of close-up's. And in everyone of them Otto dried up and it was only because of the gentleman built into my nature that I didn't say: 'Otto, why don't you concentrate?'"
  • Unlike most villains of the Dozier series, this Freeze didn't bother with a standard death trap, but instead basically "just shot them" with his Freezing Gun. He admits he did want to toy with them longer, but was willing to finish them off if they forced him.
  • George Sanders was briefly married to another actor who portrayed a Batman foe on the show, Zsa Zsa Gabor, who played the villainess Minerva.
  • Many years later the name of Dr Schivel would be changed to Dr. Victor Fries by Paul Dini in the Batman: The Animated Series episode Heart of Ice.
  • Mr. Freeze has mentioned being married in one episode, though his wife's name has never been revealed.
  • Otto Preminger's appearance was the basis of the Batman '66 comic version and nearly all merchandise, as his portrayal is the most compatible with the modern perception of the character.
  • Otto Preminger is the only version of the character that has red hair as well as baldness.

References

  1. ↑ "RikkiTwo" research

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