Lydia Limpet was the henchwoman of a literary arch villain called the Bookworm. The characters were created for the live action tv series Batman (USA 1966 - 8). Actress, Francine York (1936 - 2017) played Lydia. The Bookworm was portrayed by actor Roddy McDowall.
Seen in -
Batman. First broadcast in the USA on the ABC television network.
Season 1 - Episode 29 - "The Bookworm turns" (20 April 1966) /Episode 30 -"While Gotham City burns" ( 21st April 1966).
The Batman story book annual - "A Banger for the Bookworm" (UK 1967)
Appearance -
Lydia is a beautiful and tall brunette with short hair; in the episodes she wears a red and a dark brown catsuit. In the Batman story book annual, Lydia is pictured as a blonde with long hair!
Weapons -
A bomb in a book.
The tv show story -
The Bookworm attempts to murder Batman and Robin. He purloins the Batmobile to use in his plot to steal a valuable collection of rare books from the Gotham library.
Lydia Limpet's character and role in the story -
In the tv series, Lydia is one of the more ruthless and incorrigible of the arch villain's molls/henchwomen. She takes a very active nefarious part in the Bookworm's schemes - planting a "book bomb" in the Batmobile, helping capture Robin using knockout gas, and assisting the Bookworm in operating his cook book death trap. She clearly has a big crush on the Bookworm, being shown staring at him with adoration. She's subjected to the neurotic arch villain's violent rages - in one scene the furious Bookworm nearly hits her with a large book! Lydia is one of the few villains to go into the Batcave, though she is unconscious when it happens (here she is wired to a lie detector by Batman, who is trying to get the truth about the Bookworm's plans).
Fate -
Lydia shelters in a crate outside the Gotham library during the hero's final battle against the Bookworm's henchmen. She's pulled out of it at the fight's conclusion by Robin - who handcuffs her. She's later seen in Commissioner Gordon's office with the rest of the Bookworm gang, ready to be taken to prison.
Trivia[]
- Francine York appeared as the evil Niolani in the 1967 episode "The Colonist" in the TV series "Lost in Space".
- Francine York appeared as Dr. North in the 1970 episode "Doomsday" for the sci-fi TV series "Land of the Giants".
- Francine York appeared as Brandy in the 1975 episode "An Iron-Clad Plan" for the TV series "Barbary Coast".
- Francine York appeared as Queen Medusa in three 1979 episodes of the TV series "Jason of Star Command".
Gallery[]
