Olga: An Appreciation

[Jim Akin]

There's much to loathe about the Olga/Egghead episodes, perhaps chiefly the way they turned Egghead from diabolical genius to henpecked ninny. And their plots make no sense, with that special incoherence only season three episodes seemed to manage.

But...

Anne Baxter is really fun to watch doing her Olga thing. It's all overheated and cartoony, but also very controlled. She knows exactly the effect she's going for, and she sustains it admirably throughout the performance. Her accent is rich and consistent, and the Russian (malchik, malenky) and pidgin Russian (all those silly "-inskis") that pepper her dialog are great. (Reading up on Baxter, I learned she loved doing roles with accents, and that she studied with Russian actress/teacher Maria Ouspenskaya. I'd bet that helped tune her ear to Olga's accent -- and possibly helped with Olga's ad-lib vocabulary as well.)

What I most appreciated in a recent Blu-Ray viewing, though, were Olga's reactions to other characters' dialog. Silly as much of that dialog is, and as over-the-top as Olga's responses are to, say, Batman's chaste protestations of her plan to marry him and Egghead, Baxter's expressions are always in-character. She never winks at the audience, and never stops being that haughty, lusty marauding monarch. It's a blast to watch. Baxter was a real pro, even with (sub-) subpar material to work with.

Cheers,

QQ

[Dr. Shimel]

She said in an interview at the time, "I had a friend teach me, phonetically, some Russian phrases. They startled everyone in the cast. These Batman assignments are so much fun. It's completely different from things you've been doing."

It's mentioned after the quote that the "three-part" Olga-Egghead eps would begin on November 2, but producers inexplicably decided to chop it up and reshoot some scenes to make the now two separate storylines look at least semi-coherent.

[John Mack]

I don't mind season three and I really liked her as Olga. Could not stand her as Zelda--BOOORING.

John

[High C]

QQ, you make a good, well-stated case, but I must admit it was too far over the top for me. Plus, my mother is of Russian/Ukrainian descent, and I found Olga to be a bit offensive, to be quite honest, especially her zombie-like Cossacks, who creeped me out.

Sorry. To each his own, I guess.

[AndyFish]

Zelda is one of the strongest episodes of the series, and Olga is one of the few new for the show villains I think worked. Bookworm (though I suspect there was a similar character in the comics), Tut, Egghead, Shame and Olga.

[epaddon]

I agree that Zelda is a part better suited to Anne Baxter but she could also have been a more believably stylish Black Widow than Bankhead was. To me, the character of Olga is just a distraction on all levels keeping Egghead from having a strong return appearance and is also too much a broad caricature more suited to a cartoon (like Bullwinkle's Natasha) than live action.

[High C]

I agree that Zelda is a part better suited to Anne Baxter but she could also have been a more believably stylish Black Widow than Bankhead was. To me, the character of Olga is just a distraction on all levels keeping Egghead from having a strong return appearance and is also too much a broad caricature more suited to a cartoon (like Bullwinkle's Natasha) than live action.

Agree on all points. Stanford Sherman clearly didn't understand the Egghead character.

[Jim Akin]

The "Natasha" comparison is most apt. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if there was a direct inspiration there. The Bat-producers costumed and wigged Olga as an over-the-top cartoon character, and Baxter played her that way to the hilt. I'm in no way qualified to judge the accuracy of her accent, and I tried to weasel around that point by praising its consistency.

I apologize for any insensitivity to Olga and the cossacks as ethnic stereotypes. Maybe having Chief O'Hara representing "my people" numbed me to that possibility. For what it's worth, I never took them as typifying any group of real people, but I can see how they might hit close to home for someone of Eastern European extraction.

Cheers,

QQ

[Riddler Fan]

Olga could have been a terrific villainess if the producers weren't so obsessed with camping up the 3rd season shows, knowing that the show was on life support at the time. I to feel Egghead was made to look more like a fool than the evil genius he originally was.

[Dr. Shimel]

Maybe having Chief O'Hara representing "my people" numbed me to that possibility.

As another Irishman, I suppose we should be happy they didn't have him breaking into Gordon's liquor cabinet.