Batman (serial)
Encyclopedia
Batman is a 15-chapter serial, released in 1943 by Columbia Pictures
. The serial starred Lewis Wilson
as Batman and Douglas Croft
as Robin. J. Carrol Naish
played the villain, an original character named Dr. Daka. Rounding out the cast were Shirley Patterson
as Linda Page (Bruce Wayne's love interest), and William Austin as Alfred
the butler. The plot involved Batman -- as a U.S. government agent -- attempting to defeat the Japanese agent Dr. Daka, at the height of World War II
.
The film is notable for being the first filmed appearance of Batman, and for debuting story details that became permanent parts of the Batman mythos
. It introduced "The Bat's Cave
", and its secret entrance through a grandfather clock inside Wayne Manor. Both departures subsequently appeared in the comics. The serial also changed the course of how Alfred Pennyworth's physical appearance would be depicted in later Batman works. At the time it was released in theaters, Alfred was overweight and clean-shaven in Batman comics. After William Austin's portrayal in these chapter plays, however, subsequent issues of the comics portrayed him Austin had: trim, and sporting a thin mustache . The serial was commercially successful, and spawned another, Batman and Robin
, in 1949. It was re-released in 1965. The re-released version, called An Evening with Batman and Robin, proved very popular, and its success inspired the intentionally campy Batman
television series (and its 1966 feature film spin-off) starring Adam West
and Burt Ward
.
ese scientist and agent of Hirohito
who has invented a device that turns people into pseudo-zombie
s, and has a base in a Funhouse of horrors, in a Japanese area of the city. Daka makes several attempts to defeat the Dynamic Duo before finally falling to his death when Robin hits the wrong switch, opening a trapdoor to a pit of crocodiles.
, and like numerous works of popular American fiction of the time, contains anti-German
and, in this case, anti-Japanese
ethnic slurs and comments (in one scene, one of Daka's henchmen turns on him, saying, "That's the kind of answer that fits the color of your skin."). The film also suffered from a low budget, just like other contemporary serials. No attempt was made to create a bona fide Batmobile
, so a black Cadillac
was used by Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, as well as Batman and Robin. Alfred chauffeured the Dynamic Duo in both identities.
While many serials made changes during adaptation, to the extent that they were "often 'improved' almost out of recognition", Batman "fared better than most" and the changes were minor. A normal limousine replaced the Batmobile, the utility belts are present but unused and Batman is a secret government agent in this serial instead of an independent vigilante. This last change was due to the film censors, who would not allow the hero to be seen taking the law into his own hands.
Several continuity errors occur in the serial, such as Batman losing his cape in a fight but wearing it again after the film only briefly cut away.
Press releases announced it as a "Super Serial" and it was Columbia's largest-scale serial production to date. The studio gave it publicity campaign equivalent to a feature film.
, starring Adam West
and Burt Ward
.
, commented: "the revisions aren't surprising when you consider that Columbia is now owned by Japan's Sony
Corporation. It appears that some of Daka's operatives escaped Batman's justice and were rewarded with positions at the new George Orwell
department at Columbia. No doubt we can expect to see David Lean
's Bridge on the River Kwai reissued as the story of a joyous Anglo-Japanese cooperative construction job interrupted by imperialistic American terrorists." However, in 1989, the cable network The Comedy Channel
aired the serial uncut and uncensored. The cable network American Movie Classics did the same in the early 1990s on Saturday mornings. Sony released the serial on DVD
in October 2005 in an unedited version, with the exception of Chapter 2, which is missing its "Next Chapter" sequence. The serial was also released on home movie formats in the 1960s and 1970s:
Some elements of the serial that have drawn particular attention from these critics are the casting of Lewis Wilson as Batman, while his face resembled that of Bruce Wayne and he played his part with sincerity they found his physique to be unathletic and "thick about the middle" and his voice was both too high and had a Boston accent; both the actors and their stunt doubles lacked the "style and grace" of either the comic characters they were portraying or their equivalents at Republic Pictures; both costumes are considered to be unconvincing in execution, and, although the Batman costume was based on his first appearance, it draws special criticism for being too baggy and "topped by pair of devils horns."
series. The breathless opening and closing narration of each chapter in this and other Columbia serials was to some extent the model that was parodied in the series.
The success of both the re-release and the subsequent TV series prompted the production of another serial-based series, The Green Hornet
. It was played as a straight action mystery series, "in the tradition of its former presentations," and was also very popular with audiences but lasted only one season due to significantly higher production costs. The failure of The Green Hornet led to the belief that similar revivals of serial properties were not possible in the television market of the time and no further series were produced.
Source:
Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures Industries, Inc. is an American film production and distribution company. Columbia Pictures now forms part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, owned by Sony Pictures Entertainment, a subsidiary of the Japanese conglomerate Sony. It is one of the leading film companies...
. The serial starred Lewis Wilson
Lewis Wilson
Lewis G. Wilson was an American actor from New York City who was most famous for being the first actor to play the DC Comics character Batman in live action ....
as Batman and Douglas Croft
Douglas Croft
Douglas Croft, born Douglas Malcom Wheatcroft was an early American child actor who is best remembered for being the first actor to portray the DC Comics character Robin the Boy Wonder, in the 1943 serial Batman, at 16 years of age.Croft was born in Seattle, Washington...
as Robin. J. Carrol Naish
J. Carrol Naish
Joseph Patrick Carrol Naish was an American character actor born in New York City. Naish was twice nominated for an Academy Award for film roles, and he later found fame in the title role of CBS Radio's Life With Luigi , which was also on CBS Television .Naish appeared on stage for several years...
played the villain, an original character named Dr. Daka. Rounding out the cast were Shirley Patterson
Shirley Patterson
Shirley Patterson, sometimes billed as Shawn Smith, was a Canadian born B-movie actress of the 1940s and 1950s.Patterson began her acting career after being a beauty contestant in pageants in California in 1940...
as Linda Page (Bruce Wayne's love interest), and William Austin as Alfred
Alfred Pennyworth
Alfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
the butler. The plot involved Batman -- as a U.S. government agent -- attempting to defeat the Japanese agent Dr. Daka, at the height of World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
.
The film is notable for being the first filmed appearance of Batman, and for debuting story details that became permanent parts of the Batman mythos
Mythos
Mythos may refer to:* Mythology, the study of myths, or to a body of myths* Mythos , the term used by Aristotle in his Poetics for the plot of an Athenian tragedy- Games and comics :...
. It introduced "The Bat's Cave
Batcave
The Batcave is the secret headquarters of fictional DC Comics superhero Batman, the alternate identity of playboy Bruce Wayne, consisting of a series of subterranean caves beneath his residence, Wayne Manor.-Publication history:...
", and its secret entrance through a grandfather clock inside Wayne Manor. Both departures subsequently appeared in the comics. The serial also changed the course of how Alfred Pennyworth's physical appearance would be depicted in later Batman works. At the time it was released in theaters, Alfred was overweight and clean-shaven in Batman comics. After William Austin's portrayal in these chapter plays, however, subsequent issues of the comics portrayed him Austin had: trim, and sporting a thin mustache . The serial was commercially successful, and spawned another, Batman and Robin
Batman and Robin (serial)
Batman and Robin is a 15-chapter serial released in 1949 by Columbia Pictures. Robert Lowery played Batman, while Johnny Duncan played Robin...
, in 1949. It was re-released in 1965. The re-released version, called An Evening with Batman and Robin, proved very popular, and its success inspired the intentionally campy 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 (and its 1966 feature film spin-off) starring Adam West
Adam West
William West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...
and Burt Ward
Burt Ward
Burt Ward is an American television actor and activist. He is best known for his portrayal of Robin in the television series Batman and its theatrical film spin-off.-Early life:...
.
Plot
Batman and Robin struggle against Dr. Daka, a JapanJapan
Japan is an island nation in East Asia. Located in the Pacific Ocean, it lies to the east of the Sea of Japan, China, North Korea, South Korea and Russia, stretching from the Sea of Okhotsk in the north to the East China Sea and Taiwan in the south...
ese scientist and agent of Hirohito
Hirohito
, posthumously in Japan officially called Emperor Shōwa or , was the 124th Emperor of Japan according to the traditional order, reigning from December 25, 1926, until his death in 1989. Although better known outside of Japan by his personal name Hirohito, in Japan he is now referred to...
who has invented a device that turns people into pseudo-zombie
Zombie
Zombie is a term used to denote an animated corpse brought back to life by mystical means such as witchcraft. The term is often figuratively applied to describe a hypnotized person bereft of consciousness and self-awareness, yet ambulant and able to respond to surrounding stimuli...
s, and has a base in a Funhouse of horrors, in a Japanese area of the city. Daka makes several attempts to defeat the Dynamic Duo before finally falling to his death when Robin hits the wrong switch, opening a trapdoor to a pit of crocodiles.
Cast
- Lewis WilsonLewis WilsonLewis G. Wilson was an American actor from New York City who was most famous for being the first actor to play the DC Comics character Batman in live action ....
as BatmanBatmanBatman 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...
/Bruce Wayne - Douglas CroftDouglas CroftDouglas Croft, born Douglas Malcom Wheatcroft was an early American child actor who is best remembered for being the first actor to portray the DC Comics character Robin the Boy Wonder, in the 1943 serial Batman, at 16 years of age.Croft was born in Seattle, Washington...
as RobinRobin (comics)Robin is the name of several fictional characters appearing in comic books published by DC Comics, originally created by Bob Kane, Bill Finger and Jerry Robinson, as a junior counterpart to DC Comics superhero Batman...
/Richard 'Dick' GraysonDick GraysonDick Grayson is a fictional superhero that appears in comic books published by DC Comics. Created by Bob Kane and Bill Finger and illustrator Jerry Robinson, he first appeared in Detective Comics #38 in April 1940.... - J. Carrol NaishJ. Carrol NaishJoseph Patrick Carrol Naish was an American character actor born in New York City. Naish was twice nominated for an Academy Award for film roles, and he later found fame in the title role of CBS Radio's Life With Luigi , which was also on CBS Television .Naish appeared on stage for several years...
as Dr. Tito Daka/Prince Daka - Shirley PattersonShirley PattersonShirley Patterson, sometimes billed as Shawn Smith, was a Canadian born B-movie actress of the 1940s and 1950s.Patterson began her acting career after being a beauty contestant in pageants in California in 1940...
as Linda Page - William Austin as Alfred PennyworthAlfred PennyworthAlfred Pennyworth is a fictional character that appears throughout the DC Comics franchise. The character first appears in Batman #16 , and was created by writer Bob Kane and artist Jerry Robinson. Alfred serves as Batman’s tireless butler, assistant, confidant, and surrogate father figure...
- Robert FiskeRobert FiskeRobert Fiske may refer to:*Robert Fiske *Robert B. Fiske , lawyer and Whitewater special prosecutor*Robert Fiske Bradford*Robert Fiske Griggs, botanistSee also:* Robert Fisk , British journalist...
as Foster
Production
The film was made at the height of World War IIWorld War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, and like numerous works of popular American fiction of the time, contains anti-German
Anti-German sentiment
Anti-German sentiment is defined as an opposition to or fear of Germany, its inhabitants, and the German language. Its opposite is Germanophilia.-Russia:...
and, in this case, anti-Japanese
Anti-Japanese sentiment
Anti-Japanese sentiment involves hatred, grievance, distrust, dehumanization, intimidation, fear, hostility, and/or general dislike of the Japanese people and Japanese diaspora as ethnic or national group, Japan, Japanese culture, and/or anything Japanese. Sometimes the terms Japanophobia and...
ethnic slurs and comments (in one scene, one of Daka's henchmen turns on him, saying, "That's the kind of answer that fits the color of your skin."). The film also suffered from a low budget, just like other contemporary serials. No attempt was made to create a bona fide Batmobile
Batmobile
The Batmobile is the automobile of DC Comics superhero Batman. The car has evolved along with the character from comic books to television and films. Kept in the Batcave, which it accesses through a hidden entrance, the Batmobile is a gadget-laden vehicle used by Batman in his crime-fighting...
, so a black Cadillac
Cadillac
Cadillac is an American luxury vehicle marque owned by General Motors . Cadillac vehicles are sold in over 50 countries and territories, but mostly in North America. Cadillac is currently the second oldest American automobile manufacturer behind fellow GM marque Buick and is among the oldest...
was used by Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, as well as Batman and Robin. Alfred chauffeured the Dynamic Duo in both identities.
While many serials made changes during adaptation, to the extent that they were "often 'improved' almost out of recognition", Batman "fared better than most" and the changes were minor. A normal limousine replaced the Batmobile, the utility belts are present but unused and Batman is a secret government agent in this serial instead of an independent vigilante. This last change was due to the film censors, who would not allow the hero to be seen taking the law into his own hands.
Several continuity errors occur in the serial, such as Batman losing his cape in a fight but wearing it again after the film only briefly cut away.
Press releases announced it as a "Super Serial" and it was Columbia's largest-scale serial production to date. The studio gave it publicity campaign equivalent to a feature film.
Cliffhangers
The quality of the cliffhangers varies according to episode. Chapter ten ends with Batman in a plane crash. In the resolution, Batman simply staggers out of the wreckage, slightly dazed but otherwise unhurt. In the words of Jim Harmon and Donald Glut, this "might as well have been a silent comedy."Theatrical
Batman was first released in theaters on July 16, 1943. In 1965, the serial was re-released in theaters as An Evening with Batman and Robin, in one complete marathon showing. This re-release was successful enough that it inspired the creation of the 1960s television series BatmanBatman (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...
, starring Adam West
Adam West
William West Anderson , better known by the stage name Adam West, is an American actor best known for his lead role in the Batman TV series and the film of the same name...
and Burt Ward
Burt Ward
Burt Ward is an American television actor and activist. He is best known for his portrayal of Robin in the television series Batman and its theatrical film spin-off.-Early life:...
.
Home media
The serial was released on home video in the late 1980s in a heavily edited format that removed the offensive racial content. David Scapperotti, a reviewer for the magazine CinefantastiqueCinefantastique
Cinefantastique was a horror, fantasy, and science fiction film magazine originally started as a mimeographed fanzine in 1967, then relaunched as a glossy, offset quarterly in 1970 by publisher/editor Frederick S. Clarke...
, commented: "the revisions aren't surprising when you consider that Columbia is now owned by Japan's Sony
Sony
, commonly referred to as Sony, is a Japanese multinational conglomerate corporation headquartered in Minato, Tokyo, Japan and the world's fifth largest media conglomerate measured by revenues....
Corporation. It appears that some of Daka's operatives escaped Batman's justice and were rewarded with positions at the new George Orwell
George Orwell
Eric Arthur Blair , better known by his pen name George Orwell, was an English author and journalist...
department at Columbia. No doubt we can expect to see David Lean
David Lean
Sir David Lean CBE was an English film director, producer, screenwriter, and editor best remembered for big-screen epics such as The Bridge on the River Kwai , Lawrence of Arabia ,...
's Bridge on the River Kwai reissued as the story of a joyous Anglo-Japanese cooperative construction job interrupted by imperialistic American terrorists." However, in 1989, the cable network The Comedy Channel
The Comedy Channel (United States)
The Comedy Channel was an all-comedy cable television network owned by Home Box Office, a division of Time Warner. It premiered on November 15, 1989 at 6 p.m. ET, and merged with Viacom's HA! to become CTV: The Comedy Network on April 1, 1991...
aired the serial uncut and uncensored. The cable network American Movie Classics did the same in the early 1990s on Saturday mornings. Sony released the serial 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....
in October 2005 in an unedited version, with the exception of Chapter 2, which is missing its "Next Chapter" sequence. The serial was also released on home movie formats in the 1960s and 1970s:
- The 1960s: A silent abridged version. The complete serial was edited into six chapters (available in 8mm and Super-8) running 10 minutes each. A seventh three-minute reel titled "Batman's Last Chance" with action scenes was also issued.
- The 1970s: The complete 15 chapter serial (in its original unaltered format) was released in a Super-8 Sound edition.
Critical appraisal
Stedman notes that the serial "gained good press notices" but "scarcely deserves them," going on to describe it as an "unintentional farce." Harmon and Glut describe Batman as "one of the most ludicrous serials ever made" despite its "forthright simplicity." It was, nevertheless, popular enough for a sequel, Batman and Robin (1949) to be approved. Lewis Wilson's face resembled that of Bruce Wayne and he played his part with sincerity.Some elements of the serial that have drawn particular attention from these critics are the casting of Lewis Wilson as Batman, while his face resembled that of Bruce Wayne and he played his part with sincerity they found his physique to be unathletic and "thick about the middle" and his voice was both too high and had a Boston accent; both the actors and their stunt doubles lacked the "style and grace" of either the comic characters they were portraying or their equivalents at Republic Pictures; both costumes are considered to be unconvincing in execution, and, although the Batman costume was based on his first appearance, it draws special criticism for being too baggy and "topped by pair of devils horns."
Influence
An Evening with Batman and Robin was especially popular in college towns, where theaters were booked solid. The success of this led to the creation of the BatmanBatman (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...
series. The breathless opening and closing narration of each chapter in this and other Columbia serials was to some extent the model that was parodied in the series.
The success of both the re-release and the subsequent TV series prompted the production of another serial-based series, The Green Hornet
The Green Hornet (TV series)
The Green Hornet is a television show on the ABC US television network. It aired for the 1966–1967 TV season, and starred Van Williams as the Green Hornet/Britt Reid and Bruce Lee as Kato.- Episodes:...
. It was played as a straight action mystery series, "in the tradition of its former presentations," and was also very popular with audiences but lasted only one season due to significantly higher production costs. The failure of The Green Hornet led to the belief that similar revivals of serial properties were not possible in the television market of the time and no further series were produced.
Chapter titles
- The Electrical Brain
- The Bat's Cave
- The Mark of the Zombies
- Slaves of the Rising Sun
- The Living Corpse
- Poison Peril
- The Phoney Doctor
- Lured by Radium
- The Sign of the Sphinx
- Flying Spies
- A Nipponese Trap
- Embers of Evil
- Eight Steps Down
- The Executioner Strikes
- The Doom of the Rising Sun
Source:
See also
- List of film serials
- List of film serials by studio
- List of films based on English-language comics