As a lover of the Saturday serials I was delighted to see that Columbia/Sony/etc.... was releasing the 1943 "BATMAN" on DVD (co-incidently on the same day that "Batman Begins" is released on DVD). I HAVE seen it at the movies on 2 consecutive Saturdays years ago and thought myself lucky to have "acquired" a bootleg copy through a fanzine (lousy print but when you're a collector you take the good with the bad). While it was unfortunate that our Japanese neighbors received harsh treatment due to the wartime climate, it was still good to see the rough and tumble action that Lewis Wilson and Douglas Croft (or to be more precise, their stunt doubles) brought to the screen. I won't dwell on Lewis' less than athletic presence in costume but as Bruce Wayne he was a dead ringer. Rumor has it that the BatCave, the Grandfather's clock entrance and Alfred's miraculous weight loss in the comics were directly influenced by this serial. Some of the second in command gangsters were just as Kane drew them and although Shirley Patterson did little more than scream she was none the less a hottie as Linda Page. Throw in J. Carrol Naish as villain Dr. Daka and you have 4 hours of escapist enjoyment.
53 Reviews
The First Appearance of Batman on the Screen and in Serial
claudio_carvalho10 November 2016
In Gothan City, in the Word War II, the Japanese spy Dr. Tito Daka (J. Carrol Naish) has a gang working for the Japanese government. He plans to steal a radium load to use in a lethal weapon and hijack an American prototype airplane. The evil Dr. Daka uses a machine to turn people into zombies to work for him. Batman is indeed the lazy millionaire Bruce Wayne (Lewis Wilson), and Robin is his protegee Dick Grayson (Douglas Croft) that are supported by the butler and chauffeur Alfred Pennyworth (William Austin). Bruce Wayne's love interest is Linda Page (Shirley Patterson) and Dr. Daka kidnaps her uncle Martin Warren to help him in his research but turns him into a zombie when he refuses to cooperate with the mastermind of the spy ring. Along fifteen Chapters, Dr. Daka stumbles upon Batman and the boy wonder Robin and they will fight each other.
"Batman" (1943) is the landmark of the first appearance of Batman on the screen and in serial at the climax of World War II. This low budget serial does not have the Batmobile; instead, Batman and Robin use Bruce Wayne's Cadillac convertible driven by Alfred. The plot has anti-Japanese messages and is silly, naive and funny in many moments, but is also highly entertaining and divided in 15 Chapters that were presented in the theaters once a week; now they are available on DVD. (1) The Electrical Brain; (2) The Bat's Cave; (3) The Mark of the Zombies; (4) Slaves of the Rising Sun; (5) The Living Corpse; (6) Poison Peril; (7) The Phoney Doctor (8) Lured by Radium; (9) The Sign of the Sphinx; (10) Flying Spies; (11) A Nipponese Trap; (12) Embers of Evil; (13) Eight Steps Down (14) The Executioner Strikes; (15) The Doom of the Rising Sun. Maybe the funniest scenes are when Dr. Daka communicates with his submarine by radio and they release a coffin with a near-death Japanese soldier only to tell that he should hijack an airplane; and when a spy breaks the window of the airplane to throw off a cargo of radium using parachutes for Dr. Daka's men. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Batman"
"Batman" (1943) is the landmark of the first appearance of Batman on the screen and in serial at the climax of World War II. This low budget serial does not have the Batmobile; instead, Batman and Robin use Bruce Wayne's Cadillac convertible driven by Alfred. The plot has anti-Japanese messages and is silly, naive and funny in many moments, but is also highly entertaining and divided in 15 Chapters that were presented in the theaters once a week; now they are available on DVD. (1) The Electrical Brain; (2) The Bat's Cave; (3) The Mark of the Zombies; (4) Slaves of the Rising Sun; (5) The Living Corpse; (6) Poison Peril; (7) The Phoney Doctor (8) Lured by Radium; (9) The Sign of the Sphinx; (10) Flying Spies; (11) A Nipponese Trap; (12) Embers of Evil; (13) Eight Steps Down (14) The Executioner Strikes; (15) The Doom of the Rising Sun. Maybe the funniest scenes are when Dr. Daka communicates with his submarine by radio and they release a coffin with a near-death Japanese soldier only to tell that he should hijack an airplane; and when a spy breaks the window of the airplane to throw off a cargo of radium using parachutes for Dr. Daka's men. My vote is seven.
Title (Brazil): "Batman"
Plan 92 from Japan.
duke102910 March 2008
Warning: Spoilers
As serial addicts know, chapter plays are driven by a logic all their own, a logic which often ignores plausibility. Viewers should always check their common sense in the lobby to enjoy these old cliffhangers. "Batman" is no exception and contains some especially enjoyable lapses of credulity.
My favorite "Batman" moment involves the message that the captain of a Japanese submarine wants to impart to spymaster Daka. Although he speaks to him on short wave radio, he does not give him the message directly but tells him to follow "Plan 92," a labarynthian scheme which involves sending his henchmen to Smuggler's Cove to pick up a coffin that is only be accessible at low tide. Why the message was not communicated while they were speaking to each other directly is not explained.
Instead of using a more discreet truck or van to transport the coffin, Daka orders his men to contact a third-party local funeral parlor to transport the coffin back to the ring's headquarters. The audience can only surmise what the henchmen could possibly say to the undertakers to explain why a coffin would be on partially submerged rocks near a beach that wouldn't arouse suspicion. When the coffin does arrive, it shows no sign of having been underwater and contains the body of a uniformed Japanese soldier. Daka explains that he is in a state of "animated suspension" and revives him with smoke-filled electrical charges directed a la Dr. Frankenstein into his wrists.
Although the soldier will only be conscious for "a few moments" before dying with finality, Daka wastes time by first welcoming him to the country that will soon become "a colony of Japan's expanding empire." The soldier sits up with difficulty, delivers the Banzai greeting and conveys the message that the henchmen should steal the Lockwood plane, (one of the film's MacGuffins), and rendezvous with the submarine at Pelican Island. Before he dies, the soldier rips a button off his uniform, gives it to Daka, and tells him it contains more information. Why the information is formatted this way is also unexplained. He then dies with finality, only too happy to have given his life for the Emperor.
The rationale which required the death of a soldier and the coffin to convey a byzantine message that could have been communicated directly by radio is left a mystery. Serials usually omit logical explanation.
In another delightful scene, Daka orders Batman brought into headquarters inside a coffin so that he can feed him to his pet crocodiles. Actor J. Carroll Naish obviously relished playing the sadistic Zaca, and his scenes involving him feeding the crocodiles roasted chickens from a zombie's picnic basket are among the film's most enjoyable.
When the coffin carrying Batman arrives, Zaca doesn't seem to want to open the coffin in order to confirm that the Caped Crusader is indeed inside it and summarily orders the six foot pine box thrown into the narrow, constricted crocodile pit. It obviously hits at least one of his beloved pet crocs on the head, and, even if the heavy wooden box didn't injure him, it would have severely restricted further movements of the reptiles in the narrow confines of their habitat. Why not simply take the body out of the coffin first? Any serial lover will know the answer. The body is one of Daka's henchmen, not the Dark Avenger, inside the pine box. Later on, when the crocodile pit is shown, the pine coffin has mysteriously vanished. So much for logic and continuity!
My favorite "Batman" moment involves the message that the captain of a Japanese submarine wants to impart to spymaster Daka. Although he speaks to him on short wave radio, he does not give him the message directly but tells him to follow "Plan 92," a labarynthian scheme which involves sending his henchmen to Smuggler's Cove to pick up a coffin that is only be accessible at low tide. Why the message was not communicated while they were speaking to each other directly is not explained.
Instead of using a more discreet truck or van to transport the coffin, Daka orders his men to contact a third-party local funeral parlor to transport the coffin back to the ring's headquarters. The audience can only surmise what the henchmen could possibly say to the undertakers to explain why a coffin would be on partially submerged rocks near a beach that wouldn't arouse suspicion. When the coffin does arrive, it shows no sign of having been underwater and contains the body of a uniformed Japanese soldier. Daka explains that he is in a state of "animated suspension" and revives him with smoke-filled electrical charges directed a la Dr. Frankenstein into his wrists.
Although the soldier will only be conscious for "a few moments" before dying with finality, Daka wastes time by first welcoming him to the country that will soon become "a colony of Japan's expanding empire." The soldier sits up with difficulty, delivers the Banzai greeting and conveys the message that the henchmen should steal the Lockwood plane, (one of the film's MacGuffins), and rendezvous with the submarine at Pelican Island. Before he dies, the soldier rips a button off his uniform, gives it to Daka, and tells him it contains more information. Why the information is formatted this way is also unexplained. He then dies with finality, only too happy to have given his life for the Emperor.
The rationale which required the death of a soldier and the coffin to convey a byzantine message that could have been communicated directly by radio is left a mystery. Serials usually omit logical explanation.
In another delightful scene, Daka orders Batman brought into headquarters inside a coffin so that he can feed him to his pet crocodiles. Actor J. Carroll Naish obviously relished playing the sadistic Zaca, and his scenes involving him feeding the crocodiles roasted chickens from a zombie's picnic basket are among the film's most enjoyable.
When the coffin carrying Batman arrives, Zaca doesn't seem to want to open the coffin in order to confirm that the Caped Crusader is indeed inside it and summarily orders the six foot pine box thrown into the narrow, constricted crocodile pit. It obviously hits at least one of his beloved pet crocs on the head, and, even if the heavy wooden box didn't injure him, it would have severely restricted further movements of the reptiles in the narrow confines of their habitat. Why not simply take the body out of the coffin first? Any serial lover will know the answer. The body is one of Daka's henchmen, not the Dark Avenger, inside the pine box. Later on, when the crocodile pit is shown, the pine coffin has mysteriously vanished. So much for logic and continuity!
Great fun
stevenfallonnyc30 May 2004
This serial is nothing short of a total blast, a fun romp from start to finish. You gotta love that the first thing you see at the start of chapter one, is Batman at his desk in his Batcave with bats flying all around, and you only see their shadows, but you also see the shadows of all the thick control wires making the fake bats fly around. That sets the tone perfectly!
No crappy computer effects to muck things up here. Of course this is a serial and it's all great fun, and you have to laugh that the film takes various dramatic license, such as why are Batman and Robin never just shot at, and why they don't fear guns (while always being unarmed themselves).
Truth is, this serial is non-stop, it's virtually always exciting and there's a lot of cool fights. One thing I noticed is that Batman is either always getting his head bashed in, or he's getting into some trouble where Robin has to save him (at the start of the next chapter of course). You'd figure since Robin saves Batman so many times, Batman would treat Robin a little more equally!
And about the 'racist' stuff...it was made in 1943 folks. Consider the climate in America at the time and who our enemies were, and just let it go. No matter how much the revisionists try, you can't change the past, and it should not be hidden, either. And in no way does the tone of the storyline detract from the fact that this serial is such a blast. This should be released on DVD in its original uncut form, the way it was meant to be seen.
No crappy computer effects to muck things up here. Of course this is a serial and it's all great fun, and you have to laugh that the film takes various dramatic license, such as why are Batman and Robin never just shot at, and why they don't fear guns (while always being unarmed themselves).
Truth is, this serial is non-stop, it's virtually always exciting and there's a lot of cool fights. One thing I noticed is that Batman is either always getting his head bashed in, or he's getting into some trouble where Robin has to save him (at the start of the next chapter of course). You'd figure since Robin saves Batman so many times, Batman would treat Robin a little more equally!
And about the 'racist' stuff...it was made in 1943 folks. Consider the climate in America at the time and who our enemies were, and just let it go. No matter how much the revisionists try, you can't change the past, and it should not be hidden, either. And in no way does the tone of the storyline detract from the fact that this serial is such a blast. This should be released on DVD in its original uncut form, the way it was meant to be seen.
fun
martin-fennell1 January 2019
(COLUMBIA SERIAL) Fun serial, flabby Batman, silly villain. This has got to be J Carroll Naish's worst performance. If you listen carefully, Wilson's Aussie accent sneaks out occasionally. This was obviously the inspiration for Adam West's Batman of the 60's. A favourite
It has that something...
Bored_Dragon12 January 2017
Warning: Spoilers
The first screen adaptation of Batman is made after just several years of comic-book releasing which caused some interaction between them. Although it was based on comic, it brought in some new details that comic took over later on. The most important thing the comic took from this show is Bat-cave. Also, after this show, comic changed the appearance of Alfred to fit his appearance here.
Originally, it was shown as fifteen episodes and then, twenty years later, it came to theaters as one four hours long movie. The story is extremely simple and naive, characters are two-dimensional and, from today's angle, it looks totally silly. And yet, it has that something, that comic-book charm appealing to kids hidden in all of us. While I was watching it, I felt the same way as many years/decades ago when I was a 10-year-old boy, reading comics on summer vacation. In my opinion, an adaptation of the comic-book should have exactly that kind of influence on the audience, so in spite of all shortcomings, I'm giving it strong seven.
You can find the version of 3 hours and 35 minutes on YouTube.
Spoiler warning!
The movie was made during WWII and Batman works directly for the police, trying to reveal a Japanese agent that has the mission to enable the Japanese takeover of the USA from inside. Back then, all media was poisoned with war propaganda, so fact that this movie is full of racist remarks can be forgiven or at least ignored.
Every conflict between Batman and the villains is almost identical. Batman finds villain's layer, invades by surprise and fighting begins. There are almost no weapons, no one even uses legs to kick, not to mention something more sophisticated. It's mostly just fist fighting, like in Wild West saloons. Batman and Robin fight against two or three times more opponents and they get fairly beaten when something unexpected happens and saves their asses in last moment, so at the end, they end up victorious. Villains all wear hats and, during the fights, those hats never fall off their heads.
Because of the low budget, there is no Bat-mobile and almost no gadgets.
7/10
Originally, it was shown as fifteen episodes and then, twenty years later, it came to theaters as one four hours long movie. The story is extremely simple and naive, characters are two-dimensional and, from today's angle, it looks totally silly. And yet, it has that something, that comic-book charm appealing to kids hidden in all of us. While I was watching it, I felt the same way as many years/decades ago when I was a 10-year-old boy, reading comics on summer vacation. In my opinion, an adaptation of the comic-book should have exactly that kind of influence on the audience, so in spite of all shortcomings, I'm giving it strong seven.
You can find the version of 3 hours and 35 minutes on YouTube.
Spoiler warning!
The movie was made during WWII and Batman works directly for the police, trying to reveal a Japanese agent that has the mission to enable the Japanese takeover of the USA from inside. Back then, all media was poisoned with war propaganda, so fact that this movie is full of racist remarks can be forgiven or at least ignored.
Every conflict between Batman and the villains is almost identical. Batman finds villain's layer, invades by surprise and fighting begins. There are almost no weapons, no one even uses legs to kick, not to mention something more sophisticated. It's mostly just fist fighting, like in Wild West saloons. Batman and Robin fight against two or three times more opponents and they get fairly beaten when something unexpected happens and saves their asses in last moment, so at the end, they end up victorious. Villains all wear hats and, during the fights, those hats never fall off their heads.
Because of the low budget, there is no Bat-mobile and almost no gadgets.
7/10
Good start to Batman's big screen career
MackyMacker3 May 2005
Warning: Spoilers
I first caught this serial as a kid, when I received volume one for Christmas. After more than ten years, I was able to finally catch volume 2, when I bought the entire serial on DVD. I was even more impressed. The overall mood was quite dark, as the black & white picture worked really well here, and the score was well-done, creating a sombre atmosphere that suited the character perfectly.
For a serial, the acting was actually pretty good. William Austin did such a good job as Alfred, they modeled the comics version after him. Douglas Croft played a convincing Robin and didn't look like he was in his 20's or 30's...unlike every other Robin(who WERE in their 20's). Robin is probably the most useful he's ever been in any on-screen adaption, and shows why Batman needs him so badly, and more than just someone for Batman to trade dialogue with, as he saves Batman's ass for at least 5 consecutive chapters. Despite such a ridiculous gimmick, Dr.Daka did not come off cheesy at all, and was actually quite a good villain, thanks to the masterful performance of J.Carrol Naish. Lewis Wilson was excellent for this role. Everything from his snobbish playboy act right down to how he looked was spot on with the comics(at the time). His portrayal of Batman needed a little work, as Wilson didn't really have the right voice, but he was quite entertaining playing "Chuck White", his alter-alter-ego. Although the rest of the bat costume looked sloppy(which was the best they could do at the time), the mask looked sinister in certain scenes(such as the opening scene in the bat-cave) but didn't come across well in action scenes...I thought it was going to fall off his face whenever he got into a fight. However, the costume was certainly better than the hideous one in the '49 serial, where the ears hung over sideways and resembled Devil horns, at least these stood up. The bat on the chest looked better than the one in the '49 serial as well.
I heard many complaints about Wilson being in poor shape, but compared to Robert Lowery, who played Batman 6 years later and was so out of shape he had to wear a GIRDLE, Wilson is an olympic athelete... Honestly, he didn't look fat to me, though with his baggy costume and his tights riding up to his chest, I can see why some would make such an observation.
The story is quite fun, and has a lot of exciting sub-plots to keep you anticipating the next chapter. Though there are times where Batman survives that leave you wondering how it was even possible. Such as when he's dropped about 30 feet, face first down an elevator shaft, and not only survives but gets up and runs off without a scratch. Or when a car runs into the taxi he's in and the explanation is that he went to the doctor and got "fixed up". The action scenes are generally well done for a serial that was done on such a low-budget, and the acting is surprisingly strong. Overall, not a bad way to spend 3-4 hours. Highly recommended for any batman or serial fan. 7/10
For a serial, the acting was actually pretty good. William Austin did such a good job as Alfred, they modeled the comics version after him. Douglas Croft played a convincing Robin and didn't look like he was in his 20's or 30's...unlike every other Robin(who WERE in their 20's). Robin is probably the most useful he's ever been in any on-screen adaption, and shows why Batman needs him so badly, and more than just someone for Batman to trade dialogue with, as he saves Batman's ass for at least 5 consecutive chapters. Despite such a ridiculous gimmick, Dr.Daka did not come off cheesy at all, and was actually quite a good villain, thanks to the masterful performance of J.Carrol Naish. Lewis Wilson was excellent for this role. Everything from his snobbish playboy act right down to how he looked was spot on with the comics(at the time). His portrayal of Batman needed a little work, as Wilson didn't really have the right voice, but he was quite entertaining playing "Chuck White", his alter-alter-ego. Although the rest of the bat costume looked sloppy(which was the best they could do at the time), the mask looked sinister in certain scenes(such as the opening scene in the bat-cave) but didn't come across well in action scenes...I thought it was going to fall off his face whenever he got into a fight. However, the costume was certainly better than the hideous one in the '49 serial, where the ears hung over sideways and resembled Devil horns, at least these stood up. The bat on the chest looked better than the one in the '49 serial as well.
I heard many complaints about Wilson being in poor shape, but compared to Robert Lowery, who played Batman 6 years later and was so out of shape he had to wear a GIRDLE, Wilson is an olympic athelete... Honestly, he didn't look fat to me, though with his baggy costume and his tights riding up to his chest, I can see why some would make such an observation.
The story is quite fun, and has a lot of exciting sub-plots to keep you anticipating the next chapter. Though there are times where Batman survives that leave you wondering how it was even possible. Such as when he's dropped about 30 feet, face first down an elevator shaft, and not only survives but gets up and runs off without a scratch. Or when a car runs into the taxi he's in and the explanation is that he went to the doctor and got "fixed up". The action scenes are generally well done for a serial that was done on such a low-budget, and the acting is surprisingly strong. Overall, not a bad way to spend 3-4 hours. Highly recommended for any batman or serial fan. 7/10
Batman review
JoeytheBrit25 April 2020
Apart from the costumes there's not much of the Batman we know today in the Caped Crusader's first movie outing. It was released in the midst of WWII, so instead of Jokers or Penguins we get a devilish Jap, played with relish by J. Carrol Naish. He's the best thing about this otherwise mediocre effort which nevertheless stands head and shoulders above most other serials of the day.
It's the Batman...
beejer15 October 1999
This is one of the best of Columbia's serials produced in the 40s. There's no Batmobile or Batplane but hey, this was 1943.
There's the usual assortment of narrow escapes, last minute rescues, zombies, an alligator pit and an endless supply of the villain's henchmen.
Also included are some great stuntwork and excellent fight scenes.
Lewis Wilson and Douglas Croft make an credible Batman and Robin and their alter-egos Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Two distinct advantages this serial has is it's wartime setting and the casting of the excellent J. Carroll Naish as the chief villain, Daka who is trying to install "The New Order" in America. Many serial and "B" movie veterans are cast in other roles. Look for George J. Lewis, Tom London and Dick Curtis as various henchmen and Charles Middleton, on the right side of the law for a change.
There's the usual assortment of narrow escapes, last minute rescues, zombies, an alligator pit and an endless supply of the villain's henchmen.
Also included are some great stuntwork and excellent fight scenes.
Lewis Wilson and Douglas Croft make an credible Batman and Robin and their alter-egos Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Two distinct advantages this serial has is it's wartime setting and the casting of the excellent J. Carroll Naish as the chief villain, Daka who is trying to install "The New Order" in America. Many serial and "B" movie veterans are cast in other roles. Look for George J. Lewis, Tom London and Dick Curtis as various henchmen and Charles Middleton, on the right side of the law for a change.
early Batman serial during wartime
SnoopyStyle17 August 2021
It's Batman/Bruce Wayne (Lewis Wilson) and his ward Robin/Dick Grayson (Douglas Croft) fighting crime in Gotham City. Little Tokyo has been cleared out but dark forces still remain.
It's wartime Batman and some of the racist anti-Japanese takes are not going to age well. It's not unexpected. The racism is very jarring but it's the times that they were living in. It is weird to see the cheesy bad costumes clashing with the serious ugliness of racism. It's childish. This is no Dark Knight nor is it masterpiece theater. It's a 15 episode serial. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger and the theaters would show the episodes one week apart. It's historically interesting for many reasons. One can see some of the 60's TV show and quite frankly, it shows more of the style of the 50's Adventures of Superman. It does get rather repetitive. The story meanders and rambles. The action beats are the same for every episode although there are some bigger set pieces but some are just hand-to-hand in a warehouse. This is not good cinema but it is interesting.
It's wartime Batman and some of the racist anti-Japanese takes are not going to age well. It's not unexpected. The racism is very jarring but it's the times that they were living in. It is weird to see the cheesy bad costumes clashing with the serious ugliness of racism. It's childish. This is no Dark Knight nor is it masterpiece theater. It's a 15 episode serial. Each episode ends with a cliffhanger and the theaters would show the episodes one week apart. It's historically interesting for many reasons. One can see some of the 60's TV show and quite frankly, it shows more of the style of the 50's Adventures of Superman. It does get rather repetitive. The story meanders and rambles. The action beats are the same for every episode although there are some bigger set pieces but some are just hand-to-hand in a warehouse. This is not good cinema but it is interesting.
Each of the 15 chapters of this Columbia serial . . .
cricket3026 May 2021
Warning: Spoilers
. . . have a unique censor approval number from the Vatican Boys save one: Chapter Four (Slaves of the Rising Sun) shares #9154 with something called MACKINAC ISLAND. Anyone familiar with the latter locale will recall that it was nicknamed as the original "Mystery Spot," serving as America's second National Park for 20 years (1875-1895) until someone noticed that tourists were disappearing from that haunted isle at a greater clip than from the far more vast Yellowstone. Even after Mackinac got defrocked, the mysterious vanishings continued. What could possibly be the explanation? As the narrator intones during Chapter 1 (The Electrical Brain) of BATMAN (1943), "Since a wise government rounded up the shifty-eyed (J-words)," life on Mackinac swiftly returned to normal. I'm sure that Chapter Four of BATMAN will include a flashback showing how America's second National Park was a long-time beta testing ground as the Axis of Evil plotted to take over the world!
Great entertainment (but only for those who enjoy serials)
richard-jones18 January 2005
I was an avid serial fan when I used to go to the Saturday afternoon matinees at the local theater in the early 1950's. Three Columbia serials (with the occasional Mascot serial) were usually shown, hence my bias toward Columbia.
I actually saw 'The Batman' in the mid 1960's when it was shown at a City theater as a 'Cinethon' - all 15 episodes in sequence from start to finish in one sitting. I lived through it as any serial fan would and enjoyed every minute but under these circumstances, some details normally overlooked when watching one episode each week were revealed.
I was intrigued by the access to Dr. Daka's hideout via the amusement park ride. A great bit of imagination went into that one! I seem to recall that the great Jack Ingram was killed off in an early episode and reappeared about Chapter 11 but I could be mistaken after nearly 40 years have elapsed.
The progressive reappearance of the Columbia serials on DVD has me over the moon and I look forward to receiving the 1949 'Batman and Robin' serial when it is released in March. If 'The Batman' is released on DVD, I will be one of the first in line to buy it.
I actually saw 'The Batman' in the mid 1960's when it was shown at a City theater as a 'Cinethon' - all 15 episodes in sequence from start to finish in one sitting. I lived through it as any serial fan would and enjoyed every minute but under these circumstances, some details normally overlooked when watching one episode each week were revealed.
I was intrigued by the access to Dr. Daka's hideout via the amusement park ride. A great bit of imagination went into that one! I seem to recall that the great Jack Ingram was killed off in an early episode and reappeared about Chapter 11 but I could be mistaken after nearly 40 years have elapsed.
The progressive reappearance of the Columbia serials on DVD has me over the moon and I look forward to receiving the 1949 'Batman and Robin' serial when it is released in March. If 'The Batman' is released on DVD, I will be one of the first in line to buy it.
Entertaining and interesting.
lizzieqever27 May 2023
Warning: Spoilers
I like this serial for the view of Batman, where he started, in other words, how he was originally written. Batman had a fiancé. He wasn't this really dark character. He didn't have the backstory of his parents were killed. He was just an agent for the government. Not exactly sure why he needed to be the Batman.
Nearly constant action in this one. It's actually a series of 15 serials, so you have at least 15 fight scenes in the entirety of it. The usual Batman looks like he's done at the end.
Great fun in my opinion. The main villain is a Japanese agent. Who else would you have for a villain two years after Pearl Harbor in the middle of a vicious war for survival?
This is the most realistic Batman you will see. Not any Batman is particularly realistic, but if some dude were to put on a suit, a Batman suit and around fighting bad guys, this is as close to how it would look as you're going to see.
Nearly constant action in this one. It's actually a series of 15 serials, so you have at least 15 fight scenes in the entirety of it. The usual Batman looks like he's done at the end.
Great fun in my opinion. The main villain is a Japanese agent. Who else would you have for a villain two years after Pearl Harbor in the middle of a vicious war for survival?
This is the most realistic Batman you will see. Not any Batman is particularly realistic, but if some dude were to put on a suit, a Batman suit and around fighting bad guys, this is as close to how it would look as you're going to see.
Over-full of fisticuffs
Igenlode Wordsmith10 August 2008
Warning: Spoilers
The 'serial world' has, as I've been for some years vaguely aware, its own fanbase which overlaps to a degree with that of vintage film in general; but on the basis of this, my first serial experience, I can't say that I'm a convert just yet.
I wasn't expecting anything very sophisticated, and I can live happily with elements that others mock: non-ironic dialogue, costumes, special effects. Supposedly beyond-the-pale racism doesn't worry me much in the context of a wartime adventure, although I did boggle at the story-internal logic of the American government's carrying out a praiseworthy internment of all the slant-eyed Japs it could find, then apparently being surprised that those who evaded this round-up should be hostile! Inevitably, in low-budget live action, the imagination is expected to supply translation of certain trappings into their comic-book equivalents -- swirling capes, super-athletic leaps, sinister electric apparatus -- but to do actors and studio justice, they often manage quite well. Batman and Robin climb nimbly, drop convincing distances and do their best to sprint and leap in suitably heroic costumed pose; in the absence of modern fabrics, this Batman's tights have an admitted tendency to wrinkle, but he really doesn't merit the sarcastic 'Fatman' epithet. And as an actor, Lewis Wilson does a good job of differentiating charmingly ineffectual Bruce and his masterful alter ego.
No, my problems with this serial were mainly with the sheer mind-numbing boredom that began to set in around Chapters Four to Ten. It was the massive degree of padding -- inside this fifteen-chapter epic, there is a reasonably-paced six- or seven-chapter story waiting to come out. It was, once the novelty of a superhero who loses his fights had worn off, the tedium of endlessly-repeated episodes in which Batman and/or Robin get beaten up and left for dead in order to provide the cliff-hanger of the week; in fact, it was, above all, the monotonous succession of flatly-resounding fists and bruisefree knockdowns that seemed to be the serial's staple diet. Whatever happened to insanely complicated evil schemes? What became of tying victims to train tracks, attaching them to rapidly-ascending hydrogen balloons, suspending them over pits of snakes with acid eating through the cord, or subverting their defences with irresistibly alluring Oriental houris? Watching a constant diet of rough-hatted gangsters trading punches got very dull very quickly. I felt like cheering every time a character actually got killed -- especially when this involved being eaten by ravenous crocodiles!
The villains are, of course, regrettably stupid (the most interesting episodes are those in which they actually make some advance, posing a genuine threat to the heroes, rather than being constantly foiled). Perhaps the crowning example is when a man is put into suspended animation and revived momentarily by high technology before dying... all in order to *hand* over a message which could have been delivered far more simply in the same package without him! The scenario might at least have made it a cryptogram with a verbal key carried only by the doomed bearer...
Daka is the most interesting opponent as he is the only one who is actually intelligent (he comes up with the more plausible theory that there is in fact a whole rival organization of uniformed Batmen, rather than a single one who perpetually survives reports of his certain demise!). Even when apparently defeated, he is constantly devising further expedients to reverse the situation, and our heroes, being lovable non-violent types, manage to dispose of him only by accident as Robin hits the wrong switch on the control panel; a twist that actually struck me as an ingenious in-character solution that preserved the respective abilities of both parties. (For originality, it certainly beats fighting the Evil Overlord on the edge of a precipice so that he can stupidly tumble in without your connivance.)
The beginning of the serial looked mildly enjoyable, at an inoffensive 6/10. The final chapters, ten or so weeks later, pick up again on quality. But the middle chapters, where the villains have lost their superweapon in Chapter 1 and spend all their time trying to get fuel for a replacement and punching people in the interim, become a soporific and lengthy exercise in spending time getting nowhere. It isn't bad enough to be entertaining in itself -- it's just boring.
Watching the entire run in one marathon cinema session is not, of course, the way this serial was ever intended to be seen, and it brings an unfair emphasis to the inevitably repetitious formulae of the genre. But to be honest, if I hadn't been thus trapped in front of the screen I doubt if I would have bothered to keep following the chapters week after week in the hopes that the plot would finally progress. Like certain recent TV series I could name, it would just have annoyed and bored me too much to stick it until the promised grand finale. I'm not the greatest of fans of the season-long 'plot arc', and I don't think I'm cut out to be a full-fledged member of the serial squadron just yet...
I wasn't expecting anything very sophisticated, and I can live happily with elements that others mock: non-ironic dialogue, costumes, special effects. Supposedly beyond-the-pale racism doesn't worry me much in the context of a wartime adventure, although I did boggle at the story-internal logic of the American government's carrying out a praiseworthy internment of all the slant-eyed Japs it could find, then apparently being surprised that those who evaded this round-up should be hostile! Inevitably, in low-budget live action, the imagination is expected to supply translation of certain trappings into their comic-book equivalents -- swirling capes, super-athletic leaps, sinister electric apparatus -- but to do actors and studio justice, they often manage quite well. Batman and Robin climb nimbly, drop convincing distances and do their best to sprint and leap in suitably heroic costumed pose; in the absence of modern fabrics, this Batman's tights have an admitted tendency to wrinkle, but he really doesn't merit the sarcastic 'Fatman' epithet. And as an actor, Lewis Wilson does a good job of differentiating charmingly ineffectual Bruce and his masterful alter ego.
No, my problems with this serial were mainly with the sheer mind-numbing boredom that began to set in around Chapters Four to Ten. It was the massive degree of padding -- inside this fifteen-chapter epic, there is a reasonably-paced six- or seven-chapter story waiting to come out. It was, once the novelty of a superhero who loses his fights had worn off, the tedium of endlessly-repeated episodes in which Batman and/or Robin get beaten up and left for dead in order to provide the cliff-hanger of the week; in fact, it was, above all, the monotonous succession of flatly-resounding fists and bruisefree knockdowns that seemed to be the serial's staple diet. Whatever happened to insanely complicated evil schemes? What became of tying victims to train tracks, attaching them to rapidly-ascending hydrogen balloons, suspending them over pits of snakes with acid eating through the cord, or subverting their defences with irresistibly alluring Oriental houris? Watching a constant diet of rough-hatted gangsters trading punches got very dull very quickly. I felt like cheering every time a character actually got killed -- especially when this involved being eaten by ravenous crocodiles!
The villains are, of course, regrettably stupid (the most interesting episodes are those in which they actually make some advance, posing a genuine threat to the heroes, rather than being constantly foiled). Perhaps the crowning example is when a man is put into suspended animation and revived momentarily by high technology before dying... all in order to *hand* over a message which could have been delivered far more simply in the same package without him! The scenario might at least have made it a cryptogram with a verbal key carried only by the doomed bearer...
Daka is the most interesting opponent as he is the only one who is actually intelligent (he comes up with the more plausible theory that there is in fact a whole rival organization of uniformed Batmen, rather than a single one who perpetually survives reports of his certain demise!). Even when apparently defeated, he is constantly devising further expedients to reverse the situation, and our heroes, being lovable non-violent types, manage to dispose of him only by accident as Robin hits the wrong switch on the control panel; a twist that actually struck me as an ingenious in-character solution that preserved the respective abilities of both parties. (For originality, it certainly beats fighting the Evil Overlord on the edge of a precipice so that he can stupidly tumble in without your connivance.)
The beginning of the serial looked mildly enjoyable, at an inoffensive 6/10. The final chapters, ten or so weeks later, pick up again on quality. But the middle chapters, where the villains have lost their superweapon in Chapter 1 and spend all their time trying to get fuel for a replacement and punching people in the interim, become a soporific and lengthy exercise in spending time getting nowhere. It isn't bad enough to be entertaining in itself -- it's just boring.
Watching the entire run in one marathon cinema session is not, of course, the way this serial was ever intended to be seen, and it brings an unfair emphasis to the inevitably repetitious formulae of the genre. But to be honest, if I hadn't been thus trapped in front of the screen I doubt if I would have bothered to keep following the chapters week after week in the hopes that the plot would finally progress. Like certain recent TV series I could name, it would just have annoyed and bored me too much to stick it until the promised grand finale. I'm not the greatest of fans of the season-long 'plot arc', and I don't think I'm cut out to be a full-fledged member of the serial squadron just yet...
From a seven-year-old's viewpoint, this was a masterpiece.
jhfindley2 February 2002
I saw this (all fifteen chapters) as a young kid, and along with my friends I was mesmerized. Kids didn't notice that the final scenes of each chapter didn't exactly match with the beginning of the next week's episode, but what the hell. Batman and Robin were able to get out of those jams, and that was what really mattered. Special effects were par for the time, especially considering they were on a low budget.
An earlier comment criticized that the film referred to Japanese as "slant-eyed". There was no political correctness in society at that point. America was at war, and even newspapers used rougher descriptions when making reference to Germans and Japanese. The film also mentions how wise it was to round up and interne all people of Japanese extraction. This was 1943, and the serial was reflective of the public mood of the moment. No apologies should be necessary.
An earlier comment criticized that the film referred to Japanese as "slant-eyed". There was no political correctness in society at that point. America was at war, and even newspapers used rougher descriptions when making reference to Germans and Japanese. The film also mentions how wise it was to round up and interne all people of Japanese extraction. This was 1943, and the serial was reflective of the public mood of the moment. No apologies should be necessary.
Decent enough
neil-4769 March 2022
Warning: Spoilers
Batman and his youthful sidekick Robin work their way through a series of incidents, crimes, puzzles and other shenanigans in order to foil the dastardly plot of the dastardly Dr Daka, dastardly agent of the dastardly Japanese.
So - heroes: Batman and Robin. Villains: Dr Daka and assorted other slant-eyed Japs (I'm quoting! This cinema serial relects the xenophobic attitude of its time, less than 2 years after Pearl Hzrbor) as well as various underworld lowlifes. Romantic interest: none, although Linda Page is a damsel in distresx when necessary. Maguffin: yes, there is one, and it needs radium. Budget: not very much.
Yet, for all that, this series is quick off tge mark in bringing Batman to the screen. Lewis Wilson and Douglas Croft are pleasing as both Batman and Robin and Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, and it is nicely directed.
There is repitition and a degree of treading water plotwise, and this is the result of it being a serial. Watching the whole three and a half hours on Youtube makes this very clear: it would be far less obvious watching a chapter every week.
I was impressed with the fight choreography, less so with the stunt work. And the lack of budget shows in sets and locations, but they did well with what they had.
So - heroes: Batman and Robin. Villains: Dr Daka and assorted other slant-eyed Japs (I'm quoting! This cinema serial relects the xenophobic attitude of its time, less than 2 years after Pearl Hzrbor) as well as various underworld lowlifes. Romantic interest: none, although Linda Page is a damsel in distresx when necessary. Maguffin: yes, there is one, and it needs radium. Budget: not very much.
Yet, for all that, this series is quick off tge mark in bringing Batman to the screen. Lewis Wilson and Douglas Croft are pleasing as both Batman and Robin and Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson, and it is nicely directed.
There is repitition and a degree of treading water plotwise, and this is the result of it being a serial. Watching the whole three and a half hours on Youtube makes this very clear: it would be far less obvious watching a chapter every week.
I was impressed with the fight choreography, less so with the stunt work. And the lack of budget shows in sets and locations, but they did well with what they had.
Holy cheesiness!!
Tresix15 June 1999
First big-screen adventures of the Dynamic Duo is a typical movie serial disappointment. Costumes and sets look cheesy, the acting is subpar even for a serial. Not to mention just a WEE bit racist (even the narrator refers to the Japanese as "slanty-eyed"). This should be seen just to keep pace with Dark Knight cinematic history.
Ultimate nostalgia experience still intrigues.
Mozjoukine24 May 2002
Discovering the Batman serial and the strip cartoon at the age of eight must have shaped (warped?) my taste for the rest of my life.
Even pre-pubescent, I could tell this one was superior to the draggy Sam Katzman chapter plays which engulfed my Saturday afternoons. Encountering it again in the sixties when it was a star turn in the low camp boom wasn't an anti climax. The imagery (imagery yet!) of the comic book survived diluted and distorted. Batman silhouetted against a night sky made white by the deep red filter, after Robin strikes fear into the hearts of the henchmen by showing the bat signal on their wall, remains embedded in the memory bank. A disguised Bruce Wayne waves a gun at one stage and we miss the Batmobile but Bob Kane made over his drawings of Alfred the Butler to look like William Austin.
Add on another forty (gulp) years and we've had political correctness an a version removing Knox Manning's narration about the wisdom of a government that locks up it's evil Nipponese citizens in a camp or the fetching Shirley Patterson shrieking "A Jap" when faced with J. Carrol Naisch, his Irish eyes pulled back into the fiendish mask of Dr. Dakar the sadistic son of Nippon feeding henchmen to pet alligators. The baggy forties suits and baggy 4F extras, along with the tackiness of the hand me down sets have become period detail as much as drab. We do notice that they have only two zombie hats so if there are a couple on screen, one has to go out and send another one in.
Along with that however, there are some remarkably well staged action scenes - the chase after that armored car we keep on seeing in old Columbia movies, the fire that showers (The) Batman with burning rafters,apparently staged by western specialist Harry Frazer who gets a writer credit.
Lewis Wilson, Douglas Croft and Shirley Patterson must have resented the fact that their careers peaked here but how about poor old Lambert Hillyer who was one of the architects of the classic westerns of William S. Hart and has now survived only as the director of record of this rush job kids actioner.
Even pre-pubescent, I could tell this one was superior to the draggy Sam Katzman chapter plays which engulfed my Saturday afternoons. Encountering it again in the sixties when it was a star turn in the low camp boom wasn't an anti climax. The imagery (imagery yet!) of the comic book survived diluted and distorted. Batman silhouetted against a night sky made white by the deep red filter, after Robin strikes fear into the hearts of the henchmen by showing the bat signal on their wall, remains embedded in the memory bank. A disguised Bruce Wayne waves a gun at one stage and we miss the Batmobile but Bob Kane made over his drawings of Alfred the Butler to look like William Austin.
Add on another forty (gulp) years and we've had political correctness an a version removing Knox Manning's narration about the wisdom of a government that locks up it's evil Nipponese citizens in a camp or the fetching Shirley Patterson shrieking "A Jap" when faced with J. Carrol Naisch, his Irish eyes pulled back into the fiendish mask of Dr. Dakar the sadistic son of Nippon feeding henchmen to pet alligators. The baggy forties suits and baggy 4F extras, along with the tackiness of the hand me down sets have become period detail as much as drab. We do notice that they have only two zombie hats so if there are a couple on screen, one has to go out and send another one in.
Along with that however, there are some remarkably well staged action scenes - the chase after that armored car we keep on seeing in old Columbia movies, the fire that showers (The) Batman with burning rafters,apparently staged by western specialist Harry Frazer who gets a writer credit.
Lewis Wilson, Douglas Croft and Shirley Patterson must have resented the fact that their careers peaked here but how about poor old Lambert Hillyer who was one of the architects of the classic westerns of William S. Hart and has now survived only as the director of record of this rush job kids actioner.
Could use less propaganda
flamingninja-4118013 March 2019
My Favourite Batman (1943)
redryan644 March 2005
This 15 Chapter Serial was over 20 years old when we saw it in our neighborhood. The overwhelming success of the BATMAN TV Series created a market for everything that was Batman. So, Columbia released its venerable wartime relic to the movie houses in the spring of 1966. It wasn't edited into some sort of feature summary, but rather the whole serial was shown, chapter after chapter, all in one sitting! We saw it twice!
There have been a lot of criticisms of this film, ranging from the reference to "the Japs" and indeed reference to the establishment of the Nesi Camps by executive order of President Roosevelt at the urging of California Governor Earl Warren. (Nesi refers to native born Americans of Japanese descent) Well, we all know that it was World War II going on out there and our films were full of our propaganda. We can't condemn this serial for that. The studio was doing its part for the war effort by having the heroes battle Axis Agents, Sabateurs and 5th Column Traitors as well as common thugs.
The production was very frugal, for it obviously was to be produced for as cheap a price tag as possible. The serials were, after all, a sort of throw in to the general out put of film. They were meant for the Saturday afternoon bubble gum crowd. Always filmed in B&W, as were most motion pictures of the time.
The cast was full of veteran character actors, who would always give a decent performance with whatever storyline they had. The true "Star" of BATMAN was J.Carroll Nash.He was born in New York City of Irish ancestry, but no shillelaghs or clay pipes for him. After extensive experience on the stage, Mr. Nash made a living portraying Italians (Sahara, Life with Luigi radio TV), Hispanics (The Fugitive (1947) ) and Indians. He also did some Orientals as in the Charlie Chan TV and Dr. Daka, the Japanese operative and lead villain of this 1943 BATMAN.
But it is the lead of this production, Lewis Wilson, who was the reference of the heading "My Favorite Batman". Of all of the actors to be cast in the role, (and the have been no less than six in live action film) it is Lewis Wilson and his horn ear type cowl that I think of as the best. First, he did originate the role when Batman Comics were only about 4 years old. Secondly, he looked like the character Bruce Wayne as drawn in the comics. He had a sort of upper class accent which Mr. Wayne would probably possess.He had appeared to have a stocky sort of a build which also coincided with the comics. Finally, he wasn't in very many films in his career and BATMAN was probably his widest exposure.
As for production values,well they did the best with what they had. They even managed to evoke some of the dark, mysterious mood of the Batman Comics feature. Indeed, the mood and World War II period are well represented with the use of B & W film.
I sure hope that this one will be out in VHS and DVD in its original, uncut form. Don't re-write it for the sake of political correctness. Such revisionist behaviour is equal to book burning. Afterall, we must take the thorns along with the rose petals.
UPDATE**** Dateline:Chicago, Illinois, April 17, 2006. Well, it's not news by now, but Columbia has released this great 1943 BATMAN Serial this past year.To their credit and our delight, they also released 1949's NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN AND ROBIN with Robert Lowery and John Duncan in the starring roles. These chapter-plays are complete,uncut from crisp,clean newly struck film masters. They are available in DVD sets.
Rumor has it that Columbia will be doing the same thing with their two serials starring the Man of Steel, SUPERMAN (1948) and ATOM MAN VS.SUPERMAN (1950). Who knows, this could be the start of something big for us serial buffs!Let's hope!
* In response to learned those who state that it is erroneous to say that Columbia Pictures re-released this serial because of the success of BATMAN TV, we offer the following. Yes, this is correct, but only up to a point. There was a special showing of the fifteen Chapters of the 1943 BATMAN Serial in a few big city movie houses. In my town, Chicago, it was at the very trendy Playboy Theatre and advertised as "An Evening with Batman & Robin". This was before the debut of BATMAN on ABC, January 12, 1966. It was after that time, BATMAN '43 went into general release, nationwide.
There have been a lot of criticisms of this film, ranging from the reference to "the Japs" and indeed reference to the establishment of the Nesi Camps by executive order of President Roosevelt at the urging of California Governor Earl Warren. (Nesi refers to native born Americans of Japanese descent) Well, we all know that it was World War II going on out there and our films were full of our propaganda. We can't condemn this serial for that. The studio was doing its part for the war effort by having the heroes battle Axis Agents, Sabateurs and 5th Column Traitors as well as common thugs.
The production was very frugal, for it obviously was to be produced for as cheap a price tag as possible. The serials were, after all, a sort of throw in to the general out put of film. They were meant for the Saturday afternoon bubble gum crowd. Always filmed in B&W, as were most motion pictures of the time.
The cast was full of veteran character actors, who would always give a decent performance with whatever storyline they had. The true "Star" of BATMAN was J.Carroll Nash.He was born in New York City of Irish ancestry, but no shillelaghs or clay pipes for him. After extensive experience on the stage, Mr. Nash made a living portraying Italians (Sahara, Life with Luigi radio TV), Hispanics (The Fugitive (1947) ) and Indians. He also did some Orientals as in the Charlie Chan TV and Dr. Daka, the Japanese operative and lead villain of this 1943 BATMAN.
But it is the lead of this production, Lewis Wilson, who was the reference of the heading "My Favorite Batman". Of all of the actors to be cast in the role, (and the have been no less than six in live action film) it is Lewis Wilson and his horn ear type cowl that I think of as the best. First, he did originate the role when Batman Comics were only about 4 years old. Secondly, he looked like the character Bruce Wayne as drawn in the comics. He had a sort of upper class accent which Mr. Wayne would probably possess.He had appeared to have a stocky sort of a build which also coincided with the comics. Finally, he wasn't in very many films in his career and BATMAN was probably his widest exposure.
As for production values,well they did the best with what they had. They even managed to evoke some of the dark, mysterious mood of the Batman Comics feature. Indeed, the mood and World War II period are well represented with the use of B & W film.
I sure hope that this one will be out in VHS and DVD in its original, uncut form. Don't re-write it for the sake of political correctness. Such revisionist behaviour is equal to book burning. Afterall, we must take the thorns along with the rose petals.
UPDATE**** Dateline:Chicago, Illinois, April 17, 2006. Well, it's not news by now, but Columbia has released this great 1943 BATMAN Serial this past year.To their credit and our delight, they also released 1949's NEW ADVENTURES OF BATMAN AND ROBIN with Robert Lowery and John Duncan in the starring roles. These chapter-plays are complete,uncut from crisp,clean newly struck film masters. They are available in DVD sets.
Rumor has it that Columbia will be doing the same thing with their two serials starring the Man of Steel, SUPERMAN (1948) and ATOM MAN VS.SUPERMAN (1950). Who knows, this could be the start of something big for us serial buffs!Let's hope!
* In response to learned those who state that it is erroneous to say that Columbia Pictures re-released this serial because of the success of BATMAN TV, we offer the following. Yes, this is correct, but only up to a point. There was a special showing of the fifteen Chapters of the 1943 BATMAN Serial in a few big city movie houses. In my town, Chicago, it was at the very trendy Playboy Theatre and advertised as "An Evening with Batman & Robin". This was before the debut of BATMAN on ABC, January 12, 1966. It was after that time, BATMAN '43 went into general release, nationwide.
Come, Robin, let's change clothes behind that tree!
Coolestmovies15 February 2009
Bereft of the budgets and storytelling ingenuity Republic Pictures brought to their chapter plays, Columbia's first stab at DC Comics' Batman franchise is a drab, exceedingly repetitive bore, with J. Carroll Naish's "oriental" villain Prince Tito Daka dreaming up some of the most inane--and easily survivable--traps for heroes Batman (Lewis Wilson) and Robin (Doug Croft), who change clothes so frequently in odd places together (in the backseats of cars, in alleyways, even behind trees!) that it's not surprising Frederick Wertham would later blow a head valve over this stuff. Hell, Bruce Wayne's "excuses" for missing time with girlfriend Linda Page (Shirley Patterson) are almost brazenly gay, even for the period. The cliffhangers that cap certain episodes--usually after yet another poorly staged fistfight between the heroes and Daka's goons--are woefully under-realized (a car wreck is heard but not seen, as is a building explosion), usually with the heroes simply emerging in the next episode from wreckage we never saw happen. Skip this one.
NOT BAD FOR A 1940'S SHOW
Big Movie Fan5 March 2002
Okay, I'd probably be reluctant to admit to close friends or family that I'd enjoyed this show but to be truthful I did enjoy it.
For starters, just seeing Batman and Robin on screen was enough for me. I wasn't even born around the time it was on but I did watch it about 20 plus years ago and I just found it funny.
I liked the way each chapter ended in a cliffhanger (something that the 1960's series had as well) and it was great to see Batman and Robin escape from many seemingly inescapable traps. J. Carrol Naish also made an interesting villain even if he was a typical stereotype.
All in all, a great serial adventure which should be released onto video here in the United Kingdom. If it was, I'd buy every episode.
For starters, just seeing Batman and Robin on screen was enough for me. I wasn't even born around the time it was on but I did watch it about 20 plus years ago and I just found it funny.
I liked the way each chapter ended in a cliffhanger (something that the 1960's series had as well) and it was great to see Batman and Robin escape from many seemingly inescapable traps. J. Carrol Naish also made an interesting villain even if he was a typical stereotype.
All in all, a great serial adventure which should be released onto video here in the United Kingdom. If it was, I'd buy every episode.
Better than average for a serial...and the first appearance of Batman...as well as Robin.
planktonrules8 June 2022
Movie serials were very popular from the 1920s into the 1950s. Fans, especially kids, loved them and would go religiously to theaters each week to see each installment. However, something a bit unusual took place with the serials made during the WWII era...the usual villains were now Axis villains...working for the enemy, Japan or Germany.
In "Batman", then, it's not surprising that the villain, Dr. Daka (J. Carrol Naish) is an evil Japanese baddie...intent on destroying America.
"Batman" not only marks the first film where Batman and Robin fight the Axis but it's the first film with the crimefighters. Because it's the first, it has a few issues fans today might dislike...the duo wear pretty cheesy outfits, Batman is hardly invicible and is no tougher than other serial stars such as Spysmasher, and Alfred is much more active in the film...and was created by the studio (Columbia Pictures) and later was incorporated into the comics.
So is this LONG serial (nearly 4 and 1/2 hours) any good? Yes, but it also seems not particularly different from the average serial of the day. In other words, it has the usual narrow escapes, the usual fist fights (many of which Batman actually loses) and looks much like a typical Columbia serial.
Now I should give you a word of warning. While the film is well made, it's clearly meant as a propaganda piece to bolster the American war effort and get the pubic to hate the enemy. So, you'll hear things such as 'sland-eyed devils' and folks talking about how GOOD the Japanese internment is...a sad chapter in American history. As for me, I used to teach history and didn't freak out or wet myself over this...it IS the way films were during this period. So, either get over this (as well as that Naish is about as Japanese as a burrito), or don't watch.
In "Batman", then, it's not surprising that the villain, Dr. Daka (J. Carrol Naish) is an evil Japanese baddie...intent on destroying America.
"Batman" not only marks the first film where Batman and Robin fight the Axis but it's the first film with the crimefighters. Because it's the first, it has a few issues fans today might dislike...the duo wear pretty cheesy outfits, Batman is hardly invicible and is no tougher than other serial stars such as Spysmasher, and Alfred is much more active in the film...and was created by the studio (Columbia Pictures) and later was incorporated into the comics.
So is this LONG serial (nearly 4 and 1/2 hours) any good? Yes, but it also seems not particularly different from the average serial of the day. In other words, it has the usual narrow escapes, the usual fist fights (many of which Batman actually loses) and looks much like a typical Columbia serial.
Now I should give you a word of warning. While the film is well made, it's clearly meant as a propaganda piece to bolster the American war effort and get the pubic to hate the enemy. So, you'll hear things such as 'sland-eyed devils' and folks talking about how GOOD the Japanese internment is...a sad chapter in American history. As for me, I used to teach history and didn't freak out or wet myself over this...it IS the way films were during this period. So, either get over this (as well as that Naish is about as Japanese as a burrito), or don't watch.
Fantastic - one of the most enjoyable of the cliffhanger serials!
Scarletfire-127 May 2005
Batman is not technically as "good" as other serials such as most Republics, but I do like it better and enjoy it more than most others. Sure it is too long in the middle with 15 chapters and all, but there is just something about it that really appeals to me.
First of all it is Batman. Second, it just drips with atmosphere. All of the scenes in Daka's hideout are done so well that I can hardly imagine them being improved on. There is a darkened smoky atmosphere to the hideout with its walls covered with Japanese paintings and designs. Can anyone possibly think of a better way to have that set look? The theme music and the scraping sound heard when the door to the hideout opens are very distinctive - though minor elements of the serial, they add incredibly to the sum total of my evaluation.
J. Carrol Naish's portrayal of Dr. Daka is amongst the best acting ever done on film. The character and his dialog are just so fitting as the epitome of a villainous "jap" spy. Credit needs to go to the scriptwriters for dreaming it all up and to Naish for the brilliant execution of it. His lines and the trance like expression on his face as he talks about the emperor being the "heavenly ruler and prince of the rising sun" and freeing the "enslaved people of America" are just unbeatable acting.
Some of Daka's underlings are "zombies". They wear a radio headset receiver which has a wire connected to their spine so he can control them. Sure - that makes sense. This is the best example of serial logic and science I've ever seen. Its the perfect thing to describe to people in order to explain how things work in serials.
Of course Daka's scientific devices are powered by radium! Is it just me or do a lot of super scientific devices in serials run on radium? Saying its powered by radium somehow makes it all make sense.
Daka and Emperor Ming are the two ultimate serial villains. Sure there are some others that were really cool, but no one really even come close to them.
Nuff said!
First of all it is Batman. Second, it just drips with atmosphere. All of the scenes in Daka's hideout are done so well that I can hardly imagine them being improved on. There is a darkened smoky atmosphere to the hideout with its walls covered with Japanese paintings and designs. Can anyone possibly think of a better way to have that set look? The theme music and the scraping sound heard when the door to the hideout opens are very distinctive - though minor elements of the serial, they add incredibly to the sum total of my evaluation.
J. Carrol Naish's portrayal of Dr. Daka is amongst the best acting ever done on film. The character and his dialog are just so fitting as the epitome of a villainous "jap" spy. Credit needs to go to the scriptwriters for dreaming it all up and to Naish for the brilliant execution of it. His lines and the trance like expression on his face as he talks about the emperor being the "heavenly ruler and prince of the rising sun" and freeing the "enslaved people of America" are just unbeatable acting.
Some of Daka's underlings are "zombies". They wear a radio headset receiver which has a wire connected to their spine so he can control them. Sure - that makes sense. This is the best example of serial logic and science I've ever seen. Its the perfect thing to describe to people in order to explain how things work in serials.
Of course Daka's scientific devices are powered by radium! Is it just me or do a lot of super scientific devices in serials run on radium? Saying its powered by radium somehow makes it all make sense.
Daka and Emperor Ming are the two ultimate serial villains. Sure there are some others that were really cool, but no one really even come close to them.
Nuff said!
Holy tedium Batman! - of interest only to diehard bat-fans
jamesrupert20144 October 2021
Dr. Dakka, a 'Japanese' spy (J. Carrol Nash) and his turn-coat American underlings and zombified slaves attempt to steal military secrets, develop deadly radium-based weapons, and generally disrupt the Yankee war-effort only to be thwarted at every turn by the masked heroes The Batman (Lewis Wilson) and Robin (Douglas Croft). The 15 part serial, the first cinematic outing for the Dynamic Duo, is a cheap-looking, unimpressive, and unimaginative affair. Wilson's ill-fitting bat-suit is laughable, the 'action' sequences (usually fights between the caped crusaders and Dakka's generally incompetent henchmen) are uninspired and the 'cliff-hanger' chapter endings and their subsequent resolutions are repetitive and predictable (or inexplicable, such as the plane crash that ends chapter 5). The most amusing thing about the film is watching the men keep their fedoras in place during even the most acrobatic brawls. Needless to say, the film's attitude towards the Japanese is a product of its times (the war in the Pacific was just beginning to swing in favour of the USA) so viewers sensitive to racial epithets be warned (although the caricatures and anti-Japanese sentiments in the serial pale in comparison with contemporaneous Popeye and Bugs Bunny cartoons). The chapterplay is only interesting as the first outing of Bob Kane's iconic characters, but is sadly lacking in the various bat-gadgets usually associated with the characters and features a storyline is a tedious patchwork of vaguely linked, cliched adventures. Followed by a sequel (with a different cast) in 1949: 'Batman and Robin', which is apparently not much better and, 22 years later, by ABC's 'Batman', one of the silliest yet most fondly remembered TV shows to come out of the 1960s. Unless you are a hard-core bat-fan, consider skipping the tedious 1940s serials and pick up the bat-story when Adam West dons the cowl in 1966.
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