The Forgotten Batman Films Of 1943 And 1949.
I take a look at the legendary vigilantes first on-screen debut.
Growing up, I loved superheroes. I had action figures, lunch boxes, and posters. I watched the Saturday morning cartoons almost every week, watching with anticipation as such heroes as Spiderman and the X-Men overcame whatever odds they encountered during their adventures.
But there was one hero who always intrigued me, Who stood out from the rest.
There was no need for superhuman abilities or strength for this guy to be cool. This one wasn’t an alien being sent to earth from another planet minutes before it was destroyed.
In essence, he was just another ordinary guy, a detective in a cowl, The Caped Crusader himself Batman!
First appearing in Detective Comics #27 in 1939, Batman was created by writer Bill Finger and artist Bob Kane. In the years since, he has appeared in many comic books, graphic novels, television shows, video games, and brooding atmospheric films.
My thought was that I had seen every Batman-related film or TV show ever made, including the Adam West classics from the 1960s ( 25 years before my time) — until I came across something I had never seen or discussed even among the biggest Batman fans.
Batman, a 1943 serial, and Batman and Robin, a 1949 serial also known as The New Adventures of Batman and Robin, The Boy Wonder.
Having been a Batman fan for many years, I just knew I had to check out these movies. What kind of fan could I still be if I haven’t seen these?
The films were presented in 15-part serials. Serials were a popular form of a motion picture in the early 20th century in which films were divided into chapters. Each chapter would screen for a week in a movie theater and end on a cliffhanger. In order to keep up with the continuous story and see the cliffhangers resolved, viewers had to return each week to the theater.
In contrast to the Adam West series of the 1960s, which was full of campy, family-friendly shenanigans. In the serials, the character is depicted in the same dark and grittier manner modern fans are accustomed to.
Filmed entirely in black and white, the films do not feature any of the iconic Batman villains.
Instead, the villains are mostly mafia-type gangsters and henchmen. Through modern eyes, the Batman suit looks like a cheap Halloween costume but was clearly modeled after what he was in the original comics.
Although you won’t be seeing the likes of The Joker, Penguin, Catwoman, or Mr. Freeze, other familiar characters from the comics, including Robin, Alfred, and Linda Page, made their first on-screen appearances in this film. Commissioner Gordon would appear on screen in 1949.
It was originally planned for Batman and Robin to be the sequel to 1943’s Batman, but due to cast and production changes, both stories became their own, unrelated stories.
In the 1949 movie, Robert Lowery played Batman, replacing Lewis Wilson, who was the youngest actor to portray the character at 23 years old. As Robin, Johnny Duncan replaced Douglas Croft, who had retired from acting.
Interestingly, the 1943 film was released 2 years after the Pearl Harbor attacks during World War II. As a result, it makes it seem as if the film was intended to promote American nationalism. Some parts of the film might not hold up to a modern audience.
The main villain Dr. Tito Daka or Prince Daka was portrayed very stereotypically in the film as an Asian ringleader. The phrases and slurs used toward him would certainly not fly in the modern era.
These serials don’t skimp on the fight scenes. They’re not as cheesy as in the 60’s shows. Considering there was no CGI in those days, the fight scenes in both films were quite enjoyable, as actors and stuntmen threw punches at each other as if it were a real fight.
Also featured in the movies were some very realistic and dangerous stunts. As an example, Batman jumps from a moving car on top of a train in Chapter 2 of the 1949 serial. The stunt wasn’t fake at all, Robert Lowery really jumped from a speeding car onto a moving train. This stunt was pretty impressive.
The most strange part about these serials is the fact that Batman drives Bruce Wayne’s Cadillac 61 in the first film and a 1949 Mercury in the second. The reason is that these films were made on a tight budget. This is the very same reason why Batman doesn’t use anything attached to his utility belt.
It was in the 1943 film that we were first introduced to the Batcave as we know it today. If you’re unfamiliar with the original comics, Batman did not have a cave lair beneath Wayne Mansion.
There was merely a tunnel connecting the Manor with the shack where the Batmobile was kept. It is in this serial from 1943 that we learn of Batman’s crime-solving lab that is directly beneath his house and can only be accessed through the grandfather clock at Wayne Manor. Due to this, fans now have the iconic and awesome Batcave we know of today.
These films may not be perfect by any means, and some people can be challenging to please, but I have seen worse movies out there in the movie world. As a Batman fan, I enjoyed them for what they are.
