poe426 Comics as we know them today owe much to the pulp magazines that preceded them. Case in point: BATMAN. Like the original Dark Knight himself (The Shadow), The Bat-man was a product of the Pulps- although he debuted in what I've referred to elsewhere as "the Pulps with pictures"- comic books. The early movie serials often featured characters from both. This "Natural Evolution" led to the very first BATMAN serial. While the minimalist Budgets were often blamed for the Below Average result(s), it was, more often than not, the relative skill(s) of the director(s) that determined the true worth of what we saw. Thanks to the often atmospheric direction of Lambert Hillyer, BATMAN evokes an air of dark mystery from its opening shot: we see The Bat-man seated in "the bat's cave," brooding pensively, staring directly at us. The camera eases in closer as bats flitter about the cave: we see their shadows on the wall. It's an impressive opening and Lewis Wilson as The Bat-man is believable both as the playboy alter ego and as the Revenge-driven masked man. It would be hard to imagine a better Robin than Douglas Croft: he's young enough (and small enough) and athletic enough to be believable as a crime-fighter's sidekick. True to his True Nature as a man obsessed with setting wrongs right, The Bat-man this time around is in the employ of the U.$. Government (it is, after all, War Time). The dastardly Dr. Daka proves a formidable opponent, but The Bat-man has a trick or two up his own sleeve: when he's outed in Chapter 11, it turns out he's wearing a disguise under his mask. There are one or two gaffs along the way, but they're relatively minor. BATMAN is definitely one of the better serials (though I don't see why they didn't paint one of the cars jet black and affix a bat-fin to it) and well worth a look.

along_came_bialy My Dad Recorded this series off the telly many years ago, and I've watched it several times since I was a child. I used to think "oh i'll just watch a couple of episodes" and before I knew it I'd watched all 15 and lost a whole afternoon. I think it's a shame that people say that it is not "PC", the anti Japanese vibe could easily be edited. Also, it was made during the War when America and Japan were not good friends (due to the Pearl Harbour attack). I like this series because it is so simple, anyone can understand the storyline. Batman and Robin steal a powerful new weapon from "Daka" in episode 1. The remaining 14 episodes centre around Dakas attempts to get it back. Why does it need to be more complicated? As a child I enjoyed the fact that each episode built up to a fight scene, before ending on a cliff hanger. My favourite episode was the one with the fight on the railway bridge. I used to use my Batman Action figures and my train-set to act out the episode. Daka was a great villain and should be bought back in modern day productions of Batman. His hide out in the "Haunted house" fairground ride was one of the best in Batman history. Daka could be a good partner for the Joker, they are similar characters and could even be related.. It is worth remembering that the series was made in the 40's, in a time before expensive special effects and sky high budgets. I would like to see more Serials like this nowadays in cinemas, it would be a good way for young directors and actors to get exposure. They would also be entertaining.

Cliff Losak 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.

gearbin This film is a super-classical one. Batman is the first Superhero. Comics about him were drawn in 1939! And it is the first movie about him! Everybody needs to watch it because of its classical nature. It is the classic of super-heroism. This film is collection able and should be at everyone's video library. As I think, such films mark the greatest point in the World History. Here you can see the non-contemporary technology, that is with what equipment old movies were shot. If you have the Tim Burton's Batman in your collection, you'll buy this one. Batman is the greatest superhero. Every good man is going to be like Batman. Everyone knows Batman. Everyone wants Batman. So, join us. You'll have to known him. Just think that Batman flies!