Has anyone else but me seen THIS?

I bought this on DVD and expected something dorky but turned out to be VERY GOOD!

A few small gripes...

Batman's cowl is so flimsy, it nearly falls off almost every time he gets into a fight.

The Batmobile is a 2 door sedan convertable...OWNED BY BRUCE WAYNE....yet NO ONE can make the connection!

GREAT MOMENTS:

Commissoner Gordon LEAVES HIS OFFICE to aide his officers with the crime. This element was missing in the 60's version of Batman

The fight scenes were very well done.

The special effects were kinda primative, but can stand up to what's out there today.

Vicky Vale (a photographer) is the heroine...this concept would be repeated in the first Batman movie with Michael Keaton & Kim Bassinger

The Batcave has bats in it....again repeated in the Michael Keaton movie.

FROM IMDB.COM:

Full Cast and Crew for
Batman and Robin (1949)


Directed by
Spencer Gordon Bennet (as Spencer Bennet)

Writing credits
Bob Kane (comics)


George H. Plympton &
Joseph F. Poland &
Royal K. Cole


Cast (in credits order)

Robert Lowery .... Batman/Bruce Wayne
Johnny Duncan .... Robin/Richard 'Dick' Grayson
Jane Adams .... Vicki Vale
Lyle Talbot .... Commissioner Jim Gordon
Ralph Graves .... Winslow Harrison
Don C. Harvey .... Nolan (thug) (as Don Harvey)
William Fawcett .... Prof. Hammil
Leonard Penn .... Carter (Hammil's valet)
Rick Vallin .... Barry Brown
Michael Whalen .... PI Dunne
Greg McClure .... Evans
House Peters Jr. .... Earl
Jim Diehl .... Jason
Rusty Wescoatt .... Ives
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Phil Arnold .... Doctor (uncredited)
Marshall Bradford .... Wesley Morton (uncredited)
George Cisar .... Policeman (uncredited)
James Craven .... Norwood (uncredited)
John Doucette .... Henchman (uncredited)
John Hart .... John (uncredited)
Harold Landon .... Jimmy Vale (uncredited)
Eddie Parker .... Holt (uncredited)
Allan Ray .... Mac Lacey (uncredited)
Emmett Vogan .... Mr. Williams (uncredited)
Eric Wilton .... Alfred Pennyworth (uncredited)

I think ABC TV in Australia broadcast this in 1988 as part of The Factory - a 3-hour Sat morning music show.

I see there's on Alfred the butler. Did this character appear in the comics? I think Chief O'Hara was only in the 1960s TV series. Please correct me if I'm wrong.

Thankfully, Chief O'Hara was only in the 60's series.

Whatta useless cop!

How did he become Chief of Police?

He musta found the badge in a cereal box

Vicki Vale was a regular in the comics in the 40's. she was clearly inspired by Lois Lane, and just as clearly a distraction, since the psychology of the Batman is so different from that of Superman. Still she is canon, and well established, so there is the "Hollywood" necessity to introduce the character at least once in most filmed series.

Chief O'Hara was apparently created specifically for the 60's TV series and, thankfully, was not recreated in any other medium. Aunt Harriet breifly replaced Alfred in the comics in the early sixties, but Alfred was back and Aunt harriet gone before the series started. She has not appeared in other media, either.

Alfred's first appearance in the comics was in the late 40's. Apparently he was not yet well enough established when the script for the serial was written.

My mistake. I went by Richard's post instead of John's posting of the credits. Alfred is in the movie: Eric Wilton .... Alfred Pennyworth (uncredited)

Although, I question the listing as Alfred Pennyworth, especially as it is a later addition to the cast list and he was uncredited on the film. At that time, Alfred's last name was usually (when it was mentioned at all) Beagle. I am not sure when or why it was changed.

Richard Davies - I see there's on Alfred the butler. Did this character appear in the comics?
According to Les Daniels book about DC Comics the original Batman serial (1943) is credited with creating an Alfred the butler, but that Alfred appeared simultaneously in both the comics & the serial.

The original serial also had the first appearance of "The Batman's Cave".

BTW John why did you put this here instead of in the Movies board under Superheros? It is a MOVIE serial.

TomM - At that time, Alfred's last name was usually (when it was mentioned at all) Beagle. I am not sure when or why it was changed.
I'm not sure when, but ten to one it was because the writer, or editor, forgot, or didn't know, Alfred's last name. ;-)

Apparently the idea for the 1960s Batman TV show came from Hugh Hefner showing these serials at the Playboy mansion and people laughing at how ridiculous they were.

I love the bat-signal in this one- just a wheeled box that you plug in and slide over to the window...

Is it just me, or do the slow, radial wipes really do nothing to preserve the tension at the end of each episode?

RE: KAM I wasn't sure as to where to put it.

If someone wants to move it, g'head!

I swear... I was joking with a friend about this... the only way Batman can win a fight is by jumping down on someone! Every fight that starts on ground level, he's destined to lose! It works without fail.
There was one moment- I forget the chapter, but shortly before Batman's "Tangle with the Switchboard" where he grabs to thugs and smashes their heads together- where we could see the Batman we know and love.
On the other hand, there were offsetting moments, like the one shortly before the gasoine-on-water cliffhanger, where Batman walks up to a thug, get's punched in the face without moving, says "That hurt," and then punches the guy's lights out. These moments seemed more like the Adam West Batman.

The invisibility effects were great, though- especialy when the Wizard reappears in some bushes, in the middle of rustling the branches- top notch!


Finally finished watching this today. A few more things I noticed:

There's a shot of a car crossing a bridge (for example, when they're on the way to pick up the money tossed from a train) that's used 4 or 5 times, I think.

In Chapter 8, Batman and Robin are watching a car from a plane (Note: "Nobody can see us at this altitude"- they are even higher than the other plane!) But when it shows Robin's POV in the binoculars, we see the car they're watching FROM GROUND LEVEL!

Also, when the thugs change cars (nice detection avoidance method) the car that goes over the cliff is a completely different model- a squared carriage, stubby model that doesn't lok anything like the rounded, elongated cab of the vehicle they were using. (Though I'm ashamed to admit someone else had to point this out to me...)


In chapter 9, the Wizard uses his remote control machine to disable Batman's car and prevent Batman from pursuing some thugs. What were the thugs doing? Racing back with the synthetic diamonds that the Wizard NEEDED TO MAKE THE MACHINE WORK AGAIN!!! So how was he using it without the diamonds?

In chapter 14, Why is no one surprised to see the invalid professor walking? Also, what is the point of that rejuvination machine, and the Prof's skulking about? As far as I can tell, it's never explained.


Very clever on the ending, in many places- especially the submarine's use, etc. Some good twists, although there isn't much of an ending confrontation.
All in all, not as bad as some serials- except for the cliff-hangers, which were usually pathetically resolved- except perhaps for the falling-out-of-a-window cliff-hanger. That was fairly clever.

The "falling out the window" scene is the result of the familiar "Batman" cliche'...whoever discovers Batman's secret identity....DIES!

(Vicki Vale's brother discovers who Batman is, takes his costume, and falls out a window and dies)

In part 2, the Wizard says he'll STOP the train carrying the explosives. All he does is slow it down.
-------------------------------------------------
At one point Robin takes off his mask in broad daylight to talk to Bruce Wayne. Thankfully, no one sees him!

Addendum to Zarm's posting:

ALL of the vehicles that drive off the cliffs change types and models. They're not the same types and models that were seen driving down the road a few seconds beforehand.

Zarm Rkeeg noted Batman's utterance of "That hurt" during one of the fight scenes. I don't think that was deliberate. I believe it was an accident.

In my opinion, the person playing the bad guy forgot to pull his punch and accidently hit Robert Lowery's face for real.

So...in other words...it's a blooper!

Continuity award:

The grandfather clock used to enter the Batcave from Wayne Manor is the same grandfather clock that was used from the 1943 series. (It's just missing the pendulum)

TomM - Alfred's first appearance in the comics was in the late 40's. Apparently he was not yet well enough established when the script for the serial was written.
Actually Alfred appeared in Batman #16 which was in 1943.

Although, I question the listing as Alfred Pennyworth, especially as it is a later addition to the cast list and he was uncredited on the film. At that time, Alfred's last name was usually (when it was mentioned at all) Beagle. I am not sure when or why it was changed.
The Beagle name appeared once in the comics, Detective Comics #96 (February 1945), & once in the comic strip (IIRC the February 25, 1945 strip) & apparently forgotten about when they gave Alfred the Pennyworth name in 1969 (Batman #216).