Product of Its Time Period that brought crucial elements into the Batman lore
When the comic book series Batman appeared in North American houses, the character enriched pop culture with a dark sense of justice; fighting criminals within a city of Darkness polar opposite to Superman’s Metropolis. Gritty, violent and down to earth, the hero’s abilities brought him easier access to audiences as they could relate to his trials. And as his stories appeared while World War Two began, he would become an ambassador for American Justice; in the fight versus Adolf Hitler’s regime and those of Hiro-Hito and Mussolini.
Among the political pamphlets Batman participated in, this 1943 movie serial of fifteen episodes allowed the American Government to educate viewers about the dangers of Hirohito’s armies toward America. For in the story, we see Batman and Robin fighting against the diabolical Dr. Daka whose projects include turning innocent people into zombies with his machines. And as Bruce’s fiancee Linda Paige gets caught into the conflict since her uncle is kidnapped by Dr. Daka and she tries to find her relative, it turns the motion picture into a thrilling suspense as each episode ends on cliffhangers that make us wonder how will the protagonists escape their dangers.
As mentionned earlier, the film was shown weekly in cinemas. Pioneering upcoming TV series productions and their serial premise; though on the big screen. Narrative quality closer to what David Lynch and Mark Frost would do on Twin Peaks. Meaning that seeing the episodes weekly could be a bit daunting and frustrating for those expecting quick advancement of the story. However for viewers who watch shows on DVDs, seeing the episodes back-to-back or daily becomes a more accessible and fructifying experience.
Now let’s make it clear, this 1943 Batman occurs during World War 2 and the USA’s fear of the Japanese Army and of Hiro-Hito, meaning that various hostile views about Japan are present in this motion picture serial. Racist insults such as “japs” and “shifty-eyed”, but also offensive portrayal of Japanese. Including the character of Dr. Daka being played by a white caucasian man whose make-up and costume would be unnaceptable today. Interestingly, the serial had much of its racist terms removed for the Home Video release since the new owner of the movie happened to be the japanese company Sony. But on the DVD release of this serial, all the racist and unpolitically correct terms are kept, allowing people to get the story as it was aired in 1940s cinemas. Allowing audiences to see the film serial as it should be. As a product of its time period. Of a decade where Japan was seen as the United States’s enemy and where the American government/population displayed racist attitudes over Japanese citizens/culture.
So for those who might be offended by some of the terms and portrayals of the Japanese community in this Batman production, please remember the film as a product of the past that reflects how Hollywood portrayed a foreign country and its community, but also of military propaganda that American audiences watched in the 1940s.
In its direction, the serial is quite classical. It shows mostly wide/chest/American shots of the characters as they fight against their enemies. Not much incredible or amazing fight choreographies as the Batman and Robin here act more like boxers wearing masks and costumes rather than acrobats who use gadgets to capture the bad guys. So don’t be surprised if the action scenes of this film are not as impressive as those in Tim Burton or Christopher Nolan’s productions. Of course, the action is watchable and good, but it might seem stale for some of today’s audiences as they might find Batman not much of a martial artist, nor his costume as practical for fights as the cape twists itself forward and gets caught in the stuntsman’s way.
In the cast, the actors chosen are appropriate. For Lewis Wilson, his Bruce Wayne is a fine dandy, but as a Batman he shows the same attitude, making him less discreet and not as subtle as to who he might be since he doesn’t change his voice or personality. For the character of Robin, Douglas Croft is excellent. Same thing for Shirley Patterson, who performs well her Linda Paige role. As a Gotham City Foundation and niece of Martin Warren, she is part of the action and does a fine range of scenes for the film. Regarding the stuntsmen, if the brawl fights are average, I found however the car pursuits more impressive.
Of course in its production design, the film is shot on movie sets, with some production done on location, especially for the car pursuits, but we see mostly studio sets and retro-projections to express moving backgrounds during car chases or stunning falls. As for the location scenes in Little Tokyo, be ready to groan as there are some incorrect kanji and hiragana/katakana characters on the walls and windows. Which shows how the film’s artists never consulted Japanese language and grammar rules. Even more weird is how the story claims many times that Batman and Bruce Wayne live in Gotham City, but when Bruce Wayne receives a letter, his address is Los Angeles California. Which shows a big lack of continuity and coherence in the production.
About the music, Lee Zahler’s orchestral compositions are excellent and paint the serial with an epic energy. For from the moment the opening credits start to the action scenes and the jaw-dropping cliffhangers, we are carried into a world of thrills and of super heroes trying to bring justice in Gotham City.
In sum, this series might be a product of its time period, but like other productions of Batman, it helped introduce crucial elements into the series folklore. Firstly, the impressive Batcave, location where the Dark Knight and Robin hide their costumes and prepare their strategies. Secondly, the portrayal of the butler Alfred Penningworth as a tall thin man sporting a mustache. Different from the comic book as its Alfred was obese and small. But after this serial, the Alfred in the comics became as similar as William Austin, which all Batman projects would follow afterwards. Same thing for the Batcave, as it would become larger and more impressive in the 1960s series and in Burton’s films.
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