The LOST Batman Movie

[00:00:00]Before Christian Bale, Michael Keaton, and even Adam West, there was someone who put on the cowl decades prior. Lewis Wilson played the first live-action Batman. And this version of Batman is a lot stranger than you would think, but very cool. A secret government agent assigned to deal with a Japanese plot during World War II. You heard that right. This Batman isn't some clandestine vigilante, but a sanctioned government agent. This low-budget, almost three and a half-hour story, when combined, changed Batman forever. It introduced the Batcave, featured Robin, transformed Alfred, and introduced other elements that are found in modern Batman lore today. This happened 23 years before Adam West in a 15-chapter movie simply called Batman.

[00:00:50]It's also so controversial, it makes Zack Snyder's DCEU seem like a Kumbaya moment for DC fans. What is a movie serial? A quick primer in case you never heard that term. Before television, studios sold ongoing chapter plays to theaters. You'd buy your ticket, watch a 15- to 45-minute chapter that typically [music] ended on the cliffhanger, and you'd come back next week to see how the hero survived. Columbia's Batman ran 15 of those chapters.

[00:01:19]>> [music] >> It was cheap, it was fast, and it was built around the biggest force in 1943, the war. In many ways, this was Captain America-esque, but fighting a domestic mission. But don't get me wrong, we literally see this Batman in military situations. It's [music] important to keep in mind this serial dropped when war propaganda was at its highest. Even the Looney Tunes were participating alongside Superman, Popeye, Captain America, and many huge properties. This is why the villain of the series isn't Joker or anyone else from Batman's rogues' gallery. It is an original villain named Dr. Daka, a Japanese spy, a mad scientist, a saboteur who set up a base inside the United States. This is where it gets controversial, however. He was played by an Irish-American actor, J. Carrol Naish, who wore heavy yellow makeup and participated in dialogue and narration that was [music] stuffed with the most anti-Japanese crude language of the era.

[00:02:27]Unfortunately, this was commonplace in war propaganda at the time. Because of this, the serial includes content that is perceived to be abhorrently racist and was massively edited or buried for decades. This is one of the main reasons why it's often left out in official Batman history. But here at Movie Talk Now, we don't do that. Old movies and old shows can still be enjoyed with the context and knowing that much of the language and behavior is completely unacceptable in a modern time. And because of that, we're diving in like Pete Davidson dives into ex-wives. One reason why the live-action Batman serials can't be ignored is because it changed Batman lore and history forever. Number one, the Batcave. The underground headquarters did not exist in the comics or any other medium. The serial introduced the underground lair and called it the Bats Cave. Alfred, Batman, and Robin would enter through a secret entrance behind the grandfather clock in Wayne Manor. The comics adopted both ideas almost immediately after. So, the show didn't just invent the Batcave, it also introduced the Batcave's secret entrance. This is why all forms of Batman media needs to take risks and introduce something new. You never know what's going to a Number two, Alfred. Alfred had just been introduced in the comics a few months earlier. He was drawn as a chubby, clean-shaven, comedic butler. The serial, however, cast a thin, mustached William Austin. And the comics literally rewrote the character to follow suit.

[00:04:08]And that look has stuck for over 80 years. Not to mention, the 1943 serials was re-released in 1965 as An Evening with Batman and Robin. And its popularity helped inspire the creation of the 1966 Adam West and Burt Ward TV series Batman and Robin. The first live-action Batman deserves credit. The first live-action Batman is the only live-action Batman to serve as a US government agent on an official mission. I stress a secret government agent because he is essentially a walking [music] Patriot Act. He has no regard for warrants, ignores the laws of trespassing, and doesn't have any oversight. But, Joseph Heath over at Minty Pineapple Entertainment pointed out an interesting aspect that I realized is true after reading his claim. Unlike other Batmans that have a higher body count than Kim Kardashian, this Batman doesn't take out anyone permanently. Yes, enemies die around him at an alarming rate, but never by his own hands. That makes this Batman and The Batman the only live-action Batmans to adopt an unofficial no-kill rule. This version of Bruce Wayne gets no origin story at all.

[00:05:31]There's no Crime Alley, no mention of murdered parents, no vow. The serial just drops you in with Bruce Wayne as an established Batman. In public, he plays a bored, idle playboy with a girlfriend named Linda Page whose uncle is kidnapped by Dr. Daka. Like many animated and comic versions, this Batman wore a full spandex suit. This and the second live-action appearance are the only serious depictions where this is the case. It's very possible that this version of Bruce Wayne is a genius, but it remains a little bit unclear.

[00:06:09]We see him very comfortable with chemistry. He's a master detective and is implied that he is the engineer of the Batcave, which again was introduced [music] in the serial. Not only did he plan and engineer the Batcave, but the same goes for the secret entrance behind the grandfather clock, as well as the crime lab and the undercover tools. Some of this iteration's Batman's feats are wild. He somehow survived a plane crash that was shot down via artillery fire and was able to run away from the scene unscathed. To put that in the perspective, everyone else on the flight perished. Batman had no armor, no parachute, just cojones larger than Kanye West's ego. This Batman took down entire groups of people single-handedly and was even described by the genius-level overarching villain as being a superior man. Batman manages to dodge gunfire, escaped electrified tightwires, and survived falling off a cliff inside a normal vehicle without any safety gear. And he handled it like he missed the first 5 minutes of a movie. No big deal. This Batman is not invincible, however. He was literally pistol-whipped unconscious and was bested several times. Bruce is a master detective and manages to track leads, interrogates henchmen, and goes undercover more than once. At one point, after the villain was outwitted once again, Dr. Daka snapped and yelled, "The Batman must be a magician or a devil.

[00:07:46]He's clever and resourceful, just not a supercomputer of later eras." He was played by Lewis Wilson, who at just 23 years old became the first and to this day the youngest actor to play Batman in live-action. While he was in shape, he didn't have a modern superhero physique.

[00:08:06]But, back then, Olympian body types was not the norm, especially among action stars. There's a strange twist to his legacy, though. His son, Michael G.

[00:08:18]Wilson, grew up to become a long-time producer of the James Bond franchise, meaning the first man to play Batman fathered one of the most important figures in the world of James Bond. By the way, if you're enjoying this video, hit the hype button and hit the like button. You have no idea how much it helps videos like this. The first live-action Robin. In the serial, Dick Grayson >> [music] >> is Bruce Wayne's young ward and full-time crime-fighting partner, and honestly, often times, the more reliable half of the duo. He's quick, fearless, athletic. He bails Batman over and over.

[00:08:57]For example, he saves him from an oncoming train, stops a death trap elevator, frees him from mind control, and more. While Batman is the head and the one that enters dangerous situations first, typically, Robin is the backup plan, >> [music] >> but a backup plan that is utilized more than Rosie O'Donnell has attempted career comebacks. Behind the scenes, Robin was played by Douglas Croft, who was just 16 years old during filming, and to this day, the youngest actor to ever play Robin. Like the rest of the production, his costume was cheap and handmade. His mask was reportedly held on with string, part of why the whole serial looks rough. Croft died young in 1963, never living to see Burt Ward's famous portrayal in the 1966 Batman TV show. A few more details that makes this version of Batman and the movie serials even more fascinating. There's no origin story at all, like mentioned before. His police contact is Captain Arnold, an original character, not Commissioner Gordon. There is no Batmobile. Bruce just drives his own black 1939 Cadillac convertible. And Batman co-creator Bob Kane reportedly visited the set and was surprised it was missing. In my opinion, the writers were self-aware of the humor involving Batman sitting in the back of his own vehicle while being chauffeured to crime scenes. The utility belt is large, visibly on the costume, but never used. The cowl is famously ill-fitting with devil ears that droop. And the villain's gang isn't just Japanese insurgents. It's the League of the New Order, stuffed with corrupt American greedy traitors making Daka not just a foreign spy, but a recruiter of traitors as well. A quick synopsis of the serial without going cliffhanger to cliffhanger. This movie serial takes place during World War inside the United States. Batman and Robin are working as US government agents on a mission to stop Dr. Daka, a foreign Japanese spy running a sabotage ring. In his hideout, Dr. Daka is working with kidnapped scientists to develop mind-blowing technologies such as a disintegrating ray and mind-controlling technology. The middle of the serial is basically Batman escaping one death trap after another.

[00:11:20]Batman is thrown off roofs, survives plane crashes, escapes closing walls with Robin repeatedly pulling him out of the fire. Bruce even goes undercover as a small-time crook, Chuck White, to infiltrate the gang from the inside. It all ends with Dr. Daka's alligator pit. He manages to capture Batman and sets him up to become mind-controlled. But, in between the procedure, Robin managed to swap him out with a henchman. The duo storm the lair and corner Dr. Daka and accidentally plunges into the alligator pit and getting taken out like Batman's parents.

[00:11:58]The captives were all saved. The takeaways, despite a small budget and not being taken very seriously initially, they took risks and made it work. In my opinion, outside of the racially unacceptable writing, it aged quite well, particularly the visual effects. I personally love the costume.

[00:12:18]And it's fun to appreciate since we most likely will never see a spandex lycra costume ever again. And by the way, I'm not rooting to see one in live-action again. I'd rather have Batman [music] wearing armor if he's going to go into battle with armed men. However, it's nice to appreciate the vintage comic accuracy of this era's iteration. And they introduced new concepts [music] that ended up being so unique, so powerful, so creative that it ended up becoming well-established mainstream Batman lore. No matter the medium, Batman movies and shows should always strive to try something new. Even a cheap wartime serial managed to create enduring pieces of Batman canon. The little guys took risks and won. Quick disclaimer, obviously the serials in 1943 were shot in black and white as well as the principal photography.

[00:13:15]According to serial collectors and preservationists, notably the Serial Squadron, Batman's cape in the 1943 serial was actually a cobalt blue. It just photographed as gray in the black and white filming. This is why we are able to, with pretty decent accuracy, colorize scenes from the serial. But with Robin, I couldn't find much. So, when I show images of colorized Robin, it's done with a bit of creative liberty. However, other colorized restoration by creators with more experience in this field have consistently rendered the tunic as red and the lower half as green. Unlike Batman's cape, there isn't a widely cited garment photo, crew interview, or costume designer quote that clarifies this question. If you enjoyed this video, hit the high button and hit the like button. You have no idea how much it helps videos like this. Thank you for watching and [music] let me know what you think about this iteration of Batman in the comments.