Batman and Robin (1949)

Director:

Spencer Gordon Bennet

Writers:

Bob Kane (comics)
George H. Plympton (screenplay) ...

Release Date:

26 May 1949 (USA)

Genre:

Action | Adventure | Crime | Drama | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Based On The Well-Known Batman Comic Magazine Feature appearing in "Detective Comics" and "Batman" Magazines

Plot:

The caped crusaders versus The Wizard, black-hooded mastermind.

Plot Keywords:

Batman | Convertible | Photographer | Hooded Villain | Cave

Cast

Robert Lowery	...	Batman / Bruce Wayne
Johnny Duncan	...	Robin / Dick Grayson (as John Duncan)
Jane Adams	...	Vicki Vale
Lyle Talbot	...	Commissioner Jim Gordon
Ralph Graves	...	Winslow Harrison [Chs. 7-8]
Don C. Harvey	...	Henchman Nolan [Chs. 1-6] (as Don Harvey)
William Fawcett	...	Prof. Hammil
Leonard Penn	...	Carter - Hammil's valet
Rick Vallin	...	Barry Brown
Michael Whalen	...	Private Investigator Dunne [Chs. 2, 9, 12]
Greg McClure	...	Henchman Evans [Chs. 1-6]
House Peters Jr.	...	Henchman Earl [Chs. 7-15]
Jim Diehl	...	Henchman Jason [Chs. 3-15]
Rusty Wescoatt	...	Henchman Ives [Chs. 3-13]

Also Known As:

The Adventures of Batman and Robin
The New Adventures of Batman and Robin

Runtime:

263 min (15 episodes)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (RCA Sound System)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #13671-13685)

Filming Locations:

George Lewis Mansion - Benedict Canyon Drive, Bel Air, Los Angeles, California, USA

Company:

Columbia Pictures Corporation

Trivia:

Vicki Vale would become a common character in the Batman comics after this film. Bob Kane based her on Marilyn Monroe, whom he met during the film's banquet.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Wires can be seen when The Wizard is supposed to be invisible, most notably in the telephone booth when The Wizard is on the run and calls his headquarters.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Narrator: Crime, striking our city night and day, is on the increase. Our undermanned police force is helpless to cope with the situation, but they have an ally - Batman - who with the faithful Robin, wages unending war against all criminals!

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Hill Street Blues: Ratman and Bobbin (#4.11)" (1984)

A wonderful glimpse into another time!

I was fumbling through the DVD section in Wal-Mart, and what do I find? The 1949 Batman and Robin complete serial!!! Newly released by Columbia! Being a true fan of the caped crusader, how could I NOT want to watch it??!! OK, folks, let's get real, don't watch this if you are looking for high-tech special effects, brilliant dialogue, women (there's only one and she's a main character, Vicki Vale...who is always "getting in trouble", with Batman having to save her!), a Batmobile or any Bat-gadget! This serial was made at a time when studios spared all expense in making "fluff" to appeal to kids when they went to the movies on Saturday mornings. (Don't scoff, all you baby boomers....cartoon makers of the 1970s did the same thing...with the same bad dialogue and bad acting...witness "Superfriends", (which I also liked!), they just did it for Television!) I started watching this serial having never seen it...only saw a little of it in the special features of the 1966 Batman movie DVD. The costume is silly...looks like Bruce Wayne's grandmother sewed it together...Robin's costume isn't much better....there is no Batmobile, (although Batman and Robin do ride around in a Mercury convertible, and even change costumes in it..hmmmm..homo erotica? NAH!!), and no Bat-gadgets, although there is a neat scene where Bruce Wayne uses a device in the Batcave to "retore" a burned photo-negative. (I also giggle at all the shadows of flying bats in the cave....but you NEVER see a bat!) What there is is a good story! A super-villain..namely "The Wizard", whom the episodes lead you to think is an old, wheelchair bound scientist, who, when he sits in a chair that looks like it was stolen from the state penitentiary's execution room, regains the use ofhis legs...and puts on a black costume, shrouding his entire body, and, using a stolen bit of technology he created, can remotely control all motor vehicles...but not only that, he can make them explode as well, and the pies de resistance....he can make himself INVISIBLE!! He also has the ability to project his image and hypnotize victims with flashing eyes. Truly creepy!!! However, there is a GREAT plot twist at the end to prove who the Wizard REALLY is! As far as the acting is concerned.......there isn't any. I am reminded of Ed Wood flicks like Plan 9 from Outer Space when I watch it...but why not? George S. Plympton was one of the writers...wasn't he a friend of Ed's??? There is little emotion portrayed by the actors...everyone says their lines in a manner-of-fact way, however, the story is so good and action so fast-paced, you really don't notice it. What I DID notice and what made me giggle, was that EVERY male performer, except the Wizard so far, wears a Fedora!!! They all look like they were in some old gangster movie!! I originally wrote this review after seeing only 6 of the 15 episodes...it was difficult to turn the DVD player off after the 6th episode...but, I wanted something fun to watch tomorrow!! I came back and corrected some incorrect information I gave AFTER finishing the series. If you're a die-hard Batman fan, you should like this, unless you get upset by movies not following the comic's story lines! Those of you who like to get a glimpse of a time gone by, you'll LOVE this! It's not possible for me to give this serial 10 out 10 stars, mainly because of the bad acting....however, it certainly earns at least 7! By the way, it is very easy to tell that this is what the 1966 Batman TV series was based on!