US 1943 b&w 260 min.
dir:  Lambert Hillyer
pro: Rudolph C. Flothow, Columbia Pictures Corporation
sc: Victor McLeod, Leslie Swabacker, Harry L. Fraser
ph: James S. Brown Jr.
mus: Lee Zahler
ed:  Dwight Caldwell, Earl Turner
cast: Lewis Wilson, Douglas Croft, J. Carrol Naish, Shirley Patterson
dis: Coulmbia Pictures

The film is notable for being the first filmed appearance of Batman and for providing two core elements of the Batman mythos. It introduced “The Bat’s Cave” and its entrance through a grandfather clock, which subsequently appeared in the comics. The serial also had an effect on the depiction of the Alfred character in later Batman works. Alfred was overweight and clean-shaven in contemporary comics, but the later comics portrayed him as trim and sporting a thin mustache following William Austin’s appearance. The serial was successful in its day, and was followed by a sequel, “Batman and Robin”, in 1949. However, its low production value and over-the-top action and dialogue caused later audiences and reviewers to find it ridiculous. It was re-released in 1965 to capitalize on its camp value. The re-released version, called “An Evening with Batman and Robin”, proved very popular, and its success inspired the intentionally campy Batman television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward.