Batman and Robin (serial)

Infobox Film
name = Batman and Robin


image_size =
caption =
director = Spencer Gordon Bennet
producer = Sam Katzman
writer = George H. Plympton
Joseph F. Poland
Royal K. Cole
Bob Kane "(character)"
narrator =
starring = Robert Lowery
Johnny Duncan
Jane Adams
Lyle Talbot
Ralph Graves
Don C. Harvey
William Fawcett
Leonard Penn
music = Mischa Bakaleinikoff
cinematography = Ira H. Morgan
editing = Dwight Caldwell
Earl Turner
distributor = Columbia Pictures
released = Flagicon|USA 26 May 1949
runtime = 15 chapters (263 min)
country = USA
language = English
budget =
preceded_by = "Batman"
followed_by =
website =
amg_id = 1:143325
imdb_id = 0041162

"Batman and Robin" (1949) was a 15-chapter serial released by Columbia Pictures.

Robert Lowery played Batman, while Johnny Duncan played Robin. Supporting players included Jane Adams as Vicki Vale and veteran character actor Lyle Talbot as Commissioner Gordon.

Plot

The plot dealt with the Dynamic Duo facing off against the Wizard, a hooded villain whose identity remains a mystery throughout the serial until the end.

Cast

*Robert Lowery as Batman/Bruce Wayne
*Johnny Duncan as Robin/Dick Grayson
*Jane Adams as Vicki Vale
*Lyle Talbot as Commissioner Jim Gordon
*Ralph Graves as Winslow Harrison
*Don C. Harvey as Nolan, a henchman
*William Fawcett as Professor Hammil
*Leonard Penn as Carter, Hammil's valet and The Wizard
*Rick Vallin as Barry Brown
*Michael Whalen as Private Investigator Dunne
*Greg McClure as Evans, a henchman
*House Peters, Jr. as Earl, a henchman
*Jim Diehl as Jason, a henchman
*Rusty Wescoatt as Ives, a henchman
*Eric Wilton as Alfred Pennyworth, (uncredited)

Casting

John Duncan as Robin has an inappropriate surly expression and a tattoo on his arm.cite book
last = Harmon
first = Jim
coauthors= Donald F. Glut
authorlink = Jim Harmon
title = The Great Movie Serials: Their Sound and Fury
origyear = 1973
publisher = Routledge
isbn = 9780713000979
pages = pp. 240-242
chapter = 10. The Long-Underwear Boys "You've Met Me, Now Meet My Fist!" ]

Production

"As usual on a Katzman production," note Harmon and Glut, "the low budget showed everywhere in money-saving shortcuts, and inadequacies." The Batman costume had a poorly fitting cowl and the Robin costume added pink tights to cover the "hairy-legs" of both the actor and stuntman. The Batmobile is again excluded, but instead of a limousine, as in the first serial, the duo drive around in a 1949 Mercury.

Several mistakes and failures of logic occur in the serial. One example of this is that the film shows the Batsignal working in broad daylight. Another occurs despite the fact that the heroes' utility belts had been replaced by normal belts for this serial, with no pockets or pouches. Nevertheless, in order to escape from a vault, Batman pulls a blowtorch from his belt. To compound this mistake, it is a full-sized blowtorch that would have been impossible to carry unseen on his person. Harmon and Glut suggest that this was probably scripted to be a miniaturised 3-inch blowtorch, as used in the comics, but the film-makers followed the directions for a "blowtorch" literally.

Release

Home media

The serial was released on DVD in 2005.

Critical reception

Despite the significantly higher budget, it was slightly inferior to the original 1943 serial. But nevertheless, the acting was regarded as better than the first Batman serial. In particular, Lowery is regarded as being a much tougher Batman than his predecessor Lewis Wilson.Fact|date=July 2007

Chapter four is "one of the weirdest episodes" of the serial. During this instalment, Batman spends half the chapter climbing a cliff while Robin pursues a speeding truck on foot.

Chapter titles

# Batman Takes Over
# Tunnel of Terror
# Robin's Wild Ride
# Batman Trapped
# Robin Rescues Batman
# Target - Robin!
# The Fatal Blast
# Robin Meets the Wizard
# The Wizard Strikes Back
# Batman's Last Chance
# Robin's Ruse
# Robin Rides the Wind
# The Wizard's Challenge
# Batman vs. Wizard
# Batman Victorious_Source: [cite book
last = Cline
first = William C.
title = In the Nick of Time
origyear = 1984
publisher = McFarland & Company, Inc.
isbn = 078640471X
pages = pp. 249
chapter = Filmography ]

ee also

*List of film serials
*List of film serials by studio
*List of films based on English-language comics

References

External links

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###@@@KEY@@@###succession box
title=Columbia Serial
before=Bruce Gentry (1949)
years=Batman and Robin (1949)
after=Adventures of Sir Galahad (1949)