Batman was a 15-chapter serial released in 1943 by Columbia Pictures. The serial starred Lewis Wilson as Batman and Douglas Croft as Robin. J. Carrol Naish played the villain, an original character named Dr. Daka. Rounding out the cast were Shirley Patterson as Linda Page (Bruce Wayne's love interest), and William Austin as Alfred. The plot is based on Batman, a US government agent, attempting to defeat the Japanese agent Dr. Daka, at the height of World War II.
The film is notable for being the first filmed appearance of Batman and for providing two core elements of the Batman mythos. The film introduced "The Bat's Cave" and the Grandfather clock entrance. The name was altered to the Batcave in the comic. William Austin had a trim physique and sported a thin mustache. The contemporary comic Alfred was overweight and clean-shaven prior to this serial's release. The comics version of Alfred was altered to match that of Austin's. This is the way he is usually portrayed now. The popularity of a re-release of this serial in the 1960s, called An Evening with Batman and Robin, directly led to the Batman television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. However, it hasn't been officially said whether or not the serial takes place in the same continuity as the Batman 1960s show.
The success of both the re-release and the subsequent TV series prompted the production of another serial based series, the Green Hornet TV series. It was played as a straight action mystery series, "in the tradition of its former presentations," and was also very popular with audiences but lasted only one season due to significantly higher production costs. As a result, serial revivals were not believed to be possible at that time.
Although the serial was set in Gotham City and several references were made to various Gotham establishments, Bruce Wayne's address was given as "1918 Hill Road, Los Angeles, Calif."
Chapter titles
The Electrical Brain
The Bat's Cave
The Mark of the Zombies
Slaves of the Rising Sun
The Living Corpse
Poison Peril
The Phoney Doctor
Lured by Radium
The Sign of the Sphinx
Flying Spies
A Nipponese Trap
Embers of Evil
Eight Steps Down
The Executioner Strikes
The Doom of the Rising Sun
Download links: (note: I had to split the first chapter up, otherwise rapidshare wouldn't let me upload it)
http://rapidshare.com/files/357783808/BatmanChapter_01.part1.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357784326/BatmanChapter_01.part2.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357784329/BatmanChapter_01.part3.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357499837/Batman_Chapter_02.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357494612/Batman_Chapter_03.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357496167/Batman_Chapter_04.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357495758/Batman_Chapter_05.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357559681/Batman_Chapter_06.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357557020/Batman_Chapter_07.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357559876/Batman_Chapter_08.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357557235/Batman_Chapter_09.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357557378/Batman_Chapter_10.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357559884/Batman_Chapter_11.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357556810/Batman_Chapter_12.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357557325/Batman_Chapter_13.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357557068/Batman_Chapter_14.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357557455/Batman_Chapter_15.avi.html
The film is notable for being the first filmed appearance of Batman and for providing two core elements of the Batman mythos. The film introduced "The Bat's Cave" and the Grandfather clock entrance. The name was altered to the Batcave in the comic. William Austin had a trim physique and sported a thin mustache. The contemporary comic Alfred was overweight and clean-shaven prior to this serial's release. The comics version of Alfred was altered to match that of Austin's. This is the way he is usually portrayed now. The popularity of a re-release of this serial in the 1960s, called An Evening with Batman and Robin, directly led to the Batman television series starring Adam West and Burt Ward. However, it hasn't been officially said whether or not the serial takes place in the same continuity as the Batman 1960s show.
The success of both the re-release and the subsequent TV series prompted the production of another serial based series, the Green Hornet TV series. It was played as a straight action mystery series, "in the tradition of its former presentations," and was also very popular with audiences but lasted only one season due to significantly higher production costs. As a result, serial revivals were not believed to be possible at that time.
Although the serial was set in Gotham City and several references were made to various Gotham establishments, Bruce Wayne's address was given as "1918 Hill Road, Los Angeles, Calif."
Chapter titles
The Electrical Brain
The Bat's Cave
The Mark of the Zombies
Slaves of the Rising Sun
The Living Corpse
Poison Peril
The Phoney Doctor
Lured by Radium
The Sign of the Sphinx
Flying Spies
A Nipponese Trap
Embers of Evil
Eight Steps Down
The Executioner Strikes
The Doom of the Rising Sun
Download links: (note: I had to split the first chapter up, otherwise rapidshare wouldn't let me upload it)
http://rapidshare.com/files/357783808/BatmanChapter_01.part1.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357784326/BatmanChapter_01.part2.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357784329/BatmanChapter_01.part3.rar.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357499837/Batman_Chapter_02.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357494612/Batman_Chapter_03.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357496167/Batman_Chapter_04.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357495758/Batman_Chapter_05.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357559681/Batman_Chapter_06.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357557020/Batman_Chapter_07.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357559876/Batman_Chapter_08.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357557235/Batman_Chapter_09.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357557378/Batman_Chapter_10.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357559884/Batman_Chapter_11.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357556810/Batman_Chapter_12.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357557325/Batman_Chapter_13.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357557068/Batman_Chapter_14.avi.html
http://rapidshare.com/files/357557455/Batman_Chapter_15.avi.html
