Overlooked Films: Batman and Robin (1949)

After my first viewing of the first Batman serial from 1943 (reviewed HERE), which I enjoyed quite a bit, I thought this one might be a step up. Sadly, no. In fact, in all but one aspect, it's a step down. And that single improvement is the one displayed right here - the movie poster art.

For me, the biggest letdown is the script. While the first serial had some witty lines, and seemed in line with other film dialogue of the '40s, this one never rises above the level of a Golden Age comic book. In other words, it's predictable and dull.

Then there's the acting. In Batman, Lewis Wilson was an engaging Bruce Wayne. I had high hopes for his replacement, Robert Lowery, because Lowery looks sort of like Johnny Weismuller, with a touch of Victor Mature. But aside from looking sort of like those guys, he doesn't do much. As Bruce Wayne, he simply yawns a lot. And John Duncan, the new Robin, looks way too old to be running around in a yellow cape and Speedos.

The costume department didn't do Batman any favors, either. His belt looks like it was borrowed from a Vegas chorus girl – and the cowl is just laughable. The ears stick out like devil’s horns, the eye slits don’t line up with his eyes, and the nose piece forms a long floppy beak.

As in the first serial, there is no Batmobile, probably a budget cutter. But this time, the car keeps changing. Sometimes our heroes are driving a Mercury convertible, sometimes a different make of convertible, and sometimes a sedan. Worst of all, the sedan is the same one the bad guys were driving in the previous episode. It would seem that when it came time to shoot, they just grabbed whatever was available in the Columbia Pictures motor pool.

Another letdown: There's no Wayne Manor. Instead, Bruce and Dick inhabit a relatively modest home in the suburbs, and simply park their car in the driveway. Apparently the neighbors don't notice when two guys in superhero suits rush out of the house and jump into the convertible.

The master villain, on the other hand, lives in a mansion on a hill, and has a secret entrance through his fireplace to a complex of caves below. Jeez, I wonder where they got that idea?

 

More Overlooked Filmish stuff at SWEET FREEDOM.