History Film / TheBatman

[[quoteright:350:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batman_and_robin_1943.png]]
''The Batman'' (or simply ''Batman'') was a 15-chapter serial released in 1943 by Creator/ColumbiaPictures. The serial starred Creator/LewisWilson as Batman and Douglas Croft as Robin. J. Carrol Naish played the villain, an original character named Dr. Daka. Also starring 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. Dr. Daka possessing a dangerous device able to turn people into Zombie-like creatures. It also features an insanely ornate office-type Batdesk.

The film is noteworthy as Franchise/{{Batman}}'s first film and live action depiction as well as being the inspiration for the [[Series/Batman1966 1960s TV show]] that popularized Batman even further. In addition, this film marked the first appearance, film or print, of the Batcave. It also spawned a sequel serial called ''Film/{{Batman and Robin|Serial}}''.

Not to be confused with [[WesternAnimation/TheBatman the animated series of the same name]], nor the [[Film/TheBatman2021 2021 film]].
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!!Tropes associated with this work:

* AdaptationDistillation: Despite being one of the character's most well known traits, Batman does not use any gadgets in the entire series. The only tools he and Robin use are an occasional grappling hook, a flashlight that creates a Bat Signal on a wall, and a Radium Gun that Batman took from the villains.
* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: Tito Daka is...''not'' a Japanese name. As a matter of fact, it can't even be pronounced or written in Japanese, because the phonetic alphabet doesn't have a 'ti' sound.
* BackFromTheDead: Daka's superiors send him an important message by sending him a casket with a dead comrade inside it. Daka then uses a device that can bring a dead person back to life for a handful of seconds so the officer can give him the instructions and intel.
* BatmanGambit: Fittingly. Batman runs out of leads on Daka's organization, so he locks a mook in the Bat's cave. The mook eventually tries to make a phone call using a phone in the Cave. Batman has the phone rigged so the call not only doesn't go out, but he sees the number dialed and gets a location to investigate.
* CanonImmigrant: Several (surprising) examples:
** The idea of the Batcave (called the Bat's Cave in the serial), with an entrance through the grandfather clock, originated in this serial before moving over the comic books.
** The visual appearance of Alfred in the comic books was changed to match that of the actor in the serial; prior to this, Alfred was portrayed as a portly, clean-shaven butler.
** Tito Daka is a wholly original character meant to cash-in on American wartime fears of the Japanese, though he would eventually make an appearance in comic book form almost 80 years after his debut in [[https://www.cbr.com/batmans-first-movie-villain-vaka-dc-universe-debut/ ''DC's Crimes of Passion'' #1]].
* CheapCostume: The ears on the Batman Costume are not rigid, as they are in other film incarnations of the character and the ears flop around as Batman moves. They and the short cape make it seem much more like a Halloween costume than anything.
* CliffhangerCopout: Continuity is tweaked for nearly every chapter ending, recapped at the beginning of a following chapter. For instance, [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x7SyRZlsbP8 Chapter 13, "Eight Steps Down,"]] ends with Batman stuck in a DeathTrap in which [[TheWallsAreClosingIn spiked walls are closing in]] on him, which is cut away from just before the walls are about to crush our hero with no hope in sight for rescue. Then, the beginning of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=muRg_TGzCqs Chapter 14, "The Executioner Strikes,"]] shows Robin appearing ''much earlier'' during the same scene with more than enough time to slip Batman a crowbar to brace the walls moving in. In turn, the conclusion of [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3tld8Tm9mt8 Chapter 14]] shows Batman locked in a box and dropped in an alligator pit only for [[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NbCRVZCCC_g the next chapter]] to show that Robin managed to break Batman free in secret much earlier and replace him with a hapless [[{{Mooks}} mook]].
* TheCommissionerGordon: Batman's contact on the force is Captain Arnold rather than ''the'' Commissioner Gordon.
* DoesNotLikeGuns: Notably averted with Batman. Dr. Daka has developed a Radium Gun that can blast through anything. Batman steals it early in the series and uses it several times, though never on a person; he only uses it when he needs to cut through something, such as the roof of the villains' armored getaway vehicle.
* EntertaininglyWrong: Dr. Daka, observing the way Batman keeps turning up despite his mooks repeatedly "killing" him, entertains the suspicion that maybe "Batman" is a CollectiveIdentity for several agents.
* EverybodyLaughsEnding
* GoodSmokingEvilSmoking: Batman smokes as he hunts down the Japanese.
* HeelFaceTurn: Attempted by one of Daka's higher-ups. He then finds out Daka has an alligator pit, ''[[HeelFaceDoorSlam the hard way]]''.
* HoistByHisOwnPetard: [[spoiler: Dr. Daka meets his end by falling into his own alligator pit.]]
* JackBauerInterrogationTechnique: Batman locks a {{Mook}} in a room full of bats, to try and loosen his tongue.
* MindRape: Dr. Daka has a machine that can transform people into "zombies". Not in the traditional sense; they don't die, but they obey his every command without thought or question.
* NobodyHereButUsStatues: Daka's headquarters are reached through a carnival ride of Japanese war atrocities. Immediately outside the secret entrance is a guard, who poses as one of the waxworks on the ride until he's required to stop people entering or leaving without permission.
* NonActionBigBad: Once his various underlings have been dealt with, Daka himself isn't even a match for Robin in combat.
* PoliceAreUseless: Batman and Robin apprehend ''a lot'' of criminals with absolutely zero police assistance. If police do show up, it's long after there's anything useful to be done.
* PortraitPaintingPeephole: Dr. Daka uses one to observe "Chuck White", while screening him as a potential employee.
* RichIdiotWithNoDayJob: Bruce Wayne's cover for being Batman, cranked up much higher than usual in other works. It actually gets him into trouble, as his girlfriend is frequently dismayed in that Bruce frequently ditches her to work as Batman without offering a decent reason why.
* SharkPool: Daka has an alligator pit.
* {{Thememobile}}: Averted, in that the low budget of the serial prevented the studio from building or procuring a Batmobile for Batman and Robin. Rather, Batman and Robin ride around in Bruce Wayne's limo - with Alfred driving!
* UnderestimatingBadassery: In the early episodes, Daka insists that Batman is an "amateur" unworthy of comparison with his organisation. Several thwarted plots later, he's forced to change that opinion.
* TheWallsAreClosingIn: One of the cliffhanger death traps between Chapters 13 and 14.
* WhereTheHellIsSpringfield: The serial takes place in Gotham City, but Wayne Manor's address is stated to be in Los Angeles, California.
* YellowPeril:
** The villain, Dr. Daka, is a stock WWII era Japanese villain. Played by J. Carroll Naish, an Irish-American actor.
** The narration and dialogue in the serial makes very clear who was fighting whom in WWII. The opening narration describes how "a wise government rounded up the shifty-eyed Japs" to explain the abandoned part of town in which Daka operates.
* {{Yellowface}}: The Japanese Tito Daka is played by Irishman J. Carroll Naish.
* YourCostumeNeedsWork: Two mechanics mistake Daka for one of the actors in his carnival ride, and tell him that while his costume's fine, [[LeaningOnTheFourthWall his accent needs work.]]

Not to be confused with [[WesternAnimation/TheBatman the animated series of the same name]], nor the upcoming Creator/MattReeves [[Film/TheBatman2021 film]].

Not to be confused with [[WesternAnimation/TheBatman the animated series of the same name]], nor the upcoming Creator/MattReeves film.

Not to be confused with [[WesternAnimation/TheBatman the animated series of the same name]], nor the upcoming Creator/MattReeves film that's been tentatively titled ''The Batman''.

* CheapCostume: The ears on the Batman Costume are not rigid, as they are in other film incarnations of the character and the ears flop around as Batman moves. They and the short cape add a distracting amount of ''Narm'' to Batman.

* BatmanGrabsAGun: Dr. Daka has developed a Radium Gun that can blast through anything. Batman steals it early in the series and uses it several times. Though- in fairness- he never uses it on a person; he only uses it when he needs to cut through something, such as the roof of the villains' armored getaway vehicle.

* AsLongAsItSoundsForeign: Tito Daka is...''not'' a Japanese name.

Not to be confused with [[WesternAnimation/TheBatman the animated series of the same name]], nor the upcoming DCEU film that's been tentatively titled ''The Batman''.

The film is noteworthy as Franchise/{{Batman}}'s first film and live action depiction as well as being the inspiration for the [[Series/Batman1966 1960s TV show that popularized Batman.]] In addition, this film marked the first appearance, film or print, of the Batcave. It also spawned a sequel serial called ''Film/{{Batman and Robin|Serial}}''.

The film is noteworthy as Franchise/{{Batman}}'s first film and live action depiction as well as being the inspiration for the [[Series/{{Batman}} 1960s TV show that popularized Batman.]] In addition, this film marked the first appearance, film or print, of the Batcave. It also spawned a sequel serial called ''Film/{{Batman and Robin|Serial}}''.

* HeelFaceTurn: Attempted by one of Daka's higher-ups. He then finds out Daka has an alligator pit, ''the hard way''.

[[quoteright:177:https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/batman_1943_6236.jpg]]

Not to be confused with [[WesternAnimation/TheBatman the animated series of the same name]], nor the upcoming DCEU film that's been tentatively titled ''Film/{{The Batman|2021}}''.

* FunnyInRetrospect: Batman infiltrates Dr. Daka's organization under the alias of Chuck White, or "Mr. White" if you will. Batman uses a variation of the favorite alias of ''the Joker.''

Not to be confused with [[WesternAnimation/TheBatman the animated series of the same name]], nor the upcoming Creator/MattReeves film tentatively with the same title.

* TheWallsAreClosingIn: One of the cliffhanger death-traps.

The film is noteworthy as Franchise/{{Batman}}'s first film and live action depiction as well as being the inspiration for the [[Series/{{Batman}} 1960s TV show that popularized Batman.]] In addition, this film marked the first appearance, film or print, of the Batcave. It also spawned a sequel serial called ''Film/{{Batman and Robin|Serial}}''. Go to ''WesternAnimation/TheBatman'' if you're looking for the animated Batman series of the same name.

* GoodSmokingBadSmoking: Batman smokes as he hunts down the Japanese.

''The Batman'' (or simply ''Batman'') was a 15-chapter serial released in 1943 by Creator/ColumbiaPictures. The serial starred Lewis Wilson as Batman and Douglas Croft as Robin. J. Carrol Naish played the villain, an original character named Dr. Daka. Also starring Shirley Patterson as Linda Page (Bruce Wayne's love interest), and William Austin as Alfred.

Tropes associated with this work:

* {{Yellowface}}: The Japanese Tito Daka is played by Irishman J. Carroll Naish.

* UnderestimatingBadassery: In the early episodes, Daka insists that Batman is an "amateur" unworthy of comparison with his organisation.

* ModernMinstrelsy: The Japanese Tito Daka is played by Irishman J. Carroll Naish.

** The narration and dialogue in the serial makes very clear who was fighting whom in WWII. The opening narration describes how "a wise government rounded up the shifty-eyed Japs" to explain the abandoned part of town in which Daka operates.