batmobileless....

[thoreau]

Will Dr. Daka turn the Batman into a zombie?

"HE MOVES LIKE A FLASH! HE RIDES LIKE THE WIND! HE CAN PUNCH LIKE A BATTERING RAM!..The mighty red-blooded American-hero comes to thrilling life in new adventure serial!"

Thats how "The Batman" begins - - a DVD of the original 1943 serial of the Batman and Robin adventures. I went over to my friend Jeffery's last night to watch the first five installments of the adventures. I've been eager to check these out since Jeffery said he had them.

"In his first screen appearance, the Caped Crusader of Gotham City (belying the lethargic facade of his alter ego Bruce Wayne) battles Dr. Daka, Japanese mastermind of a wartime espionage-sabotage group. Daka has a radium-powered death ray that pulverizes walls, a classic alligator pit to dispose of enemies, and can turn men into electronic zombies who do his bidding and transmit video signals to Daka's lab! Batman has no Batmobile, but there are bats in the Bat Cave..."

It was filmed towards the end of world war II - so there is lots of slanty eyes - and blatant antijapanese stuff. the villian is "hirohito's accomplice" - dressed in cheap suits - with a diabolical laboratory. where he turns good hearted yankees into "jap zombies." It is so out of touch - its funny actually. the kind of funny that we really shouldn't be laughing at. and the story is also written that batman is a government agent - and him and Robin? are FAR to eager to be 'playing' together.

I am not sure if it's netflixable - but - its worth checking out. Good hearted fun - and entertaining to see how "action stories" were filmed decades before special effects and batmobiles....

IMDB Entry Here

Comments

[geometrician.livejournal.com]

An observation I would make is that right up through the '60s, the actors playing Batman and Superman wore their Lycra (or whatever was passing for it then) right over their skin. They were normal shaped. They had cute little potbellies.

Now, though, even someone in super shape like Brandon Routh has to have a suit made with comic-like muscle shapes built in to add cuts that human muscles never had. Being human shaped is inadequate.

It makes me wonder if the image of an unattainable body shape contributes to the increasing rate of obesity. Why bother to strive for something you can never have?

[jhitchin.livejournal.com]

I'm rather amused that the part of a Japanese criminal mastermind was played by some Irish guy from New York.

Like they'd have gotten an actual Japanese actor to do it.

*goes back to watch the Perry Mason episode "The Case of the Blushing Pearls" which had actual Japanese actors playing Japanese people*

Have you ever seen...

[wrascalbc.livejournal.com]

..."The Wild World of Batwoman". Makes bad cinema fun!

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061191/

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

I think the obesity issue rises from the fastfood mentality. Most any fast food - particularly the "extra value" menus are laden with salt and fat to a degree you just can't imagine. I think it's a very American attitude (unfortunately) to simply not care to strive for something you might never have. it's why buddhism doesn't explode across the country - because the bliss you work to attain isn't necessarily ever attainable - its about the journey.

[boyshapedbox.livejournal.com]

The best part of the original batman series is the "batmobile" is an Oldsmobile.

Plain, wood paneling. So good.

[tonethbone.livejournal.com]

..and dont forget the 1949 sequel...I have that one too

I loved Batman...my mom even made me a cape from and old blanket

oh and ....http://tonethbone.livejournal.com/75353.html#cutid1

[grizzlyzone.livejournal.com]

Batman has no Batmobile...

So, he takes the bus?

[grizzlyzone.livejournal.com]

I think the obesity issue rises from the fastfood mentality.

Hmmm. Nah. Not saying that it doesn't count, but compared to "other folks", I rarely eat fast food and look ar me! I'm as short and round as they come!

Now, I am however, very good at "cleaning my plate" and will eat just about anything you set in front of me. Urp.

I think it's a very American attitude (unfortunately) to simply not care to strive for something you might never have. it's why buddhism doesn't explode across the country...

Nonsense. Americans are very good at striving for what they can't have. It's what fuels the dieting industry.

[robearal.livejournal.com]

Batman was one of those TV shows that formed my fascination for bondage. Yes, even at the tender age of 4 I had fantasies about being kidnapped and tied up. It seems that this earlier serial had just as much fantasy material.

[low-fat-muffin.livejournal.com]

my fetish was to be abducted by the bearded greek hawkmen in Flash - off to their nest to be gangbanged.

[bukephalus.livejournal.com]

Looks like it is on Netflix. I just queued it up!

I still remember the time I was the caped crusader... Not so very long ago.

[septimuswarren.livejournal.com]

Jap zombies. Classic. Americans are so uncouth. It's like the old show Hogan's Heros." Leave it up the Americans to make a sit com out of a Nazi prison camp. Very funny mutha fucka.

[throbbin.livejournal.com]

I have watched the Batman & Robin, and Captain Marvel serials with pupajax, in addition to the 40's Superman cartoons.

I can highly recommend Captain Marvel, while the story didn't have the best writing, the special effects are great for the era, some say it's better than the Christopher Reeves Superman effects.

If yo uwant to see this again, I'm a fan of old serials and superheroes!