13. 1940s movie serials
The Dark Knight’s first ever foray onto any screen came in the form of a 15-chapter 1943 movie serial. Simply titled Batman, it featured Lewis Wilson and Douglas Croft as the Dynamic Duo, and it was a success as a sequel serial came after that. Released in 1949, Batman and Robin starred Robert Lowery and John Duncan in the title roles.
The movie serials are important chapters in the Caped Crusaders’ legacy as they proved that their comic book adventures could work on the screen. They also paved the way for the game-changing 1966 TV series. However, they haven’t aged as well as the classic show, and a large part of that is down to the limitations of the time.
Gotham City never particularly felt like much of a presence in them either. Yes, it was there as the setting in which the adventures took place, but it wasn’t a factor – or, for lack of a better term, a character – in the way that it would become in the more modern stories. It was a necessary part of the story that had nothing to offer beyond that, with the occasional reference to it being made here or there. It also didn’t have any particular look beyond just looking like any other city.
It was there but it was, well, just there.