Batman and Robin *** (1949, Robert Lowery, Johnny Duncan, Jane Adams) – Classic Movie Review 5108

Director Spencer Gordon Bennet’s 1949 vintage 15-part serial is lively, well cast, well acted, and entertaining for all its four hours and 23 minutes.

Robert Lowery takes over from Lewis Wilson as Batman and Johnny Duncan takes over from Douglas Croft as Robin in this second of the two excellent Columbia film serials, after a long gap following The Batman (1943). With its somewhat bigger budget and rather better acting, it is a slight improvement on the first serial, though it still has various equipment and continuity problems.

In the screenplay by George H Plympton, Joseph F Poland and Royal K Cole, based on the DC comic books by Bob Kane, the Dynamic Duo (Robert Lowery as Batman and Johnny Duncan as Robin) battle the wicked black-hooded mad scientist mastermind The Wizard, who steals Professor Hammil (William Fawcett)’s remote control device that can take over any motor vehicle within 50 miles.

Jane Adams also stars as magazine photographer Vicki Vale, with Lyle Talbot as Commissioner Jim Gordon, and Eric Wilton plays Batman’s butler Alfred Pennyworth.

Also in the cast are Ralph Graves, Don C Harvey, Leonard Penn, Rick Vallin, Michael Whalen, Greg McClure, House Peters Jr, Jim Diehl, Rusty Westcoatt, Emmett Vogan, Allan Ray, Eddie Parker, Harold Landon, John Hart, John Doucette, James Craven, George Cisar, Marshall Bradford and Phil Arnold.

Johnny Duncan died on 8 February 2016, aged 92.

They re-used the title Batman and Robin for the fifth Batman movie in 1997.

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 5108

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