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Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet)

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Apr 21, 2018

Batman and Robin is fifteen chapters; all together, it’s just under four and a half hours. It is not a rewarding four and a half hours. Not at all. Of the fourteen credited actors, one gives a good performance. Don C. Harvey. He gets to be chief henchman for a while. But not even half of the serial read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 15: Batman Victorious

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Apr 19, 2018

For a few minutes in Batman Victorious, which is mostly a chase sequence–the invisible (though only temporarily) Wizard is on the run from Batman and the cops. There are some questionable (but more ambitious than anything else in the serial) invisible man special effects and a more lively feel to read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 14: Batman vs. Wizard!

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Apr 17, 2018

Okay, I’m not wrong–wheelchair-bound, ornery scientist William Fawcett really does just walk around in front of everyone and no one reacts. He’s been zapping himself with electricity to regain use of his legs, making him a suspect for being masked, supercriminal the Wizard. Except only to the read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 13: The Wizard’s Challenge!

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Apr 16, 2018

If the Wizard has any challenge in The Wizard’s Challenge!, it’s outsmarting Batman and Robin. It doesn’t take much as it turns out. Especially not with Robin (Johnny Duncan) playing with a toy truck when he’s supposed to be on guard duty. See, the Wizard has stolen all the scientific equipment read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 12: Robin Rides the Wind

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Apr 12, 2018

The chapter title, Robin Rides the Wind, got me hoping Robin would jump out of a plane or something. Without a chute. Sad spoiler: he doesn’t. The chapter does clear one of the Wizard suspects, which would probably be more effective if the character–played by Michael Whalen–appeared more often. read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 11: Robin’s Ruse

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Apr 11, 2018

So when Robin (Johnny Duncan) is alone in the Batcave, he doesn’t use the changing room. He puts on his tights in the public area. Off-screen, sure, but Robin’s Ruse confirms it. The titular Ruse isn’t particularly exciting. It’s fairly predictable, especially after the cliffhanger reveal at read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 10: Batman’s Last Chance!

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Apr 9, 2018

The chapter title, Batman’s Last Chance!, must refer to Batman’s last chance to run around in this particular drab office building. I don’t think it’s supposed to be the same one they used earlier, but it definitely appears to be the same set. The last third–maybe less but it feels like a read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 9: The Wizard Strikes Back!

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Apr 8, 2018

There’s some family drama for Jane Adams this chapter of Batman and Robin, as George Offerman Jr. returns to provide the main story for The Wizard Strikes Back! Otherwise, it’s just Robert Lowery and Johnny Duncan goofing off and being lousy superheroes. Besides watching Lowery’s Batman cape flail read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 8: Robin Meets the Wizard!

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Apr 7, 2018

Robin Meets the Wizard! does indeed feature Johnny Duncan’s Robin meeting the Wizard. The masked, unknown (undoubtedly until the last chapter) Wizard knocks Duncan out while Duncan’s on lookout. More like the boy blunder. Wokka wokka. Other than the chapter title actually referring to an event in read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 7: The Fatal Blast

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Apr 4, 2018

Shockingly, there is actually a blast in The Fatal Blast. Sadly it seems unlikely to be fatal enough, as there are eight more chapters to go. Not even halfway through Batman and Robin. After the cliffhanger resolution, which is yet another boring one, everyone thinks–as always–Batman and Robin are read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 5: Robin Rescues Batman!

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Apr 1, 2018

Once again, the chapter title doesn’t have much to do with the chapter. Robin Rescues Batman. Okay, sure. If you count Robin (Johnny Duncan) hiding until the bad guys leave with the stolen formula then going in and checking on an unconscious Batman (Robert Lowery). The bad guys have this extended read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 4: Batman Trapped!

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Mar 29, 2018

Most of this chapter, Batman Trapped, is a resolution of the previous chapter’s cliffhanger. There’s no trapped Batman in this chapter. There’s kidnapped Robin; more on that development in a bit. After the immediate resolution of the cliffhanger–thanks to Batman (Robert Lowery) having a lot read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 3: Robin’s Wild Ride

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Mar 28, 2018

I actually can’t figure out why this chapter is called Robin’s Wild Ride. Robin (Johnny Duncan) does not have a wild ride. Unless they mean when he gets to drive the car for a bit at the beginning. The chapter’s cliffhanger resolution is pretty tepid, but Batman and Robin clearly isn’t trying read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 2: Tunnel of Terror

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Mar 27, 2018

Even with Robert Lowery’s exceptionally questionable performance as Batman and Bruce Wayne, Tunnel of Terror is a relatively fine serial chapter. The cliffhanger resolution at the beginning is pretty weak, but then it turns out Lowery and Johnny Duncan have an almost superpower–they can sneak aroun read more

Batman and Robin (1949, Spencer Gordon Bennet), Chapter 1: Batman Takes Over

The Stop Button Posted by Andrew Wickliffe on Mar 26, 2018

Batman and Robin gets off to a surprisingly reasonable start, even after a spectacularly absurd opening montage sequence. Gotham City is facing an unexplained crime wave; the footage they start with is a dairy hold-up. Then there are some clips from the previous Batman serial, which might be why th read more