Batman and Robin-The Serial Collection (1949) (NTSC)

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General		Extras
Category	Action	None
Rating
Year Of Production	1949
Running Time	264:03 (Case: 263)
RSDL / Flipper	Dual Layered Dual Disc Set	Cast & Crew
Start Up	Menu
Region Coding	1,2,3,4	Directed By	Spencer Gordon Bennet
Studio Distributor	Sony Pictures Home Entertain	Starring	Robert Lowery Johnny Duncan Jane Adams Lyle Talbot Ralph Graves Don C. Harvey William Fawcett Leonard Penn Rick Vallin Michael Whalen Greg McClure House Peters Jr. Jim Diehl
Case	?
RPI	$14.95	Music	Paul Sawtell

    This serial marked the second appearance of the caped crusaders on the cinema screen. The previous effort had also been a Columbia serial, The Batman, released in 1943. In that earlier serial the dynamic duo has faced the menace of Japanese saboteurs. In 1949, with the Eastern menace squarely defeated, Batman and his youthful sidekick turned their attentions towards The Wizard, a masked and caped master criminal who has a device that enables him to control machinery at a distance, despite billowing an unhealthy amount of smoke when in operation.

    The Wizard, who schemes are aimed at something quite unclear but undoubtedly fiendish, has the assistance of a group of well-dressed hoods, all in double-breasted suits and wearing the latest hat fashions. Even when they flee after another fight with Batman and Robin, they always pause to pick up their hats. They are also terribly polite, consistently failing to capitalise on rendering Batman or Robin unconscious by despatching them permanently. This in the end is their downfall, and that of the Wizard. And just who is the Wizard? Well, you have to wade through the red herrings to work that out. Is it the crotchety old wheelchair-bound scientist Professor Hamill (William Fawcett), who harbours the secret of enabling himself to walk again (a wooden chair fitted with a switch and some neon lights)? Is it the railroad magnate Harrison (silent film star Ralph Graves)? Is it Hamill's valet Carter (Leonard Penn)? Is it radio broadcaster Barry Brown (Rick Vallin), who always seems to be one step ahead of the police? You'll have to watch all 15 episodes to find out.

    Batman is played by second-rung leading man Robert Lowery. He isn't bad, though his Bruce Wayne is a bit of a wimp. He wears the largest shoulder pads in screen history, but when he dons the Batman suit we realise he has been on a diet - it doesn't fit very well. Especially when it clothes an obvious body double in the action sequences. Johnny Duncan, well, he is pretty bad as Robin. He looks the part of the Boy Wonder but he speaks in a slow drawl and his acting skills are rudimentary. Jane Adams is an annoying Vicky Vale, while Lyle Talbot makes a good Commissioner Gordon, though not as memorable as Neil Hamilton in the TV series. John Doucette is one of the Wizard's thugs, though he doesn't get many lines, or even billing.

    The serial is aimed squarely at a juvenile audience, and while there are some moments where it seems just plain silly and stretches the bounds of credulity, it is still entertaining both on its own terms and as a dated curio. Each episode ends in a cliffhanger, but sometimes the resolution in the next episode is so banal it is ridiculous. Even so, it's good to see this released on video, and it must surely just be a coincidence that a new Batman film is in the cinemas at the moment. All fifteen episodes are included on these two discs, complete with opening and closing credits.

Video

    The serial is presented in an aspect ratio of 1.33:1, close to the original 1.37:1. The transfer is in NTSC format.

    The transfer is very sharp and clear, much better than most serials I have seen on DVD, though I admit not having seen many as recent as this one. There is a good level of detail and the transfer looks as good as any movie transfers of the same era. The serial is in black and white, and there is an excellent range of tones from deep blacks to clean whites. Grain is kept to a minimum, and shadow detail is very good, benefiting from excellent contrast. There is some flickering from time to time, but nothing serious.

    There were a couple of instances of aliasing, but nothing to cause any concern. Film artefacts often took the form of white flecks, but the most serious concern I have with the transfer is the regular splice marks. It looks as though someone must have cut up the original material with a pair of scissors, as there are regular horizontal splice marks. These appear with varying frequency, sometimes every 10 seconds and others 30 to 45 seconds apart. It affects all 15 episodes, unfortunately.

    The only subtitles provided are in Japanese. Both discs are dual-layered, but there are no layer breaks within episodes.

Video Ratings Summary

Sharpness
Shadow Detail
Colour
Grain/Pixelization
Film-To-Video Artefacts
Film Artefacts
Overall

Audio

    The sole audio track is Dolby Digital 2.0 mono.

    Audio is clear and distinct throughout, which makes the dialogue easy to understand. There is little hiss and no distortion to speak of. There is a reasonable body to the sound, though it does betray its age and origins, being a little thin on top.

    The music score seems to be a compiled one from the Columbia music library, with Mischa Bakaleinikoff credited as music director. The theme music is good and may have been written for the serial, but the rest sounds like generic music.

Audio Ratings Summary

Dialogue
Audio Sync
Clicks/Pops/Dropouts
Surround Channel Use
Subwoofer
Overall

    No extras are provided.

    This appears to be the same as the Region 1 release, so there is no apparent need to shop elsewhere.

    An entertaining if slightly silly and childish serial at times. However, I'm not complaining. Can we have the original 1943 serial as well please?

    The video quality is excellent but let down by the regular splice markings.

    The audio quality is very good.

    No extras.

Video
Audio
Extras
Plot
Overall