Best Batman of the forties?

[Silver Nemesis]

Many people regard Adam West as the first live-action incarnation of Batman, but two other actors had already played the role before he ever danced the Batusi. Both of these actors clocked up more live action screen time as Batman than either Val Kilmer or George Clooney, and yet sadly their contributions to the franchise go largely overlooked by modern fans. Lewis Wilson portrayed the Caped Crusader in the 1943 Batman film serial while Robert Lowery succeeded him in the 1949 serial. But which did a better job?

Here's my take.

BRUCE WAYNE

Wilson wins this one for me. Lowery was fine in the role, but I think Wilson brought a little more comedy and charm to Bruce's idle playboy routine. He displayed superior comic flair and took a more pronounced approach to distinguishing the character's various personas – the lazy playboy, the thoughtful detective, and the disguised criminal – whereas Lowery played all three in more or less the same manner. And to top it all, Wilson's facial features perfectly reflect how Bruce was drawn in the forties comics.

That's not to say Lowery was a bad Bruce Wayne. On paper, all the same characteristics were there – he put on the idle playboy routine, disguised himself as a crook and humorously misled his love interest. But I think Lowery's performance as Bruce was a lot drier than Wilson's and he lacked his predecessor's easygoing charm and sense of humour. So although I do like Lowery's Bruce Wayne, I'd have to give this one to Wilson.

BATMAN

Lowery wins this hands down. Wilson was ok as Batman, but I have issues with his performance. For one thing, he had this way of slouching that threw into emphasis how baggy his outfit was. Both Wilson and Lowery had slight paunches, but Lowery was better at sucking in his gut and standing up straight. Both men were tall and naturally broad shouldered, but Lowery had the more imposing physical presence in my opinion. He was also much better at fighting, though we should really credit the stunt team for that one.

Another problem I have with Wilson's Batman is his voice. Neither he nor Lowery used different voices to distinguish between Batman and Bruce Wayne. But while Lowery had a deep commanding voice well suited to the Batman persona, Wilson's was lighter and more cheerful sounding. It was fine for a millionaire playboy, but less appropriate for the Dark Knight.

Moving away from the actors themselves, I think Lowery's costume was also a lot better than Wilson's. Both were too baggy, but Wilson's far more so. His trunks were oversized and rode up over his abdomen, and the ears on his cowl can be seen drooping in some of the close-up shots.

The most obvious problem with Lowery's costume is the cowl – the ears project at divergent angles similar to the original design from Detective Comics #27. It looks ok in profile, but seen head-on it doesn't look quite right. However the rest of his costume, despite being a little too baggy, is basically sound. And I like the way Lowery's cape drapes over his shoulders in many scenes.

FINAL VERDICT

For me, Lowery was the best Batman of the forties. He was calm and collected as Batman and brought a powerful physical presence to the role. As Bruce Wayne, he was unremarkable but still ticked all the boxes. Wilson was a fantastic Bruce Wayne, but an underwhelming Batman. I still like Wilson in the role, but Lowery takes the crown in my book. I vaguely recall seeing a poll prior to the release of Batman Begins where fans voted Lowery the second best Batman actor after Keaton, rating him even higher than West or Kilmer. I wouldn't rate him quite that highly myself, but I do rank him above Wilson, Clooney and voice actors like Olan Soule and Ben McKenzie.

So what does everyone else think? Wilson or Lowery?

[The Joker]

Out of the two, I would have to go with Lewis Wilson as my favorite Batman from the 1940's.

But to be honest, alot of my favoritism towards Wilson's Batman has to do with nostalgia (thanks to AMC airing the serial back in the mid 1990s) and the fact that the 1943 Batman serial is probably my favorite out of all the serials I've seen thus far. There's just something magical about watching Batman in live action for the first time, which coincided with the height of WW2, and helping bring a few elements that last to this very day. Alfred being the thin butler with a stache being one of them. Plus, you just gotta love those weird devil horns! 

[Silver Nemesis]

For me, the WW2 element is a big part of the 1943 serial's appeal. Obviously the war was one of the defining factors during the Golden Age of superheroes, and it's been represented in several retro CBMs like The Rocketeer and Captain America: The First Avenger. But in the 1943 Batman serial, the wartime element was authentic and contemporary. Simple though the storyline is, it nevertheless reveals a lot about the attitudes of that era – both the good (Batman and Robin patriotically serving their country) and the bad (the crude depiction of the Japanese).

A lot's been written about the cultural significance of the sixties Batman and the way it reflected the ironic pop art sensibility of that era. The forties film serials are just as reflective of their time period, even if the overall product isn't as good as the West-era Batman.