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| | ==Comics lore== | | ==Comics lore== |
| | The man who was to become Batman is Bruce Wayne, a Gotham City multi-millionaire who inherited his wealth from his father, a prominent doctor and philanthropist named Thomas Wayne. A trip to the movies with the family ended in tragedy: Thomas and his wife are murdered by a common thug in front of Bruce, who's childhood is effectively ended at the age of eight. Growing up in the care of his father's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, he inherits a fortune, his father's business and philanthropic empire, and a seething anger directed at the criminal world. Realizing that criminals are superstitious as well as cowardly, he goes after them one by one, costumed as a bat. | | The man who was to become Batman is Bruce Wayne, a Gotham City multi-millionaire who inherited his wealth from his father, a prominent doctor and philanthropist named Thomas Wayne. A trip to the movies with the family ended in tragedy: Thomas and his wife are murdered by a common thug in front of Bruce, who's childhood is effectively ended at the age of eight. Growing up in the care of his father's butler, Alfred Pennyworth, he inherits a fortune, his father's business and philanthropic empire, and a seething anger directed at the criminal world. Realizing that criminals are superstitious as well as cowardly, he goes after them one by one, costumed as a bat. |
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| | + | ==Film and television== |
| | + | The first film dealing with the Caped Crusader was a 1943 12-chapter serial from Columbia Pictures starring Lewis Wilson and Douglas Croft as Batman and Robin. The plot of the film centered on a nefarious, stereotypical Asian scientist, Dr. Daka (J. Carrol Naish), who has a plan to steal valuable resources from the United States in order to support the Axis during the World War II. Although low-budget, ''Batman'' introduced the concept of the Batcave (called the "Bat's Cave" in the film) and the hidden entry to it, as well as altering the appearence of Alfred from a portly servant to a leaner, robust individual. ''Batman and Robin'' would follow it in 1949, also as a serial, starring Robert Lowery and Johnny Duncan (Muir, 9; 72) |
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| | ==References== | | ==References== |
| | *Kane, Bob (with Tom Andrae). ''Batman & Me'', Eclipse Books, Forestville, California (1989). | | *Kane, Bob (with Tom Andrae). ''Batman & Me'', Eclipse Books, Forestville, California (1989). |
| − | *Goulart, Ron. ''Comic Book Encyclopedia'', Harper Entertainment, New York (2004). | + | *Goulart, Ron. ''Comic Book Encyclopedia'', Harper Entertainment, New York (2004). |
| | + | *Muir, John Kenneth. ''The Encyclopedia of Superheroes on Film and Television'', McFarland & Company, Jefferson, North Carolina (2004) |
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| | [[Category:Entertainment]] | | [[Category:Entertainment]] |
| | [[Category:Superheroes]] | | [[Category:Superheroes]] |
| | [[Category:Comic characters]] | | [[Category:Comic characters]] |