In 1943, Columbia released a 15-episode Batman serial to movie theaters. This was during a time when the government was asking Hollywood to tailor its movies to the message the government wanted to send to the public about the war effort, which often resulted in racist images of the Axis Powers, especially Japan. In this episode, Tim and Paul look at all aspects of the serials, and compare and contrast them with the 1966 series.

• 14:00 the cast
• 34:18 the serial format
• 45:44 the story
• 1:01:29 the (often racist) portrayal of Japan, and the government's request for Hollywood's support in wartime messaging to the public
• 1:20:04 cinematography & techniques (and, why does the action in silent movies always run too fast?)
• 1:30:30 how the serial added to the Batman mythos
• 1:34:46 issues with the film quality that cause some confusion
• 1:37:25 changes in the English language since then
• 1:45:12 the music
• 1:47:50 the serial’s influence on the ’66 series
• 1:58:45 did this serial meet the government’s expectations?
• 2:00:22 differences between '43 and '66 approaches to Batman
• 2:12:46 Bat-Mailbag

Comic Book Central interview with Stephen Kandel

Watch starting at 18:30 for Marilyn Monroe impression