Category: Directed by Lambert Hillyer

Batman (1943) ch07 – The Phoney Doctor

The best part of The Phoney Doctor is Charles Middleton. He’s the rough and tumble prospector, albeit one who falls for a phoney doctor, but he’s got personality and presence. He’s unexpected. Everything else in Batman, down to Batman and Robin getting beat up yet again, is predictable.

The chapter opens with another lackluster resolution to the cliffhanger. It’s always exactly what it appears to be, only somehow Lewis Wilson survives. It’s a peculiar narrative, just in terms of there not really being any A plot other than J. Carrol Naish’s pursuit of radium. He needs it for some weapon we haven’t seen (or heard about it many chapters).

The one slightly amusing part involving Wilson and Douglas Croft–though, again, they’re perfectly fine, with Wilson’s New Englander blue blood accent oddly fun for Bruce Wayne–is when they report getting beat up to the cops. They got beat up as Batman and Robin.

What if the cops did catch the bad guys?

While Batman is pretty dumb, the screenwriters characterization for Wilson is even dumber.

Batman (1943) ch06 – Poison Peril

Poison Peril actually fits a lot into the chapter. Narrative too, not just racism. Lots of racism this time around, with the screenwriters rushing to fit in slurs.

There’s the exceptionally weak cliffhanger resolution–it’s like they aren’t even cliffhangers as much as pauses in action–J. Carrol Naish plotting with a submarine, Shirley Patterson gets a couple scenes, an all-new supporting character (Charles Middleton), and William Austin getting some comedic moments. Austin (or his stuntman) even gets into some fisticuffs.

Oh, and Batman and Robin actually win a fight. When it’s two against three, they can win. Well, the first time. The second time it’s two against three, they lose miserably. Mostly because Douglas Croft (definitely his stuntman) never can take out his opponent.

Middleton’s got a cowboy hat and a prospector beard; he’s a prospector, so it’s appropriate he’s got said beard. He’s got a precious mineral Naish wants. Naish finds out about it through standard contrivances.

When the chapter’s moving fast enough–once Naish’s submarine intrigue is over–it’s not terrible. It’s not good, but Lewis Wilson and Croft are affable enough leads. Batman only works when there’s enough Bruce Wayne.

Batman (1943) ch05 – The Living Corpse

Shockingly, The Living Corpse actually doesn’t involve a living corpse. It’s far from the most dynamic living corpse in cinema history, but it’s at least present in the chapter it entitles.

The Corpse has most to do with J. Carrol Naish’s half of the chapter. He’s got two schemes, with one being his orders from Japan. Somehow, Batman’s government handler knows to contact him with information about that scheme so Lewis Wilson and Douglas Croft are able to try to stop it.

The opening cliffhanger resolution is, once again, lame. The resolution to this chapter’s cliffhanger will undoubtedly be lame as well, but might even be the exact same resolution. Whoever was in charge of plotting out the chapter finishes did a terrible job.

The ending action is indoors–sort of, it’s on an airplane–and Hillyer’s direction is lacking. The set is way too big and Hillyer and cinematographer James S. Brown Jr. have a hard time keeping the shots tight enough.

The much older stunt double for seventeen year-old Croft also stands out. It’s like an entirely different person has entered the fist fight.

There’s some strong editing from Dwight Caldwell and Earl Turner here though. Stronger than Batman needs (or deserves).

Batman (1943) ch04 – Slaves of the Rising Sun

When the chapter title refers to Slaves of the Rising Sun, I guess it means J. Carol Naish’s traitorous American henchmen. They really don’t do anything; well, Robert Fiske argues with Naish about Japan’s chances in the war to ill result, but otherwise, they don’t really do anything. They don’t even get enough personality to be yes men.

After yet another weak cliffhanger resolution, Rising Sun sets up the chapter’s action. Shirley Patterson is going to a mystic to find her missing uncle. She asks Lewis Wilson to go with, but he acts the foppish playboy so he can secretly go as Batman and save the day. See, he’s realized it’s a trap for Patterson and he wants to find out more about Naish’s gang (even though he doesn’t know anything about Naish).

Doesn’t quite work out in Wilson’s favor so he and Douglas Croft end up chasing some bad guys.

It’s not a terrible car chase at the end; like much of Hillyer’s action direction, it goes perfectly fine until all of a sudden Hillyer fumbles on something and the serial can’t recover. The turning point in Rising Sun is when Batman climbs down into the cab of the bad guy’s truck and the driver just watches him without reacting. He must be a cautious driver.

Also of interest? Once again, the cliffhanger resolution establishes Batman has committed manslaughter in his derring-do. Wilson–though Croft too to some degree–are inordinately incompetent as crimefighters.

Batman (1943) ch03 – The Mark of the Zombies

Despite a tantalizing title, The Mark of the Zombies has nothing to do with zombies’ marks. If there is a zombie, it’s Gus Glassmire, who’s just been electronically brainwashed by J. Carrol Naish. Glassmire still refuses to sell out the U.S. to Japan–it’s inexplicable why Naish asks him again, as nothing’s changed other than Batman and Robin foiling Naish’s plans. Anyway, then there’s the electronic brainwashing sequence and a “zombie” Glassmire.

And he promptly disappears from the chapter. Without a mark on him.

Lewis Wilson and Douglas Croft try once again to trap Naish’s henchmen, but fail again. They actually fail twice. One thing about Batman and Robin… they’re really, really bad at their jobs. There’s a big fight sequence–where cowering William Austin has some great comedic moments–only it’s not like Wilson and Croft are any good at beating up the thugs.

The thugs escape and the heroes pursue, setting up the cliffhanger, which is another weak one. Sadly, it’s also when Mark gets its most exciting. When the action is on a sound stage and complicated–this time a train trestle–director Hillyer does a perfectly solid job. It’s exciting.

Until that weak cliffhanger.

Also interesting is how much more time is spent with the villains than the heroes. Shirley Patterson–rescued again, though no doubt soon to be in danger once more–isn’t even conscious this time out. It’s a shame since Wilson and Croft save her in costume, yet take her and wait with her at the doctor’s out of costume.

Logic isn’t one of the screenwriters’ competencies, much less strengths.

Batman (1943) ch02 – The Bat’s Cave

While the resolution to the previous chapter’s cliffhanger is extremely lackluster, The Bat’s Cave sort of recovers as it goes along. It just has to get through Batman Lewis Wilson terrifying butler William Austin with the radioactive laser gun.

Then it’s time for villain J. Carol Naish to order the kidnapping of Shirley Patterson and for Wilson and Douglas Croft to have to mount a rescue. Director Hillyer does all right, especially considering the budget, as Wilson and Croft investigate in disguise before suiting up in their long johns.

The finale has some strong action involving a power line (clearly shot on a set then cutting to James S. Brown Jr.’s underwhelming day-for-night photography) and a decent fight sequence where Wilson and Croft take on the kidnappers.

Hillyer does try to cover the budget deficiencies, but there’s only so much he can do. A nightclub scene, with recycled establishing shots, doesn’t impress and neither does the “Bat’s Cave”, where Wilson and Croft apparently hold criminals (without restraint) next to Batman’s brooding desk.

Sadly, despite the steady action in the second half, this chapter’s cliffhanger is even weaker than the last one. Though it will be interesting to see if everyone survives this one–the opening resolution apparently kills off a bystander as it rescues Wilson.

Batman (1943) ch01 – The Electrical Brain

The first chapter of Batman introduces the main cast–Lewis Wilson and Douglas Croft as Batman and Robin (and their alter egos), villain J. Carrol Naish, damsel in distress Shirley Patterson–and establishes some of the ground situation. Naish is an evil Japanese agent (if Electric Brain is any indication, Batman is going to be exceptionally racist) who kidnaps Patterson’s uncle. He’s got a ray gun, a secret lair, mind control devices, all sorts of gadgets.

He’s also got henchman who can beat up Wilson and Croft without much trouble.

There’s not much establishing for Wilson and Croft; I’m not even sure they get their civilian identities. And Brain skips any Batman origin–there’s a quick line of dialogue suggesting Batman and Robin are unofficial domestic agents, trying to root out Axis evil on the home front.

Decent (enough) performances from Wilson and Patterson–and an amiable one from Croft–work in spite of the script. When he’s not in costume running around, Wilson’s mostly a boob. And Naish and his goons are pretty dim, so Wilson comes off as incompetent, which doesn’t help things.

There’s only the one big action sequence, setting up the cliffhanger. Wilson and Croft get mercilessly beat up. While problematic for the narrative, it is the only time the Batman costume looks all right. Dwight Caldwell and Earl Turner’s editing, both on the fisticuffs and an early car chase, is solid. There’s only so much they can do with the material though.

The teaser for the second chapter is particularly weak–and completely unrelated to the cliffhanger, like the filmmakers knew the cliffhanger wasn’t compelling.

Before Midnight (1933, Lambert Hillyer)

Ralph Bellamy gets top billing here, but he doesn’t deserve it. I’m always stunned when, with a reasonably early feature motion picture like Before Midnight, the filmmakers are clearly exhausted with the genre.

Midnight‘s a big house mystery (enclosed setting, certain number of suspects) but the opening establishes the majority of the film is set sometime in the past. Bellamy’s character could have died of old age for all the audience knows, as there’s one guy telling another a story about this great mystery, which we then see.

The mystery seems like it might be an interesting one for a while, as Bellamy interrogates each suspect, one by one; it seems like he’s going to solve the case out based on the interviews, a unique film approach.

Instead, Bellamy amiably investigates in the standard mystery fashion, giving some of the supporting cast a little time to themselves. Unfortunately, the supporting cast is boring and–even at only an hour–the film feels way too long. Because of the structure, the suspects don’t have any subplots not related directly to the murder and, because he’s not really a character, Bellamy doesn’t get a love interest. It’s all about the mystery.

And the mystery isn’t bad, just not good enough to carry the entire hour.

Hillyer’s a rather indistinct director. I don’t remember a single well-directed moment in the film (but no badly directed ones either).

Good performances from June Collyer, Claude Gillingwater, Betty Blythe and Otto Yamaoka help a lot.

1/4★

CREDITS

Directed by Lambert Hillyer; written by Robert Quigley; director of photography, John Stumar; edited by Otto Meyer; released by Columbia Pictures.

Starring Ralph Bellamy (Inspector Steve Trent), June Collyer (Janet Holt), Claude Gillingwater (John Fry), Bradley Page (Howard B. Smith), Betty Blythe (Mavis Fry), Arthur Pierson (Doctor David R. Marsh), George Cooper (Stubby), William Jeffrey (Edward Arnold), Joseph Crehan (Captain Frank Flynn) and Otto Yamaoka (Kono).

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