Birth Of The Batcave

It’s unlikely that the cast and crew of the Columbia Pictures serial Batman, released on this date in 1943, gave any thought to the 15-chapter adventure having much cultural significance. But, in fact, the production, directed by Lambert Hillyer (best known for Dracula’s Daughter, the 1936 sequel to Universal Studios’s Dracula), would be noted not just as the first film adaptation of Batman, but also for the influence it exerted on key elements within the world of the Caped Crusader.

In 1941, Batman housed the Batmobile in an old barn connected to Wayne Manor via a secret tunnel beneath the estate (Detective Comics #48). The following year, Batman #12 made reference to “secret underground hangers” which served as the masked hero’s base of operations. When the movie serial’s second chapter “The Bat’s Cave” appreared in the summer of 1943, it offered the first real look at Batman’s subterranean refuge which was accessed through a secret passage behind a grandfather clock in Wayne Manor. At the end of October, Batman co-creator Bill Finger began one of the Dark Knight’s daily comic strips entitled “The Bat Cave!” By January of 1944, the Batcave had made its way into the comic book escapades (Detective Comics #83).

Bruce Wayne’s trusted butler and valet also received an overhaul shortly after the serial’s premiere. When the character of Alfred first appeared in the spring of 1943 (Batman #16), he was hefty, bald, and clean-shaven. At the start of the new year (Detective Comics #83), he sported a thin physique and trimmed mustache similar to that of actor William Austin, who portrayed the loyal man Friday in the serial. With a few minor exceptions, Alfred has retained the look ever since.