Gotham Rules

This year marks Batman’s 75th birthday, and the world’s greatest detective has gone through some changes in that time. Before he was the Dark Knight, before his multitude of animated series, even before the campy ’60s television show, his very first appearance outside of a comic book was back in...
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This year marks Batman’s 75th birthday, and the world’s greatest detective has gone through some changes in that time. Before he was the Dark Knight, before his multitude of animated series, even before the campy ’60s television show, his very first appearance outside of a comic book was back in 1943, in the original Batman film serial.
“It’s a fun way to introduce people to Batman’s history. There are a lot of things that are hokey about it, but the Batman myth holds up,” says Ernie Quiroz, programming manager for the Denver Film Society.

Bat fans will get the first four episodes of the serial’s fifteen-episode run, offering a glimpse into a little-known but seminal piece of Bat history. Released in the midst of World War II, the serial pitted the then-new hero against a sinister Japanese agent. More notably, the film introduced several twists on the character that went on to become part of the Batman mythos. “It introduced the Batcave, and the modern take on Alfred started with this serial,” Quiroz explains.

See the birth of big-screen Batman at 7:30 p.m. tonight at the Sie FilmCenter, 2510 East Colfax Avenue. Admission is free, on a first-come, first-served basis. For more information, visit denverfilm.org.

Wed., July 23, 7:30 p.m., 2014

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