Hey WannaB I'm not sure if we ever touched on the original Batman films themselves. Columbia pictures released two Batman serials, one in 1943 entitled Batman and Batman & Robin in 1949. I have the 1943 serial on VHS somewhere, I got it from Toys R Us some time ago.
These serials consisted of a bunch of 15-minute "chapters" that usually left you with a cliffhanger to keep you coming back the following week. Some of the ideas in the serials were actually adapted from the comics. The Batman serials had a bit of a campy appeal to them but not the nth degree as the 60's TV show. Due to budget restrictions the Batmobile is nothing more than an ordinary car.
The 1943 Serial Batman starred Daka, a Japanese man, as the main villain. There is quite a bit of racism in this movie due to the fact it was produced around the time of World War II. But my VHS copies were changed to be more PC. I hope to pick up the uncensored DVD copies.
Here is a brief overview from IMDB...Dr. Daka is a Japanese mastermind of a wartime espionage-sabotage group. Daka has a radium-powered death ray that pulverizes walls, a classic alligator pit to dispose of enemies, and can turn men into electronic zombies who do his bidding and transmit video signals to Daka's lab! Can Batman & Robin bring down this elaborate espionage ring?
An interesting note is that this 1943 serial alludes to the fact that Batman is some sort of secret government agent.
I found a trailer for it...the best part is when Batman gets thrown down an elevator shaft! http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x4LD2HDCqkY
I have never seen the 1949 serial, so I look forward to getting around to watching it some time soon.