LEWIS WILSON; THE FIRST BATMAN
Lewis Gilbert Wilson was born January 28th 1920 in Framingham, Massachusetts, a city about 20 miles east of the Superworld World Headquarters. He grew up in Littleton, Ma with his parents Lucile and John Henry Wilson who was minister of the First Unitarian Church from 1927-1945. Lewis attended and graduated from the prestigious Worcester Academy where his family had long family ties and generational connections graduating from the Worcester, MA institution in 1939.
In late 1942 Columbia Pictures announced their serial offerings for the 1942/43 season and they would include THE SECRET CODE, THE VALLEY OF VANISHING MEN, THE FIGHTING GENERAL, THE PHANTOM and THE BATMAN. The Batman serial was announced as being “by the creators of ‘Superman’ based on the exploits of the famous ‘Batman Magazine’ cartoon character. Casting was quickly made from Columbia’s contract players and Lewis Wilson was given his first lead in a film along with Shirley Patterson as his girlfriend Linda Page, Douglas Croft as his ward Dick Grayson and J. Carroll Naish as Batman’s arch villain, The Joker!
Filming began in the early Spring of 1943 and after objections from National Comics (Now DC) on the concept of The Joker being the head of a spy ring, the screenwriters simply changed the character being played by J. Carroll Naish to a Japanese Prince named Dr. Tito Daka. Naish chewed up the scenery while they kept his secret headquarters in the very Joker-like location of a carnival sideshow. One can only imagine if Naish had played The Joker.
Wilson, at 23, is the youngest person to play Batman and he does so with maturity and humor giving his Bruce Wayne a slightly Don Diego laziness while instilling some real menace to his version of Batman. The serial ran through the summer of 1943 starting on July 20th and running 15 weeks until October. It was given a huge publicity campaign and played successfully in movie houses through its run.
Serials not being considered “legitimate” film, BATMAN did little to help Wilson’s career and he continued in small roles at Columbia until 1944 when he was drafted and served in the European theater including the famous Battle of the Bulge. Returning to civilian life meant movie roles were even harder to come by as other actors came home. Wilson turned back to Broadway where he’d have some success and often performed with his wife, Dana, whom he had married in 1941.
In the 1950s he turned to television including a regular role on CRAIG KENNEDY, CRIMINOLOGIST but Wilson’s heavy drinking had aged him and his boyish good looks suddenly looked harsh. After Lewis and Dana starred in WILD WOMEN (1953) a zero budget jungle film that would have embarrassed even Ed Wood, the pair divorced and in 1954 Wilson quit acting and took a sales job with General Foods. He and Dana had one sone, Michael, who would later go on to produce the James Bond film franchise after his mother married Bond producer Cubby Broccoli.
In 1966 a reporter uncovered Wilson living in North Hollywood where he had started a new family and interviewed him about the current BATMANIA craze that was gripping the country due to the success of the Adam West TV series. Asked if he’d considered accepting a guest spot on the show the 43 year old said he’d be up for playing a bad guy but the producers never asked him.
In retirement, Wilson said he never regretted playing Batman and had enjoyed the role and the small notoriety it had given him. He passed away August 9th, 2000 in San Francisco at the age of 80. Wilson will always be remembered as the first live action Batman, and the first DC Comics character to be adapted to the silver screen.
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