Superman and Batman - a 1950 Columbia serial

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     The first live-action adaptation of Batman was a 15 chapter serial in 1943. It did so well that another one was made a few years later. Superman had a popular serial in 1948 and a sequel two years later. The producer of these serials was Sam Katzman, who knew how to make movies cheaply and turn a profit. What if, instead of a sequel, he decided to put the heroes together in a serial to get more people watching. Around that time Superman, Batman and Robin palled around with each on the covers of World's Finest comics but not in the stories inside. However, starting in 1945 Batman and Robin did join Superman on his radio show so it would have been a treat for the kids (and some adults) of time to see them fighting together on the screen.
Fun fact for fans of The Flash: an actor named Wally West is in the serial "Atom Man vs Superman".

You can see what the original serials looked like here:


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