MovieChat Forums > Batman (1943) Discussion > Man, they were racist back then. Weren't...

Man, they were racist back then. Weren't they?

posted 18 years ago by lalaru55
83 replies | jump to latest

Memorable Quotes from
The Batman (1943)

[upon seeing Dr. Daka]
Linda Page: A Jap!

Narrator: This was part of a foreign land, transplanted bodily to America and known as Little Tokyo. Since a wise government rounded up the shifty-eyed Japs, it has become virtually a ghost street, where only one business survives, eking out a precarious existence on the dimes of curiosity-seekers."

I could be mistaken, but saying "Jap" should be just as offensive as saying *beep* or "honky".

[–] stanleyhetz 8 years ago

Memorable Quotes from
The Batman (1943)

[upon seeing Dr. Daka]
Linda Page: A Jap!

Narrator: This was part of a foreign land, transplanted bodily to America and known as Little Tokyo. Since a wise government rounded up the shifty-eyed Japs, it has become virtually a ghost street, where only one business survives, eking out a precarious existence on the dimes of curiosity-seekers."

I could be mistaken, but saying "Jap" should be just as offensive as saying *beep* or "honky".

It was common in propaganda films at that time. Here's an old Popeye cartoon: https://youtu.be/8p_SABG3SPk

[–] Satan2016 (23700) 6 years ago

The US and allies were at war with the Axis (of evil). People were not PC about their enemies. Today SJWs are just as bad.

Read the first (most helpful) imdb review by J Ryan:

There have been a lot of criticisms of this film, ranging from the reference to "the Japs" and indeed reference to the establishment of the Nesi Camps by executive order of President Roosevelt at the urging of California Governor Earl Warren. (Nesi refers to native born Americans of Japanese descent) Well, we all know that it was World War II going on out there and our films were full of our propaganda. We can't condemn this serial for that. The studio was doing its part for the war effort by having the heroes battle Axis Agents, Sabateurs and 5th Column Traitors as well as common thugs.

[–] [deleted] 5 years ago

Yes they were. You can see this kind of thing in other movies from that era, as well.

[–] funkvader (84) 4 years ago

I realize it's 14 years later, but racism still doesn't exist.

[–] liscarkat (16869) 4 years ago

An abbreviation! Oh, the humanity!

[–] JBran (1584) 4 years ago

In 1943 Japanese soldiers were torturing Allies in Japanese prisoner of war camps, and the OP is worried that the Allies abbreviated Japanese to Japs.

[–] Boricanator (1378) 2 years ago

I found this on youtube today and came here to say exactly that.

Saying “Jap” is not even the biggest issue. Saying “shifty-eye” and then supporting the internment camps is horrible.

Obviously, a product of it’s time. But it was definitely racist.

[–] thingmakersback (1243) 2 years ago

Yep. It is all of that. Apparently, the serial was originally planned to feature the Joker, but a push for more patriotic fervor (featuring loads of racist caricatures of the Japanese) caused the re-write. Anyway, if you are fond of period pulp action, film and otherwise, you have to deal with this sort of thing.

[–] Boricanator (1378) 2 years ago

That makes more sense. Too bad they went this route. They missed a good opportunity to feature some of the original villains. It’s probably the reason this doesn’t get much attention.

[–] thingmakersback (1243) 2 years ago

The serials seem puzzling to us now because they adapted a lot of familiar characters like The Shadow, the Spider, Captain America, The Phantom... And in most cases the serial version didn't resemble the original at all. By that standard, Batman is above average, not quite as good a job as either Superman serial but not a complete travesty. I do find it sadly amusing that the first action shot of Batman in the serial is of him crashing through a window and saved from falling flat on his face only by a quick edit.