Lewis Wilson
Lewis Gilbert Wilson (January 28, 1920 – August 9, 2000) was an American actor. He was most famous for being the first actor to play DC Comics character Batman on screen in the 1943 film serial Batman.
Lewis Wilson

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- Name
- Lewis Wilson
- Birth Name
- Lewis Gilbert Wilson
- Birthplace
- Framingham, Massachusetts, U.S.
- Born
- 28 January 1920
- Place of death
- San Francisco, California, U.S.
- Died
- 9 August 2000
- Education
- Worcester Academy
- Occupation
- Actor
- Spouse
- Dana Natol (divorced)
- Nationality
- United States
- Languages
- English
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In this article
Key facts
Key facts
• Name — Lewis Wilson • Birth Name — Lewis Gilbert Wilson • Birthplace — Framingham, Massachusetts, U.S. • Born — 28 January 1920 • Place of death — San Francisco, California, U.S. • Died — 9 August 2000 • Education — Worcester Academy • Occupation — Actor • Years Active — 1943–1973 • Spouse — Dana Natol (divorced) • Children — Michael G. Wilson • Relatives — David G. Wilson (grandson)
Life and career
Life and career
Wilson was born January 28, 1920, in Framingham, Massachusetts, the son of Lucile (née Gregg) and John Henry Wilson. He grew up in Littleton, Massachusetts, where his father was minister of the First Unitarian Church from 1927 to 1945. Wilson graduated from Worcester Academy in Worcester, Massachusetts in 1939. Following the entry of the United States into World War II, Columbia Pictures created the first Batman live action series in 1943, simply called Batman. Wilson was cast as the title character in the 15-episode serial against J. Carrol Naish who portrayed a Japanese spy named Dr. Daka. It was Wilson's screen debut at the age of 23. A sequel to the serial was made in 1949, but Robert Lowery replaced Wilson as Batman. After the war concluded, Wilson and his family moved to California, and he and his wife joined the Pasadena Playhouse. His final film was Naked Alibi in 1954. He then left show business and worked for General Foods. Wilson married novelist and actress Dana Natol, and they had a son, Michael G. Wilson. They met while attending the Academy of Dramatic Arts at Carnegie Hall in New York, but separated and divorced after moving to California. After retiring from acting, Wilson lived in North Hollywood, California.
Death
Death
Wilson died on August 9, 2000, in San Francisco, California, at age 80. His death was not widely reported. Wilson is survived by his wife Jane and their two sons, both of whom work at Eon Productions.
Television
Television
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1952 — Craig Kennedy, Criminologist — Walt Jameson — 26 episodes • 1973 — Orson Welles' Great Mysteries — Police Sergeant — Episode: "Unseen Alibi"

Lewis Wilson, the first actor to play Batman, posing with his son Michael.
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Eight of the actors who have depicted the character Batman in live-action films
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Film
• Year — Title — Role — Notes • 1943 — Redhead from Manhattan — Paul • 1943 — Good Luck, Mr. Yates — Parkhurst — Uncredited • 1943 — Batman — Bruce Wayne / Batman — Serial • 1943 — First Comes Courage — Dr. Kleinich — Uncredited • 1943 — My Kingdom for a Cook — Reporter — Uncredited • 1943 — There's Something About a Soldier — Thomas Bolivar Jefferson • 1943 — Klondike Kate — George Graham — Uncredited • 1944 — The Racket Man — Captain Anderson — Uncredited • 1944 — Beautiful But Broke — Pilot — Uncredited • 1944 — Sailor's Holiday — Jerome 'Iron Man' Collins • 1944 — Once Upon a Time — Man — Uncredited • 1951 — Wild Women — Trent • 1954 — Naked Alibi — Border Patrol Officer — Uncredited
Text attribution
Licensing
Text attribution
Part of the biographical narrative on this page reuses licensed material. Its origin, revision and licence are recorded here.
The biographical narrative on this page is based on the Wikipedia article Lewis Wilson, revision 1372841439 (EN edition), by its contributors. VALÉORINE has edited that text and built its own documentary record around it. The reused material is available under CC BY-SA 4.0, and this page's reuse of it is offered under the same licence. Everything else on this page — the chronology, the holdings, the evidence, the plates and the connections — is VALÉORINE's own record. Sources and licences.
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The Encyclopedia exists whether or not anything is for sale. Corrections are recorded rather than overwritten, and every version of this record is kept. Published 18 August 2026.
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