Batman and the World’s Fair

Batman and the World’s Fair

Batman and the World’s Fair? I thought this was a Disney and theme park site?

Well, yes, but we’ve also discussed how important the World’s Fairs were to the development of the modern theme park. After all, EPCOT Center was planned to be a permanent World’s Fair.

So, why am I writing about Batman?

Based on suggestions from my kids, I’ve been watching the DC Animated Universe. Justice League, Batman, Superman, Wonder Woman; all of the greats from DC. With the success of the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), DC has been trying to grab a piece of the superhero pie. While the MCU was able to have a successful run of 15 years, DC has barely been able to make one hit superhero film. Oddly enough, the DC television shows seem to fare better than the Marvel television shows. But that’s just my opinion.

While watching the fantastic animated film Batman: Mask of the Phantasm, I was surprised to see Bruce Wayne visiting the Gotham World’s Fair with his girlfriend (at the time) Andrea Beaumont. This scene is a flashback and takes place as Bruce is about to become the Batman.

I’m also fascinated with how television shows and movies portray amusement parks andWorld’s Fairs.

The Gotham World’s Fair

Throughout most of the 20th century, cities all over the world eagerly sought to host World’s Fairs. They recognized these events as powerful economic and tourism drivers and used them to celebrate major milestones, like bicentennials. Most people are familiar with the 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair (which was not a sanctioned World’s Fair).

This image shows a rocket ship blasting off with a planet and several moons. This image is very reminiscent of the Trylon and the Perisphere at the 1939/1940 New York World’s Fair.

The World of the Future

Next up for Mr. Wayne is the house of the future, which has its roots in several World’s Fair exhibits: Democracity and Future from the 1939 New York World’s Fair, and Futurama II from the 1964/1965 New York World’s Fair.

• Democracity was located in the Perisphere and was accessed from the escalator located in the 700 foot-tall Trylon (triangular-shaped building). Inside the Perisphere, you stepped onto one of two moving rings where you could view Democarcity, a diorama of a planned urban and exurban community of the future.
• Futurama in the General Motors Pavilion: Six hundred chairs with individual loudspeakers moved visitors over a 36,000-square-foot scale model of the highway world of 1960: seven-lane roads with permissible 100-mph speed, experimental homes, farms and urban developments, industrial plants, dams, bridges and all the intervening landscape.
• Futurama II was a continuation of the original Futurama from the 1939 Fair, presenting a vision of the future shaped by GM’s automotive innovation, with dioramas depicting futuristic cities, underwater habitats, and space exploration. This exhibit embodied optimism and technological possibilities for the 21st century, captivating millions of visitors with its forward-thinking presentation.

Bruce and Andrea embark on the World of the Future exhibit. The vehicles are reminiscent of the Laff in the Dark and Pretzel Ride cars.

This scene is reminiscent of Democracity and Futurama.

The ride vehicle is entering the House of the Future, which would be a reference to the Monsanto House of the Future at Disneyland and a potential nod to Horizons at EPCOT Center.

These two scenes show the interior of the house of the future. Or some sort of vision of a house of some future.

This \ shot shows fairgoers exiting (or entering) a train or monorail at the bottom. Are they going up the spiral walkway inside the rocket-ship? Or are they heading towards the display near the right side?

I think this is a closeup view of the display above. It’s the Automobile of the Future showcasing how aero dynamic it is and that it has turbine power. (Pssst…that is the Batmobile).

This final scene  shows Bruce and Andrea leaving the fair as the sun sets and the monorail glides by.