1989. Directed by TIM BURTON. TAGLINES : "Only one will claim the night" "Justice is always Darkest before the Dawn" - The Dark Knight of Gotham City begins his war on crime with his first major enemy being Jack Napier, a criminal who becomes the clownishly homicidal Joker. Gotham City. Crime boss Carl Grissom (Jack Palance) effectively runs the town but there's a new crime fighter in town - Batman (Michael Keaton). Grissom's right-hand man is Jack Napier (Jack Nicholson), a brutal man who is not entirely sane... After falling out between the two Grissom has Napier set up with the Police and Napier falls to his apparent death in a vat of chemicals. However, he soon reappears as The Joker and starts a reign of terror in Gotham City. Meanwhile, reporter Vicki Vale (Kim Basinger) is in the city to do an article on Batman. She soon starts a relationship with Batman's everyday persona, billionaire Bruce Wayne. CAST includes Michael Keaton, Jack Nicholson, Kim Basinger, Michael Gough, Pat Hingle, Robert Wuhl, Billy Dee Williams, Jack Palance, Tracy Walter. BEHIND THE SCENES TRIVIA : Robin Williams was offered the role of Joker when Jack Nicholson hesitated. He had even accepted the role, when producers approached Nicholson again and told him Williams would take the part if he did not. Nicholson took the role, and Williams was released. Williams resented being used as bait, and not only refused to play Riddler in Batman Forever (1995) but also refused to be involved in any Warner Bros. productions until the studio apologized. Jack Nicholson received a percentage of the gross on the film, and due to its massive box-office take, he took home around $60 million. When adjusting for inflation, this equals roughly $143,359,355 in 2022. Jack Nicholson said of his role, "The thing I like about the Joker is that his sense of humor is completely tasteless." He later said The Joker was one of his favorite roles he played.