“Dark Knight” star Christian Bale pictured in London Sunday ahead of the movie’s European premiere

The 34-year-old actor spent four hours at a London police station before being released on bail.

British media had reported that Bale’s mother and sister complained he had assaulted them at the Dorchester Hotel in London on Sunday night, a day before the European premiere of his latest film, “The Dark Knight.”

The Sun newspaper said police did not question the actor Monday because they did not want to interfere with the premiere of the movie.

Asked Tuesday whether Bale had been arrested, a London police spokesman did not refer to him by name but said: “A 34-year-old man attended a central London police station this morning by appointment and was arrested in connection with an allegation of assault.”

The spokesman spoke on condition of anonymity because force policy did not authorize him to be identified. British police do not name suspects before they are formally charged.

The force later said in a statement that the man had been released on bail pending further inquiries and told to return on an unspecified date in September.

U.S.-based representatives for Bale didn’t immediately return messages seeking comment. Repeated phone calls to Bale’s London representative went unanswered.

Wales-born Bale first made a splash as the child star of Steven Spielberg’s “Empire of the Sun” in 1987. His screen credits also include “American Psycho,” “The Machinist” and “Batman Begins.”

In “The Dark Knight,” Bale reprises the role of wealthy playboy Bruce Wayne and his crime-fighting alter-ego Batman, a brooding vigilante superhero still scarred by the murder of his parents.

The Warner Bros. film, which stars the late Heath Ledger as Batman’s nemesis The Joker, took in a record $158.4 million at the box office in its opening weekend in the U.S. last week.

decidedly not when I have been waiting for this movie for 3 years when Lieutenant James Gordon showed Batman a new villain’s calling card during the last scene of Batman Begins setting the stage for The Dark Knight that I am going to watch at 12:01AM. As I predicted, my day at work could not have gone any slower. However, there was one moment that I am sure many who work with me (and now the readers of my blog) will not let me soon forget.I was completing the transaction of a customer I have known for years. While I was doing this, she asked me a question:

“Does your wife still run the beauty shop up the street?”

I had to ask to have the question repeated, because I knew that I must have heard incorrectly She straight-faced repeated the question. To which I replied…

“Well… my MOTHER owns a beauty salon about a block north of here.”

She apologized about five times in 30 seconds while I was trying not to die from laughing. After the customer departed, I commented to the manager that I was not sure if that was a compliment or not. She just cracked up laughing and could not stop and of course she had to tell everyone she could. I realize that I just turned 35, but please let’s not add 30 years onto that. I think I got the boss to stop laughing when I told her:

“Of course if I were 30 years older, you would be the same age as I.”

For some reason, I heard very little more on the matter from her the rest of the day.Ok… now if I don’t get a nap, at least I can lie in the cool confines of my Fortress of Solitude (oh… sorry… have to wait a few more years for the Man of Steel) and relax.

Rent Batman Begins and other hits at Blockbuster.com

Sometimes a movie franchise which begins on a promising note can take a big leap downhill. One case would be the Batman films began by Tim Burton in 1989. The original Batman was dark, very atmospheric, close to the comics began in 1939. By the time Batman and Robin was made, the movies were an all out farce. In 2005, enough time had gone by to attempt a rebirth of sorts with Batman Begins.

Batman and Robin ended the franchise for several reasons. George Clooney did not a Batman make. He even considered the performance terrible. Perhaps he wanted to be part of a sure-fire money making movie series but upon reading the script found himself in trouble.

The villains were lame. Mr. Freeze was a carry over from the 60s television show and was a laughable character at best. Arnold Schwarzenegger seems well cast in movies in which he can deliver memorable catch phrases (Hasta la vista, baby; I’ll be back; Chill out). That seems to what he does best in any movie he is in to say nothing of his ability to govern the richest, most populous state in the country.

Another great big flaw was in costume design. In some awful anatomical promotion, a cod piece was added to the Bat-costume. To add even more insult, nipples were added to the chest area. These may not have been so noticable had it not been necessary to blatantly display both in close up shots. This must have been an attempt to promote the new and improved Bat-suit. And who to blame for this…. the director himself, Joel Schumaker (who should take all the blame for this mess).

After the success of Batman Begins, one can hope that the superhero will once again return to the movies in a good way.