Max Eckhardt

Max Eckhardt is a fictional character and an adversary of Batman. His first and only appearance in the Batman franchise is the 1989 Batman film, where he is played by the late William Hootkins, not counting the comic book adaptation of the movie.

Biography
Eckhardt is a lieutenant of the Gotham City Police Department, and one of the many corrupt officers on the payroll of mob boss and close friend Carl Grissom. Although Eckhardt never directly comes face to face with Batman, he discards all claims about the mysterious vigilante, and even belittles Alexander Knox, a reporter, for believing in Batman. Moments afterwards, Eckhardt meets with Jack Napier (the man who would become the Joker), one of Grissom's enforcers, to accept a bribe. Napier informs Eckhardt that newly-elected district attorney Harvey Dent is nosing around one of Grissom's front companies, but the fat cop broods that if there's a problem it's best to bear with it. Napier then tells Eckhardt of his plans to overthrow Grissom, but Eckhardt merely scoffs at him, telling Napier he has no future. A brief struggle ensues, and Eckhardt only decides not to shoot Napier when Napier's goon, Bob, aims a gun in his face.

Eckhardt later receives a call from Grissom, who informs him that he has set up a trap for Napier and his crew at Axis Chemicals (Napier had been having an affair with Grissom's mistress, and Grissom wanted revenge), and requests Eckhardt to ambush and kill Napier with a squadron of police officers. A gunfight erupts in Axis Chemicals between the police and the goons, during which Commissioner Gordon arrives and takes control, ordering the police to apprehend Napier alive. Eckhardt attempts to escape, but is shot in the chest by a vengeful Napier, who falls into a vat of chemicals moments afterwards during a fight with Batman, starting his transformation into the Clown Prince of Crime.

Possible inspirations
Although this has not been directly confirmed by the film's screenwriters, it is widely believed that Max Eckhardt was inspired by the comic characters Detective Harvey Bullock and Detective Arnold Flass, both of whom were, at least one point, corrupt policemen on crime's payroll, and partners of Commissioner Gordon. Also to be noted is Eckhardt's physical structure and attitude: overweight, unshaven and gruff, also characteristics of Bullock.