The Devil Bat (1940)

A mad scientist develops an aftershave lotion that causes his gigantic bats to kill anyone who wears it.

Director:

Jean Yarbrough

Writers:

John T. Neville (screenplay), George Bricker (original story)

Stars:

Bela Lugosi, Suzanne Kaaren, Dave O'Brien

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Bela Lugosi	...	Dr. Paul Carruthers
Suzanne Kaaren	...	Mary Heath
Dave O'Brien	...	Johnny Layton
Guy Usher	...	Henry Morton
Yolande Donlan	...	Maxine (as Yolande Mallott)
Donald Kerr	...	'One-Shot' McGuire
Edmund Mortimer	...	Martin Heath (as Edward Mortimer)
Gene O'Donnell	...	Don Morton
Alan Baldwin	...	Tommy Heath
John Ellis	...	Roy Heath
Arthur Q. Bryan	...	Joe McGinty
Hal Price	...	Chief Wilkins
John Davidson	...	Prof. Percival Garland Raines
Billy Griffith	...	Coroner (scenes deleted)
Wally Rairden	...	Walter King (as Wally Rairdon)

Storyline

Dr. Carruthers feels bitter at being betrayed by his employers, Heath and Morton, when they became rich as a result of a product he devised. He gains revenge by electrically enlarging bats and sending them out to kill his employers' family members by instilling in the bats a hatred for a particular perfume he has discovered, which he gets his victims to apply before going outdoors. Johnny Layton, a reporter, finally figures out Carruthers is the killer and, after putting the perfume on himself, douses it on Carruthers in the hopes it will get him to give himself away. One of the two is attacked as the giant bat makes one of its screaming, swooping power dives.

---

Plot Keywords:

bat | giant bat | revenge | reporter | scientist | 

---

Taglines:

He's Trained His Brood of Blood-Hungry Bats to Kill on Command!

---

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 December 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

Killer Bats

Company Credits

Production Co:

Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC)

Technical Specs

Runtime:

68 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

This was the first, and most successful, horror film from Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) after it was formed from the failed Producers Distrubuting Corporation (PDC). Filming began October 28 1940.

---

Goofs

Throughout the movie, references are made to Illinois locations (Chicago, Peoria, Springfield), yet the scenery shown at the beginning of the movie is clearly Californian.

---

Quotes

'One-Shot' McGuire: I'm not feeling too hot, would you take my temperature?
Dr. Paul Carruthers: You are perfectly alright.
'One-Shot' McGuire: Oh yeah? Well you should see my tongue, it looks just like a squirrel's tail!

---

Connections

Remade as The Flying Serpent (1946)

User Reviews

SAY CHEESE PLEASE

If you like B-Movie cheese...this film is for you! I love this flick. Sure it's not Citizen Kane. But it never said it was. Bela is excellent. He always took his roles so serious. And that's why he's so good in these types of goofball films. If your a fan of DVD Extras, you will love this one. The commentary features Bela Lugosi, Jr. And Numerous Lugosi movie trailers. Well worth checking out! 5 out of 5 stars. GOOD STUFF!!