The Bat (1959)

Director:

Crane Wilbur

Writers:

Avery Hopwood (novel) (play)
Mary Roberts Rinehart (novel) (play)

Release Date:

9 August 1959 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Thriller | Mystery

Tagline:

When Someone SCREAMS ... It Will Be YOU!

Plot:

A crazed killer known as "The Bat" is on the loose in a mansion full of people.

Plot Keywords:

Bat | Mansion | Bank | Murder | Mystery Writer

Cast

Vincent Price	...	Dr. Malcolm Wells
Agnes Moorehead	...	Cornelia van Gorder
Gavin Gordon	...	Lt. Andy Anderson
John Sutton	...	Warner, the chauffeur
Lenita Lane	...	Lizzie Allen
Elaine Edwards	...	Dale Bailey
Darla Hood	...	Judy Hollander
John Bryant	...	Mark Fleming
Harvey Stephens	...	John Fleming
Mike Steele	...	Victor Bailey
Riza Royce	...	Jane Patterson
Robert Williams	...	Detective Davenport (as Robert B. Williams)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono | Mono (Westrex Recording System)

Certification:

Canada:G (Ontario) | Argentina:13 | Australia:PG | Finland:(Banned) (1961) | Norway:16 | Sweden:15 | UK:A (original rating) | UK:PG (video rating) | USA:Approved (PCA #19363)

Company:

Liberty Pictures

Trivia:

Her role as Judy became the final on-screen feature film role for former child star Darla Hood of Our Gang/Little Rascals fame.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The Bat uses a suction cup and a glass cutter to cut a hole in the glass in order to reach in and unlatch the door. The circular piece of glass attached to the suction cup is twice as thick as the glass from which the hole has been cut. The glass attached to the suction cup is also too thick to cut a hole in using a simple glass cutter.

Quotes:

Dr. Malcolm Wells: In my report I shall state that death was caused by a stunning blow followed by severe laceration and hemorrhage.
Lt. Andy Anderson: In plain English, he didn't know what hit him.
Dr. Malcolm Wells: Oh he knew, but he didn't have time to think about it.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Horror Incorporated: The Bat (1959) (#3.6)" (2003)

Very suspenseful...quite good for its day

Some people don't like to watch anything that's not in color...they don't know what they're missing. Some people look down at anything made in the fifties or sixties as hopelessly hokey...and they don't know what they're missing either. The Bat is a taut, suspenseful story, and one which proves gore isn't strictly necessary in order to be frightening. Agnes Moorhead shows plenty of spunk, and the great Vincent Price steals every scene in which he appears.

The cinematography of this film is excellent...note the use of dark shadows to conceal and hide peoples' identities, just as the dark mask hides the Bat's face. Jump out of your skin as that eerily-clawed hand appears in frame for the first time. Ignore the truly awful fake-looking bat that appears for a few seconds. No movie's perfect.

And play the adult version of the "Scooby Doo" mystery game...where you try to figure out who are the red herrings and who is the real murderer. It's probably not who you think it is.