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:

Errors made by characters (possibly deliberate errors by the filmmakers): At the beginning, Lizzie explains to Cornelia that the staff were hearing noises and were threatening to quit. When Cornelia is playing cards a little later, Lizzie explains the same thing and Cornelia acts as though she had no idea as to why the staff quit.

Quotes:

Cornelia van Gorder: [reading newspaper headline] Mr. Fleming will be laid to rest in his family's tomb on Monday.
Lizzie Allen: And I hope he stays there.
Cornelia van Gorder: Well why shouldn't he?
Lizzie Allen: This is his house, and ever since he died, some funny things have happened here.
Cornelia van Gorder: For instance?
Lizzie Allen: The housekeeper, the cook and the butler said that they heard strange noises at night, and the upstairs maid swore she met a man without a face coming up the back stairs.
Cornelia van Gorder: Oh so that's why they quit and left me to run this place without a staff.
Lizzie Allen: They didn't tell you, Miss Gordy, but the truth is they were scared to stay.
Cornelia van Gorder: But you're still here, Lizzie! Haven't you seen anything?
Lizzie Allen: No... no and even if I had, I ain't afraid of ghosts. They're afraid of me! Honest, Miss Gordy, a spiritualist once told me that ghosts was allergic to me.
[...]

Movie Connections:

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

Entertaining Vincent Price 'haunted house' movie

This film is a lot better than you might expect. It follows the story of a wayward million dollars that is believed to be hidden within the walls of an old house. The inhabitants of the house are a female writer and her crew of servants.... oh, and a prowler known as 'the bat', who evidently wants the fortune for himself. The Bat is notable for a great macabre atmosphere that creates a sense of claustrophobia, as the house is in the middle of nowhere. It's also notable for an early performance from Vincent Price, who appears as the doctor, Malcolm Wells. Price was better known in 1959 for the William Castle classic "House on Haunted Hill", but 'The Bat' is still an able entry in his list of acting credits. Price evidently grew as an actor throughout the 60's and 70's, but his early performances always have that x-factor that would go on to instill the man in the hearts of horror fans forever, and his performance here has that also.

The story itself has lots of room for tension and intrigue, and it makes best use of it as the film is constantly intriguing, and many scenes, particularly the ones involving the menacing bad guy, are filled with suspense. The film is at it's best when 'the bat' is on the prowl, and features several lovely shots of the fiend poking his arm through various crevices in the house. The house itself is riddled with various traps and secret passages in true haunted house style, and it adds to the inventiveness and effectiveness of the movie. The film gives the twist away far too early, however, and it kind of spoils the ending as it turns out that, logically, there's only one person who the bat could possibly be. It doesn't really matter though, as the film is always a lot of fun and if you're a fan of Vincent Price (and who isn't?!), or just classic horror movies in general, I highly recommend this movie.