The Bat People (1974)

Director:

Jerry Jameson

Writer:

Lou Shaw (written by)

Genre:

Horror

Tagline:

After the sun has set and the night wind has died comes the hour of the bat people!

Plot:

After being bitten by a bat in a cave, a doctor undergoes an accelerating transformation into a man-bat creature, which ruins his vacation and causes considerable distress for his wife.

Plot Keywords:

Bat | Transformation | Cave | Honeymoon | Vampire

Cast

Stewart Moss	...	Dr. John Beck
Marianne McAndrew	...	Cathy Beck
Michael Pataki	...	Sergeant Ward
Paul Carr	...	Dr. Kipling
Arthur Space	...	Tramp
Robert Berk	...	Motel Owner
Pat Delaney	...	Ms. Jax
George Paulsin	...	Boy in Pickup
Bonnie Van Dyke	...	Girl in Pickup
Jennifer Kulik	...	Nurse / Victim (as Jeni Kulik)
Laurie Brooks Jefferson	...	Nurse
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Herb Pierce	...	Park Ranger (uncredited)

Directed by
Jerry Jameson

Writing credits
Lou Shaw		(written by)

Produced by
Dante Cuccinello	....	associate producer
Nicolas Jenna	....	executive producer
Matthew F. Leonetti	....	executive producer (as Matthew Leonetti)
Lou Shaw	....	producer

Original Music by
Artie Kane

Cinematography by
Matthew F. Leonetti		(director of photography) (as Matthew Leonetti)

Film Editing by
Tom Stevens

Makeup Department
Stan Winston	....	makeup creator (as Stanley Winston)

Production Management
Carl Olson	....	production manager

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Bill Lukather	....	assistant director

Sound Department
Rod Sutton	....	sound

Special Effects by
Tony Urbano	....	special effects

Stunts
Stan Barrett	....	stunt coordinator (as Stan Barret)

Camera and Electrical Department
Cleo Anderson	....	key grip
James Globus	....	still photographer
Frank Leonetti	....	gaffer
Roger L. Smith	....	assistant cameraman (as Roger Smith)

Other crew
Hannah Scheel	....	script supervisor
Carol Meyers Siebler	....	assistant to producer

Production Companies

• American International Pictures (AIP)
• Eastborne Productions

Distributors

• American International Pictures (AIP) (1974) (USA) (theatrical)
• Columbia Broadcasting System (CBS) (1975) (USA) (TV) (original airing)
• Warner Home Video (1998) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (USA) (DVD)
• Home Box Office Home Video (HBO) (????) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM Home Entertainment (2007) (USA) (DVD)
• VCL Communications

Special Effects

• Howard Anderson Company, The (photographic effects) (as Howard A. Anderson Co.)

Other Companies

• Leonetti Cine Rentals  equipment and services
• Todd-AO Studios  re-recording (as Todd-AO)

Also Known As:

"It Lives by Night" - USA (alternative title)

Runtime:

91 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Color (DeLuxe)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono

Certification:

Australia:M | USA:PG | Canada:PG (Ontario) | Canada:14 (Nova Scotia) | Canada:13+ (Quebec)

Filming Locations:

Bishop, California, USA

Company:

American International Pictures (AIP)

Trivia:

The first feature film for makeup artist Stan Winston.

Goofs:

Continuity: The second cave tour is several days after the first. Both tours contain the same tourists, wearing the same clothes.

Quotes:

Dr. John Beck:You're quite the philsopher!
Tramp:That's me: Jack-of-all-thoughts and master of none.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Horror Business (2005) (V)

Soundtrack:

Angel of Fear

Nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah-nah BATMAN!!!!

"The Bat People" is a proud resident of the IMDb Bottom 100. Every once and a while the movie suddenly vanishes from the infamous list, depending on whether there are new movies with Paris Hilton in the lead or documentaries about American Idol stars, but it always reliably returns sooner or later. And why? Because, unlike the majority of crap in that list, "The Bat People" is a legitimate bad film and it deserves to be on there regardless of any media influences or internet buzz! This nearly isn't the worst film ever made, since the basic concept definitely has a certain charm and ingenuity, but it's still indescribably difficult to sit through the whole thing. The script is incredibly boring, with absolutely unnecessary padding footage and gigantic gaps in continuity, and yet the main characters still remain total strangers throughout the entire film. Other than a sensible screenplay, the film also lacks spectacular killing sequences and the make-up effects – although courtesy of a young Stan Winston – are ludicrously inept and remain largely unseen until the end of the film. The film's title is inaccurate, as "people" refers to a number in plural whereas the story actually just revolves on one Bat Person. Much more than Bruce Wayne, the real Batman plays in this movie and he as well has a genuine Bat-cave and a Bat-mobile (a stolen ambulance)! The plot introduces a young couple on their honeymoon-weekend exploring caves. They wander off from a guided tour group and he gets bitten by a bat whilst trying to protect his wife from the animal's vicious attack. Worried that he might be infected with rabies, he undergoes an intense treatment at the local hospital, but still this doesn't prevent him from slowly transforming into a bloodthirsty bat creature. He kills random people at night and toys around with the suspicious police sergeant whilst his loving wife is still vastly convinced the awkward behavior is exclusively due to allergic reactions to the rabies treatment. Sure, honey! The script never explains why a bat would attack people and how come John always changes back into a normal human being at the dawn of a new day instead of gradually turning into a permanent state of bat-guano. So basically, "The Bat People" is a variation on the good old werewolf-theme, but obviously not a very interesting one. The concept showed a lot of potential, but somehow the sub plots center on whiny drunks and perverted Sheriffs instead of on ghastly monsters. Some of the settings and exterior filming locations look impressive, the misfit song playing during the credits is strangely catchy, there's a nice bit of gore during the climax (finally!) and main actress Marianne McAndrew is ravishing to look at (though not to listen to). This truly bad and boring film's current listing in the bottom 100 is spot number 80, and personally I hope it sticks somewhere in that region. The list simply wouldn't feel and traditional without "The Bat People".