Customer Reviews

Bat, The

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Vincent Price was always able to make a run-of-the-mill horror movie seem like so much more. And that's the case with "The Bat," an otherwise okay-but-not-great mystery based on Mary Roberts Rinehart's mystery. It's creepy and a little campy, but not much as a mystery.

Author Cornelia van Gorder (Agnes Moorehead) has rented a rural mansion for her writing, even though her maid Lizzie (Lenita Lane) claims that the serial-killing Bat has been prowling around. Of course, the Bat breaks into the house, scares them silly, and vanishes by the time the police arrive.

The problem is, Cornelia doesn't have anything the Bat would want -- but is his presence connected to a recent bank embezzlement, and the mystery death of the banker who owned the mansion? It seems so, and now the race is on between Cornelia, Lizzie and her friends, and a ruthless masked killer.

Basically it's a straightforward treasure hunt, but with murder thrown in the mix, as well as the question of who the Bat is -- in true mystery tradition, you can guess by figuring out the least likely suspect. In the meantime, there are hidden rooms, forest fires, campy shrieks, rubber bats, and those awkward-looking gloves with fake claws attached.

The big problem with "Bat" is that it doesn't have any clues (neither did the book, admittedly). There are a few red herrings -- such as Price messing around with bats in his lab -- but what is a mystery if the audience doesn't have any chance at all of solving it? (That, and the torn throats are suspiciously bloodless)

Price plays a relatively small part -- that of a jovial, sinister doctor who may or may not be the Bat -- but he steals all his scenes, especially since he also seems to be the most intelligent person in the cast. But Moorehead is also quite good, playing Cornelia as an independent, acid-tongued spinster who doesn't let anyone underestimate her.

There are quite a few versions of this movie out there, most of them terrible. The best one I've seen is Platinum Disc, which comes with a funny menu, as well as clear picture, clear sound, and no fizzing, fuzzing or jumps. They found a very good print for this movie.

"The Bat" is only middling as a mystery, but is pretty fun in a haunted-house kind of way. And it's worth getting, if nothing else, to see Price carrying a bat in a medical bag.

This movie somehow is underrated. While not a fantastic thriller, it surely meets the requirement of a murder mystery with some very suspicious characters. I was surprised at the end to find out who the killer was. This features Agnes Moorehead, who is excellent, and Vincent Price..also you'll see "Darla" from the Little Rascals.

If you want a good movie to watch with intrigue and mystery without it being terrifying this old time movie is the one to watch.

Our family loves this movie, which is why we have just ordered it on DVD. We have it on VHS and would like to keep this in our library of DVDs.

I bought this movie not because it was a masterpiece;it's not.I bought it because it was one of those great Fridaynight-home
Alone when you were a kid movies.Just plain fun.Endora from Bewitched makes it even better.

OK, I've given 5 stars to films like CASABLANCA, FROM HERE TO ETERNITY, ALL ABOUT EVE, SUNSET BLVD, MOONSTRUCK, CRASH, etc so how can I give 5 stars to a silly little genre movie like THE BAT? Well, I graded it for its genre and for a silly little movie like THE BAT, it's terrific. Has all the elements of its genre plus a really wonderful performance from Agnes Moorehead. She plays it like she's playing Shakespeare and that's one of the reasons why this picture works so well. Plus it's in black and white, it takes place in a spooky mansion, and there's a murderer on the loose. It's creepy but not grusome and it's based on a best selling novel. So for a movie of this type, it's just right. Plus I have also graded it for what it represents to me. I remember vividly seeing this film as a kid in the local movie theater and I loved it. It made such an impression on me that it's kind of what I have since then measured mystery movies by. If you are a fan of genre movies that don't pretend to be anything more than they are, such as HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, TEN LITTLE INDIANS, etc. then this is one for you. Save it for a rainy, windy, stormy night and have fun.

The story is set in a dark and creepy old mansion called the Oaks, where author Cordelia Van Gorder (Agnes Moorehead) is writing her next mystery novel. It seems a crazed killer, nicknamed "The Bat," is terrorizing the area, murdering women by slashing their throats with bat-like claws. Also, the local bank has been robbed of a million dollars that is somehow connected to the Oaks. The local doctor (Vincent Price) befriends Cordelia, but is he as kindly as he seems?

Vincent Price made a lot of cheap but good movies in the fifties; unfortunately, this isn't one of them. The ridiculous script is full of holes, the dialogue is amateurish, and though Price's scenes are the best, he has only a small part. Most of the actors, especially the usually-wonderful Moorehead, speak so haltingly they sound like they're making up their lines as they go along (while trying to make sense of the story). No one has any common sense, including the laughable police force, and all the running up and down the dark staircase and constant opening and closing of doors is just so corny.

This is the kind of movie where they use a one-watt flash bulb to dramatically look for clues in the dark; it isn't strong enough to shine light on anything, but that's okay since the room is lit like daylight anyway. It is fun to see Darla Hood of "Our Gang" fame all grown up in a minor role, though.

While there isn't a single scare in the film, it is one of those so-bad-it's-good movies that can be a pleasant way to pass an afternoon when you're in the mood; just don't expect this to be one of Vincent Price's best.

This is what we'd have called a "B" movie back in the fifties when I was a kid. I loved the "B" movies back then and I still do. Vincent Price is a little on the lame side, but Agnus Morehead does a very good job. The ending was a bit contrived, but not enough to ruin the movie.

A creepy, campy, silly flick, but the combination of Moorehead and Price is irresistable. The only downside is that Price's character dies too early. Good quality conversion.