PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Though it’s a bit understated, Crane Wilbur’s The Bat is an overall solid movie. Let’s look at why it works… even if it won’t necessarily knock your socks off and blow your mind.
Many older movies offer hurdles for modern audiences. For one thing, plenty of them are filmed in black and white, which not everyone appreciates. Also, quite often, older films seem almost like stage productions or like they’re more steeped in traditional acting. These are both true with The Bat. However, for me, these add to the film’s charm and class it up a bit. In addition to watching a decent movie, I feel like I’m watching a piece of history. That adds to the experience, doesn’t it?
Check out this classic, stylish and fun trailer!
The main villain of The Bat is actually kind of creepy, as he’s known to tear at women’s throats with his clawed fingernails. If you think about it, that was probably an intense character for way back in 1959, before serial killing was as widely known. Also, that makes The Bat kind of a pre-Freddy clawed miscreant. In fact, it’s a bit weird he’s named The Bat at all. I mean, why not The Cat or The Claw or something to that effect? Well, it’s because the killer has an odd quirk of letting bats into his target’s houses. Honestly, who would do such a thing? I guess it’s one of those “crazy enough to work” things.
The Performances
Although The Bat is set up as a straightforward whodunit murder mystery, that’s not its greatest strength. Frankly, what it does best is focus on a few semi-memorable performances. You have Agnes Moorehead as mystery author Cornelia Van Gorder and Vincent Price as Dr. Malcolm Wells. I like the casually deviant bank president, John Fleming (Harvey Stephens). Also, Van Gorder’s maid, Lizzie (Lenita Lane), provided some genuine laughs for me with lines like, “Some of them bats is rabid!” For whatever reason, dialogue like that make a story seem more plausible, and I’m a sucker for strange grammar and assorted colloquialisms. Another thing I should note: The Bat features Darla Hood as Judy Hollander. Of course, Hood is well known for appearing in Our Gang, or The Little Rascals. It’s interesting to see her in a horror film, and she helps make it a more memorable picture.
Oddly enough, Vincent Price doesn’t totally dominate this film (at least not for me). Even in some key scenes, he seems to mostly draw attention to the story. To me, this suggests a man who was secure as an actor. Yes, Price had a trademark style and instantly recognizable presence and voice, but he seemed fully capable of letting the other aspects of a movie shine, too. He is there to help, not just to murder (though, quite often, his characters could and would murder).
Final Thoughts
The Bat is a memorable film with a relatively early slasher villain. Make no mistake about it: this is definitely an early slasher film, and it even pre-dates Hitchcock’s Psycho by a year. I’m sure some would challenge my classifying this as a slasher film, but go ahead and watch it before you judge. The killer even has the claws to prove it! Yes, you should add this movie to your collection, and remember… some of them bats is rabid!
What are your thoughts on The Bat? Any rabid fans out there? Let us know in the comments!
