A Reel Retro Review: THE BAT (1959)

With no new films to review for the foreseeable future, Reel Speak will randomly review a classic film from the TCM library every week. Not just for the sake of filling time, but to hopefully introduce some overlooked and perhaps forgotten screen gems from the past to those of us who may be unfamiliar or unawares of their existence. 

When it comes to the late great horror icon Vincent Price, most of us immediately recall his roles in THE FLY (1958), HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL (1959), or HOUSE OF WAX (1953). With over 100 films to his credit, he was quite the prolific actor and worked well into his eighties. With so many films, much of his smaller, less iconic roles tend to be overlooked, with one of them coming in the 1959 horror/mystery film THE BAT. 

Mystery author Cornelia Van Gorder (Agnes Moorhead), and her maid Lizzie (Lenita Lane), rent a summer home in a town that is being terrorized by a murderer known as “the Bat”; a man with no face who kills women at night with steel claws. 

Based the 1908 novel The Circular Staircase and an eventual stage adaptation, THE BAT is a film that was ahead of its time, and forgoes the usual damsel-in-distress being chased by a ghoul by introducing a complex, yet easy-to-follow mystery. The owner of the Summer home is a banker (Harvey Stevens), who has embezzled a million dollars from his bank and allegedly hid it in the house. Hot on the trail of the money is Dr. Malcolm Wells (Price), and police Lt. Anderson (Gavin Gordon). With the banker vanishing, the race is on to find the hidden money in the house…with the Bat creeping around and slashing whoever gets in his way. 

It’s a clever mashup of mystery and horror, which has a simplicity to it but enough intricacies to make it a layered who-dun-it. There are plenty of surprises scattered about, with the identity of the Bat done with a well-executed shell-game; just when we think we know who the faceless man is, a well-timed twist pulls the rug out from us armchair cinematic sleuths. 

Written and directed by Crane Wilbur, THE BAT works very well as a horror film. The Bat himself is simply a man with a black mask in a dark suit and terrifying steel claws, but by hiding him in shadow and having him appear when we least expect it, the simplicity of the character is soon forgotten. Scenes where the Bat sneaks into the house and prowls around are done very well. Shot in glorious black-and-white, the usage of lights and shadows is perfect. 

Acting is very good. Vincent Price’s role is understated as he is not really the “lead”, but he carries the role of the good doctor with an aura of mystery that keeps us guessing. Agnes Moorhead is fantastic as she carries the film; she is strong-willed and tough, and puts her mystery-novelist skills to good use. 

With the ladies taking most of the screentime and Price nearly taking a back seat, THE BAT plays today as very progressive piece for 1959, which makes it very relevant today. It’s a treat to see Price in a smaller role, and the film itself has some sharp fangs with its excellent scares and twists. 

BOTTOM LINE: See it 

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Reel Facts: The 1959 film was the fourth version of the story, following the 1908 novel, the 1920 play, and a 1926 silent film.  Director Crane Wilbur was a writer and director of 67 films from the silent era and the sound era, and found lasting recognition as an actor after his role in the serial THE PERILS OF PAULINE (1914). THE BAT was originally released as a double feature, paired with the Hammer horror film THE MUMMY with Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing.