THE
BAT (1959)Director: Crane Wilbur
Anchor Bay Entertainment
THE
BAT (1959)Being a public domain staple, with frequent airings on late night TV and several budget VHS releases, I was surprised that Anchor Bay decided to render this forgotten remake of 1930's THE BAT WHISPERS on DVD. Already out on DVD through Roan group as part of a double feature with HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL, AB's version is definitely the better disc.
It's basically a mystery disguised in the promotional campaign of a horror film due to the title and the presence of Vincent Price (who was enjoying success in William Castle's flicks during this period). "The Bat" is a killer dressed totally in black and sporting a leather glove with metal claws. He's on the loose in a spooky mansion inherited by mystery writer Agnes Moorehead. With a house full of screaming female guests (including a grown up Darla Hood of "The Little Rascals" fame), the Bat has his share of victims to pursue.
Price is good as a deceptive doctor who makes house calls and experiments on tiny bats, but his character is thrown in as a red herring. There are lots of typical trap doors, secret passages, dark corridors, etc. I recommend this tedious little effort only to fans of Price and 50s B movies in general; all others might find it hard to sit through.
The transfer on Anchor Bay's DVD is simply amazing. The black and white image is incredibly sharp and smooth, with no grain whatsoever. There is so much detail (especially considering that the film has many dark, shadowy scenes) that it almost has a 3-dimensional appearance and the onscreen actors' eyes literally sparkle. The mono sound is also extremely clear. Simply put, this is one of the best presentations of an older black and white film that I've ever seen.
Roan's version of THE BAT was letterboxed, but that's totally unnecessary and AB opted to present it full frame with extra information at the top and bottom of the screen. Even though Roan's transfer looked pretty decent, this one is superior, and the source material is in far better shape, which I detect could be from the original negative (the film still sports the old "Allied Artists" logo).
The only extra is a great trailer, similar to something done for William Castle, staging Vincent Price in a living room chair, warning the audience of "The Bat." I suggest skipping the Roan double feature and buying this disc as well as Warner's excellent (and inexpensive) HOUSE ON HAUNTED HILL disc. (George R. Reis)