{"id":78128,"date":"2025-05-08T06:00:09","date_gmt":"2025-05-07T20:30:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/?p=78128"},"modified":"2025-05-09T21:55:12","modified_gmt":"2025-05-09T12:25:12","slug":"movie-review-vampire-bat-the","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/2025\/05\/08\/movie-review-vampire-bat-the\/","title":{"rendered":"Movie Review – Vampire Bat, The"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Principal Cast : <\/strong>Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, Maude Eburne, George E Stone, Dwight Frye, Robert Frazer, Rita Carlisle, Lionel Belmore, William V Mong, Stella Adams, Paul Weigel, Harrison Greene, William Humphrey, Carl Stockdale, Paul Panzer.
\nSynopsis:<\/strong> When corpses drained of blood begin to show up in a European village, vampirism is suspected to be responsible.<\/h5>\n

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Made quickly and cheaply to capitalise on the popular pairing of Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill in Doctor X<\/em> (1932), Majestic Pictures’ The Vampire Bat<\/em> is a schlocky, unsubtle collision of what we now recognise as classic horror film tropes. Borrowing elements from Frankenstein<\/em> (notably reusing the exterior set from James Whale\u2019s iconic adaptation of Shelley\u2019s novel to cut costs), Dracula<\/em>, and The Wolf Man<\/em>, the film blends these influences to often great effect. That\u2019s not to say The Vampire Bat<\/em> is a classic horror film by any stretch, but as an example of Poverty Row filmmaking elevated by solid writing, it stands as an underrated entry in the genre canon.<\/p>\n

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Plot synopsis courtesy of Wikipedia:<\/strong> In the quiet German town of Kleinschloss, the villagers are gripped by fear as a series of mysterious deaths leaves victims drained of blood. While superstitious townsfolk whisper about vampires, suspicion falls on the eccentric Herman Gleib (Dwight Frye), a simple-minded outcast with an unsettling fascination for bats. Police inspector Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas) is sceptical of the supernatural explanation, but as panic spreads, he turns to Dr Otto von Niemann (Lionel Atwill) for help. Meanwhile, von Niemann\u2019s assistant, Ruth Bertin (Fay Wray), becomes increasingly troubled by her mentor\u2019s strange behaviour, especially as those close to her begin to fall victim to the unknown menace. As Brettschneider and Ruth dig deeper, they uncover a horrifying truth\u2014one that ties the killings to a sinister force far more terrifying than mere superstition.<\/p>\n

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The Vampire Bat<\/em> cribs from a host of well-known horror tropes, and while a lack of originality might work against most films, for Frank Strayer\u2019s low-budget thriller, it actually ensures accessibility for the audience (although not entirely, as we\u2019ll discuss in a moment). The film features a dim-witted villager whom everyone suspects of the crimes simply because he\u2019s an outsider, a flickering basement laboratory where sinister experiments take place, an uptight local law enforcement officer, the knowledgeable doctor, the utterly unnecessary blonde love interest, and a goggle-eyed mayor who incites the town into a frenzied lynch mob at the first opportunity. Shadowy nocturnal killings and an omnipresent sense of doom permeate the film\u2019s visual aesthetic, with a particularly striking sequence in which the flames of the angry mob\u2019s torches appear in vivid colour\u2014just the flames\u2014creating an eerie and unexpected effect.<\/p>\n

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While The Vampire Bat<\/em> isn\u2019t a standout example of the genre, it remains an enjoyable watch, despite some muddled visual storytelling that left me checking online to confirm exactly what was happening. This issue is particularly evident in the film\u2019s central plot twist, which I won\u2019t fully spoil here. Suffice it to say that one of the characters is unknowingly being hypnotised, and the way Strayer conveys this supernatural influence isn\u2019t quite sufficient to make the audience immediately grasp what\u2019s going on. That said, the rest of the film is joyfully absurd, from the expository-heavy opening through to the tragic fate of Herman Gleib and the shocking revelation of the true culprit behind the town\u2019s abnormally high death rate. The ultimate reveal of the villain\u2019s motivations is jaw-dropping\u2014not necessarily in a good way\u2014but I did laugh out loud when I realised what was going on.<\/p>\n

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Strayer\u2019s direction of Edward T. Lowe Jr.\u2019s generic screenplay is surprisingly energetic, with his camera sweeping through the town like a bat itself. However, an excessive use of Star Wars<\/em>-style wipes between scenes gives the impression of a filmmaker excited to showcase a new editing trick at every opportunity. The film\u2019s black-and-white cinematography and dynamic camerawork add a genuine sense of menace, with an atmospheric stillness that suggests evil lurking just beyond the frame. Ira Morgan\u2019s cinematography is evocative despite looking dated by modern standards, capturing the eerie essence of 1930s horror. Against the constraints of Majestic Pictures\u2019 budget, the actors all deliver solid performances, even in minor roles where melodramatic overacting might typically dominate. The film\u2019s formulaic narrative and oddly placed humour provide an amusing contrast to the more sinister elements of the story, with Maude Eburne\u2019s hypochondriac matriarch serving up a fair share of comic relief. Meanwhile, Lionel Atwill and Melvyn Douglas deliver straightforward yet effective performances, while Fay Wray\u2019s Ruth Bertin\u2014whose presence is almost entirely unnecessary\u2014contributes little beyond looking concerned. Dwight Frye, as the bat-loving Herman Gleib, leans into his signature brand of wide-eyed madness, adding gravitas where none is really required. For that, Strayer deserves credit for crafting a film that punches above its weight.<\/p>\n

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The Vampire Bat<\/em> is an absolute delight; it may not win points for originality, but it compensates with stylish direction, committed performances, and an outlandish subversion of the horror genre\u2019s then-nascent archetypes. I have to assume that 1933 audiences weren\u2019t as attuned to horror conventions as we are today, and I imagine this film made quite the impact in the dimly lit cinemas of its time. Trading on visual dynamism, implied violence and depravity, and some delightful early camera tricks, The Vampire Bat<\/em> is well worth a watch for genre fans and could serve as a surprising entry point into early 20th-century horror cinema. Better than I expected, that\u2019s for sure.<\/p>\n

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Principal Cast : Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, Maude Eburne, George E Stone, Dwight…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":48482,"featured_media":78161,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[18],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-78128","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-movie-review"],"featured_image_urls":{"full":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1.jpg",1920,1080,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-500x280.jpg",500,280,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-660x365.jpg",660,365,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-768x432.jpg",640,360,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-840x840.jpg",640,640,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-1536x864.jpg",1536,864,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1.jpg",1920,1080,false],"covernews-featured":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-1024x576.jpg",1024,576,true],"covernews-medium":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-540x340.jpg",540,340,true],"profile_24":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-24x24.jpg",24,24,true],"profile_48":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-48x48.jpg",48,48,true],"profile_96":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-96x96.jpg",96,96,true],"profile_150":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-150x150.jpg",150,150,true],"profile_300":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-300x300.jpg",300,300,true],"sow-carousel-default":["https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/05\/VampireBat-1-272x182.jpg",272,182,true]},"author_info":{"display_name":"Rodney Twelftree","author_link":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/author\/rodney\/"},"category_info":"Movie Review<\/a>","tag_info":"Movie Review","comment_count":"0","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78128","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/48482"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=78128"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78128\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":78204,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/78128\/revisions\/78204"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/78161"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=78128"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=78128"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.fernbyfilms.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=78128"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}