It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

It’s an especially fun movie from a director and cast who are clearly having a good time allowing themselves to let loose.

The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.

This is a gorgeous movie made by a gorgeous spirit.

This creaky old remake of the 1926 film of the same name has dated more than the original – thanks to an uninspiring script, poor acting from most of the cast and a plot line so clichéd it stinks. This tepid thriller rekindles the old 'haunted house' mystery yarn, as various uninteresting guests assemble in a shadow-filled old building and are bumped off one by one by a sinister killer. The major turn-off point for me was the appalling acting of the cast members in this one, particularly Agnes Moorehead's grating crime writer and the other shrieking females assembled in the house. You get the impression that nobody's heart was really in this, and if they can't take the film seriously, how can the viewer? The only cast member of interest is Vincent Price, appearing thanks to his new-found status as a horror star in the likes of THE TINGLER, but Price's screen time is sadly limited and he fulfils the role of a red herring rather than being at the centre of the film's plot.If the idea of middle-aged women running about in low-cut night dresses and finding secret passages and bodies is up your street, then by all means check this one out. But the murder mystery aspect of the film is sadly limited, with only three possible suspects to choose from, and two of those are red herrings, one bumped off before the end. The film's running time is a scant eighty minutes but it feels much, much longer. The only interesting bits – other than those with the excellent Price – are where we see the Bat stalking through the house and bumping off a couple of victims. With his hat and clawed hands, this character was an obvious influence on the appearance of Freddy Krueger in the NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET films, and it's a shame he wasn't put to better use in a better movie altogether. As it stands, THE BAT is a real bore and one of those half-hearted remakes that just aren't worth anybody's time.

The Bat (1959)** 1/2 (out of 4)Mystery writer Cornelia Van Gorder (Agnes Moorehead) moves into a creepy old house with her chicken secretary and soon afterwards they realize the house was the setting for several murders by a mysterious figure known as The Bat. Pretty soon there's some missing money and the threat of more murders and a variety of suspects including a doctor (Vincent Price) and a banker's nephew (John Bryant). Previously filmed in 1926 and 1930, THE BAT isn't a complete success but I think it's a somewhat charming mystery that has quite a few interesting things going for it but the rather weak direction by Crane Wilbur keeps it from being better. I think the biggest problem is the actual feel of the picture because it really does seem as if you're watching a television pilot from the era. There's just nothing here that really screams out as a theatrical feature and there's just a low-rent quality about the entire thing.With that said, there's a lot to enjoy here including the comic timing. I'm sure some might object that the movie isn't a lot darker than it is but I thought the comedy aspect was rather good and there's just something charming about the two women and their back-and-forth talks about the various spooks and chills. It also doesn't hurt that we're given some very good performances with both Price and Moorehead really standing out.The film has all the trappings that you'd expect from an "old dark house" picture including the mysterious figure in black, which was a terrific look for The Bat. I found his look to be quite effective and then there's the various plot twists throughout. THE BAT isn't a complete success but it's certainly a lot better than many films of its genre.

In the opening scene, Agnes Moorehead and her staff have moved into a large house, but the servants are muttering about the threat of rabid bats. When I lived in Philadelphia there was a similar warning on television. "Look out for bats behaving oddly." The warning was of course futile because everything a bat does is odd. I suppose they could get REALLY odd by sitting down at the piano and hammering out "C Jam Blues" while grinning at you, but short of that, how could you know something was up? The story is too complicated to go into in detail. Some nonsense about a bank's founder stealing a million dollars from the bank, being murdered by Vincent Price (a doctor), four or five ladies ensconced in Agnes Moorehead's mansion and being threatened by somebody in a black mask and wearing gloves with claws, a snoopy detective, a grandfather clock, cut telephone lines, an uppity maid, a clumsy director, 1959 bouffant skirts (nice), the shadow of a villainous hand cast on the wall by a flash of lightning, that million bucks hidden somewhere under the floorboards or behind a secret panel in the wall or something.The budget was low. Few outdoor shots, no extras. And the tale, suitably tweaked, might have made a good hour-long episode of "Alfred Hitchcock Presents." There are a few unexpected witticisms in the dialog, nothing too challenging. But for the most part we get lines like this: Two young women are spending the night locked in their room. The beds are next to each other. One young lady turns to the other and says, "I can't sleep. I keep thinking of that man with the slashed throat." The other replies soothingly: "Don't think about it." How do you DO that? How do you not think about something? The mind will think what it will. It's its own agent. Unless -- is it possible that there is a mind BEHIND the mind? Somebody make a long-distance call to Descartes. We'll get to the bottom of this.Look, the whole movie seems to have been lying at the bottom of a shoe box labeled "B movie scripts, 1930s.") But I had to stick with it to the end.

Crane Wilbur both directed and wrote this mystery thriller that stars Agnes Moorhead as mystery writer Cornelia Van Gruder, who has rented a country house called "The Oaks", where a series of mysterious murders took place allegedly committed by a masked figure called "The Bat". Vincent Price plays Dr. Malcolm Wells, a charming but murderous man who is after some embezzled bank money that is hidden somewhere in the house. Of course, "The Bat" is back, and after it too, pursued by investigating officer Andy Anderson. A fresh series of murders take place there, and it is a race against time to find the money, and unmask "The Bat". Good cast can't save tired plot. The identity of the killer is obvious, though also silly, with the violent "claw" murders from "The Bat" being jarring.