Good concept, poorly executed.

It's a movie as timely as it is provocative and amazingly, for much of its running time, it is weirdly funny.

It is neither dumb nor smart enough to be fun, and spends way too much time with its boring human characters.

It’s sentimental, ridiculously long and only occasionally funny

The Bat Whispers is a 1930 suspense-thriller with elements of mystery and drama. The story follows a middle-aged woman of wealth, named Cornelia Van Gorder, who has rented an elaborate mansion from a wealthy banker's son. When the large house is used to hide the proceeds from a bank robbery, several different parties compete to remove the inhabitants and find the money. Excitement, suspense, and thrills ensue as Cornelia, along with her friends and family, attempt to put an end to the fiasco.The film, The Bat Whispers, manages to stay enjoyable throughout its entirety, with barely a dull moment. The Bat character is reminiscent of an early Batman and it is easy to draw parallels between the two characters. The ending is also extremely fun, after the resolution and when the audience is addressed. I won't give anything away, but this film is worth watching for this part alone.One of the worst parts of the film, unfortunately, is the corny attempts at humor. Hiding halfway under a bed, cross-eyed fainting, and overdone acting add a cringe element to the film, which is disappointing. The story is done very well and the added comedy elements deduct from the overall viewing experience. There are also a few ambitious attempts at using special effects, such as tiny models to show a sprawling cityscape or a car traveling down a road. Although it is a good effort by the artists involved, these scenes do not work either. They are simply too artificial and, worse, are completely irrelevant. Lastly, one could argue that much of the conflict in this film, along with many thriller and mystery movies, is based on a faulty personality by the characters, such as an extreme naivety in their surroundings and the ability to trust even the most suspicious- looking individuals without hesitation.Overall, The Bat Whispers is a fun film. Exciting, suspenseful, full of thrills and twists, and a good mystery story, all audiences can enjoy this movie. A few downfalls and bad choices keep this film from being truly great, but it is worth a watch. And don't forget to watch the very end, it's great.

With long lines to see "Garbo Talks!" director Roland West and United Artists hoped to make you laugh and bring in some cash for "The Bat Whispers" - but, fewer people were interested in hearing The Bat-Man whisper. Moreover, he doesn't really "whisper" in this re-make of Mr. West's popular and influential silent version of "The Bat" (1926) - he talks. Neither of the Bat-films are truly magnificent, but both are technically excellent. The plot is almost the same; obviously, West started with the same script.The earlier version featured Jewel Carmen and Jack Pickford as lead the romantic couple; herein, they are successfully replaced by Una Merkel (as Dale) and William Bakewell (as Brooks). Broadway lady Grayce Hampton (as Cornelia Van Gorder) handles the knitting chores. Also moving from stage to film, comic relief Maude Eburne (as Lizzie) doesn't quite match Louise Fazenda (a daunting task). For the re-make, Chester Morris (as Anderson) takes center stage, as part of an uneasily altered story development.While West's technical skill is brilliant, but the sound of "The Bat" whispering is startlingly inferior - with the thunder sounding more like a foghorn from "Anna Christie" (one of those films with that talking Swedish actress). The wide-screen "Magnifilm" and visuals are terrific, though. Both films are worth seeing - in any order; the endings are different, but the mystery never mattered.******* The Bat Whispers (11/13/30) Roland West ~ Chester Morris, Una Merkel, William Bakewell, Grayce Hampton

Roland West's THE BAT WHISPERS was based on a hugely successful Broadway play, The Bat, widely credited for having created the vogue for thriller plays in the 1920's. (The 1927 production "Dracula" which starred Bela Lugosi on stage was part of the mystery vogue, and led directly to the 1930 Universal film which kicked off the 30's cycle of horror movies). West filmed The Bat in 1926 as a silent, with great success. The 1930 remake was a large production, shot simultaneously in standard 35mm and a new widescreen 65mm process. Theater owners largely rejected the expense of installing 65mm equipment, and most people who saw this film on its release saw the 35mm version. Among them was Bob Kane, who credited it as a major influence in his creation of Batman in the late 30's. It's easy to see why. This is a stunning looking film (I'm referring to the 35mm version, which I saw at the 2004 UCLA Festival of Preservation) gorgeously photographed by Ray June. In an old dark house where the lights are constantly going off, and lighting is frequently provided by candles, or lightning, bizarre lighting effects start to become the norm, and the dramatic possibilities take off. The director used every conceivable angle to keep things visually lively, mirroring the ridiculous complexity of the plot with a visual complexity that always keeps the viewer slightly off balance.Much has been made of the sweeping camera moves and the use of miniatures. The miniatures are a bit obvious, but their intent remains effective if you're willing to go with it. (Being willing to "go with it" is pretty much a necessity in general for this film, which was a wild and unrealistic ride in its time, and deliberately so.) The photography benefits from a number of technical innovations, including a lightweight camera dolly invented for this production that allowed the camera to be moved 18 feet vertically in a matter of moments. The performances - both comic and dramatic characters - are deliberately hokey, very stagey turns that were the standard for this genre. Much of Chester Morris' mugging and squinting, however, are attributable to the violently bright underlighting that was used in his closeups, which eventually scorched his retinas (a condition which became known as Klieg Eye). Within that context, they are wonderful performances. Morris is particularly engaging, as is Grayce Hampton as the patrician Cornelia Van Gorder, the middle-aged spinster who refuses to be scared out of the house. (Hampton appears to be a very capable stage actress, and offers perhaps the most natural performance in the film. She had made one previous film – in 1916 – and made numerous subsequent ones, usually in bit parts, until she was nearly 80.) Her no-nonsense dowager centers the film perfectly, keeping the other characters (and performances) from plunging completely off the deep end.The plot? A master criminal, The Bat, is on the loose, a half-million dollars have been stolen from a bank by somebody else, and The Bat is trying to get it. The money has apparently been brought to a lonely mansion in a rural town (apparently somewhere on then-rural Long Island) where a middle-aged woman and her made are renting for the summer. Someone is trying to scare her out of the house, so she has sent for detectives. From there, anything goes.

Great fun! The special effects are amazing for a 1930 movie. Miniaturized sets are used & although they're primitive by today's standards, keep in mind that this movie is over 70 years old. It's an excellent Old Dark House movie, complete with thunderstorms, secret passageways, a mysterious creature named "The Bat," comedic elements, a large old house, several murders, etc. It's been noted that the comic strip character, "Batman," owes some of his origins to "The Bat," & it's apparent in the outfit, the shadows cast from buildings, & in the name of the character itself. "The Bat" is indeed a pretty scary entity. The sound effects are good, camera work is excellent, & the ending is bizarre. It kept my interest throughout its 83 minutes. Well worth seeing for Old Dark House fans (this is one of the best). I rate it 9/10.