User reviews

While lesser remembered nowadays than Agatha Christie, American writer Mary Roberts Rinehart was as influential in the genre of crime fiction as her British colleague, as she originated many of the core elements of murder mystery stories in her writing (the phrase "The butler did it", comes from her work). In 1917 she joined popular playwright Avery Hopwood in order to write "The Bat", a stage adaptation of her novel, "The Circular Staircase", but instead of making a straight version of the novel, they added new twists and turns to the plot, including the presence of a masked criminal named "The Bat", who would the mystery a bit more complex for Reinhart's popular character, Miss Cornelia Van Gorder. The play was a huge hit, and it fascinated director Roland West, an avid fan of mystery plays who six years later would adapt it to film.

In the film, Miss Cornelia Van Gorder (Emily Fitzroy) and her niece Dale (Jewel Carmen) rent an old mansion that belongs to the wealthy owner of a bank. However, their tranquility is disturbed when they discover that the bank has been robbed by the master thief known as The Bat (due to his elaborate costume), the owner is now dead, and he left the rest of his fortune in cash hidden in the mansion they are renting. Now Van Gorder and her niece will be the new victims of The Bat, who wants to get the full loot and will do whatever it's necessary to get them out of the house, alive or dead. To make things worse, Dale's fiancée Brooks (Jack Pickford), a clerk at the robbed bank, is the main suspect, so he arrives to the mansion hoping to hide for a while. Fortunately, Detective Anderson (Eddie Gribbon) also arrives to help the women, but the Bat has proved to be an extraordinary foe.

Adapted by director Roland West with the aid of Julien Josephson, "The Bat" follows the play in a relatively faithful way, although since West has no way to represent the play's dialogs on film, he decides to put more emphasis on the horror elements and tell the story in a more visually rich fashion. This is specially notorious in the "first act", where West gives more insight about the Bat's methods by showing him using his skills to commit a robbery early on the film. Still, the movie version keeps those touches that made the source so different to other mystery plays, specially that touch of dark detective fiction that predates the films noir of the following the decades. As usual in this kind of plays, there's also a touch of light comedy (in the shape of the classic cowardly character) that serves to break the suspense and add some fun every now and then.

As an early adaptation of a murder mystery play (like West's other horror film, "The Monster"), "The Bat" is a very influential movie in the horror genre because of its use of the old dark house setting, however, visually it is a very memorable film too. The most striking features of "The Bat" are without a doubt William Cameron Menzies's work as set designer and the cinematography by Arthur Edeson (assisted by a young Gregg Toland, in his first real job), which under West's direction result in a wonderful expressionist nightmare. To create his atmospheric game of light and shadows, West decided to shot the film mostly at night, which is why "The Bat" has that dark stylish look that feels surreal and otherworldly. Interestingly, West's directing of actors is very restrained, as if he intended to tell the story with the cinematography instead of his cast.

While in the novel the character of Miss Cornelia Van Gorder played a more prominent role, here it's Dale and her fiancée Brooks whom are in the spotlight. As Brooks, Jack Pickford (Mary Pickford's scandalous brother) is effective, although nothing really amazing; the same could be said of Jewel Carmen (West's wife at the time), who plays Dale. They aren't bad, but not exactly noteworthy. Quite the contrary is Louise Fazenda, who steals the show as the cowardly maid Lizzie and adds a lot of charm to the film thanks to her over-the-top slapstick comedy. As the witty Miss Cornelia Van Gorder, Emily Fitzroy is pretty good, and certainly embodies the character with a strong presence. Finally, Eddie Gribbon is another of the cast members who give a great performance, possibly the best in the film after Fazenda's.

Despite it's many memorable moments, in the end "The Bat" as a film is damaged badly by its own origin as a play: on stage actors have words, but West can't have that element on film. While West certainly did his best to tell the story without words (and the first act is itself a masterpiece of silent storytelling), the film does feel very stagy, specially in the scenes directly lifted from the play, which result in a film of irregular pace, with some highly dynamic scenes and others that are slow and kind of dull. In my personal opinion, "The Bat" would had been better if West had done a less faithful adaptation, and instead had followed the path he was walking in the first act, which was highly original. For example, Paul Leni's adaptation of "The Cat and the Canary" (another murder mystery play) done the following year takes what West started here to higher levels.

In the end "The Bat" is a highly enjoyable film that, while not really a masterpiece, it is of great interest due to its beautiful cinematography, set design and ultimately charming plot. West would remake this film 4 years later as "The Bat Whispers", now with sound and what he lacked here. And yes, it would be that 1930 horror film the one that would inspire comic book artist Bob Kane to create his very own Batman. A flawed but still good horror movie.

7/10

She might not have been a critic's darling, but the reading public loved author Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876-1957.) Her 1907 novel THE CIRCULAR STAIRCASE was among her most popular works, and in 1917 Rinehart joined forces with playwright Avery Hopwood to adapt it to the stage. After three years of work and much revision, THE BAT's combination of eccentric characters, spooky effects, slapstick humor and mystery took the New York stage by storm. And in 1926 it became one of the most popular films of the late silent era.

The plot was clichéd even in 1920, and considerably more so by 1926--but this is actually part of the film's charm. New York is beset by a vicious killer and brilliant thief called "The Bat," whose crime spree has left police baffled. Cornelia Van Gorder (Emily Fitzroy) and her niece Dale (Jewel Carmen) have leased a mansion in the countryside, but it soon transpires that their choice has been unfortunate: the owner has died, his bank has been robbed, the money is concealed in the house... and The Bat wants it! Before you can say "It's the BAT!" there are secret passages, suspicious characters, screaming maids, and shots in the dark. According to film lore, THE BAT was actually filmed at night, the better to emphasize the gloomy atmosphere; if so, director Roland West (husband of actress Jewel Carmen) made a good decision here, for the film is memorable for its shadowy look. The miniatures of the opening scenes have been widely praised and the sets are elaborate and extremely well photographed (Cedric Gibbons, no less, was the art director of note); the costume for the elusive Bat is lots of 1920s fun; and the cast is quite good besides.

The cast is particularly noteworthy for its inclusion of Jack Pickford, the wild and scandal plagued brother of silent star Mary Pickford. The combination of sound, drugs, alcohol, and sex would destroy his career before the decade ended, and although Mary Pickford certainly promoted his career he shows that his talents warranted her support. He's quite good. Most memorable, however, is actress Louise Fazenda, who chews scenery as the comically hysterical maid Lizzie--but indeed the entire cast is very fine and you find little of the broad acting style that troubles many silent films.

For many years THE BAT was considered a "lost" film, but not only did a single copy survive, it proves in extremely good condition as well, and the transfer on the Alpha Video DVD release is quite good. What isn't good is the original score, credited to Paul David Bergel. Not only is it utter atrocious in terms of music, it actually works against the film, making the action feel a great deal slower than it really is. Even so, this is the long-thought-lost THE BAT, it's quite good, and you can always turn the sound off! While it isn't quite as stylish as the slight later THE CAT AND THE CANARY, to which it is often compared, THE BAT was quite an influential film in its own right and will likely charm fans of silent film. It also had a long life: not only would receive at least one major remake, author Mary Roberts Rinehart would actually rewrite the play into yet another novel--and no less than Agatha Christie would borrow a bit of the plot for the legendary play THE MOUSETRAP. Thoroughly enjoyable for fans of silent cinema.

Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, Amazon Reviewer

There certainly is a lot happening in this film. Trap doors. Secret passages. Staircases. A "Bat" man. A hysterical maid who screams and leaps and circles and points. She must have been totally worn out when this film ended. Having seen the later version, I kind of knew the ropes a little bit. The idea is to get people out of an old mansion in order to grab a bunch of money that was embezzled from a local bank. The title character harasses the inhabitants, but doesn't know he has a real foe in the tough, matronly, unflappable owner of the mansion. She holds her own no matter what transpires. We have lots of suspects and that bat costume is pretty good. We can see elements of the Batman character of the early comic books. For a silent film this is very high quality and wears very well.

An outstanding picture in so many ways. Based on the play by Mary Roberts Rhinehart, The Bat tells the story of a master criminal who tries to scare some people out of an old, dark house. The trouble is that there are other criminals afoot, and the story becomes a mystery as to who is hiding behind the mask(looking very much like the inspiration for Batman for a young Bob Kane). The acting is very good for this silent picture and first of several film adaptations of Rhinehart's work. Lousise Fazenda really steals much of her screen time as an easily frightened maid/companion. She uses her face to its limits whether it be for screaming or being childish. A real treat to watch. Emily Fitzroy is equally good in her role as a woman with a lot of smarts. The real star here though is Roland West, who takes parlour room material and turns it into something grandiose. The mood West creates is hypnotic. The camera shots he uses are phenomenal. West also is ably assisted by the tremendous sets employed by art director William Cameron Menzies. The house is awesome and the opening settings are just breath-taking.Another real plus here is the titles used throughout the film. they are informative, yet not too wordy. They help create, maintain, and sustain suspense throughout the picture. This is a craft not to be too easily belittled. The film was and is an absolute joy!

This film, like the play that it comes from asked the audience to keep the secret of the Bat secret so I will do the same and so I'll only speak in generalities.

One of the grand old dark house films this is the story of the super criminal known as The Bat and his attempt to steal a great fortune.

This film isn't the best ever made. The passage of time has diminished its impact a bit. Part of the problem is that at times the film has to wrestle with its stage origins, things seem to stagnate and you become bored. However at other times this film soars with a visual style that has rarely been matched. The mask of the villain for example hasn't been equaled. Thankfully its always watchable.

Certainly worth a look.

Like WEST OF ZANZIBAR (1928), this was a much-desired Silent ‘horror’ classic even if I had already watched the plot in action, so to speak, via a couple of Sound remakes – the 1930 version (from the same director!) and a later one made in 1959. Actually, this first adaptation of a popular ‘old dark house’-type play of the 1920s – when these proliferated in both mediums – was long considered a lost film; I watched it, in fact, via a serviceable 16mm print which suffered from constant (though not overly distracting) combing whenever characters moved!

To get back to the later versions, I’ve enjoyed THE BAT WHISPERS (1930) twice in its “Grandeur” i.e. early Widescreen format – I own the now out-of-print Image/Milestone DVD (which also includes the alternate “Standard” edition filmed simultaneously by a different cinematographer, but I’ve yet to check it out). Now, the film seems to elicit mixed reactions from most viewers (including myself): that is to say, being impressed with its distinctive visuals (spare but stylish production design, clever models – both qualities also evident in the original – and fluid, ground-breaking camera-work) yet being put off by the unfortunately archaic comedy relief supplied by an ugly and diminutive middle-aged maid (still, this ‘fraidy cat’ figure was something of a pre-requisite for the subgenre concerned). The 1959 film was a major disappointment on first viewing (dubbed in Italian) – despite the presence of an icon like Vincent Price; I do recall liking it a bit more in English (re-watched by way of a budget DVD I rented), but the result still lagged far behind either Roland West version!

Now that I’ve caught up with the original as well, I can safely say that it more than holds its own alongside THE BAT WHISPERS; I’m not always partial to directors remaking their own work but, in spite of my even greater reservations about the maid’s histrionics in the later version (remember that we can also hear her now and, therefore, is all the more liable to get on one’s nerves!), as I said, the gliding cinematography – presumably intended to emulate the movements of a real bat – was a lot more pronounced in the remake…where we also had archetypal lines (missing from the 1926 film) such as “Reach for the ceiling!” that were even parodied by Tex Avery in the cartoon short WHO KILLED WHO? (1943). The intricacies of the plot – revolving around a remote country estate which is gradually inundated by people (relatives of the current elderly female tenant, the doctor charged with her care, employees of the house’s recently murdered banker owner accused of embezzling funds, police officers on the trail of arch-criminal “The Bat” whose intended crime at the bank was anticipated but who has followed the culprit to the premises, etc.) – are pretty much identical, and the result equally entertaining. Incidentally, while the villain here sports a grotesque bat mask, in the 1930 film he exchanges this for a black cape (thus both helped give cartoon artist Bob Kane the idea for Batman, extending also to that character’s trademark ‘Bat Signal’!).

It’s been some time since my last viewing of THE BAT WHISPERS, so I’m understandably fuzzy about some aspects: I know the villain adopts a particular disguise in order to roam freely about the house – but he goes by different names in each version (the one from the remake is also present in the original but it turns out not to be him after all and is, in fact, a bit of a buffoon!); both, then, feature a suave male lead – Tullio Carminati (in his first American film and looking an awful lot like Rudolf Kleine-Rogge!) here and Chester Morris in the 1930 version (I’ll be seeing him presently in another title by director West, the noir precursor ALIBI [1929]). For the record and, as far as I can recall, the only other films in this vein from the Silent era I’ve watched were the interesting but lesser THE MONSTER (1925; yet another Roland West picture – with Lon Chaney, no less, though their individual styles didn’t really jell) and two outstanding efforts by similarly gifted film-makers, namely Paul Leni’s THE CAT AND THE CANARY (1927; itself adapted three more times for the screen!) and Benjamin Christensen’s SEVEN FOOTPRINTS TO Satan (1929; which is an even rarer title than THE BAT – since the copy I own only carries Italian intertitles which, luckily, I’m able to understand).

Trivia: leading lady Jewel Carmen was married to her director at the time; apparently, the couple remained on friendly terms after their separation and she would, in fact, become involved in a restaurant business with him and future companion Thelma Todd (a venture which, however, ended badly with the latter’s notorious and still unsolved mysterious demise in 1935!).

A killer dressed like a giant bat stalks a mansion where a mystery writer and several others are staying. Silent old dark house thriller that was remade twice, in 1930 and 1959. Most notable today for its influence on the creation of Batman. Well, actually, the 1930 remake The Bat Whispers was said to be the inspiration. Besides, the Bat character here looks more like Die Fledermaus from The Tick cartoon than Batman! This is an OK movie of its type. Overshadowed by the 1930 remake as well as The Cat and the Canary, which came out the year after this and was the best old dark house thriller ever made, in my opinion. Still, this is enjoyable enough if you're a fan of silent films. Roland West's direction and the great house sets are a plus.

This is a film that could never be made today. The idea of a master criminal running about in a bat costume is pretty silly--and the outfit is actually rather cute. Oddly, today we cannot imagine such silliness in a criminal but we COULD in a crime fighter! However, there are many more silly moments in this film--so many that it's hard to take it all very seriously. The plot is also amazingly convoluted...so trying to figure it all out isn't particularly important.

The film begins with a bank robbery. The trail to the robber goes to an old mansion and inside are some innocent folks. However, when people start appearing, the chaos begins. Heck, after a while it's all pretty funny, as detectives, private detectives, bloody strangers and gardeners who know nothing about gardening all show up unannounced. It's a typical whodunnit style film morphed with an old dark house movie and it never seems to take itself very seriously.

While there are MANY logical errors throughout the film (too many), the whole thing is pretty entertaining and you can't help but marvel at the set and cinematography. The film certainly looks good--and it doesn't hurt that the print they recently unearthed is, for the most part, rather pristine.

Overall, for silent movie fans, this is an excellent picture. For others, however, it may all just seem too silly and trite to make it worth seeing. My advice is that if you aren't a silent fan, try watching some other silents first--this one probably isn't good enough to make you a fan of the genre...and it's all a bit silly.

No hesitation in giving this movie a 10.In the past I've given some movies an 8 but compared to them "The Bat" deserves an 15,honestly.Taking into consideration that it's vintage it does so much without the benefit of modern technology.The viewer is given the impression that the main setting takes place in a huge mansion with 3 or 4 levels(I lost count),with it's dark shadows and at tmes slanted looking scenery it can be dreamy looking.The setting is only one of the ingredients that makes this movie so entertaining,it goes back and forth from being funny to scary smoothly,it seems to have the viewer at it's mercy.One of the interesting characters is Bloodhound Anderson-super sleuth,with his derby hat he resembles Mr.McNab the truant officer from "little lulu" comic books.He does his share of trembling while holding two six shooters.Adding plenty of comedy also is the maid played by the very popular Louise Fazenda.The movie overall is eerie and suspenseful with the Bat fierce looking.Watch it by yourself in a dark room.

"The Bat" is often described as one of the first haunted house movies, but it also brings to mind those action films that specialize in droll, stylish villains for whom the art of the crime is just as important as whatever material gains can be had from it. The villain of "The Bat," who chooses to disguise his identity with an elaborate bat costume and takes the time to leave taunting notes to the police and his victims, is akin to those witty nemeses of Superman and James Bond—the sort of highly imaginative evil genius who was spoofed in the Austin Powers series. The best sequence occurs at the beginning of the film when the Bat steals some priceless emeralds after telling the police exactly when and where he will strike —swiping them almost literally from under the owner's nose. The rest of the movie features an ensemble cast (an ingénue, a detective, a doctor, a gardener…) gathered at a mansion where 20 000 stolen dollars are hidden and the Bat is due to show up next, all trying to find the money and figure out which one of them is the original thief. The storyline drags now and then, but the antics of the high strung maid and the dry quips of the elderly eccentric millionaires who's forever knitting keep the viewer's attention whenever the pace flags.

Recommended, but avoid the Alpha version which features a monotonous, mournful musical score (that I'm certain was also used with their version of "Way Down East") that is completely at odds with the film's humorous tone.

After reviewing "The Old Dark House" (1932), I've been seeking some of the screen origins of the subgenre of the same name, and director Roland West seems central here. Besides "The Bat," he also made the earlier "The Monster" (1925) starring Lon Chaney and remade this one as the talkie, "The Bat Whispers" (1930). Other than these taking place in spooky houses, though, they're quite different. James Whale's 1932 trope namer is all about characters, who are trapped by a storm in an otherwise not especially interesting residence. "The Monster," on the other hand, features a sanitarium that is an expression of the lunatics that run it, complete with secret passages and a mad doctor's laboratory in the basement. Here, in "The Bat," the characters are caricatures--including one that runs around dressed as a batman--and it's the house that contains all of the character. Additionally, while "The Old Dark House" seems firmly entrenched in the horror genre Universal was largely introducing to Hollywood at the time, and "The Monster" could be considered a horror comedy, "The Bat" is more of a whodunit--the murder mystery being tied to the identity of the murderous batman thief.

Nevertheless, what would become the tropes of the subgenre appear here, including an assortment of people in the house out for a fortune, hidden passages, flickering lights, long staircases, characters running around scaring themselves silly with at least one character (the maid, here) especially serving as the comic relief scaredy-cat. There are also a couple of detectives on the scene to emphasize the murder mystery element. A storm would be added in the talkie remake. "The Bat" criminal here and in "The Bat Whispers" are credited with inspiring the comic-book superhero Batman, and one can certainly see why. Besides the bat costume, he climbs rooftops, swings on buildings, leaves bat-shaped messages that look similar to Batman's throwing stars, he seems to be followed around by actual bats, and there's even a sort of bat signal in one scene. The historical influence is more interesting than the whodunit, and the characters fail to shine in the house, which is the real star of the show, with its hidden room and the characters fighting over the blueprint of more interest than solving crime. It doesn't help the actors, either, that camera placements tend to be distant, but it does help to show off the large interiors designed by William Cameron Menzies, as well as the use of miniatures, and some good lighting effects help, too. The distant views do give a stagy look at times, though, emphasizing the lack of fourth walls and the story's origins on the stage.

It's a bit ironic that Universal in its attempts to launch the Dark Universe, with "Dracula Untold" (2014) and "The Mummy" (2017), has largely turned to imitating superhero movies, especially the Dark Knight trilogy; yet, all the while, the Batman had his origins in these spooky houses at night.

First time of viewing The Bat holds up remarkably well for me. The opening scenes especially but also throughout the camera angles, zippy story and editing are quite modern in feel - no good thing in itself but make it easier to follow sometimes.

I watched this expecting to see "the granddaddy of haunted house mysteries". Well, I suppose it was, but the house was as big as an aerodrome meaning a different kind of atmosphere was generated, not like The Cat and the Canary etc at all. The sets are absolutely stupendous and remain in the imagination long after the film has finished. The darkness and brooding shadows help the rather stagy acting through some flatter bits. But why was Conrad Fleming skulking about on the roof?

The mysterious Bat (I'm fore-sworn to secrecy) looked a bit silly to me at first, but as his similarity to Donnie Darko's rabbit grew on me he looked more and more sinister and evil as the film progressed. I realise that this association was not West's intention but I can't help it now! It helped me anyway, so maybe it's best to watch DD first!

I'm definitely going to watch this one again after a decent interval!

Silent thriller (with comedic undertones) concerning a brazen thief (nicknamed "The Bat") who robs a bank then stalks the occupants of the vast mansion belonging to bank's deceased owner. A motley group of characters join forces in an attempt to solve the mysterious identity of "The Bat" and survive the night as suspicion and double-cross emerge to thicken the plot.

It's a fair dinkum mystery that held tight for me until the last frame, which is just what you want from such a motion picture. The acting is typical of the era, so too sets, make-up, cinematography and music, but all very appropriate. The supposedly "haunted" house is an elaborate group of sets, and the only element that I found a little tiresome was the repetitive site gags and stereotypical "dumb" characters ("Bloodhound" the boof-head private detective who's afraid of his own shadow, and "Lizzie" the jittery house-keeper constantly behaving like a circus clown, became irritating after more of the same).

Might seem a little laboured, but then the elements of the mystery seem to be necessary to tie together the intricate plot, so when the surprise ending does eventuate, it's very satisfying and all is forgiven. Don't miss the dialogue cards for some pearls like "that Jap butler gives me the willies". So wrong, and so right.

Master criminal 'The Bat' dresses in furry mask and cape to carry out a daring jewel heist, leaving behind a distinctive bat-shaped calling card to announce his imminent vacation in the country. The action then switches to the country home of the late Courtleigh Fleming (Charles Herzinger), currently occupied by Miss Cornelia Van Gorder (Emily Fitzroy), who has leased the property unaware that a fortune is supposedly stashed somewhere within the building in a secret room. A variety of characters turn up at the old mansion, each with their own agenda, and much crazy 'old-dark-house' style shenanigans ensue.

Impressive sets and creative use of lighting provide The Bat with some arresting visuals, but with an unnecessarily intricate plot, umpteen intolerable characters (including a thoroughly annoying, perpetually hysterical maid and a creepy Japanese butler called Jappy!), a lack of action, and some really weak comedy, the film also proves incredibly tedious for much of the time. What makes matters slightly more interesting, particularly for comic book fans, is the fact that the film was clearly the inspiration for DC's legendary superhero Batman, and some fun can at least be derived from spotting the elements that the caped crusader's creator Bob Kane cribbed for his comic character.

3.5 out of 10, rounded up to 4 for IMDb.

This superb silent thriller finds the malevolent fiend of the title lurking about in a dark mansion, competing with -as well as terrifying!- a host of treasure hunters, cops, and family members. Everyone is desperately searching for almost a quarter of a million dollars (a fortune in 1926) in embezzled money.

Director Roland West creates an unsettling atmosphere, using the grand, creepy sets and wonderful Menzies miniatures to full effect.

THE BAT is a twisty tale with a surprise ending, perfectly overblown characters, and a memorable villain.

See if you can guess the Bat's true identity by movie's end...

This film was thought to be lost for decades until it was re-discovered in the 70's. Which is a very good thing, seeing as this movie is a clear influence on the later character of Batman. What with the look of the central character and the fact that we even see a precursor to the famous Bat-Signal. There is also a highly stylised look to the buildings which looks not dis-similar to Gotham City. For these reasons alone, The Bat is worthy of a footnote in history at least. As a film in its own right, it works pretty well with some definite cinematic style in evidence at times. There is some inventive cinematography and lighting used to add atmosphere, while the character of The Bat is a great one and looks splendidly sinister throughout, not unlike the scary rabbit in Donnie Darko, which came out 75 years later.

While it is a mystery-thriller whodunnit, it is possibly even more an example of one of those sub-genres so popular back in its era, the old dark house movie. As such, we have a motley crew of character types assemble at a large mansion in the dead of night, where a series of dastardly goings-on occur. I can't say I really predicted the solution to the mystery either which was a bit of a bonus as well. Similar to many films of this genre and era, there are stock characters here, such as the comedy-relief scaredy cat, who in this instance was a middle-aged maid; there was also a bit of of-its-time racism in the form of the way the Japanese butler was presented. I would say that overall that this is one of the better old dark house movies I have seen. It is a lot better than most of the poverty row efforts which popped up in the early talkie years, as it has considerably more style and actual suspense as well. Definitely a lesser known item from the silent era that is well worth tracking down.

THE BAT is historically important without being terribly engaging, even for modern silent movie fans. It lacks the style of later old dark house thrillers like THE CAT AND THE CANARY or THE OLD DARK HOUSE, and the plot is underserved by a series of flat characters (with the notable exceptions of Emily Fitzroy and Louise Fazenda who have enough great chemistry and humor to enliven the proceedings). It's only 80 minutes long, but much of the middle drags.

I'm glad I finally saw it but I doubt it will be a repeat.

The German expressionist cinema had a huge influence on Hollywood in the twenties as seen in "The Bat".

The stylized sets of William Cameron Menzies, the elongated doors, furniture making the people look small. All of it makes "The Bat" a beautiful looking production.

Gideon Bell has been notified by "The Bat" that he will be robbed of his famed Favre Emeralds and if he notifies the police he will be killed. The film opens with the police standing by ready to act. Of course "The Bat" has killed Bell, stolen the emeralds and left a note to say he is going to the country before the police realize anything is going on.

In the country Miss Cornelia Van Gorder (Emily Fitzroy), her niece (Jewel Carmen) and a zany housekeeper (Louise Fazenda) are leasing an estate but are being forced out because of a disputed will.

It turns into an "Old Dark House" style thriller with "the Bat" holding people captive and terrorizing them. I found it exciting and "the Bat" was a real surprise. People who have seen the 1960 Vincent Price film will know what's going on but they are very different films and I think this one is better.

Jack Pickford is pretty ordinary as Brookes Bailey, a bank clerk, who is being unjustly accused of embezzling bank funds.

Jewel Carmen played the niece, Dale. This was her last film. She was married to Roland West, the director and in the next decade was to be involved in the Thelma Todd murder.

"A master criminal known as 'The Bat' has held the city in a grip of error during his crime spree. His latest caper involves some embezzled bank money that apparently is hidden in the bank president's mansion. A reclusive woman and her niece are currently renting the mansion… Our villain must find a way to frighten off the unsuspecting boarders in order to find the stolen money, as well as try to stay one step ahead of the law," according to the DVD sleeve's synopsis.

"Can you keep a secret?" the film begins, "Don't reveal the identity of 'The Bat'. Future audiences will fully enjoy this mystery play if left to find out for themselves." This excellent silent film should be much more highly regarded than it is, currently. Director Roland West, with cinematographers Arthur Edeson and Gregg Toland, creates a fine "Dark Night" setting for "The Batman"; the film either influenced, or inspired imitations which influenced, DC's comic book hero. One of the film's many imitators was Mr. West's own "The Bat Whispers" (1930).

Jack Pickford (as Brooks Bailey) and West's wife, Jewel Carmen (as Dale Ogden), lead the ensemble cast. This was Ms. Carmen's last feature film; she was a fairly big star, but worked less as her popularity grew. The even more popular Mr. Pickford (brother of Mary) is quite good; certainly, none of the problems which plagued Pickford in the late 1920s show up in his performance. Comedic maid Louise Fazenda (as Lizzie Allen) manages to stand out, despite datedness. And, Emily Fitzroy (as Cornelia Van Gorder) knits throughout.

******** The Bat (3/14/26) Roland West ~ Jack Pickford, Jewel Carmen, Louise Fazenda, Emily Fitzroy

I had a VHS tape of "The Bat" (1926) once, but it never played correctly after a first watch, and the first watch quality wasn't very good anyway, wobbly, washed-out, and the tape stuck often. Last night I watched the new Undercrank restoration Blu-Ray, and the watch was really a pleasing experience. I only recently watched the re-make, "The Bat Whispers" (1931) and found it a very nice experience, too, the photography especially remarkable. The earlier silent version now shows several issues of dating rather badly if taken at face value without historical qualification. With that qualifying addition, however, this must have been a really fun romp in 1926, yes, lacking the impressionistic varnish of earlier and even contemporary German films nearly of this ilk, but somewhat following productions like the prior year's "The Monster" and the following year's "The Cat and the Canary". The absolutely enormous doors of the home of the banker where most of the film takes place are astonishing! Except that close scrutiny will find them nearly cardboardy or cheap, thin wood when closed on a couple of occasions when they bent or wobbled! The acceptance of certain kinds of sets in the early days, reminiscent of a stage play, is what lessens this film for a modern audience considerably. I think the sound version a mere four years later does a better job. Still, the restoration is magnificent and is certainly worth any silent film buff's time. Some of Louise Fazenda's comic emoting will be found too much for many today, though put in perspective again with other like films of the era, it follows in the tradition of the stage. The beginning of the film will confuse for awhile, but I think it is purposefully put at us that way to introduce quickly all the characters, then to have them unraveled until the surprise ending. The accompanying score by Ben Model who also produced this restoration is outstanding and lends an air of what it must have been originally in a theater in 1926. Kudos to the photographers of "The Bat", Arthur Edeson and Gregg Toland, and certainly to the director, Roland West. Settings by William Cameron Menzies, as in all of his films, are those of genius for the day.

The film's stars are George Beranger, Emily Fitzroy (who steals all acting honors for the film), Jack Pickford, Louise Fazenda, Eddie Gribbon (a type very dated for today's viewing), Robert McKim, Jewel Carmen, Tullio Carminati (his face of lead plods us through the whole), Sojin Kamiyama (token comic Yellow foil who'll make modern audiences blush or cringe or get angry in the face of "The Yellow Peril"), and others. This offers murder, robbery, all sorts of crime played both comically and very seriously, and lots of differing characterization, many types of which are tropes by modern standards, but were no doubt nearly original to this "dark house" genre.

Can be shown to silent film lovers with pleasure, but caution about some of the characters of the time. For a modern film class, probably not the one with which to begin.

Great job, Ben!

This 1926 film is one of the first films in the "spooky house" genre. The plot is simple, "The Bat" is a killer who is trying to get a wealthy woman and her niece out of a huge mansion that was left over when a bank president dies. Hidden in the house is $200,000 in cash, and its a race to try and find the money before "The Bat" gets to it.

The film stars are probably not very well known today, Emily Fitzroy plays the wealthy Aunt, always doing her knitting, her companion/housekeeper is played by Louise Fazenda, with over the top/slapstick type of comedy. Jack Pickford plays the newly hired gardner, this is before his wife, actress Olive Thomas died of a drug overdose, and not too long before he himself was the victim of an overdose.

The real "star" of the film is Jewel Carmen. She was married to director Roland West at the time. Years later both West and Carmen, long after they were out of the spotlight both would play roles in one of the biggest of Hollywood mysteries, the death of actress Thelma Todd.

West was a business partner in Thelma Todd's Sidewalk Cafe along the West Coast Highway in Los Angeles. Todd and West were having an affair at the time of her mysterious death.

The coroner set Todd's death at a certain time, but Jewel Carmen, a friend of Todd's testified under oath that she saw Todd out driving in her car with an unidentified man, well after the corner had claimed she was already dead.

Some authors have speculated that Todd, who was found slumped dead behind the wheel of her car in a closed garage; a victim of supposed Carbon Monoxide poisoning, was accidentally killed by West when he locked her out of her apartment.

A masked criminal who dresses like a giant bat terrorizes the guests at an old house rented by a mystery writer.

This film amazing visuals, very much in a "German expressionism" style, with sets that call to mind other great silent films, including "Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" and "Metropolis". Director Roland West was a silent film master, and this may be the finest production he was ever involved with.

Just as "The Man Who Laughs" inspired the Joker, one cannot help but assume this was the inspiration for Batman. A man in a bat suit who comes out at night and glides along the rooftops? There are a great many differences, of course, but the similarities are just too strong to ignore.

This film is a must-see. Although remade with sound as "The Bat Whispers" (1930) and later remade again with Vincent Price, this original is well worth tracking down. (If nowhere else, it is free from the Internet Archive.)