FAQ

People are dying in the small German town of Kleinschloss. They are found dead in bed and drained of blood. Burgermeister Gustave Schoen ([link=]) and Dr Otto von Niemann () think that vampires are at large, but Detective Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas) thinks otherwise. Suspicion falls on village idiot Herman Gleib (Dwight Frye), known for befriending bats. When the townsfolk attempt to capture him, Herman panics and falls off a ledge. He is killed, and the townspeople finish the job by driving a stake through his heart. Still, the vampire attacks don't stop.

Dissertations sur les apparitions des anges, des démons et des esprits, et sur les revenants et vampires de Hongrie, de Bohême, de Moravie, et de Silésie (1751) by French Benedictine monk Dom Augustin Calmet [1672-1757].

When the Burgermeister reports Herman's death, Karl realizes that the timing is wrong and that Herman was innocent. He swears to search for clues, but Dr von Niemann advises him to first get a good night's sleep and gives him some sleeping pills to help. Later that night, Emil Borst (Robert Frazer), von Niemann's assistant, climbs over the roof to Karl's bedroom. Meanwhile, Ruth (Fay Wray) overhears von Niemann sending a mental suggestion to Emil, and she suspects the truth. Von Niemann confirms her suspicion, explaining that he has created a life form (looks like a sponge in a jar) that demands blood for its continued growth. Von Niemann takes Ruth to the laboratory where they find Karl waiting for him. "I didn't take your sleeping pills, Doctor," explains Karl. When von Niemann attempts to place the blame on Emil, Emil shoots him and then turns the gun on himself.

Watch The Vampire Bat (1933) on: archive.org here (a 59 minute version).