The Bat (1959)

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Stolen bank bonds converted to cash are hidden by the president responsible and a killer is hanging around a mansion currently occupied by a mystery novelist and her entourage. Will the occupants be victims in the making?

Still occurring during Price’s “Castle era of horror”, before Corman made him an icon in the Poe films, The Bat (1959) is one of those little horror items that benefits substantially from Vincent’s (and Agnes Moorehead’s) presence in it.

Looking like something you might see on the telly, The Bat isn’t anything all that extraordinary, although a black-gloved (with talons!) killer nicknamed “the bat” (clad all in black, actually) is presented as possibly being Price under the disguise. The killer’s notoriety is a town legend. Wearing a black face covering, fedora hat, and black suit, the killer conceals his identity quite well.

The influence of noir was alive in well even at this point in film (1959) before the eventual full embrace of color took its hold once and for all. Although The Bat is a frequent mainstay in public domain horror sets exploiting Price’s name and image, the quality of the print is surprisingly crisp and thankfully unaltered by time and mismanagement. An example of a Price film that isn’t as fortunate is Shock from 1946.

The plot is grounded in reality no matter how the script hints at The Oaks, a mansion currently housing mystery/murder novelist Agnes Moorehead (quite aristocratic and sharp-tongued; this isn’t one of those parts where she sinks her teeth in something colorful and showy) being “cursed”, with a history of plaguing peril on all who lived in it. A bank president robbed a million from his own bank, is shot by his physician (Price) after telling him of his crime and plan to stage his own death, and it is believed the cache is stored somewhere in the Oaks. Now many are interested in seeing where the money might be about in the Oaks.

A close friend and employee of the banker is framed, arrested, and punished for the crime although it was clear he had nothing to do with it. If the loot is found, it could resolve the false crime. Blueprints to the Oaks will be highly coveted, but is “the bat” on the prowl and ready to kill anyone that might stand in his way of getting the money that might be hidden somewhere inside the mansion. Soon the nephew is also murdered once he retrieves the blueprints by “the bat”.

I have included my 2009 imdb account review for the film as I found that I covered the exposition as well as I could for the film’s plot and characters:

A bank's president steals from the vault of his own company, hides it in a secret passage way safe within the room of his own house, rented for the summer by a popular crime novelist. Cornelia van Gorder(Agnes Moorehead) and her unflappable maid, Lizzie(Lenita Lane)occupy the residence of bank president John Fleming(Harvey Stephens), during the summer season to write another novel, understanding that a series of savage murders by a killer known as The Bat have occurred inside this mansion. The Bat's disguise is a black mask over his head to make his face invisible, under a black hat, wearing a glove with claws that rip apart throats..the killer lands a crushing blow to the throat of victims before using his claws. John Fleming is on a hunting trip with his friend, town coroner Dr. Malcolm Wells(Vincent Price), and admits to stealing the money, offering a partnership..the plan is to kill their hunting guide, use his body as a cover for John, and together withdraw the money from his safe. What John doesn't count on is Wells double crossing him, resulting in the corrupt banker's murder..it's set up that Wells knows where the loot is and his criminal behavior might indicate that he in fact is The Bat serial killer. We even see that Wells experiments with bats in his laboratory. After her hired help leave out of fear that The Bat could return, Cornelia will have to rely on Lizzie and her chauffeur, Warner(John Sutton)as the only support while living in the mansion. Soon Cornelia and Lizzie are confronted by The Bat who attempts to find the hidden loot, and they seek the help of local police, led by Lt. Andy Anderson(Gavin Gordon). Soon John's son, Mark(John Bryant)is murdered by The Bat after he uncovers his father's hidden blueprints which are a map to where the loot is located. Will The Bat be caught? Who is the murderer? Is it Wells, who we witness murder John in cold blood? Is it the butler, Warner(..promoted from his chauffeur position)who always seems to be away when The Bat is snooping around? Could it be somebody else who might have a motive, knows about the loot, and could find opportunities to perpetrate the grounds of the mansion?

Entertaining, compact little "old dark house" chiller, aided by the star power of Agnes Moorehead and Vincent Price. I applaud the whopper of a red herring, even though I'm pretty sure others will call the bluff proposed by the filmmakers. Price is effectively sinister and sly, while the film doesn't completely isolate him as the only possible suspect..his murder of John is a stunner, superbly executed. Moorehead is theatrical enough(..and seems to be enjoying herself) as a deductive amateur sleuth, with Lane suitably silly as her often frightened pal. Elaine Edwards is Dale Bailey, the wife of an imprisoned banker who was indicted for John's wrong-doing, seeking comfort and refuge with Cornelia..as does Judy Hollander(Darla Hood), someone who is needed as an eyewitness for the trial and can provide testimony rescuing Dale's husband, Victor(Mike Steele). The film's highlights include The Bat's constant attempts to infiltrate the Fleming mansion, his attacks on victims who are in the wrong place at the wrong time, and a particular scuffle in Wells' lab where the killer's identity will be discovered. I think observant viewers can determine the killer judging by behavior alone, but there are several clues that also indicate who he could be. Nice use of the setting as our heroines attempt to survive, find the possible place where the stash is hidden, and catch the killer. Fans of Price and Moorehead shouldn't be too disappointed.

The presence of danger—the money is worth killing for so anyone inside the mansion could very well suffer if “the bat” is interrupted—is one of the key assets aiding the film. The killer is bold, too, using hammer and chisel in trying to break through a wall that could lead to the loot, paying no mind that the noise he creates will awaken those sleeping in the mansion! Soon a young woman is fatally wounded because she stood in his way while he was fleeing down the stairs. Moorehead clunking the killer in the neck calls Price into question when appears at the mansion bleeding “from an accident”. We certainly know he’s capable thanks to his murder of the bank president. Then he finds “the bat” in his lab planning to frame him with the film throwing us for a loop. There’s the butler (the butler did it! Cliché city) who was acquitted for a robbery but could it be possible he was just lucky? What about Andy? He lost money that was stolen by the bank president…he has a motive for trying to find the loot.

The film is definitely chatty with lots of talking and dialogue. More of a murder mystery with plentiful developments, ultimately greed, that old standby, is once again the major reason behind the murders in The Bat. There isn’t as much as mood or atmosphere as I would like, but as a late night entertainment, I guess The Bat is suitable enough. Price has a couple of good moments to milk his burgeoning horror persona as a man not to be trusted and is able easily to provide us with someone quite worthy of suspicion. And the early murder by him certainly sets him up as a likely suspect as “the bat”. Moorehead, though, is established as Price’s equal, and she certainly is given a role that puts her in a position of constant focus. Thankfully, The Bat is just about 70 minutes because it could have been padded out with extra unneeded plot. As is, there are about three good suspects, while the women shriek, worry, or hide within the house. There’s a secret passageway, and even a scene where Moorehead nearly suffocates because she is unaware of the switch that can hold the door to the hidden room (with the safe) open. While I did mention that The Bat isn’t as atmosphere in its shadowy noir as I would hope, it does have a few nicely lit night sequences. That along with a madman willing to do whatever it takes to get the loot, and there’s some fun to be had here. That this is easily accessible means that if you are a Price fan looking for some of his lesser known work, something like The Bat might just be worth pulling up on the internet in the public domain. His role isn’t as substantial as I would have hoped (this isn’t in the same league as House on Haunted Hill, for instance), but that doesn’t mean he isn’t utilized successfully at all. I did find the use of the butler ultimately amusing; particularly when this kind of character is vindicated while another character, typically the hero of the plot turns out to be anything but heroic.This is the kind of film that I think fills time nicely and doesn't overstay its welcome. There are the great films that stand the test of time and emerge as necessary classics for any horror fan interested in their genre's best offerings; then there are those options available that simply serve as minor diversions proving themselves as adequate time wasters. I don't think there's anything wrong with that.