utgard14 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.

Athanatos Years ago, there used to be a toy football game, which featured little figurines of players, and a vibrating field. The vibrations of the field would cause the figures to move about, like little men running; except that, well, they were like little men running randomly, into each other or into corners or perhaps in useless circles.Unfortunately, after an extremely good start, The Bat begins to remind one of that dreadful vibrating toy. The characters to some extent move purposefully, but much of their behavior just amounts to moving about as if randomly.The film should certainly be judged in context, and the fact is that this film is very much a product of its time. Attacking it for the story that it tells and the way in which it tells it is somewhat like attacking it for being silent and in greyscale; but, after all, it would indeed also be unfair to let a potential viewer think that this movie were a treat for the ears and in glorious color.Those particularly interested the Old Dark House genre should definitely watch this film, as it is either the first of the genre or the immediate precursor. And those interested in the influences that led to the character of the Batman should also watch this film, as the Bat of the title wears a bat costume and swings about the sides of buildings with the aid of ropes, and as there is a sort-of bat-signal.Spoiler: .stiderc eht ni eil a si erehT (And IMDb's spell-checker is okay with ".stiderc"! Go figure!)

Hitchcoc 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.

pocca "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.