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The Bat

Play trailer Poster for The Bat 1959 1h 20m Mystery & Thriller Play Trailer Watchlist
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17% Tomatometer 6 Reviews 47% Popcornmeter 2,500+ Ratings
A killer called the Bat has claimed many lives in the small town inhabited by novelist Cornelia van Gorder (Agnes Moorehead) and her maid, Lizzie (Lenita Lane). As Cornelia implores Dr. Malcolm Wells (Vincent Price) to help her ailing maid, $1 million in the town's bank goes missing. With greed and fear reaching new heights, police Lt. Andy Anderson (Gavin Gordon) goes to Cornelia's house to investigate additional murders committed by the Bat.
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The Bat

Critics Reviews

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Jeffrey M. Anderson Combustible Celluloid 11/15/2022
2/4
The movie is extremely talky and stagy, and it has a flat, scrubbed look, evenly-lit and little use of shadows or contrast. Even though it's a murder story, it's pretty dull. Go to Full Review Matt Brunson Film Frenzy 10/30/2022
2.5/4
What it lacks in smart scripting it makes up for in smart casting. Go to Full Review Nicholas Bell IONCINEMA.com 10/14/2020
2.5/5
The Bat is generally a pleasurably mystery cheapie, though with a narrative that seems to cut corners and conveniently withhold information for its pat resolution. Go to Full Review Dennis Schwartz Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews 01/22/2006
C+
The stars chew the scenery and the supporting cast give limited performances. Go to Full Review Emanuel Levy EmanuelLevy.Com 08/14/2005
3/5
Ken Hanke Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC) 08/13/2003
1/5
Botched version of the famous play. Stick with 1926 and 1930 versions. Go to Full Review Read all reviews

Audience Reviews

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Blu B 10/23/2024 Pretty decent mystery with some good moments of moody and atmosphere. Agnes Moorehead isn't and probably the best thing in this. The villian isn't bad either. The acting is just alright though overall and the characters are what hold this back from being good. Most of the other actors save for Price are wooden and very forgettable. All the women end up blending in together and are extremely forgettable. Whenever it cuts to any scene with them it ends up just being very boring. The mysery itself is a interesting clever Scooby Doo/ Murder She Wrote type of setup. The setting is memorable and the direction an't bad but it can be very basic and doesn't really have much mood and it's not as sharp as a Hitchcock style one. Moorehead's character as a murder mystery writer also just feels very inconsequential besides an occasional plot convience here and there. If the characters were better and maybe some more consistent direction, this would be good. But unless your a hardcore Moorehead or Price fan, most could skip this. See more 06/11/2024 Daring! Came out before I was born. See more Joel H 11/05/2023 I expected a bit more ghoulishness from The Bat. I enjoy Vincent Price movies as well as a good whodunnit, but this murder mystery falls flat. It is based on a stage play and it feels like a stage play. I think this plot may have played better in the theatre, though. The Bat's disguise would be a fun Halloween costume, but it didn't really strike fear into my heart. The dialogue is bland and mostly just filler. And while Agnes Moorehead is trying her best to seem authoritative and interesting, her leading lady performance is lacking. It's a shame, really. I was looking forward to watching this one. See more deke p 02/12/2022 hokey goofy schlock. almost unwatchable. An old maids mystery. No 'horror' except guy called the Bat wearing clawed gloves. Saw it again, hopefully for the last time 2.11.22 See more 01/10/2022 A thriller/mystery/suspense classic! Agnes Moorehead (Endora from Bewitched) gives one of her greatest performances in this film. See more rick m 01/09/2022 I love this old movie . See more Read all reviews
The Bat

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Cast & Crew

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Crane Wilbur

Director

Vincent Price

Dr. Malcolm Wells

Agnes Moorehead

Cornelia van Gorder

Gavin Gordon

Lt. Andy Anderson

John Sutton

Warner

Lenita Lane

Lizzie Allen

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The Bat

The Bat (1959) The Bat (1959) View more photos

Movie Info

Synopsis A killer called the Bat has claimed many lives in the small town inhabited by novelist Cornelia van Gorder (Agnes Moorehead) and her maid, Lizzie (Lenita Lane). As Cornelia implores Dr. Malcolm Wells (Vincent Price) to help her ailing maid, $1 million in the town's bank goes missing. With greed and fear reaching new heights, police Lt. Andy Anderson (Gavin Gordon) goes to Cornelia's house to investigate additional murders committed by the Bat.
Director
Crane Wilbur
Producer
C.J. Tevlin
Screenwriter
Crane Wilbur
Distributor
Allied Artists Pictures
Production Co
Liberty Pictures
Genre
Mystery & Thriller
Original Language
English
Release Date (Theaters)
Aug 9, 1959, Original
Release Date (Streaming)
Feb 1, 2016
Runtime
1h 20m
Aspect Ratio
Flat (1.85:1)
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