The Bat

Released Aug 9, 1959

1h 20m

Mystery & Thriller

List

14%

7 Reviews

Tomatometer

47%

2,500+ Ratings

Audience Score

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.

Read More

Read Less

Watch on Prime Video

Stream Now

Prime Video

Watch The Bat with a subscription on Prime Video.

Joel H

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.

Rated 2.5 out of 5 stars

11/05/23

Full Review

Monsol E

A fun whodunnit. A faceless killer with a clawed hand and trained bats has caught wind of a stolen fortune hidden in a house, currently being rented by a mystery author...he decides to claim it for himself...but he's not the only one! Some of the cast was a bit stiff, but Price was delightful as always. I did guess The Bat's identity before the reveal, but it took a while. A good watch for classic mystery fans.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

10/13/23

Full Review

Jack M

The Bat is a good enough movie that you wouldn't expect to see it featured on a showcase like MST3K. It is not Vincent Price's best work, but it is thoroughly a Vincent Price movie. The plot manages to have him play every role possible in a crime movie. Definitely not a spoiler to say that viewers assume that Mr. Price might be the elusive Bat-man. One of the many surprises of this film is that it *was not* another William Castle and Vincent Price collaboartion.

Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars

02/24/23

Full Review

matthew d

A fantastic caper with an intriguing mystery. Director Crane Wilbur's horror mystery thriller The Bat (1959) is a neat film with a surprising mystery full of Red Herrings and clues galore. Wilbur's direction is all about misdirection as he leans into suspects to give the audience clues, but never so many that you can immediately guess the secrets of the enigmatic killer The Bat. I love the use of real bats, toy bats, shadowy corners, numerous guns in darkness, and several supporting suspects. How do you hide stolen money in the open? Only The Bat knows. Writer Crane Wilbur came up with a cool crime narrative. He combines an unknown murderer known as The Bat with a plethora of suspects to get the viewer off the trail. I only guessed the murderer towards the end, so there is plenty of misdirection in Wilbur's script. I liked his pithy jokes, playful characters, and clever mystery. The Bat is a lot of fun. He really tricks you immediately with the premise and first murder that has you convinced for most of the film of who the villain is for certain. Vincent Price is fearsome and devilishly fiendish as Dr. Malcolm Wells. He's the perfect suspect because we're introduced to him fully capable of committing murder to gain a million dollars. Price is wondrous at making you suspect him at all hours of the night as The Bat strikes. Vincent Price is one of my all time favorite actors. I've never seen Price give a bad performance and The Bat is no exception. Price is so entertaining as he hints at details to the ladies, so that he might uncover the whereabouts of Fleming's fortune. Agnes Moorehead is delightful as the brilliant mystery author Cornelia van Gorder. Her commanding voice and piercing gaze are gripping. Her mystery writer's cautious nature and shrewd personality make for a charismatic heroine in The Bat. Moorehead has real screen presence and a charming confidence that's fun to watch. Agnes Moorehead is one of my favorite Golden Age of Hollywood actresses. I loved seeing Moorehead and Price share the silver screen. Gavin Gordon is slick as detective Lieutenant Andy Anderson. His mistrusting nature is interesting as he follows characters around unknowingly. This inept cop lets several men and women get killed when he's nearby on watch. Remember to never trust a cop. John Sutton is suspicious as the conveniently available chauffeur Warner with a mysterious past. Lenita Lane is hysterical as Cornelia's assistant Lizzie Allen with her screams and complaints. Elaine Edwards is pretty, sincere, and captivating as Dale Bailey. Darla Hood is good as the nervous girl Judy Hollander. John Bryant is neat as the unsuspecting Mark Fleming. Harvey Stephens gets a great opening monologue as John Fleming offering half of the million dollars he's embezzling to Vincent Price if he can provide him with a scapegoat body. Riza Royce is eerie as the maid Jane Patterson. Editor William Austin's fading transitions and cool cuts to shadows keep you enthralled. The Bat has a fast pace and is super short at a brisk 80 minutes. Joseph F. Biroc's shadowy cinematography uses the manor house as a creepy setting with dark corners and eerie angles. I love all the wide shots of everyone with neat reveals of The Bat at just the right perspective. Dave Milton's art direction looks like a moody period drama, but finds flames in the forest and darkness near the light points of this old mansion. Rudy Butler's set decoration provides a beautiful grandfather clock, traditional beds and fainting couches, to all sorts of medical equipment in the doctor's office. Composer Louis Forbes crafts a creepy and thrilling score that winds up with bursts of fast rhythms during the action moments. His eerie melodies work wonders for the horror atmosphere of The Bat. Kiva Hoffman's make-up is nice on Agnes Moorehead and really does up her hair in a long fancy braid. I like the very trim and proper look for Vincent Price. Overall, The Bat seems simple on the surface, but delivers a haunting horror feature with refreshing redirects and misdirects that kept me guessing.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

03/31/23

Full Review

deke p

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

Rated 1.5 out of 5 stars

03/30/23

Full Review

Audience Member

A thriller/mystery/suspense classic! Agnes Moorehead (Endora from Bewitched) gives one of her greatest performances in this film.

Rated 5 out of 5 stars

02/27/23

Full Review

Read all reviews

Post a rating

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

Show Less Cast & Crew

Show More Cast & Crew

97%

94%

North by Northwest

TRAILER

for North by Northwest

78%

84%

Tiger Bay

93%

90%

The Night of the Hunter

60%

40%

The Killer Is Loose

68%

56%

Beyond a Reasonable Doubt

Discover more movies and TV shows.

View More

View more photos

Jeffrey M. Anderson

Combustible Celluloid

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.

Rated: 2/4

Nov 15, 2022

Full Review

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Its loopiness is the very quality that makes it a reasonably entertaining picture.

Rated: 2.5/4

Oct 30, 2022

Full Review

Nicholas Bell

IONCINEMA.com

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.

Rated: 2.5/5

Oct 14, 2020

Full Review

Dennis Schwartz

Dennis Schwartz Movie Reviews

The stars chew the scenery and the supporting cast give limited performances.

Rated: C+

Jan 22, 2006

Full Review

Michael Szymanski

International Press Academy

Rated: 1/5

Sep 21, 2005

Full Review

Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Rated: 3/5

Aug 14, 2005

Full Review

Read all reviews

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
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)

Most Popular at Home Now