Episode 14 of Season 2! Host, Gratton Conwill and special guest, Matt Fields discuss The Bat (1959).
Day 14
The Bat 1h 20m
Released on August 9th 1959, The Bat is an American Mystery film written and directed by Crane Wilbur. The story of the bat originated from a 1908 Novel titled The Circular Staircase by Mary Roberts Rinehart. Since the novel’s release, several adaptations have been made. The first silent film adaptation was made in 1915. However, the next adaptation would be made for the stage. The play adaptation of The Circular Staircase, titled The Bat, was released in 1920. Here’s where things get a little convoluted. From here on out, the story would keep the “Bat” title. In the wake of the stage play, the 1915 movie would be re-released as The Bat. However, another silent film adaptation, this time helmed by a fan of the play, would release in 1926. The Bat play would be adapted back into a novel, this time opting to use the Bat title. A sound film remake of the 1926 silent film titled The Bat Whispers would be released in 1930. And finally, The Bat was made into one last film in 1959, which is the version we’re watching today.
Horror icon Vincent Price was compelled to pursue a role in this film as he recalled being very frightened by the stage play as a child. His attitude would change by the end of production, as he was not happy with the script or the final finished film. When the film was released, it played as a double feature with The Mummy (1959). Five years after The Bat, Cinematographer Joseph F. Biroc would shoot Hush Hush Sweet Charlotte, the spiritual predecessor to What Ever Happened to Aunt Alice.
Original reception was mixed to poor, and unlike many entries on this list, The Bat does not have a big modern following. One of the cultural byproducts of the Bat story was the creation of the superhero Batman in 1939 according to Batman co-creator Bob Kane, however this film holds the distinction of being the only Bat adaptation made in a post-Batman world. This movie has gone into the public domain, making it a very accessible movie over the internet.
Today The Bat has:
3/5 on Letterboxd
6.1/10 on IMDb
20% on rotten tomatoes
87% on google
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