The Bat (1959)

★★★★★ · Highly Recommended · accalaurie49 · 2010-05-22

Marvellous film! An intelligent murder mystery with many suspects, brilliantly told and well paced, wonderful actors, mostly unknown to me. Of course, I love Vincent Price since many years and even more since I saw this movie, but I hardly knew Agnes Moorehead and of Gavin Gordon (Lt. Anderson) I knew nothing at all. But I will never forget! I tend to disagree with the previous reviewers.

★★★★ · Better Than Average · billbarstad · 2010-10-29

I've watched this twice now. The first time, it seemed too slow and too talky with an ending laden with tired plot devices and a gaping plot hole. This time, I see that the well paced first act followed by a slower, but well plotted second act with some good misdirection and overwrought dialog maintained some tension, but not much interest, and mixed feelings. The third act moved a little faster, and had a nice plot twist, but the plot devices and plot hole again disappointed. I would have thought that by 1959 screenwriters could have modernized some of the techniques used in old house…

★★★ · Lots of fun · Mspearin · 2013-05-07

This is the kind of thing Agnes Moorehead excelled at, and Vincent Price too. The script is creaky and the sets are cardboard. The cinematography is locked down--I think there's one tracking shot in the whole thing--and the poor actors are saddled with not giving the thing away while pounding through tons and tons of dry exposition to try to keep it moving. And she does it without breaking a sweat. She has that patrician accent, that regal bearing, and you buy it, right down the line. The height difference between Moorehead and Price is enormous, and for some reason they shot all their scenes…

★★★ · "B" is for Bat; "B" is for B movie · human · 2010-02-04

This movie has nothing to do with the Caped Crusader, but there are bats aplenty. What it does have is Agnes Morehead and Vincent Price. With a classic combo like that, you can't go too far wrong, even if it is a "B" movie in just about every sense of the word. It's charmingly moody, and mildly suspenseful, but by no means a cinematic masterpiece. Come to think of it, the premise would make a pretty good "Scooby Doo" episode. Think I'll give it a "B". No, make that a "B+"

★★ · not one to keep · keygrip · 2009-09-20

Mildly entertaining and instantly forgettable "old house with a secret", tongue in cheek, murder mystery featuring a rather detached Vincent Price who must have done this one as a favour to the producer or to fulfil a contract. Agnes Morhead doesn't get much help from a disappointing supporting cast.