The Vampire Bat
by Frank R. Strayer
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DVD Cover Information
Actor: Fay Wray, George E. Stone, Lionel Atwill, Maude Eburne, Melvyn DouglasDirector: Frank R. Strayer
Brand: Bayside ENT Dist
Cinematographer: Ira H. Morgan
Editor: Otis Garrett
Producer: Larry Darmour
Producer: Phil Goldstone
Writer: Edward T. Lowe Jr.
DVD: Region Code 1
Audio: English (Original Language)
Format: Black & White, DVD, NTSC
Picture Format: 1.33:1
Running Time: 69 minutes
DVD Release Date: 2003-04-15
Audience Rating: NR (Not Rated)
Studio: Alpha Video
Movie Reviews of The Vampire Bat
Movie Review: NON-UNIVERSAL, UNIVERSAL HORROR
Summary: 5 Stars
The Vampire Bat from Little known Majestic Pictures does a great job of capturing the look and feel of classic Universal Horrors of the 1930's. First it had a great cast featuring Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, and Dwight Frye. Frye plays Herman, a simple-minded fellow who may even be crazier that the Renfield role he played in Dracula just two years earlier. Atwill, of course, was no stranger to Universal Horrors, having co-starred in The Son of Frankenstein, Ghost of Frankenstein, and Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man, to name just a few. Also in the cast is Lionel Belmore as the Burgomeister. Belmore played the exact role in the Original 1931 Frankenstein. This may almost be the same village as in Frankenstein as well.
Several residents of Klineschloss have been killed. Drained of their blood with two puncture wounds in their necks. They immediately attribute the killings to a vampire. The police inspecter Karl Brettschneider (Douglas) doesn't believe in vampires though. And soon he sets his eyes on Herman Gleib as a suspect due to his affinity for bats. Frye gives one of his great performances in this film...creeping and skulking about, eyes wide in a maniacal grin. He really makes the movie for me.
Atwill is the town doctor, Dr. Otto von Niemann and he is assisted by Ruth Bertin (played by a dark haired Fay Wray) who is also in love with Karl. When Herman is killed, and the murders continue, karl now has to set his sights on a new suspect...a very surprising suspect.
In some ways the Vampire Bat is a bit of a combination of Dracula with Frye and the apparent attacks, and Frankenstein, as Von Niemann is seeking to create his own form of life. The fog shrouded, misty little German hamlet is straight out of Universal's horrors and the atmostphere is superb. The only thing that really didn't work for me was the sappy love plot between Wray and Douglas. Thankfully that was kept to a minimum.
All in all, Vampire Bat was a wonderful horror, well in the tradition of Universals classics.
Summary of The Vampire Bat
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