The Vampire Bat

Starring:Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, Maude Eburne, George E. Stone, Dwight Frye, Robert Frazer, Rita Carlyle, Lionel Belmore, William V. Mong, Stella Adams, Harrison Greene, William Humphrey, Paul Weigel, Fern Emmett, Carl Stockdale
Director: Frank R. Strayer
Studio: Alpha Video
Product Type: DVD

Average customer rating:

One of Mel's best.
Not bad but also not great
Incredibly Funny!
just wow!!
Fantastic Fun

Dracula - Dead and Loving It
Starring: Lysette Anthony , Gregg Binkley , Mark Blankfield , Megan Cavanagh , and Jennifer Crystal
Manufacturer: Castle Rock
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0001ZX0O2
Release Date: 2004-06-29

Amazon.com

In 1995, it was promising to hear that Mel Brooks was creating "the companion piece to Young Frankenstein." He had also brought in the heavyweight of deadpan--Leslie Nielsen. As Lt. Frank Drebin in the Police Squad movies, Nielsen has no peer for silly stuff--just the player Brooks would seem to need for a strong movie, as any fan of Brooks perpetually hopes a new film may rekindle his madcap magic. Alas, the end results in Dracula: Dead and Loving It include a sprinkling of amusements and one big belly laugh. Brooks and his writers use a very tight adaptation of Bram Stoker's novel, but the spoofs can be spelled out as we go, as if they are paint-by-number. Some are jabs at Coppola's version of Dracula, but most are attached to classic Dracula films. If any real pleasure comes from the movie it's thanks to the efforts of the cast. Peter MacNicol plays the crazed Renfield to the letter, Steven Weber has a good time as the tight British Harkin, and Lysette Anthony charms as the doomed Lucy. Brooks and Nielsen ham it up just fine. There's even a surprisingly controlled performance by Harvey Korman (a character spoofing Anthony Hopkins's role in the misfire The Road to Wellville). As with Brooks's period comedies, the film looks better than it needs to and includes a few tricky special effects for good measure. This has nothing to do with the audience laughing--we need bigger jokes. And when you double over laughing in one scene--involving a stake through the heart and a bucket of blood--you want the movie to achieve Brooks's days of glory, when hearty laughter was the norm, not an isolated moment. --Doug Thomas

Description

A comic reinvention of the Bela Lugosi classic about a Transylvanian vampire who works his evil spell on a perplexed group of Londoners. Mel Brooks's Count is a pratfalling evil prince of a guy who believes in long relationships. Brooks portrays vampire hunter Van Helsing, who won't give a bloodsucker an even break.

DVD Features:
Audio Commentary:Commentary by director/co-writer Mel Brooks, co-stars Steven Weber and Amy Yasbeck, and co-writers Rudy De Luca and Steve Haberman
Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

One of Mel's best........2007-05-20

I first discovered this film when I came across it at the video rental store. I hesitated to rent it for a number of reasons: I had heard nothing of it during it's theatrical release; Mel Brooks had been in a slump for some some time; and it starred Leslie Neilsen, who by that time was known primarily for milking his Frank Drebbin character to death in a number of very lame "comedies". But I rented it anyway and boy, was I glad I did!

The film is a laugh riot from beginning to end. Of course, it helps if you are familiar with the original Dracula story and its' various film incarnations and are attuned to Brooks' comedy style. If you are not up on the latter, just watch it a second or third time to get into the rhythm. Once you've gotten into the flow, you'll find it's a really fun ride.

While Neilsen, Brooks, Weber and Korman are all splendidly amusing, it's Peter McNichol who really steals the show as Renfield. Many people think of Artie Johnson's turn as Renfield in "Love at First Bite" to be the quintessential comedic portrayal of the character, but McNichol is much funnier. I would have given him a Best Supporting Actor Oscar for this one, but unfortunately, he, as well as the film itself, was overlooked by the critics and the Academy. Too bad, as this film deserved better. The critics pretty much savaged this film (and most of Mel Brooks' films after "Young Frankenstein"), but apparently the critics have just forgotten how to laugh and simply be entertained by a movie. You will laugh and be entertained by this movie.

Not bad but also not great.......2007-05-14

This is quite a funny film in some moments, but also a little bit predictable. Its a good laugh if you are looking for a cheap one.

Wouldn't rate it as good as Spaceballs, though worth a watch every so often.

Incredibly Funny!.......2007-05-09

My husband, my sons and I love this movie. It is silly and hilarious. A+

just wow!!.......2007-04-06

I love this movie. I saw it years ago and laughed so hard. I recently thought about and decided to buy my own copy and it was worth it and still as funny as the first time I saw it.

Fantastic Fun.......2007-03-22

I first saw this film many years ago. It was funny then and it still is now. If you've seen Bram Stoker's Dracula, then you need to see this movie. It's a great spoof that makes fun of the movie.

Average customer rating:

Lacks Teeth
Poor 1930's Horror Flick
A Pleasant Surprise
Dwight Frye Is Great As Herman!!
I Liked This Movie! Dwight Frye Is Great as Harold!

The Vampire Bat
Starring: Lionel Atwill , Fay Wray , Melvyn Douglas , Maude Eburne , and George E. Stone
Director: Frank R. Strayer
Manufacturer: CineVu
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Bela Lugosi Collection (Murders in the Rue Morgue / The Black Cat / The Raven / The Invisible Ray / Black Friday)

ASIN: B00005U13S
Release Date: 2004-10-04

Customer Reviews:

Lacks Teeth.......2007-07-06

This movie begins much like other vampire movies from the 1930's. There are the stocks in trade of similar movies: much of the film takes place in a European village, Klineschloss, superstitious villagers run about muttering "vampire," much of the film takes place at night, a whacky character that looks like he could be Dracula's sidekick slinks about, and there are men of science preaching rationality. The only unusual feature is a more detailed than usual love story.

The most important attribute of any vampire movie is bodies without blood. You may check that item off on your list. We have bodies without blood; spooky! There must be a vampire running about, right? We see spooky bats in the trees. Oh my, there is a vampire somewhere!

Then there is Herman Gleib, played by Dwight Frye, whose version of Renfield in 1931's "Dracula" remains one of the best. Herman's character in this movie is much like Renfield, and is yet another indication of a vampire lurking about.

The most un-vampire-like part of this movie is the relationship between Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas, "The Old Dark House," which provided the interiors for this film, "Mr. Blandings Builds His Dream House," "Hud" and "Hotel") and Ruth Bertin (Fay Wray, who also participated in another movie the same year that some movie fans may know about, "King Kong"). The relationship between these two gets the second most amount of screen time after the bodies and the vampire chasing. I found the romance a little distracting and wondered whether Ruth was going to be one of the vampire's victims; you will have to watch to learn whether she was or not.

I thought the vampire was going to be Dr. Otto von Niemann (Lionel Atwill, "Captain Blood," "The Gorilla," and "Frankenstein Meets the Wolfman"), or he was in league with the vampire. Dr. von Niemann has many of the mannerisms of a vampire, but once again, you will have to discover whether he is the vampire for yourself.

I am somewhat conflicted as to how to recommend this movie. This movie has lots of atmosphere, but little in the way of scare factor, and I thought the ending lacked teeth. If you are an ardent vampire movie fan, then you should probably have this movie for its intriguing take on vampire legends. If you are looking for a vampire movie in the tradition of "Dracula" or the Hammer films of the 50's and 60's, you should probably pass on this one. The bottom line: there are a few good reasons to have this movie in your collection, but almost as many reasons to not have this movie in your collection.

Good luck!

Poor 1930's Horror Flick.......2007-04-10

The Vampire Bat is a really lame horror flick. How lame? Consider its plot and ask yourself just how many times have you seen the same basic scenario.

The Vampire Bat is set in the village of Klineschloss where villagers are found dead, drained of their blood with two small holes in their necks. Naturally, everyone suspects that a vampire is at work. Of course superstitious villagers start running around with torches.

Dwight Frye has a significant role in this flick as the red herring. This may very well be Frye's best performance of all time. However, that is more than counterbalanced by the strikingly poor performances of horror regulars Lionel Atwill & Fay Wray not to mention Melvyn Douglas.

The Vampire Bat is a pretty lame flick that is a waste of your time and money.

A Pleasant Surprise.......2006-07-03

The Vampire Bat (1933) is on one level a cheap way to pass the time. On another level, it's a classic in its own right, showcasing one of Dwight Frye's more intriguingly maniacal characters and a story that surpasses many for its time.

Set in a small village called Kleinschloss in Bavaria, the plot revolves around numerous murders that have been occurring. The unfortunate twist to these murders? Each victim is found blood-drained with the cliche bite marks on their neck. The superstitious town is petrified and insists that it is vampirism spreading this horror about. But investigator Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas) is skeptical. He would rather pursue the matter from a more scientific standpoint. Dr. Otto von Niemann (Lionel Atwill) is the town doctor, and is torn between the two sides, not sure what should be done. And then, of course, we have Herman Gleib (Dwight Frye). The unfortunate man who everyone's pointing their finger at. You see, the mentally handicapped Gleib has a fascination with bats. Couple that with his eccentric and at times creepy personality and the poor guy never had a chance. The townsfolk focus their fear on him -- eventually chasing down Herman, leading to his death. They drive a stake through his heart just to be sure. But wouldn't you know it, the killing continues. Faced with a mystery that threatens to go on and on if the true source of this depravity is not uncovered, the story then kicks into the next gear, ultimately winding down to its ending.

I bought The Vampire Bat DVD for really one reason: Dwight Frye. Most recognized for his portayal of Renfield in 1931's Dracula, he's been known by horror fans for his ability to bring insanity to the screen (even though in all actuality he was much more versatile in his acting ability). I was indeed impressed with his part in The Vampire Bat. Sure, his role could've been given a tiny bit more screen time, but for what it's worth, I'm left satisfied. Yet the real kicker was the surprise hit with the film in general. It's nowhere near a masterpiece, but it's definitely more than the average B flick to pop out of the 30s. I think anyone who enjoys that era of horror will certainly enjoy this.

The DVD, however, isn't anything to really write home about. The DVD edition I own (Studio: CiniVu, Production Company: Majestic Pictures Inc., DVD cover: orange movie title with Atwill's hypnotic face in gray) doesn't have very nice picture or sound, but one can only assume that because of the film's age just about every transfer will be this way. The menu is no more than the scene selection page and a "Play Feature" button. So I'd say when it comes to choosing which edition, just go for the cheapest. I've yet to hear of any DVD with extra features or a spectacular transfer. So, in other words, my four stars are for the film itself!

Dwight Frye Is Great As Herman!!.......2005-12-22

This is a good movie about a town who has experienced some suspicious deaths that make it look like the work of a vampire or is it something else? I liked this mystery movie and I really liked Dwight Frye as the mentally challanged Herman.

I Liked This Movie! Dwight Frye Is Great as Harold!.......2005-12-11

I first saw the movie The Vampire Bat on Turner Classic Movies and I think it's a good horror/mystery movie. The whole cast is good but I especially like Dwight Frye as the mentally challanged Harold, he is great and I highly recommend this movie!

Great Bloodsucking Vampire Movies (The Satanic Rights Of Dracula / The Devil Bat / The Last Man On Earth)

Average customer rating:

One outta three
Good experience.
A great value for horror fans on a budget
Mediocre disc with one shining standout!

Great Bloodsucking Vampire Movies (The Satanic Rights Of Dracula / The Devil Bat / The Last Man On Earth)
Starring: Great Bloodsucking Vampire Movies
Manufacturer: Bfs Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B00005QW53
Release Date: 2002-02-19

Description

3 Great Movies on 1 DVD. Star Power, Exciting Genre with Extras on each DVD.

Customer Reviews:

One outta three.......2006-02-24

I purchased this DVD for the original widescreen version of "The Last Man On Earth".
The other two movies are whatever. For $5.00 I won't complain. The Satanic rights of dracula is not for children. It was watchable with popcorn but I doubt I would ever view it again. If you have been looking for the Vincent Price movie in it's original format this is the version at the right price.

Good experience........2005-10-10

The packaging was great, the time of arrival was excellent but the quality of the film was not a digitally remastered copy, its a film made in 1973 which is very old.The film was a gift for partner so it needed to be in good condition. Very good experience. I have bought films a number of times after first experience. Thankyou.

A great value for horror fans on a budget.......2003-01-10

If you aren't overly concerned with the quality of the presentation, this DVD affords you a great chance to see three pretty good horror movies for one low price. "Great Bloodsucking Vampire Movies" is a bit of a misnomer, though. There's really not very much bloodsucking to be found here, and one of the movies technically has nothing to do with vampires at all. The Satanic Rites of Dracula is a Hammer film from the early 1970s featuring Christopher Lee's final portrayal of Count Dracula and a movie-saving performance by Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing. Even though there doesn't seem to be quite enough of it, this is the only one of the movies featuring any real blood; you don't get to see any real bloodsucking, but it is strongly implied that blood was sucked at some point. I think The Devil Bat is one of Bela Lugosi's finer horror films. He plays a scientist whose buddies got rich off of his formula, making him want nothing more than to seek revenge on them. He does this by using some kind of electroshock treatment to greatly increase the size of a bat, then releasing the aptly named Devil Bat on his victims after getting them to try his new, strongly-hated-by-bats aftershave concoction. Thus, there are no vampires here, but Lugosi portrays the well-liked yet secretly twisted mad scientist role to perfection. The definite highlight of this DVD, though, is Vincent Price's sterling performance in The Last Man on Earth, a movie based on Richard Matheson's incredible novel I Am Legend. A plague of sorts has spread throughout the world, killing everyone except for the seemingly immune scientist Robert Morgan. The dead don't stay dead, though, because the virus is a vampiric one. These vampires are more like zombies, though; all they do is gang up around Morgan's house every night trying to get past his barricaded doors and windows. Price gives an amazing performance, and the film can be quite touching in the moments when Morgan thinks he has found another survivor and won't have to be so completely alone anymore. Presented in a widescreen format, this old black and white masterpiece looks and plays much more impressively than the other two movies. This DVD is more than worth the price for The Last Man on Earth all by itself, so consider the other two movies as very special bonuses.

Mediocre disc with one shining standout!.......2002-03-08

This low-rent disc of public domain titles contains three movies. The Satanic Rites of Dracula is first, with Peter Cushing, Freddie Jones, Joanna Lumley and Christopher Lee as Dracula. Not a highly regarded Hammer Dracula film, and not a good presentation. Although it's widescreen (about 1.85:1), the colors bleed and strobe badly. If you want this one, seek out ASIN 6305183406. The Devil Bat, one of the most common public domain titles (I previously had two copies on DVD already), stars Bela Lugosi and... isn't awful, just fair. Presentation is what you'd expect from such an old film in the public domain. Better DVD editions exist. The third feature is the first film version of Richard Matheson's classic story "I Am Legend" - called The Last Man On Earth, starring Vincent Price (later made as Omega Man with Charlton Heston). This is an excellent movie with a wide cult following. It's been on DVD before (full-frame), paired with The House on Haunted Hill. But this all leads me to why this disc is a must-buy:

THE LAST MAN ON EARTH is presented in WIDESCREEN at last!

It might have been mastered from the rare widescreen laserdisc release (rare because it was released in the waning days of the format) and although the picture's a bit fuzzy, it's vastly satisfying to see the full frame at last (about 2.35:1). It's infinitely better than any previously existing VHS version, and the print is clean with decent contrast so it looks better than the other DVD release, too.

Amazon.com

Don Sharp's moody if workmanlike horror film suffers from the absence of Christopher Lee, whose intense, almost feral presence in The Horror of Dracula made him one of the most memorable bloodsuckers in film history. In his place is a veritable undead cabal led by the vampire patriarch Ravna (Noel Willman), a nobleman whose family literally holds a tiny Eastern European village hostage. When a young honeymooning couple wanders into this terror-gripped crossroads, Ravna decides to make the innocent bride his own, and the dizzy groom can only turn to the dark eyed, wild-bearded Prof. Zimmer (Clifford Evans) for help. It's an unusual chapter in the vampire legend, as these undead are more like a cult interested in adding to their numbers, complete with formal ceremonies. Sharp creates a thick cloud of dread from the empty streets, the mourning peasants, and the fog that seems to carpet the doomed town every night, but has less success with his cast. Only Zimmer emerges as a memorable figure, an almost demonic-looking vampire hunter who comes off as a shadowy alter ego of Van Helsing. Christopher Lee returned in Hammer's next vampire picture, Dracula, Prince of Darkness. --Sean Axmaker

Description

Lost on the way to their honeymoon, a young couple are lured into the castle of hypnotic Dr. Ravna, plunging them into a nightmare of horror and deception from which there may be no escape.

Customer Reviews:

Toxic "Kiss".......2006-06-02

When people think of Hammer Horror's vampires, they think of Christopher Lee being dispatched by Peter Cushing. Too bad that those wonderful actors weren't in "Kiss of the Vampire," because they might have salvaged a tepid vampire flick that descends into silliness by the third act.

Honeymooners Gerald and Marianne (Edward de Souza and Jennifer Daniel) run out of gas near a rural inn. They end up staying for the week, and are invited to the chateau of Doctor Ravna (Noel Willman) for a masked ball. But when a drugged Gerald wakes up, he finds that everyone -- even the innkeepers -- deny that Marianne ever existed.

Desperate, he ends up going to the peculiar Professor Zimmer (Clifford Evans), who agrees to help him, since he has a personal vendetta against Ravna. But to get Marianne back, the two humans will have to tackle a whole castle full of evil vampires -- and somehow break Ravna's hypnotic hold on her.

The travellers-get-attacked-by-undead plot is pretty much a cliche by now, and it feels stale even in "Kiss of the Vampire," with its paint-by-numbers plot and bland acting. It has most of the Hammer staples -- rich settings and evil vamp cults -- but the plot is both ridiculous and very, very slow.

At first it's easy to be swept away by the vague menace of the vampires, and the sumptuous castle they live in. Unfortunately by the third act, it's deteriorated into dozens of panicking vampires running around in nightgowns. It's as silly as it sounds. The climax goes even further with lots of thunder'n'lightning black magic, and about six hundred rubber bats.

And the cast cannot salvage the glacial plot,. Daniel and de Souza do what they can, but their characters are such blithering idiots that it's hard to care; Evans does a good job, but his character is too thin. Willman tries hard to be Christopher Lee's Dracula, but he can't manage the same feral, sultry quality. He just looks embarrassed.

"Kiss of the Vampire" follows the formula of Lee-Cushing movies with none of the quality, eroticism or intelligence. One of Hammer's lesser vampire movies.

This is for the DVD Not the Movie.......2005-12-11

Like The "Dracula Prince of Darkness" DVD I Think Since Because The Hammer Horror Series Boxset has Come out I Think This Has went oop Too Bad Thank God I've Got This Edtion even though this movie is in the boxset i've just mentioned

moody, atmospheric non-Lee & Cushing vamp flick.......2005-09-14

Chris Lee and Peter Cushing's battles through several of Hammer's Dracula films really burned into people's thinking that Hammer Vamps meant these two in their clash of the Titans - Dracula and Van Helsing. However, Hammer did a handful of vampire flicks with a more sensual quality, like Lust for a Vampire and this gem, The Kiss of the Vampire. Because viewers missed the formidable presence of Lee and Cushing having at it again, I think this film was rather dismissed. It really needs a second -- and third -- look.

It's moody, atmospheric with a sensual quality stronger than the Lee-Cushing Drac flicks. I think it's mostly undermined by Noel Willman as the head vampire. Had they had someone of the raw sexuality of the commanding Lee, this likely would have been considered one of the best Hammer Vamps. Willman just does not imbue the film with that pull -- the repulsion against the bloodsucking ways, but the power that draws against all. He just doesn't put it over like Lee. But then few men could! Alas, where was Ian McShane when you needed him?

Willman is a nobleman - what else - over a tiny hamlet where he is actually doing rather better than Drac ever did. His castle is richly appointed and full of fellow vamps. Old Noel has his own Vamp Camp going. Naturally, the villagers live in terror as not only do they have a master vamp in residents, they have to fear all his vamp friends, too. Rather a large drain on the locals.

When a young honeymoon couple's car breaks down outside the castle, they come under the control of the evil vamp Count. You have the counter balance of evil with Professor Zimmer played, again, with less flair than Cushing, by Clifford Evans.

Despite Zimmer's warnings the couple come under the control of the Vamp master and his cronies, who have decided the young bride would make a delectable feast and new member to Happy Vamp Camp. Zimmer is fairly strong as his Van Helsing type role than Willman is as head vamp. The plot while predictable is lavishly filmed, complete with costume ball.

Because the lack of the two Hammer legends and the "we've been down this road before" causes people to initially dismiss the beauty of this film.

Give it a chance. Don't compare it, just judge it on it's own merits, and I think you will find it a richly done, impressive film that is very underrated.

IT'S THE KISS OF DEATH.......2004-11-11

Edward De Souza and Jennifer Daniel star as a married couple on their honeymoon traveling through Europe. But When their motor car breaks down they are stranded at an old inn on the side of the road. They soon except the hospitality of a Dr. Ravana{Noel William} at his castle for a maqeurade party. Ravana takes an interest to Marianne{Daniel}. And would hope she would succumb to his dark powers and become the queen of evil. Due to a curse at the climax of the film, Ravana and his disciples are torn to pieces by bats! A great film with horror and love intertwined. A film you don't want to miss. Starring Clifford Evans, Edward De Souza, Noel William, Jennifer Daniel and Barry Warren. Directed By Don Sharp. 88 Minutes

FIRST KISS.......2004-04-27

Since the plot has been described in several other reviews, I'd like to concentrate on the sumptious behind the scene areas this film does so well in. First, the coloring and use of it are marvelous; notice the brilliant red dress that sets the lovely Jennifer Daniels apart from the other party guests; the way Edward De Souza's hat matches his wife's riding outfit; the detail to the architecture in both the hotel and the chateau; the gorgeous and sinister music by James Bernard that director Don Sharp incorporates into the scene where Barry Warren plays its seduction to Daniels; and the effective use of wind and rain. This movie, first released in 1963 as Kiss of Evil, is not one of Hammer's best productions, but it is a rich, diffuse entry into the vampire genre, and Clifford Evans (looking a little like a middle-aged Sean Connery) has a malignant ferocity in his Van Helsing-like role.
Not a classic, but definitely for fans of the Hammer days!

Average customer rating:

Lacks Teeth
Poor 1930's Horror Flick
A Pleasant Surprise
Dwight Frye Is Great As Herman!!
I Liked This Movie! Dwight Frye Is Great as Harold!

The Vampire Bat
Starring: Lionel Atwill , Fay Wray , Melvyn Douglas , Maude Eburne , and George E. Stone
Director: Frank R. Strayer
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Hollywood's Legends of Horror Collection (Doctor X / The Return of Doctor X / Mad Love / The Devil Doll / Mark of the Vampire / The Mask of Fu Manchu)
The Ghoul
The Old Dark House
The Boris Karloff Collection (Tower of London / The Black Castle / The Climax / The Strange Door / Night Key)
The Bela Lugosi Collection (Murders in the Rue Morgue / The Black Cat / The Raven / The Invisible Ray / Black Friday)

ASIN: B00008J2EM
Release Date: 2003-04-15

Customer Reviews:

Lacks Teeth.......2007-07-06

Poor 1930's Horror Flick.......2007-04-10

A Pleasant Surprise.......2006-07-03

Dwight Frye Is Great As Herman!!.......2005-12-22

I Liked This Movie! Dwight Frye Is Great as Harold!.......2005-12-11

Average customer rating:

Dracula Blows His Cool
Starring: Gianni Garko , Betty Vergès , Bea Fiedler , Giacomo Rizzo , and Ralf Wolter
Director: Carl Schenkel
Manufacturer: Telavista
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0007XG4TQ
Release Date: 2006-08-15

My Favorite Vampite (DVD Double Feature - Vampire Bat & Devil Bat)

Average customer rating:

My Favorite Vampite (DVD Double Feature - Vampire Bat & Devil Bat)

Manufacturer: Allegro
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The perfect doube feature for terrifying family fun!
A 1932 and 1941 classic pair of horror movies
Starring Fay Wray and Bela Lugosi respective!

ASIN: B000JH2NWC

Product Description

VAMPIRE BAT STARRING FAY WRAY. In the fog-shrouded European hamlet of Klineschloss residents are being murdered and drained of blood. Dr. Otto Von Niemann hints that a vampire may be in their midst and panic ensues through the terrified towns people.... Widely considered the cream of the crop among the 1930's thriller chillers! DEVIL BAT STARRING BELA LUGOSI. Dr. Paul Carruthers, a chemist at Health Cosmetics feels betrayed when his employers get rich thanjs to the perfumes and aftershaves he created. The mad scientist hatches a plan to reek revenge at his secret labratory where he enlarges a bat to gigantic proportions... then the bodies begin to pile up. A fantastic Lugosi classic!

Average customer rating:

A Sequel Only PRC Could Make
At least the cover art is nice...
Is this a movie?
Great PRC Cheapie.
Devil Bat's Daughter, fly away!

Devil Bat's Daughter
Starring: Rosemary La Planche , John James , Michael Hale , Molly Lamont , and Nolan Leary
Director: Frank Wisbar
Manufacturer: Image Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Strangler of the Swamp

ASIN: B00000JWWF
Release Date: 1999-09-21

Amazon.com

For a working definition of Hollywood obscurity, you couldn't do much better than the career of Frank Wisbar, a gifted German filmmaker who found himself, like his fellow émigré Edgar G. Ulmer, under contract at Producers Releasing Corporation, the most desperately poor of the Poverty Row studios of the 1940s. Typical of his hopeless assignments, Devil Bat's Daughter, released in 1946, was the totally unnecessary sequel to one of PRC's few successes, the 1940 Devil Bat with Bela Lugosi; this time, it's Rosemary La Planche--Miss America of 1941!--who falls under suspicion in a series of mysterious killings... has she inherited her father's homicidal instincts? Made during Hollywood's first flirtation with Freudian psychology, the picture is replete with soft-focus dream sequences (with some unconvincing bat effects lifted from the first film) and vague--extremely vague--implications of incest. It's virtually thrill-free, but Wisbar doesn't shrink from his duty, doing his damnedest to come up with creative camera angles and some way of imparting emotion to his waxworks cast. Like many of the Ulmer films of the period, Devil Bat's Daughter bears a strangely touching testimony to the strength of the human spirit--in spite of everything, Wisbar carries on. --Dave Kehr

Description

A woman is horrified by the realization that her father may have been a vampire and that she may have inherited his thirst for blood in this sequel to "The Devil Bat." The distraught woman (former Miss America Rosemary LaPlanche) consults a psychiatrist (Michael Hale) for relief from her nightmares, but her torment only grows worse as she becomes caught in a deadly web of deceit. Is she truly one of the living dead--capable of murder--or is she being framed?

Customer Reviews:

A Sequel Only PRC Could Make.......2005-05-03

When we watch a sequel, we expect it to follow the original, not only in time, but also in the continuity of the story. For instance, in Universal's "Frankenstein" series, there was a common thread linking each film with its predecessor. The "Rocky" series is the same, each movie builds on the other. Now, imagine a sequel where the original is barely mentioned, and the plot of the original blatantly contradicted. Thus you have "The Devil Bat's Daughter."

The plot goes like this: a young woman is found unconscious alongside a road in Westchester County, New York. Seems she had taken a cab from the train station to the abandoned house of Dr. Paul Carruthers (of original Devil Bat fame). The sheriff takes her to the local practitioner, who, in turn takes her to wealthy shrink Dr. Clifton Morris. Both doctors learn she is actually the daughter of Dr. Carruthers. Meanwhile, our heroine, Nina (Rosemary LaPlanche) is haunted by visions of bats (must run in the family). These hallucinations inspire Dr. Morris to use Nina as a pawn to bump off his wealthy wife, Ellen, in order that he should inherit and marry his girlfriend. These plans are complicated when Ellen's son, Ted, returns home from the army and falls in love with Nina. This takes him all of ten minutes, it seems; and when Ellen is murdered, seemingly by Nina, Ted refuses to believe it and seeks to clear the love of his life. Part of this vindication rests on Ted finding the papers and notes of the late Dr. Carruthers (shades of the diary of Dr. Frankenstein), which detail his experiments in electrically charged growth. Ted eventually finds the papers in the possession of the evil Dr. Morris, who is killed in a gunfight with the sheriff and Ted.

Now, here's the cheat: it turns out Dr. Carruthers was actually a good man whose experiments got a little out of hand. He wasn't a murderer after all! Obviously, anyone who saw the original, "The Devil Bat," surely knew he wasn't letting those giant bats out for air. Also, the locale has changed. The original was set near Chicago, while the sequel finds us in upstate New York. It seems the director, Frank Wisbar (who also produced), was given a title by the company and took only a cursory look at the original, preferring instead to concoct a psychological thriller, which were all the rage, especially after the success of Hitchcock's "Spellbound." We know our heroine is having one of her episodes when the film becomes unfocused and wavy.

I could forgive Wisbar everything if only he hadn't made such a dull film. PRC films depend on action; they hardly have time for character development, which a psychological thriller demands. In addition, one needs good actors to make us believe. That's far from the case her. LaPlanche's histrionics can only be deemed "passable" at best, and that is if one is being generous. Remember, this was not her first film. Michael Hale, as the evil Dr. Morris is so monotone, that the only thing we are sure he can cure is insomnia.

All in all, this is a film only for those die-hard psychotronic collectors. It's a shame the Mystery Science Theater crew didn't discover this one - our enjoyment would have been that much more.

At least the cover art is nice..........2004-03-30

Directed by Frank Wisbar, who also did the much better Strangler of the Swamp (1946), The Devil Bat's Daughter (1946) is supposed to be a sequel to the Bela Lugosi/PRC poverty row cheapie, Devil Bat (1940). And no, Lugosi does not make an appearance in this film...Rosemary La Planche (Miss America 1941) plays Nina MacCarron, daughter to Dr. Paul Carruthers, the character Lugosi played in the original movie. She's come to the small town where all the nasty business with her father occurred a few years ago, and is plagued with nightmares and fainting spells with regards to her father and his work with giant bats (go see the original for a full rundown on that story). After a fainting spell that results in a comatose state, Nina is taken to the police office, where a local doctor decides her malady is out of his league and calls on a new resident to the town, Dr. Clifton Morris (Michael Hale), a big city psychiatrist, to see if he can help. Nina is moved to a local hospital, and Dr. Morris is able to bring her out of her stupor, but visions of bats plague continue to plague her, causing her to flee the hospital to Dr. Morris' home. Despite Dr. Morris' objections, Mrs. Morris (Molly Lamont) talks him into letting Nina stay with them. I probably would have objected a bit more strenuously, as the thought of having some unknown nutcase staying in my house would really put me at unease, but Nina is a really hot babe, so I might be conflicted...anyway, Mrs. Morris' son, Ted Masters (John James) comes home after ending his military service, and shortly becomes smitten with his mother and stepfather's looney new houseguest. Gee, I didn't see that coming...Dr. Morris continues to try and help Nina deal with her reoccurring nightmares, but it soon becomes apparent that Dr. Morris has ulterior motives. Oh, I don't mean he has taken a romantic interest in her or anything like that, but he does turn out to be a fairly scheming cad, and his plans include discovering the location of her fathers lost research papers, containing advanced ideas that may have great commercial value.

The film evolves into a mystery as a couple of murders occur, and Nina becomes suspect, with the thinking that she may have inherited her father's homicidal instincts (you see, due to the nature of his work with bats and murders involved, some thought he was a vampire). There is no real mystery as to who the killer is, especially not with the limited number of characters available. As far as being a sequel to the previous PRC release, Devil Bat, The Devil Bat's Daughter has the only the most tenuous threads to connect it to its' predecessor. Nina's blurry dream sequences do show scenes from that film, but I am unsure how she could dream these things, as she wasn't in the original film to witness the events. Oh well...as the movie winds down, the predictability factor comes on strong, and no great surprises are had. Anyone expecting anything that made the Devil Bat worth watching to bleed into this movie will be sadly disappointed. I will say there is a story here, and it does follow through, even though it takes a number of liberties with the facts presented in the original movie.

The picture quality on this release is pretty rough at points, but watchable. The audio is very poor, with the music suffering noise distortion a number of times throughout. No special features here, but at least there are chapter stops. There seems to be some effort put into the movie, but the source material was just too lame to begin with, and, as I read on another review, this seems to have been more a vehicle for PRC to showcase the very attractive Rosemary La Planche than anything else, and I would tend to agree with that. Probably not worth the time, unless you've got a freaky completist compulsion like me. The most interesting thing of this release is the artwork on the box, which, is pretty nice.

Cookieman108

Is this a movie?.......2003-10-10

You watch something like "Devil Bat's Daughter' and you expect maybe a handheld bat puppet or some creature on visible wires--but in this bottom-of-the-barrel effort from PRC, there's nothing. No bat, no special effects, no nothing. You wonder what audiences back in the early 40s made of this zero horror film filler that definitely played the bottom of a double bill? The camera goes fuzzy when you're supposed to be terrified. It looks like the cast and crew had one small room in which to film. Nothing happens. I think the story line revolves around the heroine terrified that she might be a vampire. But--she never even suggests why she would think this since all she does is faint a lot. Rosemary LaPlanche as the bedeviled daughter is much better than expected and she conveys the sense that if given a chance, she coulda been a contendah! The only pluses you can give this penny-budgeted effort is for the title and for the art work on the box. Since I brought the DVD for $4.50 at BestBuy, I don't feel like I really lost anything--except 54 minutes to watch this grade-z cheapie.

Great PRC Cheapie........2002-10-25

A great PRC release from 1946. Fun to watch. The audio quality however is really bad, even for PRC movies.

Devil Bat's Daughter, fly away!.......2000-12-24

This atrocious Poverty Row "thriller" fails in so many departments, it is difficult to grant it even a single star, even for fans of Povert Row flicks like myself. Lets start with the rather dull direction of Frank Wisbar. His conventional direction and lack of pacing makes this film seem much longer than its short hour. The camera work, even on a modest budget, is uninspired. As for the script, one might ask "What script?". There is not a single moment in the picture where any semblance of a coherent story is noticed. The screenwriter obvious assumed not many folks would remember the "classic" DEVIL BAT well enough to culp the silly and maddening ending of this "sequel". Are we to suddenly believe the Bela Lugosi character commited NO crimes which we saw with our own eyes in DEVIL BAT?? Utter nonsense from start to finish. As for the technical aspects of this DVD, we are treated to a really poor source material. The opening credits looked and sounded so bad, I had hoped the rest of the film would have more to offer (or keep my attention). The soundtracks at times sounds so abrasive and worn, I was forced to turn down the noise. What does this DVD have going for it? Well, its hard for me to resist the charms of the late Rosemary LaPlanche (who unfortunately died in 1979 at an early age). LaPlanche was not a particularly gifted actress (that doesn't matter with THIS tripe), but her visual appeal was something to be reckoned with, even outside of the confines of Poverty Row filmmaking. I therefore give the abyssmal DEVIL BAT'S DAUGHTER one star for its true star Rosemary LaPlanche.

Horror Classics Triple Feature, Vol. 2 (Dr. Syn / King of the Zombies / The Vampire Bat)

Average customer rating:

Three cheers - Dr Syn on DVD
Dr. Syn??
Poor Print Quality
You get what you pay for

Horror Classics Triple Feature, Vol. 2 (Dr. Syn / King of the Zombies / The Vampire Bat)
Starring: George Arliss , Margaret Lockwood , John Loder , Roy Emerton , and Graham Moffatt
Director: Roy William Neill , Jean Yarbrough , and Frank R. Strayer
Manufacturer: Rph Productions
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Similar Items:

Hammer Horror Series (Brides of Dracula / Curse of the Werewolf / Phantom of the Opera (1962) / Paranoiac / Kiss of the Vampire / Nightmare / Night Creatures / Evil of Frankenstein)
Doctor Syn, A Smuggler Tale of the Romney Marsh

ASIN: B000065Q9O
Release Date: 2002-05-07

Customer Reviews:

Three cheers - Dr Syn on DVD.......2007-06-30

I'm giving 5 out of 5 just because Dr Syn is one of my favourites and it needed to be on DVD.
And if any of you wonder what is the rather haunting hymn being played and sung in that early scene in the village church, its "We've no abiding city here" by the famous Irish hymn writer Thomas Kelly, to George Frederick Handel's tune "Cannons" (named not after guns but after the palatial home of Handel's patron, the Duke of Chandos).
Buy the DVD for Dr Syn, even if you don't want to watch the two other movies.

Dr. Syn??.......2003-07-06

This triple feature is so-so. I enjoyed "Dr. Syn", but failed to find any horror in it whatsoever. I recommend it as a good old movie, but not as a scary one. I have no idea why it is included in this collection. As for "King Of The Zombies", well, let's just say it's pretty weak. It has it's humorous moments, both intentional and unintentional, but fails to give even one good shudder. The "zombies" are about as frightening as those in a Scooby Doo cartoon. Their "King" is not very menacing either. "The Vampire Bat" is the real deal. Dwight Frye is his old weird self and Faye Wray is great. Lionel Atwill is quite sinister. I recommend one movie out of the three...

Poor Print Quality.......2003-02-14

Having been a fan of all things Dr Syn since my teens (30 years plus) and having the video of this film I was pleased to see it's appearance on DVD.
However I have to express my disappointment at the quality of the print used for this edition. It is very grainy and full of "scratch marks" from the portion I have so far watched.
My video print of this film is far superior and I am now hoping for a UK release (where I am based) of this taken from the print used for the video.
The film is still an enjoyable romp through the Dymchurch Marshes and anything that promotes DR Syn should be encouraged.
Here's waiting for Disney to release their version "The Scarecrow" on DVD.

You get what you pay for.......2002-08-19

The first film, Dr. Syn, is a fun, old-style, British mystery set in Kent in 1800. A good film, but, a less than perfect print. The transfer is a touch misframed and there are scratches throughout. On the plus side, the dialogue is always understandable and the film appears complete. The second feature, The Vampire Bat, is a good example of a 1930's American "B" picture. An OK film, but, again, the print is in bad shape. At least the framing appears correct and the sound adequate. However, there also looks to be a ten minute chunk missing from the film's middle. While it doesn't render the story incomprehensible it doesn't help either. The final movie, ironically, is the weakest of the group in terms of story, but, the print is in by far the best shape. The contrast is good; the framing appears complete and the film isn't missing any footage. However, the zombie on a Caribbean island story is very dated. Also, I think the picture's racist elements appeared a bit over-the-top even during its initial release in 1941. If you find racial stereotypes offensive avoid this film. I guarantee it will never play again on television. All in all, good value for the money if you accept the limitations of the source material. This isn't The Criterion Collection.

[10 Movie Pack] Temple of Hell / Cannibal Curse / Devil's Messenger / the Ghost Walks / Human Gorilla / the Mad Monster / Maniac / the Monster Walks / the Snow Creature / the Vampire Bat

Average customer rating:

[10 Movie Pack] Temple of Hell / Cannibal Curse / Devil's Messenger / the Ghost Walks / Human Gorilla / the Mad Monster / Maniac / the Monster Walks / the Snow Creature / the Vampire Bat

ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

General | Horror | Genres | DVD | Video

Product Description

"DVD FEATURES" digitally mastered, interactive menus, chapter selections, audio 5.1

DVD:

DVD

DVD

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Lost Films of Laurel & Hardy Vol 02

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