The Bat Whispers (1930) User Reviews (46)

Innovative cinematography

[westerfield · 7/10 · 13 January 2013]

I've watched the 1926, 1930 and 1930 wide screen versions many times over the years. However, the other day I finally watched the widescreen on my 5x6 foot screen which I usually save for 3D and football. The details really jumped out. There are so many wonderful camera tricks, many of which I cannot explain. As a professional modeler I can say that the miniatures were far ahead of their time, as was the skill in photographing them. They probably were only exceeded beginning with the Star Wars attack on the death star.

The fluidity of the camera was amazing for its time. The old lady and the maid walk down a long corridor, talking all the time as the camera moves ahead of them. They walk into a room and sit at a table which was right in the path of the camera. Later in the film a character vaults over a 3 foot wall and runs down a path with the camera following him, apparently right through the wall. The shadows of the Bat as he hulks on the floor are inhuman. On several startling occasions the characters jump right into the camera. These and more have been mastered for years but this film discovered them. If you are familiar with the climax of The Alibi, you remember the special effect that seemed almost real, not surpassed until CGI. The Bat Whispers is filled with such effects.

Yes, the film is static, despite all the goings on. And the acting, although unacceptable by 1932 standards was about average for 1930. However, I would gladly have strangled Maude Eburn who ruined every scene she was in. The Bat Whispers is really a guilty pleasure for modelers, cinematographers and horror fans.

A Fun Old Dark House Film

[dbborroughs · 7/10 · 16 July 2004]

Based on a play that was filmed four years earlier by the same director this is a wonderful film that is hampered only by the limitations of sound. That said this is probably the best version of the story.

A fiend known as The Bat is lurking around the mansion of a rich family and its up to an intrepid detective to prevent him from getting the goods.

This movie is a lot of fun, with several wonderful performances especially by Chester Morris as the detective.

Interestingly the film was filmed both in the standard aspect ratio and in an early wide screen process (Both are on the DVD). The films are more or less identical, but since they were taken from different takes they both play like two different nights of the same play.

I like this film a great deal and recommend it to anyone who likes the Old Dark House genre.

Technically and Historically Fascinating, But Unlikely To Appeal To Many Modern Viewers

[gftbiloxi · 5/10 · 25 June 2007]

THE BAT WHISPERS has a convoluted history. Mary Roberts Rinehart (1876-1957) created this tale of a master criminal skulking around a creepy country mansion as the 1907 novel THE CIRCULAR STAIRCASE. In 1917 Rinehart and playwright Avery Hopwood to adapted it to the stage. Retitled THE BAT, in 1920 it took Broadway by storm with its mixture of crazy characters, corny situations, and spooky atmosphere, and in 1926 film director Roland West brought the play to the screen. Once again it proved a great success; not only was the film an audience favorite, it was critically well-regarded too.

It was also made just as sound began to roar. In 1930 West decided to remake the film as a "talkie." He also decided to add a few innovative bells and whistles in a visual sense as well. Many directors of early sound films had enough to do in coping with sound technology--and so they tended to lock the camera down, a circumstance that gave most Hollywood films made between about 1929 and 1933 a visually static quality. Not so West: THE BAT WHISPERS would be noted for a remarkably fluid camera that made the most of detailed miniatures and lavish sets. But more than this, THE BAT WHISPERS would truly stun audiences of the day via a widescreen format.

Widescreen format? In 1930? Surprising, yes, but true. Directors had tinkered with widescreen formats since the silent era, with French director Able Gance's 1927 masterpiece NAPOLEON a case in point--but although interesting, the results were hit and miss. With THE BAT WHISPERS, cinematographer Robert H. Planck nailed it flawlessly. He also left something of a puzzle: film historians are still not entirely sure how he brought it off. Most records seem to indicate that Planck actually shot the film on 35 mm, and then somehow managed to paste, cut, process, and reprint the original footage onto 70 mm. Regardless of how it was done, the result is astonishing, and every one who saw the film was amazed.

Unfortunately, those who saw it were few and far between. Theatre owners were still recovering from the expense of buying audio systems and they were not in a mood to pay for an expensive new screen and projection system as well. When the film went into general release, it went in standard ratio filmed by cinematographer Ray June. Again, it is hard to say exactly how this was done, but looking at both versions it would seem that June took a fair amount of Planck's footage, cropped it, and then re-shot most key scenes directly onto 35 millimeter stock.

We now come to something of a paradox. Planck's widescreen version is both visually beautiful and innovative--but Planck and director West were pretty much working without any precedent and they weren't quite sure of what do with the effect once they had it. Virtually everything is done in long shot, and when the camera isn't in motion THE BAT WHISPERS feels dry as dust and twice as slow. The June version, however, makes solid use of close-ups and medium shots, and while it sometimes feels a bit jumpy it has a better flow and a significantly better pace. Ironically, the June version is actually the more watchable of the two.

But I use the word "watchable" in a comparative sense here. The style of acting that worked so well for silent film proved horrifically awkward in sound film, and directors and actors struggled for several years to find a new acting technique. Both versions of THE BAT WHISPERS find the cast struggling in the gulf between old and new. The Planck version tends to highlight the difficulties involved; the June version softens them--but whether it be Planck or June, the performances are chiefly notable for their awkward quality.

The plot is also antiquated. Part of the charm of the novel, the 1920 play, and the 1926 film was the use of already old-fashioned plot ideas that had not yet worn out their welcome--but by 1930 the whole thing was wearing very thin, and it emerges here as overworked and lacking the necessary light touch. Every thing about the story had become very clichéd, and two years later director James Whale would wickedly spoof the entire genre with a film aptly titled THE OLD DARK HOUSE. Although the Rinehart story received one more major turn before the cameras in 1959 with Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead, the type of plot involved is now more often done tongue-in-cheek, with such films as MURDER BY DEATH and CLUE cases in point.

So what, exactly, is the value of THE BAT WHISPERS for a modern, casual viewer? The answer, rather sadly, is "not much." Hardcore fans of early 1930s film will likely enjoy the film, and film students interested in the history of cinematography cannot afford to miss it--but few others will be able to see beyond the awkward acting styles and now-absurd plot to experience the charm this film--in both widescreen and standard versions--had in 1930.

The IMAGE DVD release is a bit problematic. In terms of picture, the standard ratio version has the occasional blip and blemish but has weathered very well. Although it has been restored, artifacts abound in the widescreen version; even so, the picture is very clean and they do not significantly detract from the film. Sound quality is a problem in both versions, less so in the standard ratio version, more so in the widescreen version. To some extent, this may be due to the recording technology of the era (actors tend to become fainter as they move away from the center of the sets), but it seems safe to say that the entire sound balance is off on this DVD release. You'll have to turn up the volume all the way to hear it--and where the widescreen version is concerned you'll also have to sit by the speakers.

GFT, Amazon Reviewer

Masterful cinema in the Old Dark House genre

[metaphor-2 · 16 August 2004]

Roland West's THE BAT WHISPERS was based on a hugely successful Broadway play, The Bat, widely credited for having created the vogue for thriller plays in the 1920's. (The 1927 production "Dracula" which starred Bela Lugosi on stage was part of the mystery vogue, and led directly to the 1930 Universal film which kicked off the 30's cycle of horror movies). West filmed The Bat in 1926 as a silent, with great success. The 1930 remake was a large production, shot simultaneously in standard 35mm and a new widescreen 65mm process. Theater owners largely rejected the expense of installing 65mm equipment, and most people who saw this film on its release saw the 35mm version.

Among them was Bob Kane, who credited it as a major influence in his creation of Batman in the late 30's. It's easy to see why. This is a stunning looking film (I'm referring to the 35mm version, which I saw at the 2004 UCLA Festival of Preservation) gorgeously photographed by Ray June. In an old dark house where the lights are constantly going off, and lighting is frequently provided by candles, or lightning, bizarre lighting effects start to become the norm, and the dramatic possibilities take off. The director used every conceivable angle to keep things visually lively, mirroring the ridiculous complexity of the plot with a visual complexity that always keeps the viewer slightly off balance.

Much has been made of the sweeping camera moves and the use of miniatures. The miniatures are a bit obvious, but their intent remains effective if you're willing to go with it. (Being willing to "go with it" is pretty much a necessity in general for this film, which was a wild and unrealistic ride in its time, and deliberately so.) The photography benefits from a number of technical innovations, including a lightweight camera dolly invented for this production that allowed the camera to be moved 18 feet vertically in a matter of moments.

The performances - both comic and dramatic characters - are deliberately hokey, very stagey turns that were the standard for this genre. Much of Chester Morris' mugging and squinting, however, are attributable to the violently bright underlighting that was used in his closeups, which eventually scorched his retinas (a condition which became known as Klieg Eye). Within that context, they are wonderful performances. Morris is particularly engaging, as is Grayce Hampton as the patrician Cornelia Van Gorder, the middle-aged spinster who refuses to be scared out of the house. (Hampton appears to be a very capable stage actress, and offers perhaps the most natural performance in the film. She had made one previous film – in 1916 – and made numerous subsequent ones, usually in bit parts, until she was nearly 80.) Her no-nonsense dowager centers the film perfectly, keeping the other characters (and performances) from plunging completely off the deep end.

The plot? A master criminal, The Bat, is on the loose, a half-million dollars have been stolen from a bank by somebody else, and The Bat is trying to get it. The money has apparently been brought to a lonely mansion in a rural town (apparently somewhere on then-rural Long Island) where a middle-aged woman and her made are renting for the summer. Someone is trying to scare her out of the house, so she has sent for detectives. From there, anything goes.

The Bat Whispers (1930)

[Bunuel1976 · 7/10 · 3 April 2005]

The film does feel creaky, the humor is laid a little too thick for my tastes at times (much like Paul Leni's THE CAT AND THE CANARY [1927], in fact) and Maude Eburne as the cowardly maid IS unbearable…but this is more than made up for, in my opinion, by the film's dazzling cinematography, atmospheric sets and deliberate theatricality (complete with asides to the audience in the finale). In any case, it's easily miles ahead of the inept and boring Vincent Price remake of 1959! You will have noticed that I have preceded (as is my fashion) the film's name with that of its director. I'll be the first to admit that nearly nobody today remembers Roland West, let alone be prepared to accord him "auteur" status, but you'll agree that the VERY distinctive visual style of the film indicates an assured guiding hand behind the whole project. Although hardly as well-known today or as easy to find, THE BAT WHISPERS is by no means West's only notable feature; as a matter of fact, based on the minute information I've managed to find on them in my reference books, I'd be very interested in watching THE UNKNOWN PURPLE (1923; an intriguing-sounding precursor to James Whale's THE INVISIBLE MAN [1933]), THE BAT (1926; the original Silent-film version of THE BAT WHISPERS), the gangster drama ALIBI (1929; which even earned Chester Morris a Best Actor Academy Award nomination) and CORSAIR (1931), his last film. As for myself, the only other Roland West film I've seen is the atypical and rather unsatisfactory Lon Chaney vehicle THE MONSTER (1925), which also happens to be a bizarre 'old dark house' melodrama.

Elliott Stein, in Richard Roud's indispensable tome, "Cinema: A Critical Dictionary – The Major Film-Makers" described Roland West as "one of America's supremely original visual stylists, the director of a series of stunning thrillers." He also names ALIBI "one of the most oppressive films ever made…the distorted sets, odd angles and restless camera make it West's most Germanic work…this claustrophobic little nightmare would be fully at home in a retrospective of the American avant-garde film." Furthermore, he acclaims THE BAT WHISPERS as "a pictorial knock-out" and CORSAIR "a visual treat"! Unfortunately, his promising career was suddenly curtailed by a real-life tragedy. West was involved and living with renowned comedienne Thelma Todd (a frequent foil for Laurel & Hardy and The Marx Brothers) in Malibu at the time of her mysterious death in 1935. Neighbors heard them quarreling the night before the morning she was found in her garage overcome by carbon monoxide poisoning; though a suspect, he was never arrested but, of course, he could never work in Hollywood (or elsewhere) again.

I've only watched THE BAT WHISPERS (twice), in Widescreen, on VHS and I've been meaning to pick up Image's DVD edition (comprising also the 'alternate' full-frame version, shot simultaneously by a different cameraman!) for the longest time. As it happens, from the online reviews I've read of the disc, the verdict as to which version is actually 'better' seems to be pretty mixed.

Strong Remake of The Bat

[utgard14 · 7/10 · 23 February 2014]

From the memorable opening scene of the newsboy yelling "You won't get the Bat! I'll bet the Bat makes a chump out of you!" to the police, it was clear this would be a much more stylish film than the 1926 one. Roland West directed both films. This one is markedly superior visually and, unlike a lot of other directors at the time, West seems to make the transition from silent to sound filmmaking seamlessly. I've seen all three versions of The Bat and enjoyed them all but this is probably the best version. This is also the version that, according to Bob Kane, was part of the inspiration for Batman. The Bat looks less silly here than in the last movie, where he had big mouse ears and was more adorable than scary. Anyway, it's a good old dark house thriller with a cool beginning and an amusing ending. Any movie with Una Merkel in it can't be that bad.

Mystery, Suspense, and The Bat

[brandinscottlindsey · 7/10 · 26 July 2017]

The Bat Whispers is a 1930 suspense-thriller with elements of mystery and drama. The story follows a middle-aged woman of wealth, named Cornelia Van Gorder, who has rented an elaborate mansion from a wealthy banker's son. When the large house is used to hide the proceeds from a bank robbery, several different parties compete to remove the inhabitants and find the money. Excitement, suspense, and thrills ensue as Cornelia, along with her friends and family, attempt to put an end to the fiasco.

The film, The Bat Whispers, manages to stay enjoyable throughout its entirety, with barely a dull moment. The Bat character is reminiscent of an early Batman and it is easy to draw parallels between the two characters. The ending is also extremely fun, after the resolution and when the audience is addressed. I won't give anything away, but this film is worth watching for this part alone.

One of the worst parts of the film, unfortunately, is the corny attempts at humor. Hiding halfway under a bed, cross-eyed fainting, and overdone acting add a cringe element to the film, which is disappointing. The story is done very well and the added comedy elements deduct from the overall viewing experience. There are also a few ambitious attempts at using special effects, such as tiny models to show a sprawling cityscape or a car traveling down a road. Although it is a good effort by the artists involved, these scenes do not work either. They are simply too artificial and, worse, are completely irrelevant. Lastly, one could argue that much of the conflict in this film, along with many thriller and mystery movies, is based on a faulty personality by the characters, such as an extreme naivety in their surroundings and the ability to trust even the most suspicious- looking individuals without hesitation.

Overall, The Bat Whispers is a fun film. Exciting, suspenseful, full of thrills and twists, and a good mystery story, all audiences can enjoy this movie. A few downfalls and bad choices keep this film from being truly great, but it is worth a watch. And don't forget to watch the very end, it's great.

An old dark house, a clever bat, some outstanding tracking shots. Just don't say rubeola is a plant

[Terrell-4 · 5/10 · 3 February 2008]

When you hear the Bat whisper, you don't know whether to smile at the dated melodrama or admire some classy scenic set ups and camera work. The film may show its age with acting that is over the top, broad comic relief and a solution that for modern audiences is fairly easy to anticipate, but it looks great. The film was shot in an early version of wide-screen as well as a standard release version, using different cinematographers, cameras and set-ups. The wide-screen version is the one to watch. This is an old-dark-house creeper-thriller, with a stormy, thundering night, lots of shadowed stone staircases, massive doors and fireplaces, things that bump and thump, and, of course, a hidden room which may contain thousands of dollars stolen from a bank. More to the point, the film has a master villain who creeps and slides around wearing a bat outfit. He can shimmy up a rope in a flash or hang head down while he tips a victim out of a high window. And for fans of Bob Kane's Batman comic books plus all those Batman movies, this Bat is the grandaddy of both. He...it?...casts harsh, disturbing shadows of a tall figure with huge bat wings attached to unnaturally long arms. Is this just the work of the shadows or are his victims dispatched by some hideously deformed creature? And it whispers. All we know for sure is that the Bat is determined to frighten...or kill...his way to the stolen fortune.

The movie was based on a hugely popular stage play. The number of characters is almost large enough to make its own crowd scene. Whenever things get really tense, it seems a new character suddenly pops up. In this old mansion is the owner, a grande dame named Cornelia Van Gordon (Grace Hampton), an imperious woman with a vast bosom, a sturdy waist and a shrewd mind. How shrewd? She knows the new gardener is not what he seems when she asks him what he thinks of rubeola and he says it's a nice plant. Mrs. Van Gordon has a niece, Dale Van Gordon (Una Merkel), who seems a typical brainless flapper until we realize she's in cahoots with the false gardener. There is also a loyal maid, Lizzie (Madge Eburne), who has hysterics, rolls her eyes, prepares bear traps, sits on funny objects and acts like a cross between Patsy Kelly and Harpo Marx. There's a mysterious doctor, a small town elderly police lieutenant, a butler, a handyman who shakes violently when the Bat whispers, and a smart, big city cop, Detective Anderson, who is determined to catch the Bat and solve the bank robbery. We are faced with a question as simple as the plot, just who among all these characters could be the Bat?

Anderson is played by Chester Morris. If you're familiar with Morris' work you may recall him as a tough-guy leading man in a lot of Thirties movies. He never quite got both feet firmly on the A-level actors' list but never entirely was considered just another B-level lead. He exuded no-nonsense confidence, a kind of tall Jimmy Cagney without most of Cagney's empathy. He was always, in my opinion, an interesting actor. Then in 1941 in Meet Boston Blackie, he played Blackie, another tough, good guy detective. He was so good in the role he was instantly type cast. He played Boston Blackie in many movies during the Forties, each one a little worse than the other as the studio turned the series into a cash cow. By the time the string ran out, Chester Morris, who could be a fine actor, found himself doing television and regional theater. He killed himself with an overdose of sleeping pills in 1970 while starring in The Caine Mutiny Court Marshal at a theater in Pennsylvania. As Detective Anderson, Morris gives an odd performance that combines a clipped, sort of semi-off-and-on British inflection with a high degree of intensity.

The thing that makes The Bat Whispers of interest is the use of miniatures, especially at the beginning, the use of camera tracking shots that pull us away while walls slide back or that take us from a clock tower down to a street. Considering the weight of cameras in 1930, these shots are a tour de force. Some stunning lighting shows up, particularly when the Bat is framed against back lighting that is almost blindingly bright. And it is genuinely unnerving when the giant shadow of the bat shrivels down toward the floor and a dark, hunched shape rises up and starts slowly to limp towards us.

On balance, I think The Bat Whispers is something more than just an old and odd curiosity, but just barely.

Totally fun! Grand mysterioso!

[the_mysteriousx · 10/10 · 14 December 2004]

I avoided seeing The Bat Whispers for many years because I had seen a documentary called "The Horror of it All". In it they used clips and gave away the killer by showing us the ending!!! Not that it cannot be figured out by many. The great news is I thoroughly enjoyed the film (with many repeated viewings) anyway. It has become a Halloween tradition for me as I watch it once every year. The killer's identity is only part of the fun.

My writing this post is due to a wonderful thunder storm we had that exactly matched the intensity and character of the storm in this film - Lightning with long pauses before thunder and NO RAIN.

I have seen tons of old dark house mystery/horror/comedies from the 20s, 30s and 40s and I dare anyone to name better ones than this, Paul Leni's two mysteries, and Whale's The Old Dark House. Many of the ODH films of that time were poverty row. Some were downright boring, others interesting, but none with such a distinctive style as those mentioned. I cannot understand the harshness people can feel about this film. One has to put themselves in a mood to watch such a film. It was never intended to be incredibly meaningful like Ben- Hur, or All Quiet on the Western Front. This is pure pulp from start to end.

The Bat Whispers, is in many ways, a forerunner to today's gigantic comic book movies. Some have much style (Batman, The Matrix, X-Men) and some are totally ridiculous with the same absurd plot holes (Batman, The Matrix, X-Men, etc.).

So, what can one expect? A totally fun, old-fashioned mystery romp that satisfies one's need for shadows, lighting, special effects, atmosphere, mystery, horror and downright silliness. This is a masterpiece in the genre and also Roland West's greatest film. It is consistent with the films that West shot. It's a shame he didn't continue with his dark style of film-making. Chester Morris has been called a ham in these posts and that's true. And what terrific ham! He gives one of the best performances in an ODH movie. His intensity was perfectly enhanced by the powerful arc lamps that under lit him, so much so that he suffered scorched retinas and unfortunately suffered visually for the rest of his life. That is a man dedicated to the art of his film! Morris makes the proceeds far more interesting than any other 'detective' I have seen in this type of film. The supporting cast makes this effectively spooky (Gustav von Seyferritz as Ven Rees leads the way).

Overall, this is stylish escapism at its' best in the old-fashioned sense. Special credit goes to the camera operators and art director. Both standard and widescreen versions are completely different takes and different films. I prefer the standard version, as Morris' close-ups are far more effective. The one when he returns and stands at the top of the stairs is avant-garde in how he is so perfectly centered and unnaturally under lit. I could go on.... a great fun film!

The Dark Night Returns

[wes-connors · 7/10 · 28 June 2010]

With long lines to see "Garbo Talks!" director Roland West and United Artists hoped to make you laugh and bring in some cash for "The Bat Whispers" - but, fewer people were interested in hearing The Bat-Man whisper. Moreover, he doesn't really "whisper" in this re-make of Mr. West's popular and influential silent version of "The Bat" (1926) - he talks. Neither of the Bat-films are truly magnificent, but both are technically excellent. The plot is almost the same; obviously, West started with the same script.

The earlier version featured Jewel Carmen and Jack Pickford as lead the romantic couple; herein, they are successfully replaced by Una Merkel (as Dale) and William Bakewell (as Brooks). Broadway lady Grayce Hampton (as Cornelia Van Gorder) handles the knitting chores. Also moving from stage to film, comic relief Maude Eburne (as Lizzie) doesn't quite match Louise Fazenda (a daunting task). For the re-make, Chester Morris (as Anderson) takes center stage, as part of an uneasily altered story development.

While West's technical skill is brilliant, but the sound of "The Bat" whispering is startlingly inferior - with the thunder sounding more like a foghorn from "Anna Christie" (one of those films with that talking Swedish actress). The wide-screen "Magnifilm" and visuals are terrific, though. Both films are worth seeing - in any order; the endings are different, but the mystery never mattered.

******* The Bat Whispers (11/13/30) Roland West ~ Chester Morris, Una Merkel, William Bakewell, Grayce Hampton

They don't make 'em like they used to - thank heavens.

[Wilbur-10 · 2/10 · 30 June 2000]

Truly awful early talkie, which plays like something out of an amateur dramatics society.

The story revolves around a masked super criminal who terrorises an isolated mansion in the search for some stolen money.

The action and script are virtually incomprehensible, and the multitude of characters seem to make things up as they go along, hamming it up as and when they like.

Film does have a point of interest in its use of miniature sets, allowing the camera to make some impressive sweeps. This technical achievement must have taken up all of the film crew and directors efforts however, allowing the cast to run amok. Has the audacity at the end to ask the audience not to reveal the Bat's identity, so others can enjoy the film as we have. ZZzzzzzzz...

BEST SCENE - the aforementioned camera sweep over the miniature model of the mansion.

Great romp in the "haunted house" style

[funkyfry · 8/10 · 20 November 2002]

A tour-de-force of chases, shootouts, and robbery, as "The Bat" terrorizes a city, and particularly the renters of a mansion where he makes his hideout. Nearly everybody is a suspect, but the key lighting pretty much gives it away. Nonetheless, West keeps the pace moving so fast that we don't really have time to stop and think about much of anything. Features West's trademark effects with miniatures and wires.

Some remarkable photography (in 65mm, no less) in the disappearing silent gothic tradition makes this movie a link from the newly emerging horror scene to the old "haunted house with criminals" genre into which it more properly falls.

"Goofy gothic" excellence.

Interesting Early Mystery/Thriller

[Reviews_of_the_Dead · 7/10 · 28 April 2020]

This was a film that I never heard of until I decided for my podcast to move from the 1920's to the 1930's. Interesting fact is that this is the only horror film from the year that I could find as well. It does seem there are others, but they're lost, no copy to purchase and not streaming online anywhere. Regardless, I did give this a watch. The synopsis is a master criminal terrorizes the occupants of an isolated country mansion.

What I want to lead off here stating is that this movie really did feel like a stage play, so seeing that is where this is based. I'm not surprised in the least bit. The movie starts us outside of a building where Mr. Bell (Richard Tucker) lives. He has a bunch of police officers outside as he received a note that a thief and murderer, The Bat, is going to steal a necklace from him without being caught. Mr. Bell scoffs, but we see The Bat is outside of his window. He does what exactly he says, with Mr. Bell bringing the item to the window. His butler knocks on the door and with no answer they come in to see that aftermath. The Bat left a card stating that he is going to the country.

The movie then shows us a bank robbery that happens from a skylight. The person is fleeing from another in his car and both vehicles end up at Fleming's Estate. He is supposed to be in Europe with Miss Cornelia van Gorder (Grayce Hampton) occupying the mansion at this time. She has a maid who is high strung in Lizzie Allen (Maude Eburne). They hear something outside and it spooks Lizzie. Both people get in through a window in the basement and one of them goes up the laundry chute with a ladder. Lizzie thinks the place is haunted and is worried about the news of The Bat. Miss Cornelia is more level headed.

The robbery brings great a many people here including Miss Cornelia's niece Dale (Una Merkel). She is trying to get her fiancé Brook (William Bakewell) a job as a gardener, even though he doesn't know anything about plants. They both think the stolen money is in the house so they're trying to find it to clear his name. Dr. Venrees (Gustav von Seyffertitz) shows up mysteriously along with Detective Anderson (Chester Morris). The detective is there trying to follow the stolen money. More people arrive here, complicating the situation even more and it makes you wonder, who stole the money and who is The Bat?

Now the first thing that I noticed about this movie on was that this is a 'Talkie' and now officially out of the silent film era for my journey through the aughts. On top of that, the movie does some interesting camera angles in that we start on a large clock tower before moving down to the road. This is still early cinema, so a couple different times they're using toys and models, but we would see that for the next few decades, so not a problem there. This is also staged like a play, so I wasn't shocked as I said to see this is based off one. It felt like The Cat and the Canary, so again, not surprised. I would say that the cinematography was good with how they hide things in the shadows as well.

What I wasn't expecting is how violent this movie is. We don't really get to see the violence on screen, but that's not a big deal for me. I did have a slight problem though is I wasn't sure if characters were killed or not. It didn't surprise me though, as the Hays Code was adopted in 1930 in the United States, but not enforced until 1934. We do still get a bit of what they would push though at the end.

This movie did have an interesting mystery for sure. The character of The Bat was intriguing to me. You don't get a lot of cat burglars who also kill people, but we do here. This character also speaks in whisper, which I think is two fold. It goes with the title, but we learn it is one of the characters in the movie so it is done to hide the voice. As I was saying about the mystery though, I like that we introduce all of these characters with a different motives. The Caretaker (Spencer Charters) is just odd, Brook was the teller at the bank and along with Dale, they claim they want to give the money back, but does he really? Dr. Venrees is just creepy, it is auspicious that Detective Anderson shows up as well as the nephew of the man who owns the estate, Richard Fleming (Hugh Huntley). I'm not going to lie, I had no idea who The Bat was and much like giallo films, I do want to rewatch this now that I know to see if I can piece together how this night happened.

I will admit, I did have a slight issue getting into this movie. They do introduce all of the characters, but a few of them look alike to me so I had trouble picking out who was who. I'm glad this wasn't difficult to see like many of the silent films I had been watching, as that would make it nearly impossible. I like the setting though, as this house has secret rooms which always tickle me if I'm going to be honest. Despite this though, I did settle in and enjoyed how smart The Bat is and the ending of the movie. I did find it interesting this is the first of its kind that at end, it implored the audience to not give away the secret or The Bat would get them.

Taking this to the acting of the movie, I thought they were fine. My favorite would have to be Hampton, the woman renting this big house. She plays with an Ouija board, doesn't put up with nonsense and won't be scared out of her house. I love this film being 90 years old at the time of watching is such a strong character. Eburne is that annoying, scaredey-cat comic relief character, but she played this role well. Charters is different from Lizzie, but plays much in the same way and he was fine. Merkel, Bakewell, Seyffertitz, Morris and the rest of the cast really help to build this mystery that had me guessing all the way through.

Now with that said, I wasn't the biggest fan right after watching this, but haven't sat and thought about it, it is better than I realize. It really does feel like a play on a grander stage. The mystery did hook me in and I thought the acting really helps to develop most of these characters. I did have some slight issues figuring out who was who at different times, but not enough to ruin things. Even though we don't see really any of the deaths as they happen off-screen, I was pretty surprised how violent this movie is. The soundtrack didn't stand out, but it also didn't hurt the film either. I would say that this is an above average movie and one that I will seek out again. I will warn you again. This is from 1930 so it is in black and white. If that is an issue, I would avoid this.

Bad

[AAdaSC · 3/10 · 15 August 2009]

A criminal called "The Bat" roams around the mansion house of Cornelia (Grayce Hampton) looking for a secret room with hidden money. We have seen that he has no problem in killing anyone that comes in his way at the beginning of the film but we don't know his identity. A cast of characters appear at the mansion and the story is a "who-dunnit" mystery............. so, who is "The Bat"..?....

The film starts well but unfortunately, it goes downhill when the action switches to the mansion house. This is largely due to the overbearingly dreadful maid Lizzie (Maude Eburne) who plays everything for humour and just never succeeds. She is VERY irritating. Of course, one irritating unfunny character isn't enough so we are introduced to 2 more! A butler/house-keeper type who also plays for humour and fails and a detective (Chance Ward) who is also very annoying and very unfunny. These 3 characters are a big part of the reason why this film is rubbish. The other is the story which is dull and complicated and I found myself watching a totally confusing mess. The only good things about the film are some of the camera shots and Grace Hampton who plays her role well.

They stick an epilogue on at the end of the film which is really tacky. This film is not good.

One of the best Old Dark House movies

[wrbtu · 19 October 2001]

Great fun! The special effects are amazing for a 1930 movie. Miniaturized sets are used & although they're primitive by today's standards, keep in mind that this movie is over 70 years old. It's an excellent Old Dark House movie, complete with thunderstorms, secret passageways, a mysterious creature named "The Bat," comedic elements, a large old house, several murders, etc. It's been noted that the comic strip character, "Batman," owes some of his origins to "The Bat," & it's apparent in the outfit, the shadows cast from buildings, & in the name of the character itself. "The Bat" is indeed a pretty scary entity. The sound effects are good, camera work is excellent, & the ending is bizarre. It kept my interest throughout its 83 minutes. Well worth seeing for Old Dark House fans (this is one of the best). I rate it 9/10.

EARLY SOUND FILM FILLED WITH CURIOSITY...DYNAMIC BUT DELIRIOUSLY DATED COMEDY

[LeonLouisRicci · 7/10 · 9 August 2021]

On the Cusp Between Sound and Silents.

A Fascinating Expressionistic Fun-Film with Visuals that are Stunning.

But the Seriously Dated Comedic Histrionics are a Set-Back From Greatness.

The First 20 Min. Before Landing in "The Old Dark House" are an Eye-Popping Extravaganza of a Hyper-Moving Camera (rare in its day).

Expressionism is Everywhere in Every Shot and the Opening is a Wow.

Then the Audience is Transported to a Stodgy "Old Dark House" with Acting so Annoying and Over-the-Top that the Speeding Exposition Slams to a Halt.

From There the Movie is Half-Good and Half-Awful.

Mysterious and Shadowy Images Impress.

But are Coupled with an Abundance of Hysterics and Horrendous Antics that Render the Aforementioned Amazing Atmosphere Moot.

Some of the Slapstick Scenes are OK but when Piled Upon by the Whaling, Whining, Whimpering, and Screaming...

Well, its Just too Much to Endure.

The Movie has Other Curiosities

Like a 65mm Wide-Screen Shoot for "Especially Equipped" Movie Theatres.

But the Depression, the Transfer from Silents to Sound, and other Considerations were too Much too Soon for the Industry.

Wide-Screen would Not Return Until the 1950's.

Also, the Post-Ending Plea to Not Reveal the "Bat" Identity became a Trope Used in a Number of Mystery-Thrillers.

Overall, the Good Out-Ways the Bad.

For the Curious Movie-Buff on the Look-Out for Something Different, this is Definitely...

Worth a Watch.

Unfunny comic relief and staginess vs. some extraordinary visuals and a most unusual ending

[gridoon2024 · 6/10 · 20 August 2017]

"The Bat Whispers" boasts striking, spacious sets and some remarkably (for 1930) fluid camera-work, but it still can't completely shake off its staginess, and it includes not one, not two, but three unfunny comic relief supporting characters (the maid's squealing is absolutely insufferable). As for who The Bat is, it is possible after a point to put 2 and 2 together and figure it out before he is unmasked. But the final 2 minutes are most unusual - for this ending, and the visuals, the film is worth a look. **1/2 out of 4.

Batman artist Bob Kane Inspired By This Version of 'The Bat'

[springfieldrental · 7/10 · 27 August 2022]

When the future artist of DC Comics' Batman, 15-year-old Bob Kane, went to see November 1930's "The Bat Whispers," he had no idea this movie would play a big role in his life. The future artist of Batman later attributed three influences that inspired him to design his comic book character the way he did: Douglas Fairbanks' portrayal of Zorro, Leonardo da Vinci's drawing of a flying machine with large bat-like wings, and the movie he saw as a teenager, "The Bat Whispers."

The United Artists film was taken from the 1920 play 'The Bat,' which in turn was adapted from the Mary Roberts Rinehart 1906 novel 'The Circular Staircase.' Roland West, director of "The Bat Whispers," was in the chair for the first Hollywood take of the play, the 1926 silent film "The Bat." In all the early versions from the play, 'the bat' is a criminal who robs the rich. Here, he invades a mansion just outside New York City to steal jewelry from the gathering of well-heeled folks. But instead of giving the stolen luxury goods to the poor like Robin Hood, he hoards his treasure.

Nearly the same set of characters appears in this 1930 update as in the 1926 predessessor. West, despite a more clunky camera than he used in his silent, creates some highly unusual visuals, kicking off right at the opening scene with a point of view shot from the bat's perspective as he flies from the top of a miniature city skyscraper down to the street. Even though a good amount of the production has a stagey feel, cinematographer Ray June inserts these flying motion sequences to showcase the protagonist's unusual mobility and stealthy behavior while commiting his acts. "The Bat Whispers" is the first in cinema where one of its characters steps out at the end of the movie to inform his viewers not to reveal the Bat's identity. The "batman" as a robber theme returned to Hollywood again in 1959 when Agnes Moorehead and Vincent Price starred in 1959's "The Bat."

"The Bat Whispers" was one of a handful of movies filmed in both 35mm as well as the widescreen 65mm format, known as Magnafilm. The studio felt the large screen image enhanced the visual experience of the viewers sitting in the theaters' seats. Playing in 18 cities, the wide image failed to generate a groundswell of enthusiasm. On a percentage basis, the standard version filled as many seats as did the widescreen. The disappointing results reflected theater owners' reluctance to spend money on larger screens and on new projectors during the Depression after they had outlayed a considerable amount of money to wire their places for sound. The timing for Magnafilm proved to be disastrous. Not until the 1950s when Hollywood, witnessing television's impact on their bottom line, decided to haul the wide screen format out of the mothballs and try it out once again, this time to a more receptive public.

Incredibly boring.

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 11 May 2013]

In the late 1920s until about the mid 1930s, Hollywood produced quite a few 'old, dark house' films. This genre always consisted of a group of people stuck in an old mansion as a maniac runs about trying to fill them off one-by-one. "The Old Dark House", "The Cat and the Canary" and "The Black Cat" are just a few examples of these films--as is "The Bat Whispers". So, while some today might be more impressed by this film than me, perhaps it's because they don't realize that the plot is very standard fare. And, aside from a few technical innovations, this is a rather poor example as well--mostly because it's so dreadfully boring.

The film begins with folks talking about 'The Bat'--a daring and murderous thief whose identity is unknown and who has long eluded the police. Most of the film centers on one particular mansion and a group of people who run about trying to avoid being his next victims. And, at the end, the mystery is, of course, unraveled.

This is an unusual film because the DVD has both a standard version and a unique 65mm version they also made for theaters. I watched the 65mm version and I could understand why some of the other reviewers disliked it. The overall look was akin to watching a film while standing far from the screen--very, very far. In other words, although they were innovating with the cinematography, they really didn't understand how to effectively utilize it. It's odd, as although they tried to innovate when it came to the picture, the sound is ancient by 1930 standards--with no incidental music and very flat sound. Overall, it's a film that looks unique (with some nice shadows and camera angles), sounds bad and bores the viewer to tears. A nice experiment--but one that just isn't very satisfying viewing.

9 stars for early talkie fans - everyone else YMMV

[AlsExGal · 9/10 · 14 November 2009]

This is a wonderful find. Roland West teams with star Chester Morris once again to give us "The Bat Whispers" a year after the same team gave us "Alibi", one of the very good films from 1929, and a Best Picture nominee from the 1928-1929 season.

West uses some of the same photographic techniques that were ground-breaking in "Alibi". The camera moves along so you see what the police see as they ride along in their squad cars, and now the camera also swoops up the sides of buildings and "flies into" rooms at a birds-eye (or bats-eye) view.

"The Bat" is a super-criminal. He taunts the police by telling them what he intends to do next and then performs his crime under their noses. He dresses and moves like Batman, has the Joker's indifference to human life and confidence in his own immortality, but unlike the Joker his motive is not chaos - it is unmitigated greed. In that way he is like a merging of Batman, the Joker, and Bank of America.

The rather complex plot involves a bank that has been robbed in which the suspect is a young teller who is in love with Una Merkel's character. Her aunt has rented an old dark house from the bank owner's son. However, someone is trying to frighten her into leaving. There are secret rooms and passageways, the mysterious activities of several guests involved, and the presence of Chester Morris as a police inspector who arrives on the scene. For some strange reason he is dressed as a middle-aged man here, and I could never figure out the reason for that one. The questions are - who is The Bat, is he at work here, is he working alone, and what is he after? The only negative is the maid in the old dark house. She is constantly screaming and yelping at every little noise. By the film's midpoint I was ready to dress up like The Bat and get rid of this annoying person myself. Alas, she survives until the end of the film without really adding anything. I get the fact that scary things are going on. I didn't need her 90 minute conniption fit to drive that point home.

If you love early talkies you have to see this one. It came before Batman and Universal's old dark house sound films, so it actually is more original than the modern viewer might give it credit.

"Say, what kind of a joint is this?"

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 22 June 2016]

The gong-ing sound played over the opening credits was exactly the same as the one produced by an old clock in the attic of my house when I was just a kid, going back almost sixty years now. I discovered it on one of my forays upstairs and nearly jumped out of my shorts when I accidentally got it to chime. The room had pretty much the same old dark house atmosphere of the mansion in this movie, and with very little lighting, the thing just scared the bejeezus out of me. But eventually I got over it and managed to play it over and over again as the weeks went by. I had to quit though when I found out a gorilla lived up there, that was about the same time I saw "King Kong" for the first time.

So this picture must have had it's fans back in the very early days of talking movies, and for that one can give it some credit. It doesn't take too long to realize that there might have been some inspiration here for the character of Batman in the comic book world, who made his debut in Detective Comics #27 in May of 1939. So that was almost a full decade later. Not only the character, but there was also that cool smokescreen effect produced by the getaway car right after the 'Bat' pulled off the bank heist. Add to that the various pulleys and ropes the Bat used in the story and you had a lot of early material being tested out here for the Caped Crusader to put into his repertoire.

Story wise though, unless you're a patient sort and willing to watch just about anything (which I am), the picture can be a chore. The best thing going for it in my estimation was the great atmospherics - the dark corridors, the revolving fireplace and that makeshift laundry chute that got used a couple of times. It appears the film makers were going for comedy along with the horror/mystery element, and I couldn't help thinking that it would have passed muster if Laurel and Hardy might have shown up. But gee, most of the players wound up screeching or going into exaggerated hysterics whenever something ominous was about to happen, and for me that was something of a turn-off.

And Chester Morris - man, his facial expressions were just hilarious. I guess I should have seen it coming but I didn't - when he revealed himself to be The Bat I thought it was just the dumbest thing. Here he's proclaiming "I've got the greatest brain that ever existed" while his foot's caught in a bear trap and he's wrapped in a chain by the unwitting action of some other characters. It occurred to me that all of this could have been avoided if Detective Anderson (Morris) simply didn't show up. As the Bat he pulled off the jewel heist and bank robbery, so why was he even at the Van Gorder mansion to investigate a jewel heist and bank robbery?

But the best had to be the time Dr. Venrees (Gustav von Seyferrtitz) began wildly shooting at the presumed villain escaping up the stairs. With his first four shots fired, there were already more than a dozen bullet holes in the wall! It's enough to drive you batty.

Ageless and timeless atmosphere and fun!

[binapiraeus · 10/10 · 4 February 2014]

Some of those who have seen "The Bat Whispers" claim that it's dated - well, they should keep in mind that it's a REMAKE (and in fact, very true to the original concerning the plot) of the silent movie "The Bat"; if you're not a great friend of silents and don't like the 'hammy' acting style silent actors HAD to use to convey their feelings and intentions without words, then you might call "The Bat" dated. But "The Bat Whispers" - despite the absolute faithfulness to the original, and to the stage play on which both movies are based - has got quite an innovative style for its age.

Contrary to the silent film, which was shot largely in the traditional style regarding camera techniques and other technical features, "The Bat Whispers" introduces to the mystery genre of the 30s, which had just begun to thrive at the time of its making, new camera angles which confuse and scare the audience even further; and of course the sound that was 'missing' in the original version provides us with all kinds of creepy noises like bats screaming, wolves howling, thunder - and of course the housemaid's constant screams of terror! Sound also made it easier for the scriptwriters to convey the rather twisted plot to the audience; and the dialogs are in NO way old-fashioned, neither do the actors overplay (except maybe for Chester Morris, who at times seems to take his role TOO seriously). In fact, besides Grayce Hampton as the wacky, but enormously courageous lady writer who becomes the heroine this time, Una Merkel as her niece surprises everybody who has seen a certain number of movies from the era in a most positive way: instead of the silly, squeaking little girl she usually was cast as, here she plays a sensitive, even clever young woman who only breaks down when things really become TOO horrible to bear...

And, of course, the dialogs also give more room to the comical element - the way the lady and her maid quarrel and tease each other all the time isn't only hilariously funny, but also pretty modern for the time! And yet, those elements don't take anything away from the tense atmosphere and the suspense - because all the time you feel that any moment a thunder might crash or a shot might be fired, or a mysterious shadow might appear menacingly on the wall...

So, the balance of comical relief and moments of extreme suspense is held perfectly, the direction is supreme and the technical quality of the picture very high for the standards of the early 30s. Now, regarding the 'old mansion mystery' plot - that may not be 'en vogue' at the moment (but it's almost sure to return someday; Hollywood screenwriters are slowly running out of new ideas...); but the audience DOES seem to be very fascinated by 'escapist' movies: today the fashion are ghost ships, resurrecting mummies and vampire love stories; compared to that, "The Bat Whispers" is a VERY realistic crime movie with a VERY real killer!

The Bat Creeps

[jery-tillotson-1 · 1/10 · 7 December 2019]

This truly creaky version of the popular 1928 "The Bat" is worth a glance but even that might be hard to do for some viewers since the over-the-top acting by most of the cast turns this into a would-be Marx Brothers comedy. Despite a truly scary looking bat villian, it's like the director commanded everyone to "really show you're scared" and act like you have no brain. By far the worse of the characters is the hysterical maid played by a hyper-jittery Maude Eburne who shrieks, gibbers, moans, wails at the sight of shadows or a sound. She runs maniacally through the house to hide under her bed where she continues to convulse and gulp in horror. I finally had to mute the sound whenever she went into her hysterical mode. Although the rest of the cast are capable, especially the very durable Una Merkel, whose career continued on through the sixties, there's much too much talk and not very of the villian. When we finally learn his identify, we're too catatonic to really care anymore. Watch the original "The Bat" and enjoy a true fun scare event. It stars Jack Pickford and the monster-villian in that one can evoke nightmares long after watching it.

Great old black and white mystery/suspenser.

[drivers-1 · 30 March 2001]

This is a great old black and white mystery/suspenser. If you have the capacity to enjoy films of the 30's and 40's and you like mysteries and fine film craftsmanship, see his movie. Chester Morris is very good as the lead. The plot is relatively true to the Hopwood/Rinehart original screenplay. The setting is an old mansion with a spinster and family members terrified by a super criminal known as the Bat. They get outside help, but the Bat strikes anyway. Who is the Bat? What does he want in the old mansion? The story answers those questions in a most old-fashioned, entertaining manner. Of the three movie versions of the Bat, the 1926 silent, the 1950's Vincent Price/Agnes Moorhead version, and this one, this is the best.

Not much of an improvement over the previous version.

[BA_Harrison · 4/10 · 22 August 2022]

The Bat Whispers is standard old dark house nonsense: bank clerk Brook (William Bakewell) is suspected of theft, but tries to clear his name by locating a secret room in a mansion where he believes the loot is stashed. Other characters in the building include Brook's fiance Dale van Gorder (Una Merkel) and her aunt Cornelia (Grayce Hampton), Detective Anderson (Chester Morris), maid Lizzie Allen (Maude Eburne), a caretaker (Spencer Charters), and Dr. Venrees (Gustav von Seyffertitz). As Brook attempts to find the hidden room, the master criminal known as The Bat is also at work, trying to beat the bank clerk to the money.

Based on Avery Hopwood's play The Bat, the film feels very theatrical, with extremely broad characters, the worst offender being perpetually hysterical maid Lizzie, who is quite intolerable, although the bumbling private detective hired by Cornelia is almost as bad. Practically the whole movie consists of the occupants of the mansion creeping around the place, often with the lights going out at inopportune moments, allowing for the occasional murder and for Lizzie to scream and shake a lot. Much of this is played for laughs, but it really isn't that funny, and it soon becomes tiresome.

Director Roland West, who previously adapted The Bat for film in 1926, is extremely ambitious with his visuals at times, the camera swooping gracefully along corridors and through windows, with the use of silhouette and shadows creating some atmospheric imagery; however, the miniature models employed for some of the film's more complex camerawork aren't fooling anyone (the opening shot that sweeps down from a clock on an unconvincing high rise building to the patently fake people on the street below is not a great way to kick things off). Still, kudos for trying when it would have been far easier to play it safe.