The Vampire Bat (1933) User Reviews (87)

Shades of Dr. Caligari, Frankenstein's Monster, and Dracula Mix Well

[krorie · 7/10 · 24 November 2005]

Though not a horror film in the traditional sense, this creepy little film delivers the goods. It seems a vampire is loose in a small German town draining its victims of their blood. Police Inspector Karl Brettschneider, Melvyn Douglas in one of his early roles, is skeptical believing a crazed killer not a vampire is running amok. The only one who believes him is Ruth Bertin (Faye Wray) the inspector's girlfriend and lab assistant to Dr. Otto von Niemann (Lionel Atwill) who though apparently an eminent scientist goes along with the vampire theory. The townspeople suspect the weirdo Herman Gleib, played with his usual frenzy by Dwight Frye who seems to be having a lot of fun with his role. The film contains quite a bit of humor which helps relieve some of the intensity involved with all the murders being committed. One funny part has Gussie Schnappmann (Maude Eburne), Ruth Bertin's aunt, thinking weird Herman has turned not into a bat but into a dog. Maude Eburne and Dwight Frye make a good comedy team.

This budget movie brings in elements from "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" with Dr. Niemann using the power of suggestion to make a somnambulist carry out his orders, from "Frankenstein" by using the human blood to help create life in the laboratory, and "Dracula" since the murders are believed by everyone except the inspector and his girl to be the work of a bloodsucker. Thses elements are mixed well by director Frank R. Strayer with a little comedy thrown in for good measure. The concoction works. The restored version I viewed used tinting to increase the spooky atmosphere. So try to see the this version if possible.

Not a classic but still a lot of fun

[rosscinema · 7/10 · 24 August 2005]

In an attempt to cash in on the success of Universal's horror films Majestic Pictures hired several popular actors from the current genre and put them in this effort that (realistically speaking) is nowhere near as good. With that, this is still worth everyone's time and it's a heck of a lot of fun to view and in my opinion it's better than most of what is supposed to pass nowadays as horror! Story takes place in the small German town of Klineschloss where the bodies have been piling up completely drained of blood and with suspicious puncture marks. Burgermister Gustave Schoen (Lionel Belmore) shouts "It's Vampires" but the local police chief Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas) thinks it's a madman who's responsible and he vows to catch him.

*****SPOILER ALERT***** The Burgermeister and most of the towns folk think that the local kook Herman Glieb (Dwight Frye) who loves bats and frequently talks to them is the one they are looking for and they chase him until he falls to his death in a cave. The one who is responsible for the killings is Dr. Otto von Niemann (Lionel Atwill) who has created a new form of tissue mass that feeds on blood and he accomplishes this by having some sort of mind control over his servant Emil (Robert Frazer) who goes out at night to collect the blood. Dr. Otto has a pretty assistant named Ruth Bertin (Fay Wray) and an annoying aunt named Gussie (Maude Eburne) but they have no clue what he's up to but Karl eventually become suspicious when one of the murders takes place after Herman's death.

Frank R. Strayer was never confused with being James Whale but he was a pretty competent director who ended up directing most of the "Blondie" films in that series and with this film he uses the same sets from "The Old Dark House" which was also filmed at Universal. I'm the first to admit that this film is downright clumsy at times but it's practically impossible to resist a film that has a cast like this including Frye who is pretty much doing his Renfield role only this time he befriends bats and strokes them and keeps them in his pocket for safe keeping! One thing that just doesn't make sense is the mind control that Dr. Otto has over Emil as the film never explains this and I had a strong sense that this was some sort of nod to "The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari" but on the other hand it's probably just the weakest part of the script. There are a few other tidbits that I noticed including the chase of Frye to the big caves which is obviously an early shot of the infamous Bronson Canyon where numerous other films have been made and also Wray's brown hair which is her true color. True horror film fans will appreciate this more than others but I think this is a fun film to view for everyone and with a cast as attractive as this it's well worth a look.

Enjoyable 1933 Classic Film

[whpratt1 · 6/10 · 23 March 2008]

These old time films in black and white hold my interest and especially great actors like Lionel Atwell, (Dr. Otto Von Niemann) along with Fay Wray, (Ruth Bertin) and Melvyn Douglas, (Karl Brellschneider). The local town people are experiences strange deaths in their town where the people all have their blood drained from their bodies and there are two small puncture wounds on their necks. Rumors's start to spread that they are caused by bats and some people think it is a vampire which is attacking all the people. Karl is the local policeman in the area and he sets out to try and solve just what is going on and he seeks the help from a local town doctor named Dr. Otto Von Niemann who thinks it could possibly be a local man who seems to love bats and keeps them as pets and he also keeps them in his home and in his coat. This is a great classic film with some comedy mixed in with all this blood sucking.

Another Fun Atwill Horror Film

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 20 December 2013]

There have been a rash of killings in a German village. The victims have all been found drained of their blood. The villagers believe a local weirdo named Herman Gleib (Dwight Frye), who has an unnatural affinity for vampire bats, is responsible. However, as the story progresses, it looks like a scientist engaged in disturbing experiments might really be the culprit.

This is a good little vampire/mad scientist mash-up horror film from the early '30s. Helped by a cast of greats, including Frye, Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, and Melvyn Douglas. Made by Poverty Row studio Majestic, it looks pretty good since they were able to use leftover Universal sets. Majestic rushed the film into production in order to release it before Mystery of the Wax Museum, Warner Bros' big hit starring Atwill & Wray.

Vampires are at large, I tell you! VAMPIRES!!

[Coventry · 6/10 · 9 August 2005]

"The Vampire Bat" starts out fabulously, with eerie images of large bats fluttering through the dark night and a very atmospheric portrayal of a petrified little town with its superstitious inhabitants under the spell of a serial killer who seemly drains all the blood out of his/her victims' bodies. The opening sequences of this film (the first 15 minutes or so) is pure vintage horror, with a suspenseful introduction to the story (extended speeches with a detailed description of the killer's modus operandi) and a great use of set pieces and interiors that already proved their effectiveness earlier (the same scenery was used in Universal classics, like "The Old Dark House" for example). Very regrettable, however, is that the story quickly becomes tedious and predictable and the only element left to admire near the end is the sublime acting by a multi-talented cast. In the remote town of Kleinschloss (very cool name, by the way), they keep on finding bodies with not a single drop of blood left in them. The scared and superstitious villagers are convinced that there's a vampire in their midst (it wouldn't be the first time, according to the history books) and the prime suspect is the village-idiot, Hermann, who shows a bizarre affection towards bats. The only straight-thinking authority figure is inspector Karl Brettschneider, but even he can't come up with a rational explanation for the murders. If you're somewhat familiar with the roles and careers of eminent horror actors in the 30's, you know who the real culprit is right away and – even if you're not – it's not hard to guess, since the clues are numberless. "The Vampire Bat" isn't a very efficient whodunit mystery, but it definitely remains a must for fans of classic horror films since it brings together names like Fay Wray (immortal for her role in "King Kong"), Lionel Atwill ("Mystery of the Wax Museum"), Melvyn Douglas (Polanski's "The Tenant") and Dwight Fry. This latter is my personal favorite cast member here, mainly because he's a very underrated actor who always stood in the shadows of more important horror veterans. His performance of Herman the nut is truly terrific.

Neglected minor classic

[lorenellroy · 5 June 2004]

This was made by a minor ,Poverty Row studio but it stands up well alongside other more lavish Universal productions from around the same time and has a pretty decent cast that provides a touch of quality in the acting department. The title is a misnomer as the evil that bedevils the remote Central European town turns out to be human in origin although the inhabitants of the town firmly believe that the exsanguinated bodies turning up all over the place are the work of vampires .They hound a simple minded young man ,Herman ,( movingly played by Dwight Frye ) to his death claiming he is the culprit while the real villain is unmasked shortly after his death. Neat performances from Lionel Attwill as the town doctor ,Melvyn Douglas as the sceptical local policeman and the aforementioned Mr Frye compensate for a wan and colourless Fay Wray as the love interest and the tedious comic relief of Maude Elune as a bossy old maiden Aunt prone to fits of the vapours .

Its ingredients will be familair to lovers of the vintage horror picture and we get many of the scenes that were a staple of the genre--superstitious villagers wielding torches ,a crazed man of science and the debate between science and folklore but it is expertly welded together and never oustays its welcome

One of the earliest low budget mystery thriller.

[Fella_shibby · 5/10 · 14 December 2020]

I saw this for the first time recently. While this film hasnt aged well n it aint no classic but it shud be definitely viewed by fellas who love mystery films with elements of somnambulism, hypnotism, scientist, bats, vampires, etc.

The producers succeeded in making this film almost as good as any Universal Pictures horror film is because they leased the castoffs, the sets left over from Frankenstein and the The Old Dark House. They even succeeded in hiring actor Dwight Frye (Dwight Frye played Renfield in Dracula and as Fritz in Frankenstein and as a reporter in The Invisible Man). In this movie he gave the same act similar to Dracula, of that a lunatic.

Fellas from a small village start dying under mysterious circumstances n the local doc conclude that the deaths r all the same, blood loss, with two punctures in the neck caused by needle-sharp teeth. The villagers suspect of vampires, but the local cop remains skeptical. Fear of the vampire and suspicion of a local lunatic who is fond of bats quickly spread around the town and people start fearing him.

Underrated Creepy Little Gem

[Space_Mafune · 7/10 · 24 August 2002]

Dwight Frye steals the show in this one as a foolish young man(who seems to be mentally handicapped) who gets himself blamed for vampire-like murders especially after he reveals his love for bats which he likes to stroke and give to unsuspecting friends as 'gifts'!. Besides all of that, there's an entertaining mystery tale involving the above mentioned murders. Underrated.

A Force of Evil

[lugonian · 5/10 · 1 November 2008]

THE VAMPIRE BAT (Majestic, 1933), directed by Frank Strayer, reunites Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray, the leading players of DOCTOR X (First National, 1932), in another odd mix of mystery and horror, minus the two-strip Technicolor that has made both their DOCTOR X and THE MYSTERY OF THE WAX MUSEUM (1933) a class by itself. With a title capitalizing on the success of "Dracula" (Universal, 1931) starring Bela Lugosi, THE VAMPIRE BAT which doesn't actually deal with vampires, has acquired the source of its "Dracula" co-star, Dwight Frye, in a similar portrayal of insane spider eating character, Mr. Renfield, with that as Herman Glieb, a village half-wit who not only plays with bats but makes pets out of them, thus making others to believe he to be the living image of the vampire theory.

Set in small German village of Kleinschloss, the story, opening in true horror form, starts off with the howling of wolves at a distance and the visual view of bats hanging upside down on trees as Kringen (George E. Stone) walks alone in the dead of night holding a lantern to suddenly hear a woman's scream from one of the nearby buildings. With this being the sixth murder to take place with all the female victims found as bloodless corpses in their beds, the latest being Martha Muller (Rita Carlisle), Karl Breetschneider (Melvyn Douglas), police inspector, sets out to solve these murders. Although a sensible man, he finds the villagers overreacting, connecting the demented Herman Glieb (Dwight Frye) as the blood-sucking killer due to his association with vampire bats. Karl's in love with Ruth Bertin (Fay Wray), who, along with Emil Borst (Robert Frazer) work as laboratory assistants for diabolical scientist, Doctor Otto Von Niemann (Lionel Atwill), who insists all the women have been victims of a vampire. Convinced Herman to be the culprit, the villagers decide to take matters into their own hands by hunting and trapping him into an isolated cave many miles from town where he plunges to his death. To make certain he'll no longer be a threat to them, the villagers locate his body and plunge a stake through his heart. They are soon proved wrong of their theory when these ghastly murders continue to occur.

While THE VAMPIRE BAT doesn't have the macabre style of Universal's own "Dracula" or "Frankenstein", it can be credited for its fine reproduction of its creepy atmosphere, chilling scenes, along with a pursuit of the killer by an angry mob with lighted torches quite commonly found in many "Frankenstein" sequels, yet, with all that, THE VAMPIRE BAT is at times disappointing due to its slow pacing, lack of background music, low budget production and intrusive comedy relief provided by character actress Maude Eburne as Aunt Gussie Schnappmann. One scene for amusement purposes  has her fainting at the sight of Herman's bat he takes out from his pocket, only to awaken after-wards with a great dane licking her face, leading her to believe the dog to be Herman, and running for her life.

As much as the movie was distributed by a lesser known poverty row studio of Majestic, THE VAMPIRE BAT has turned out to be its best known product solely due to its frequent resurrections on television dating back to the 1950s, and strong marquee names of Atwill, Wray and Douglas. Douglas, still early in his film career, turns out to be surprise casting as both resourceful hero and love interest, an assignment usually given to lesser capable actors, commonly David Manners, for example. Lionel Atwill is ideally cast as the professor while Fay Wray, immortalized by her legendary performance in KING KONG (RKO, 1933), makes a satisfactory female lead. As much as Wray is noted for her screams in fright films such as this, she does fall victim to the killer, but doesn't belt out any shrieks. What's even more ironic is finding THE VAMPIRE BAT set in a German village right down to Burgomaster (Lionel Bellmore) and townspeople assuming German sounding names, yet none of them attempt speaking with German accents giving this more of an American flavor than authentically European. 

Having been available on VHS since the dawn of home video and part of a 45 minute featurette in public television's weekly series of "Matinee at the Bijou" in the early 1980s, and later onto DVD decades later, most VAMPIRE BAT copies that circulated on numerous cable channels over the years (namely the no longer existing Tempo or Channel) with poor picture or audio transfers. A much more crisp black and white/sepia tone print has become available on Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: October 14, 2005). Considering THE VAMPIRE BAT's short 62 minutes, is a perfect example of how a poor quality film can rise above its expectations. (**)

Good Poverty Row Horror Flick!

[bsmith5552 · 6/10 · 11 July 2002]

"The Vampire Bat" was turned out in 1933 by a small poverty row studio called Majestic Pictures. It is better than most independent pictures of this type and compares favorably with productions being produced by Universal at the same time. The settings and atmosphere are as good as any displayed in the latter's more expensive productions.

The story is about a small German village whose citizens are turning up dead drained of their blood and showing the familiar two tell-tale puncture wounds on their necks suggesting the work of a vampire. Who is behind these sinister actions?

The townfolk led by police chief Melvyn Douglas suspect the dim-witted Herman (Dwight Frye). "Respectable" doctor Lionel Atwill and his assistant Fay Wray are among the concerned citizens. Herman is driven to his death however, the killings continue. So who really is to blame?

It's not to hard to figure out who is behind the killings. The suspense builds nicely in the first half of the film only to be let down by the uninspired ending and resolution of the mystery. The reason for all of the killings although explained, is not really explored in any detail (i.e. no monsters or the like). The dispatching of the villain is done off screen and as a result, the viewer feels cheated.

For all of its faults, "The Vampire Bat" is still an enjoyable little film if for no other reason than to enjoy Melvyn Douglas in an early pre-MGM role and Fay Wray just before she found her 15 minutes of fame in "King Kong" the same year.

Never has a film had such a big plot build up for so little payoff!

[AlsExGal · 5/10 · 1 September 2018]

"The Vampire Bat" by small studio Majestic Pictures was a quickie made right after "Mystery of the Wax Museum" by Warner Bros. with two of the same stars - Fay Wray and Lionel Atwill. The townspeople of a German village are being found dead in their beds with two puncture wounds in the neck and their bodies completely drained of blood. The town fathers suspect vampirism. Dr. Otto Von Niemann (Lionel Atwill) is a scientist doubling as a physician for the town and helping in the investigation. No explanation as to why a scientist wants to do research in the middle of nowhere. Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas) is the police inspector in love with Von Niemann's assistant (Fay Wray). No explanation as to why a man with such a Teutonic sounding surname would have an accent and demeanor as though he belonged in a corn field in Nebraska.

Dwight Frye plays Herman - his usual creepy character - who likes bats and keeps them as pets. Suspicion slowly begins to settle on him. How much I bet Mr. Frye wished he could for once play a dull salesman who wears a tie to work every day. Maude Eburn is supposed to be comic relief as the hypochondriac aunt of Wray's character. Instead she is just annoying.

What is perfect about this film? - The atmosphere. It looks like they borrowed the extras and the settings right out of a Universal horror film of the era. Also, since there are many medium name actors being employed, the acting is quite good for poverty row. And I didn't even recognize George E. Stone as one of the villagers - his makeup was that good.

But then the last ten minutes just comes at you too quickly and degenerates into nonsense. For example - a bottle of tablets labeled both as poison AND sleeping pills? Will this not make anybody wonder? Faye Wray doesn't give us one dose of that famous scream of hers? And how did just one villain manage to tie up a conscious healthy young woman? There are several physical confrontations the audience is denied seeing and we only see the outcome. Was staging them that big of a bother? And at the end of all of this, the "creature" you are waiting to see is ... a SPONGE???

If you like great atmosphere and good acting ,even if you are denied a satisfactory conclusion, I'd say this is up your alley. I think it really could have used another ten minutes to wrap up loose ends in a satisfying manner.

Underrated

[kitchent · 8/10 · 26 October 2011]

"The Vampire Bat" is one of those underrated horror films of the early 1930's that seems to impress more with each viewing. I won't go into the details of the plot, as that has been covered multiple times in other reviews, and it's not the story that makes the film shine.

There are three things that make "The Vampire Bat" stand out from the other poverty row films - the cast, the direction, and the comedy.

The Cast - Lionel Atwill, Melvyn Douglas, and Fay Wray get the heavy lifting in the film, and all are excellent. Atwill is perfect for this type of part, as he demonstrated many times. Douglas is sufficiently perplexed as the investigator, and Fay Wray is just gorgeous in distress. The other players add sufficiently, especially Dwight Frye channeling a dimmer version of Renfield from Dracula.

The Direction - Frank Strayer does an admirable job in shooting the film, with creepiness abundant and lots of camera movement. Some shots are just so outstanding (such as the opening scene), that they almost seem out of place in a cheap horror movie. Strayer provides loads of atmosphere and never loses the audience. An excellent job.

The Comedy - As with most horror films of this time, comedy relief was thrown in to lighten the mood of the audience, and in most films, the comedy was misplaced and terribly unfunny. However, in "The Vampire Bat" the comedy, mostly provided by Maude Eburne as Aunt Gussie, is spot on and still funny today. This helps to keep the film watchable.

The Downsides - There is really only a couple of downsides to the film. The first is the editing, which is clumsy and hurried. It sometimes spoils the excellent direction. Cuts are often not matched, and this can distract. Obviously, this was not a big budget film, so the sets and overall production values are not high, but this is mostly glossed over by the efficiency and care shown by the director, but there are a few scenes where the seams showed too much, like the cave scene, parts of which look like it was filmed in a closet.

Overall, "The Vampire Bat" is certainly worth a look for the great direction, a mad Lionel Atwill, and the always lovely Fay Wray.

In the Trail of the Success of Dracula and Frankenstein (1931)

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 13 March 2008]

In the small village of Kleinshloss, the locals are scared with a serial killer that is draining the blood of his victims, and the Burgomaster Gustave Schoen (Lionel Belmore) is convinced that a vampire is responsible for the deaths. The skeptical police inspector Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas) is reluctant to accept the existence of vampires, but the local doctor Otto Von Newman (Lionel Atwill) shows literature about cases of vampirism inclusive in Amazon. When the apple street vendor Martha Mueller (Rita Carlisle) is murdered, the prime suspect becomes the slow Herman Gleib (Dwight Frye), a man with a mind of child that loves bats. The group of vigilantes chases Herman, while Dr. Von Newman's housemaid Georgiana (Stella Adams) is attacked by the killer.

"The Vampire Bat" is an entertaining low-budget horror movie from the 30's that is visibly inspired in the success of Universal "Dracula" and "Frankenstein" in 1931. There are many analogies in the stories, like the living growing tissue or the innocence of Herman or the raged crowd. The characters are not well developed, and I did not understand the relationship of Ruth Bertin and her annoying hypochondriac aunt Gussie Schnappmann with Dr. Otto Von Newman, or how the doctor hypnotizes or controls his assistant Emile. It is great to see Fay Wray acting in the same year of "Mystery of the Wax Museum" and "King Kong". My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Morcego Vampiro" ("The Vampire Bat")

Lots of bats - no vampires

[Prichards12345 · 5/10 · 20 March 2010]

Tod Browning was probably very pleased if he ever saw this movie, as the plot is so similar to his London After Midnight (1927), and later remake The Mark Of The Vampire (1935)he would have been very complimented at such stealing! A top notch cast including Melvyn Douglas, Fay Wray, Lionel Atwill and Dwight Frye try hard to make The Vampire Bat believable, and it has some nice atmospheric touches and ghoulish moments; but it also has a totally ludicrous solution to the mystery and Maude Eburne, who makes Una O'Connor look like someone you'd love to spend an evening with! The story concerns a series of vampire-like murders in the German village of Kleinschloss. The local oddball Herman is a chief suspect due to his penchant for visiting victims the night before they were murdered and making pets from the local bat population. The locals, obviously having just moved from Ingoldstadt near the Frankenstein residence, pursue him to his death, which they hope will solve the problem. Kindly Dr. Otto Von Niemann (Lionel Atwill) even admits that it looks like Herman (Dwight Frye) could be the one responsible. The local police inspector (Douglas) finds himself beginning to agree. You know where this is going, don't you?

Atwill can act this sort of stuff on his head, and he's always welcome and value for money. He really needed a better script, as it's not very clear exactly what he's trying to achieve. Frankenstein creates a man-monster, Von Niemann what looks like a bath sponge!

The Vampire Bat never gels very well but it does have its moments, notably a medical blood draining session and some shadowy sequences with the murderer leaping across the rooftops near the beginning of the film. I won't go any further into the story other than to say it ends in a rather nasty case of...Epsom Salts! What is of interest is the cast. As well as the horror regulars mentioned above we also have Lionel Belmore (Frankenstein) Robert Frazer (White Zombie) and Rita Carlisle (Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde) to round things out and its always fun to watch such actors go through their usual routines. A minor entry then in the early 30s horror boom, not without compensation.

An almost Classic well worth seeing

[Mikel3 · 15 March 2014]

Last night we watched 'The Vampire Bat' on Amazon Prime. It's a 64 minute 1933 film featuring Fay Wray, Lionel Atwill and Dwight Frye. This was another of those wonderful 1930s horror films I enjoy so much...there is so much magic in these old B/W films I can't get enough of them. The story was a mystery with an interesting twist on what was happening. Is it a vampire committing the murders or a man ? All we know is there are strange marks on the victim's necks and all their blood has been drained out. We have to wait to find out why and how ? Vampire or man either way the viewer will not be disappointed by the weird finale. IMO, It's not as good as two other horror films with Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray from the same time period 'Doctor X' and 'Mystery of the Wax Museum', still it's fun and well worth watching for sure. About my only complaint is Amazon had a pretty mediocre copy, lots of scratches in the print and the sound quality was hardly understandable at times. I hope someday someone does a full restoration on this film if they haven't already done so.

Surprisingly decent "bargain bin" film

[planktonrules · 7/10 · 15 January 2007]

Years ago, I found a "bargain bin" copy of this film for a buck or two. In so many ways, this is quite fitting, as when it was made back in 1933, it was truly a cheaply made film by the "poverty row" studio, Majestic. However, while the film is rather derivative, it is STILL well worth watching and provides a few surprises.

The story is very, very familiar, as in some Germanic town, the people are upset because of some recent deaths that appear to be the work of vampires! Adding to this familiarity is Dwight Frye. He played Renfield in Dracula, and here he is very, very similar--though he plays a much more harmless weirdo. In this case, he's obsessed with his pet bats and people begin to blame him for the deaths. The film does a good job of providing some "red herrings" (i.e., false leads) and while it doesn't take a genius to figure out Frye may not be responsible, the WHO and WHY are intriguing and make it VERY different from the average horror film. In addition, while the production had little money to speak of, it still had some good actors of the day--Lionel Atwill and Melvin Douglas--and it also used Universal Studios sets at night (when they were done filming for the day). As a result, the film looks pretty good overall, though I also thought that, as usual, Fay Wray was terrible--thought it didn't noticeably detract from the film. I have seen her in more movies than most people on IMDb and I have come to notice that her characters have no depth--she always seems to be cast as the "screaming lady" and provides little new in each film.

Overall, for fans of old horror films, this is excellent and worth seeing. For people who are NOT fans of the genre, it's probably pretty skip-able.

"You ought to make a pretty fair meal for a vampire."

[classicsoncall · 6/10 · 25 July 2005]

Six deaths in six weeks and the residents of Kleinschloss are getting jumpy, particularly since all the corpses have had their bodies drained of blood. Burgermeister Gustave Schoen (Lionel Belmore) and police chief Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas) are at a loss as to explain what's going on, though hints of a vampire at work seem to be on everyone's mind. It looks like the fall guy will be the mentally challenged Herman Glieb (Dwight Frye), who admits to keeping bats as pets and playing with them.

What's really going on is that the good doctor Otto Von Niemann (Lionell Atwill), in his quest to create life a la Frankenstein, has developed a mass of living tissue that needs human blood to sustain itself. His "creation" laughably resembles not much more than a large sponge in a lab jar, not very horrific and certainly not very threatening. Von Niemann has an unexplained telepathic link to an assistant named Emil, who does the doctor's bidding in providing a reliable blood supply, complete with the signature dual puncture marks on the throat of the victims.

Before it's all over, a posse of citizens chases down the pitiful Herman, who jumps to his death in a mountain cavern known as "Devil's Well", rather than allow himself to be captured. Dwight Frye created quite the niche for himself with knock offs of the Renfield character he portrayed in the original 1931 film "Dracula". In this one, he's particularly effective, complete with crazed look as he fondly strokes one of his many furry bat friends.

Fay Wray is on hand as romantic interest Ruth Bertin for police chief Karl, just a few short months away from the release of the film that forever defined her signature role as the love interest for "King Kong". She also teamed up with Lionel Atwill a couple more times, in 1932's "Doctor X", and "Mystery of the Wax Museum" which closely followed "The Vampire Bat".

In the film's finale, Von Niemann attempts to pin the bat murders on his assistant Emil, but Emil turns the tables on his mentor, with both antagonists meeting their end to the sound of gunshots off screen. Shortly after in a priceless scene, hypochondriac Aunt Gussie frantically comes calling for the doctor, complaining of symptoms she's suffering from the doctor's prescription of hydrous magnesium sulfate. Calling a spade a spade, Karl and Ruth share a laugh as the Epsom salts the doctor provided have Aunt Gussie "on the run".

If by the end of this film, you haven't yet had your fill of the bat genre, drive yourself even more batty with Bela Lugosi's 1940 entry "The Devil Bat", or Vincent Price's 1959 horror mystery "The Bat". Better yet, wait for Halloween, and watch all three in a row for a major bat attack!

Stagy And Tired With Some Good Moments

[scottthunder-1 · 4/10 · 12 December 2004]

Think "stage play". This is worth seeing once for the performances of Lionel Atwill and Dwight Frye. COmpare the Melvyn DOuglas in "Ghost Story" with the Melvyn DOuglas of this film. Are there vampires at loose in this 'Bavarian' village, or is there a more natural, albeit equally sinister, explanation? Dwight Frye is Herman, a red herring, who is cast as an especially moronic character. It's fun to look at his different facial expressions in what is really a stock character. NOt much happens for a long time, but then we discover that Atwill's pipe smoking doctor is the real murderer. There is too much 'comic relief' but that is par for the course for this era. Fay Wray looks really good.

It Doesn't Quite Make It

[Hitchcoc · 6/10 · 14 March 2006]

This movie starts out with a premise that works. There are people dying, drained of their blood. There is this middle European connection to times past when vampires were believed in and actually seemed to exist. They knew all the rules, head cut off, silver bullet, stake through the heart. Everyone is in a tizzy because no one can seem to figure this out. They lock their door, close their windows, do all the right things, but the killing goes on. Crosses and other anti vampire paraphernalia don't seem to work. That's because there's more to it than meets the eye. As long as it was truly a vampire story, it worked. When other elements enter in, it starts to fall apart, if one does the least bit of thinking. Since seeing Dracula, I've enjoyed watching any appearance of Dwight Frye. He is the consummate scene stealer. The poor guy here comes and goes among the gentry, with bats in his pockets, staring with those sunken eyes. Considering people are terrified of bats and suspect him already, these are not the wisest of moves.

The whole premise for this set of events is never made totally clear. The blood of the victims is needed and so old Lionel Atwill springs into action. There seemed to be a few of the distinguished actors whose careers seemed to bank on the horror genre. He plays his part well. He also has his assistant. Who is this guy and why is he willing to work so hard (of course there's a secret). The film has its moments and it's not bad for this type of film, but it could have rivaled some of the better ones by banking a little more on the supernatural.

But bats fly - they could fly here

[manicgecko · 4/10 · 29 March 2006]

And the Oscar for the most under-rated classic horror actor goes to - Dwight Frye. Seriously his name should be stated with the same awe as Karloff, Lugosi, and Price, and this movie proves it. His character Herman was one of the 2 reasons I can give to watch this movie. Dwight gave this somewhat more than slightly disturbed misfit a lovable yet creepy demeanor that led you hoping for a larger role the entire movie.

The other reason is the comic relief of M. Eburne. Being in the medical profession myself I have to give kudos to the expert performance of a self-pity prone hypochondriac. Though other "medical mistakes" did give a brief chuckle especially when the good doctor samples his fellow physicians medication... "Well continue giving it to her" Unfortunately these 2 outstanding performances could not keep me awake through 3 attempts of sitting through this unbearably slow movie. The plot is predictable with only few minor twists. The filming while pulling off a legitimate spooky atmosphere was more productive at making me yawn - yes you can use too much shadow.

My recommendation - watch this once to see Frye and Eburne - but only when wide awake and with lots of caffeine.

Good cast enlivens vintage terror tale.

[capkronos · 6/10 · 11 February 2008]

People in a small village called Kleinschloss are falling victim to something lurking in the night. Is it a vampire? How about giant bloodsucking vampire bats? Or is it the work of a serial killer? The common theme with victims is that they're being attacked in the night when no one else is around and all blood has been removed from their bodies. Skeptical/smarmy police detective Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas, fresh off his success in THE OLD DARK HOUSE) is on the case and has a hard time believing anything supernatural is afoot. The superstitious town folk, as well as the town Bürgermeister Gustave Schoen (Lionel Belmore), believe otherwise, and eventually go on a man hunt looking to pin the blame on frantic village half-wit Herman Gleib (Dwight Frye, "Renfield" from 1931's Dracula). And what roles do Karl's lab assistant girlfriend Ruth (original Scream Queen Fay Wray of KING KONG fame) and her employer, stern scientist Dr. Otto von Niemann (Lionel Atwill, who'd just tackled the title role in DOCTOR X), play in the proceedings?

Although the storyline is now so overly familiar that the film lacks much in the way of surprise, the visual presentation isn't too bad and the film delivers a decent amount of bleak b/w horror atmosphere, which is partially offset by comic relief. There are some nice sets (a cave, a lab...) and a couple well-used slow zooms (both in and out) that are effective. However, the best thing about the film, and what keeps it watchable all these years later, is the cast. Horror buffs are certainly no stranger to the cultured shadiness of Atwill (who seemed to take every single role professionally), the beauty of Wray or the bug-eyed neuroses projected so wonderfully by underrated supporting player Frye. In fact, sixth-billed Frye is the performer most people will walk away remembering because his impassioned, tragic and enthusiastic outcast portrayal is in such stark contrast to the other competent, yet straight-laced, performers. Another standout here is Maude Eburne, who offers up a delightful performance as Wray's hypochondriac Aunt Gussie.

Though well shy of being a genre classic, this is still worth watching for fans of classic horror. Also mention should be made that there are two versions of the film in circulation. One clocks in at around 90 minutes, while the other runs only 59.

Dreary and Disappointing

[Chance2000esl · 4/10 · 11 October 2009]

It's the nature of businesses to try to capitalize on others' success. Here we have a movie taking elements from the earlier 'Dracula' (1931) and 'Frankenstein' (1931) -- in a Germanic town the village leaders believe that vampires (in the shape of bats) have been the cause of recent deaths of bloodless victims. Even though shot at Universal (and at the Bronson caves!) it's a Poverty Row feature; it's not fair to compare it with those earlier, more expensively made and superior films.

From the familiar and exciting, chilling music of the main titles (which must have been by Mischa Bakalienikoff), through the talky but well done opening sequence, we anticipate the arrival of Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray and Dwight Frye to give us a good 30s mystery film. Unfortunately, it doesn't happen. That's the disappointment.

We get little more than the formulaic elements of such films but with slow pacing, low budget, not enough of Dwight Frye, the overdone presence of Maude Eburne (Aunt Gussie), and the premise for Lionel Atwill (Dr. von Niemann) to require human blood or how he exhibits mind control over his servant Emil (Robert Frazier) never made very clear.

Do not watch the technicolor 'Dr. X' (1932) -- which also stars Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray but as father and daughter -- before watching this the way I did; it's an Oscar winner by comparison. So watch this one first. Structurally, 'The Vampire Bat' still isn't that good. It plods along with too much talking or unnecessary comic relief, without focusing strongly on the vampiric villainy.

Besides 'Dr. X' and 'Mystery of the Wax Museum' (both 1932 and co starring Fay Wray), Lionel Atwill's most famous appearances are as the one armed gendarme in 'Son of Frankenstein' (1939) and as Moriarity in 'Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon' (1943). Dwight Frye steals all his manic scenes in 'Dracula' (1931). As the 'young lovers,' Melvin Douglas and Fay Wray have a nice kissing scene, but that's about it. He can be seen in 'The Old Dark House' (1932), and Fay gets dragged around by Joel McCrea in 'The Most Dangerous Game' (1930). Then there's her 1933 classic 'screamer.' Too bad more time, money and rewrites weren't available for this film to better showcase the talents and chemistry of Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray and Dwight Frye. Sadly, then, this drearily disappointing film only gets a 4.

Cheap Thrills

[Ron Oliver · 10/10 · 7 November 2005]

Mysterious murders in a European village seem the result of THE VAMPIRE BAT horde plaguing the terrified community.

This surprisingly effective little thriller was created by Majestic Pictures, one of Hollywood's Poverty Row studios. The sparse production values and rough editing actually add to its eerie atmosphere and lend it an almost expressionistic quality. Overall, it leaves the viewer the feeling of being caught up in a bad dream, which is appropriate for a thriller of this sort.

Even though the eventual explanation for the hideous crimes is quite ludicrous and is not given proper plot development, the film can boast of a good cast. Grave Lionel Atwill gives another one of his typically fine performances, this time as a doctor doing scientific research in an old castle. Beautiful Fay Wray plays his assistant in a role which requires her to do little more than look lovely & alarmed. Dour Melvyn Douglas appears as the perplexed police inspector who also happens to be, conveniently, Miss Wray's boyfriend.

Maude Eburne, who could be extremely funny given the right situation, steals most of her scenes as Miss Wray's hypochondriac aunt. Elderly Lionel Belmore plays the village's terrified burgermeister. And little Dwight Frye, who will always be remembered for his weird roles in the FRANKENSTEIN and Dracula films, here is most effective as a bat-loving lunatic.

A great little programmer

[rdoyle29 · 7/10 · 9 June 2017]

A small town is suffering a rash of deaths that appear to be the work of a vampire ... wounds on the neck, blood drained, etc. Local cop Melvyn Douglas is skeptical, but the townsfolk are convinced and eccentric, bat-loving weirdo Dwight Frye is blamed. How is seemingly benevolent doctor Lionel Atwill connected. An enjoyable, brief little programmer with an impressive cast (Fay Wray is also here as a love interest for Douglas).

Misleading title glosses over a run-of-the-mill mystery thriller.

[Wilbur-10 · 4/10 · 17 April 2003]

'The Vampire Bat' is definitely of interest, being one of the early genre-setting horror films of the 1930's, but taken in isolation everything is a bit too creaky for any genuine praise.

The film is set in a European village sometime in the 19th Century, where a series of murders are being attributed to vampirism by the suspicious locals. There is a very similar feel to James Whale's 'Frankenstein' and this is compounded by the introduction of Lionel Atwill's Dr Niemann character, complete with his misguided ideas for scientific advancement.

The vampire theme is arbitrary and only used as a red-herring by having suspicion fall on bat-loving village simpleton Herman (Dwight Frye), thus providing the excuse for a torch-wielding mob to go on the rampage - as if they needed one.

This is one of a trio of early horror films in which Lional Atwill and Fay Wray co-starred (also 'Doctor X' and 'The Mystery of the Wax Museum') and like their other collaborations the film suffers from ill-advised comic relief and a tendency to stray from horror to mainstream thriller elements. Taken in context though, 'The Vampire Bat' is still weak and derivative.

All we are left with is a poor-quality Frankenstein imitation, with the vampire elements purely a device to hoodwink Dracula fans. But for the title the film would struggle to even be considered as a horror and it is worth noting that director Frank Strayer was doing the 'Blondie' films a few years later.