The Devil Bat (1940) User Reviews

Bela shows true acting skill!

[mmcclelland · 6/10 · 2 November 2000]

All too often, in his career, Bela Lugosi was expected to carry a film all by himself with little or no help from other actors, the director, the script or special effects. The Devil Bat (1941) is such a movie. The sets are cheap, the script is hokey and the "devil bat" itself is laughably lame (a screeching bird-like creature -- as fake as they come) . And yet as he always does, Bela makes the movie entertaining. He plays one of his many mad scientists -- this one a (believe it or not) perfume maker who was monetarily wronged by his partners, now millionaires. These ungrateful boobs rub this in a little too much and so Lugosi creates a giant bat (as perfume makers are so good at doing) that will strike at anyone wearing a certain scent. Predictably the mad doctor ends up wearing his own scent and is killed by the devil bat -- but not before he gets his revenge on several of these boring unknown actors who deserve to die. As expected, Lugosi makes the character interesting, complex and even sympathetic -- and yet also fearsome as he tells each of his victims, "goodbye" after they try on his new fragrance. This movie has some of the most hackneyed character acting you have ever seen -- and yet Bela never stops giving it all he's got to make this movie a success -- which is more than the movie deserves!

Still, for the Bela Lugosi fan, this movie is pleasurable as you watch what one great and talented actor can do in one bad movie. One is left wondering how a Tom Cruise or Will Smith would fare in such a weak vehicle. But Bela -- ever the artist -- rises above it and gives a performance that can be enjoyed in spite of its trappings.

That's acting!

An aftershave that attracts bats, what will they think of next?

[Prichards12345 · 6/10 · 16 November 2008]

The Devil Bat is a watchable, utterly silly B movie with Bela Lugosi in fine form as Dr. Paul Carruthers, who must be the only guy in the world who can create new aftershave lotions, cold creams, and electrically enlarged bats! Our good Doctor, of course, feels cheated by the business partners he sold out to before the cold cream made them rich, so naturally he creates an aftershave that bats despise, causing them to attack anyone who's wearing it. A bit like Hai Karate, I suppose.

There's great fun to be had from Bela's parting shots to his would-be victims, "I don't think you'll ever use anything else" and "GOODBYE" in that sinister Hungarian cadence of his.

And yep, the film has the stereo-typical annoying reporter working on the case and an even more annoying sidekick who rigs up a fake bat photograph for his newspaper, a proto-Eddie Brock, Spider-Man fans? The film becomes very boring whenever Lugosi is off-screen but luckily he has a substantial role so there's plenty to keep you watching. He obviously plays the part tongue firmly in cheek but enjoys himself.

The central rooms of Carruthers' home were only filmed on a single set, redressed to fool the viewers. At one point Bela gets behind a window in the door to look into a lab during an experiment, and he looks into the same set he's standing in! It's quite well disguised, though, even if the wall bricks look painted! Its obviously a cheap production, but who cares? Worth watching for Bela alone. Now, where did I put my Brute Splash-on?

Completely batty

[hte-trasme · 5/10 · 9 September 2016]

I just watched The Devil Bat for the first time since I was a child. I remembered Bela Lugosi, the central plot device of murder by means of an aftershave that attracts killer bats, and the fact that everyone in the movie seems to listen to exactly the same radio station at exactly the same time. All those elements are still there, and though the last one only occurs once, it still seems like an amusingly silly way of conveying exposition. But much less prevalent than the cinema cliché of panning, zooming, and spinning newspapers, which appear here constantly. Perhaps that's more appropriate than normal, though, since two of our main characters are reporters.

The Devil Bat has been one of the more enduring of Lugosi's cheap "poverty row" horror/mystery roles, no doubt because it remains highly entertaining and watchable despite, or perhaps because of the fact that everything that happens in in the realm of high silliness with horror trappings. Lugosi is a scientist (which here apparently means both a physician and a perfume chemist) who cashed out early after making a perfume formula for a successful company, and now thinks the company's fortune should be his. So his solution is to murder the family who runs the company in a very convoluted fashion. The concept is, well, batty. And from an acting standpoint, you can't say Lugosi makes this character "believable." Nobody could make someone doing this believable. But is is very entertainingly creepy, which is exactly his job.

Because we know from the start what he is doing, this can't be a traditional mystery. But it's well-paced enough that we still follow the other characters as they inevitably move towards finding the solution we already know. And we don't blame them for not guessing such an unlikely scenario. Reporter Johnny is our hero. He's a little hard to take seriously as he spends most of the film wearing a tie with a huge question-mark pattern on it. Perhaps he is secretly The Doctor.

He gets fired after his photographer "One-Shot" fakes a news photo of the devil bat. But he rather unbelievably wants to keep working on the story despite no longer technically being a reporter since he as no one to report to. When they find out more about the case their boss rather shockingly wants to hire them back, despite the fact that at least one of them provably fabricated his earlier journalism.

But it's all part of the comic relief, which is still fun working alongside the unintentional comic non-relief. And though the film is clearly quite low-budgeted, its hows that more in its flimsy castle set (of course, all doctor-scientist-perfumers live in castles) than in its devil bats.

There's very little objectively "good" about this movie, but it's everything a fun B movie should be.

Silly B-film programmer is still fun to watch...

[Doylenf · 10 October 2004]

If you're a fan of BELA LUGOSI you'll get a kick out of his sinister role here as a scientist who is bent on getting revenge because he never got his full share of the profits on his inventions.

Given the low-budget look and tacky special effects (a live bat appears in close-ups only), the modest little thriller entertains even though it doesn't quite provide the shudders intended. Still, if you're in a Halloween mood, you might want to sit through this at least once.

Interesting to note Dave O'Brien in the role of Johnny Layton. O'Brien is familiar to me because of all the Pete Smith Specialties he starred in during the '40s and which TCM has been running frequently. Others will recall him in a bunch of westerns he made at poverty row studios. At any rate, he gives the only really professional performance in the film aside from Bela who seems to relish his role as the mad scientist. Most of the acting among supporting players is on the less than credible side.

Also interesting to note that O'Brien was a very versatile man who acted, directed and wrote throughout a prolific career that began in the 1930s--with over a hundred films to his credit. He was my main reason for enjoying THE DEVIL BAT.

Surprisingly fun but totally awful film!!

[planktonrules · 3/10 · 19 August 2006]

While this film never exactly approaches the awfulness of PLAN 9 FROM OUTER SPACE, this is a supremely cheesy and terrible film,....that somehow STILL is highly entertaining and fun! The story itself is a bit derivative--after all, we've seen so many films featuring Bela Lugosi as a vengeful and evil scientist. But, this time there is a very odd twist indeed! Here he is a doctor who develops cosmetics--and while that doesn't SOUND scary, it indeed is! You see, he hates his employers and secretly is planning on killing them and their families for becoming rich based on all his research. So, using his cosmetics skills, he develops a weird aftershave that causes an evil mutated "devil bat" to bite their throats and kill them! It seems that Lugosi not only is a whiz with making toiletries, but can take an ordinary prop bat and make it grow into a huge and totally fake-looking killer bat! In fact, the bat might just be one of the worst props I have ever seen--looking about as deadly as a Pomeranian! And, the incredibly silly and completely un-bat-like scream it makes is downright hilarious. Plus, I would love to find out exactly where this film was supposedly set, as in this weird place, the cops sit back and let reporters do all the work and take all the risks! You see, when a nice reporter and his completely annoying and obnoxious partner come to town to report on some strange murders, the chief of police tells them to investigate and you don't see the police at all until the very end of the movie--even though five people were killed! Talk about low-key police work! This is definitely a film you watch more as a source of laughter than anything else! Shakespeare, this definitely ain't!!

enjoyable cheapie

[winner55 · 7/10 · 29 September 2008]

Bela Lugosi turns in a not-so-bad performance in a not-so-bad little B-movie.

Oh, yeah, it is schlocky as all heck. Mad scientist, big rubber bats attacking people wearing too much cologne, dumb comic-relief side-kick for a hero all too full of himself, the usual cops without a clue. Yes, as many clichés as can fit 70-odd minutes. But fortunately, the pacing is actually rather good - moments that look like they're about to slip into the snooze-zone somehow get saved by a fresh revelation, and we're onto the next scene.The acting is competent, the dialog is not painful, the camera and editing do what they have to do to get the job done - a workmanlike performance, but what more can be expected of a cheapie B-movie. If you enjoy B-movie thrillers, you won't be disappointed.

A Lesson In Assertiveness

[Vornoff-3 · 5/10 · 22 April 2011]

This is one of the poverty-row pictures from Bela's history. The plot is an important lesson in avoiding passive-aggression. Bela plays a brilliant chemist who creates a formula, then sells it to his bosses for $10,000. The company proceeds to make a mint, and decides to give him another $5,000 bonus to express their thanks. Lugosi decides this isn't enough, but, even though they're very friendly and approachable, he doesn't ask them for more. Instead, he goes back to his lab and creates a giant maniacal bat that kills everyone wearing after-shave. Now, I ask you, how is that going to solve anything? Even assuming that he could kill off the whole of the family that wronged him, and that he could get away with it, he'd still be poor. Anyway, I like Lugosi in this one pretty well, partly because he balances his "friendly Dr. Caruthers" and his Mad Scientist pretty nicely. Dave O'Brien as the unethical but honest reporter is fun to watch as well.

I know, we'll use Lugosi

[[e-mail] · 6/10 · 11 April 2006]

Bela Lugosi stars in this piece of 40s horror cinema. At times the acting is pretty hammy (the guy playing the photographer got a little annoying as did the reporter) and the budget had to have been really low. However, it is kind of fun to watch. Lugosi gives a good performance (he's pretty much the glue holding this picture together) and the story isn't that bad.

Lugosi is Dr. Caruthers who is working for a cosmetic company. For years the company (owned by two families) has been making millions from his formulas but only giving him a stipends as their chemist. Caruthers hatches a diabolical scheme to get rid of the family members using a giant mutant bat that goes crazy over a curious sent that he discovered in Tibet (it seems that every thing that was mystic in the 40s came from somewhere in the Himilayas or central Asia). He uses this scent in a shaving lotion that he has his unfortunate victims test. After the first murder, a Chicago news paper dispatches a reporter and photographer to cover the story. From there, the reporter develops a love interest with the daughter of the cosmetic magnate.

It's pretty easy to follow, and has all the predictable 1940s plot turns. There's a lot of problems that are pretty easy to forgive in the film because it was made in the 1940s and on a very limited budget. All in All, Lugosi fans are the real winners in this one. He gives a solid performance. It's too bad that his career didn't go very far after this one.

The devil made me watch it

[simeon_flake · 3/10 · 23 August 2005]

Sometimes, there is much fun to be had from viewing a bad movie--this poverty-row turkey would be an exception. Sometimes, you just have to call a spade a spade or (in this case) call the "The Devil Bat" for what it is; a lousy movie.

The only noteworthy thing about the movie is, of course, the presence of Bela Lugosi, a consummate professional who always gave it his all, even in this Z-grade production, making it all the more sadder how the major studios--Universal in particular--were so blind to Lugosi's talent that they couldn't offer him meaty roles & top billing during this period--his two turns as "Ygor" in the Frankenstein series being one of the rare exceptions (aside from the billing). For a guy like Lugosi, who truly loved acting and was getting next to nothing but bits in films like "The Black Cat" (1941), and "The Wolf Man", you can understand why he succumbed to accepting contracts from outfits like PRC and Monogram. As shabby as these films were, at least Lugosi was getting the lead.

In the end, it's all a matter of taste. If you're a purveyor of B-cinema "schlock" or you feel the need to view all things Lugosi, "The Devil Bat" may provide you some amusement. I think I'll be generous and rate it a three.

Bela's NOT what stinks in this one!

[Mark_McD · 7/10 · 7 October 2006]

Somewhere in the Chicago's south suburbs (after all, Cottage Grove Avenue is mentioned) is the town of Heathville, whose fortune is built not on toffee bars, but on a cosmetic company that rips off Dr. Carruther's (bela) formulas. Rather than jumping over to Helene Curtis, the good doctor goes to his secret stash of beef jerky, and with some electricity and Vigoro, makes a hanger of jerky into a giant bat puppet, like you can get at Kmart, trained to attack the scent of Bela's aftershave formula. Why exactly does he do this? Fortunately for the viewer, he monologues his motivation, both the the bats and in his own mind.

When the Heath family men start dying off, reporter Johnny Layton and photographer "One-Shot" are assigned to look into things by editor Elmer Fudd ("and get me a picture of that wascalwy wabbit!"). Layton starts wondering why everyone is carrying economy size bottle of experimental aftershave, while One-Shot tries to make time with a French maid (and with a nickname like "One-Shot," he probably never gets a second date). In true detective movie fashion, Layton gets close to the story only after Elmer fires him for sending in One-Shot's faked bat photo.

SPOILER ALERT Well, Bela trains a bat to attack anyone wearing his aftershave. So how do you think he comes to his justly deserved fate?

Left unanswered is why Bela enters his secret lab through a hidden door in his basement, and needs another secret door into his already secret lab.

If you have any love for Bela, you will enjoy watching him chew the scenery as his bat chews his victims' jugulars!

Attack of the Killer Bats

[lugonian · 5/10 · 16 November 2009]

THE DEVIL BAT (PRC Studios, 1941), directed by Jean Yarborough, from an original story by George Bricker, copes with a mad scientist who breeds gigantic bats to avenge those who had wronged him. While such a role might have gone to Boris Karloff, Lionel Atwill or some lesser known actor, it was appropriately awarded to none other than Bela Lugosi, best known for his immortal role as "Dracula" (Universal, 1931). Appearing a little older than he did a decade ago, Lugosi could always be counted on to give a first-rate performance on something he's done many times over and would repeat again for the duration of his career. With more good than bad in Lugosi's movie archive, let's consider THE DEVIL BAT a minor classic of its own.

Following the forward introduction that reads, "All of Heathville loves Paul Carruthers, their kindly village doctor. No one suspects that in his home laboratory on a hillside overlooking the magnificent estate of Martin Heath, the doctor found time to conduct certain private experiments ... weird, terrifying experiments." The story gets underway with Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi), a respected and well-like physician who makes his living developing new cosmetic formulas. Because Henry Morton (Guy Usher), a cosmetics manufacturer, and others have gotten rich on his formula, being the founder of Heath Cosmetics Limited, Carruthers plots his vengeance. With his latest invention of a new shaving lotion with a very strong scent, Carruthers offers it to his intended victims where they place it around their necks. After Carruthers bids them "GOOD-bye" in a final farewell tone, he then sets free through an open window the huge bat he keeps in his laboratory to fly out and make its attack. Even after being awarded a $5,000 bonus check, Carruthers continues to carry out his fiendish plot. Joe McGinty (Arthur Q. Bryan), editor of the Daily Register, assigns reporter Johnny Layton (Dave O'Brien) and photographer, "One-Shot" McGuire (Donald Kerr) to investigate. After the bat is killed and case solved, a series of "devil bat" murders continues to occur.

In spite of Lugosi's name heading the cast, THE DEVIL BAT tends to spend more time with lighter touches of comedy provided by the ace reporters, Layton and McGuire, who, at one point, acquire a rubber bat to further prove their case to the editor, and having McGuire taking its picture for the newspaper. They soon become laughing stocks when Professor Percival Garland Raines (John Davidson), an authority on bats, after further examining the photograph, in his radio broadcast, exposes the bat as a fraud by revealing the "Made in Japan" label on it. There's no question that a giant rubber bat was used for this production, especially one made in Japan, though the extreme close-up of the shrieking bat was possibly lifted from some national geographic newsreel. Further antics go towards McGuire (Donald Kerr) with his attempt to attract attention on Maxine (Yolande Mallott), a French maid of the Heath household. As for Dave O'Brien, in a straight-laced performance, who spent much of his career working for poverty row studios as Monogram and PRC, is better known these days as the subject matter in the "Pete Smith Specialty" short subjects for MGM during much of the 1940s. Suzanne Kaaren, one of the true lesser known names of the period, assumes the role as Johnny's (O'Brien) love interest as well as sister of one of the bat victims.

Not bad little thriller that's easily predictable from start to finish, but still fun to watch, thanks to Lugosi's half-crazed performance. For the record, THE DEVIL BAT was remade by PRC Studios as THE FLYING SERPENT (1946) starring George Zucco in the Lugosi role. Also in 1946, PRC released a sequel in name only titled THE DEVIL BAT'S DAUGHTER with Rosemary LaPlanche. A misnomer considering there's no indication of Doctor Carruthers in the original film having an offspring of any kind, unless one counts those bats he has hidden in his laboratory as his very own children of the night.

When THE DEVIL BAT made its way to home video in the early 1980s, the print supplied by various distributors turned out to be the reissue copy retitled KILLER BATS. While most VHS copies were of poor quality either in visuals or sound, the best edition turned out to be from Hal Roach Home Video with the original theatrical title retained. Frequently revived on local public broadcast stations during the after midnight hours, sometimes as KILLER BATS, Turner Classic Movies occasionally airs THE DEVIL BAT (TCM premiere: June 16, 1995) as part of its annual theme for Halloween. (**1/2 phalanges)

Classic cheese!

[metaldams · 10/10 · 17 August 2003]

It's got a big furry bat on a string whose face mysteriously moves only during close-ups. Stock footage, perhaps? Why certainly. Are all bats attracted to the scent of killer perfume? Absolutely not, but The Devil Bat is! I can understand some of the bad reviews, as this type of cheaply made horror film is not for everyone, but if you're the type of person who enjoys Ed Wood type movies, then The Devil Bat is the heavenly hell you are looking for. This film is also notable for having Bela Lugosi in it. Bela has performed in several cheapo movies like this in his career, (many say The Devil Bat was the beginning of this phase), but he always puts on an a-picture performance in a z-picture product. Bela appropriately hams it up, alternately making dramatic pauses and facial contortions to either dramatic or comedic effect. Well, what are you people still doing here? I have said what needs to be said.

My 10 rating is for entertainment value, not great film-making.

Goodbye, IMDb readers.....................

B-movie fun

[movieman_kev · 6/10 · 23 August 2005]

Bela Lugosi is Dr. Paul Corruthers, a bitter betrayed scientist, who makes a shaving lotion and then makes huge bats that attack anyone who dare wear says perfume. He uses these two in conjunction to get even with those that have wronged him in the past and their families. This is an entertaining, if a bit melodramatic little B-movie. It's always nice to watch the excellent Bela Lugosi act (well almost, some films that he's appeared in are absolutely dreadful, mostly the ones in the later part of his life) A lot of unintentional laughs and a generally fun feel add up to a delightful film of yesteryear. I recommend this one.

My Grade: C+

DVD Extras: Intro by Bela Lugosi Jr.; Commentary by Lugosi Jr. and Ted Newsom; Image gallery; 30 minute "the Dr. Prescribed Death" radio play; Trailers for "the Human Monster", "Scared to Death"

One of Bela Lugosi's better poverty row flicks

[Red-Barracuda · 5/10 · 9 February 2017]

By the 1940's Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi was mainly seen in poverty row movies, such was the rapid fall he suffered in Hollywood. These cheap B-movies were mainly pretty bad but Lugosi always put in engaging performances no matter the quality of the material. I would definitely have to say that The Devil Bat ranks as one of the better of this particular bracket of films. It has Lugosi as a chemist who has been cheated out of money by some business partners. He uses electricity to create giant bats who are trained to attack and kill those who wear a specific after-shave he has developed, needless to say, he starts handing out free samples of this to those ex-partners he wants punished.

This one is quite entertaining it has to be said. It has the benefit of a pretty decent monster that we see flying around at dusk and then swooping down to kill its unfortunate victims. It may not seem like much but seriously, for a poverty row creature feature, this is well above average. Lugosi is as ever good value as well. The plot-line is silly yet engaging enough with some quite memorable moments. It's still overall fairly average in general terms if I am being totally honest but for a poverty row movie it's definitely on the higher end of the scale. Certainly worth watching.

Lesson - giant bats and Tibetan aftershave don't mix! Horror legend Lugosi makes this third rate material fun.

[Infofreak · 10 February 2004]

Bela Lugosi will always be remembered as one of the greatest horror stars of all time for 'Dracula'. Less than ten years later he was forced to star in third rate material like 'The Devil Bat'. He had supporting roles in a couple of good movies like 'The Wolf Man' (with Lon Chaney and Claude Rains) and 'The Body Snatcher' (with Karloff) after this, but for the most part his career was in severe decline, culminating in the awful (but awfully entertaining) movies he made with Ed Wood, Jr. ('Glen Or Glenda', 'Bride Of The Monster' and very briefly, 'Plan 9 From Outer Space') 'The Devil Bat' is b-grade all the way, with a lousy script, uninspired direction, a ridiculous looking "devil bat", and a forgettable supporting cast, led by 'Reefer Madness' Dave O'Brien. The only reason to watch this is Lugosi. Sometimes he seems to be actually trying, at others he hams it up. Either way he's great to watch. He plays a scientist who works for a hugely successful perfume company. In his laboratory he experiments on a bat with electricity which makes it grow very large, and that, combined with his new aftershave which contains a Tibetan scent which enrages the bat(!), becomes his method or vengeance on his employers. You think I'm making this up, don't you? Look, this is a silly movie, but if you're a Lugosi fan you'll have fun.

I don't think you'll ever use anything else.

[lastliberal · 5/10 · 1 November 2008]

What is Halloween without Bela Lugosi? Rather than look at Dracula or Frankenstein, this interesting film shows Lugosi's acting ability.

Sure, it's a cheesy story about a man wronged by greedy corporate CEOs and his desire for revenge, but it is a good example of Lugosi's ability to create a believable character that entertains.

He created the perfect weapon - a huge vampire bat that is attracted to an ingredient in an aftershave. No one would ever suspect him in his quest until a snoopy newspaper reporter (Dave O'Brien) gets attracted to the CEOs daughter (Suzanne Kaaren) and sticks around to solve the mystery. Why didn't O'Brien stick to westerns? Effects are minimal and there is some good humor between the cameraman, "One-Shot' McGuire" (Donald Kerr) and the daughter's maid (Yolande Donlan), but the reason to watch this is to see Lugosi.

The Mad Scientist

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 29 July 2020]

In Heathville, Dr. Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi) is a prominent scientist that helped the local chemical company to grow. However, he is resented with the owners Martin Heath (Edward Mortimer) and Don Morton (Gene O'Donnell) that became rich with his research. Dr. Carruthers electrically develops a huge bat and prepares an aftershave lotion to attract the bat. Then he gives the lotion to members of both families to test and the giant bat attacks them in the neck and kills one by one. The snoopy reporter Johnny Layton (Dave O'Brien) and the photographer 'One-Shot' McGuire (Donald Kerr) are assigned by their editor from the Chicago Register to investigate the murders and Layton falls for Mary Heath (Suzanne Kaaren). But the bat continues to attack the members of the Heath family.

"The Devil Bat" is a funny horror B-movie with Bela Lugosi in the role of a mad scientist. Donald Kerr is responsible for the comic relief with funny situations and maybe the best is when he decides to forge a bat to take pictures to the newspaper and forgets the tag. Fans of Bela Lugosi will not be disappointed. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "A Volta de Drácula" ("The Return of Dracula") - "O Morcego Diabólico" (DVD) ("The Devil Bat")

Bottom of the barrel--but it DOES have Bela Lugosi

[preppy-3 · 3/10 · 10 October 2004]

Kindly Dr. Carruthers (Bela Lugosi) feels cheated from a cosmetics company that made millions on a product he made--and (he thinks) cut him off without a dime. For revenge he (somehow) turns small bats into HUGE bats. He also (somehow) makes them react violently to a certain cologne he has made. He gives it as aftershave lotion to his potential victims, they put it on, the bat attacks...

Ludicrous, dull but infamous PRC pic--mostly for the truly insane plot. The picture fails on virtually every conceivable level. When Lugosi is carrying a bat on a pole around it's so obviously rubber it's hard not to laugh; all throughout the movie day changes to night back to day back to night all in the same sequence; the footage of the devil bat flying is repeated at least FIVE times (in a 69 minute movie); the "attack" scenes are hysterical--you see the actors valiantly "struggling" with what is plainly a large rubber bat and the acting is pretty awful.

I'm giving this a 3 just for Lugosi. Despite the stupid material he manages to give out a very credible, well-done acting job. Whenever he's on screen he gives the role his all. I especially love how he says "Goodbye" to each victim after giving them his lotion.

Almost enjoyable in a good/bad way--ALMOST. Worth seeing for Lugosi fans but nobody else.

"Say, have you ever had a date with a girl?"

[utgard14 · 6/10 · 4 November 2016]

Entertaining Poverty Row cheapie starring Dracula himself, Bela Lugosi, as a scientist who uses mutated bats to get revenge on the people who have made fortunes off of his inventions. One of the all-time great "so bad it's good" movies. Laughable fake bats complete with cheesy stock footage close-ups that don't fool anybody. Bela hamming it up in that special way only he could. The sound effect used for the bat noise sounds like a woman screaming. A reporter and his sidekick are given carte blanche by the police to do anything they want, including pull guns on suspects. A significant part of the plot involves aftershave, which is just hilarious to me for some reason. Despite its poor production values, it's really a fun B movie. One of the best Bela did for the Poverty Row studios like PRC. I think whether one views it as a straightforward low budget horror movie from the time or as an unintended comedy, you should be able to get some kicks out of it. Only stuffy 'Sam the Eagle' types will not find something about The Devil Bat to enjoy.

Bevare when this doctor says Goodbye. He really means it.

[mark.waltz · 4/10 · 31 October 2013]

In my review of 1935's "The Raven", I commented on Bela Lugosi's character who is an absolute egotist and utilizes his God-given gifts to take revenge. Here, he's another mad doctor, yet unlike the jealousy of his character there, his motivation is revenge for what he feels as being taken for granted in business. Given a check for $5000 for his invention which made rich man richer, he feels he is like a dog being thrown scraps, and invents a shaving lotion that attracts the man-biting titled animal who hates the scent and is enticed to kill. Having aged much since his star-making days of "Dracula" and the Karloff pairings of the mid 1930's, Lugosi is a bit hammier and as a result is now given material of a shoddier nature that stands the test of time in film history as being fun programmers with silly stories and weak co-stars where Lugosi dominates every moment he is on screen.

The actual "Devil Bat" is a silly looking creature, carried around by Lugosi upside down on a hangar and put into a vault where electric shock waves are meant to enlarge it so it will increase from the size of a sparrow to being even larger than a grown man's head. Close-ups of these bats aren't all that frightening, and inside the electric vault, Lugosi appears more to be cooking it than training it for his nefarious deeds. A very campy recurring line has Lugosi giving a very sinister "goodbye" to the goodnights said to him by intended victims.

Cleverly photographed so you don't see the string of the flying creature, this mixes it sinister elements with moments of corny comedy with visiting reporters (Dave O'Brien and Donald Herr) covering the story. Suzanne Kaaren is bland as the sister of two of the victims, involved with O'Brien, while Yolande Donlan is given the silly role of her family's maid, a girl who can't seem to say no. It's mainly filler nonsense that distracts from the outrageousness of Lugosi's scheme. But in an era where "PRC" meant "Pretty Rotten Cinema", this one is actually a lot of fun. No awards, certainly, but a film that is daffy entertainment certain to create a lot of unintentional laughs, and a perfect conclusion that lead to an unnecessary sequel, "Devil Bat's Daughter".

it's not scary exactly, but it's definitely more entertaining than I expected

[Quinoa1984 · 7/10 · 1 November 2008]

A true poverty row production, The Devil Bat's main attraction is not really the bat itself, which is made so that you can see the strings and bad fur (and those cut-aways to the close-up of the bat face), but Bela Lugosi. You want to watch this classic star of the macabre do his stuff in a movie that isn't Dracula or directed by Ed Wood well, which is essentially projecting his cool and menacing presence upon unsuspecting citizens (actually, this time, his employers and associates) while flexing eyebrows and strangeness. He marks up what is essentially a really low-budget B movie into something more interesting- yes, interesting- than it would be without him.

He plays Dr. Cruthers, a scientist who for years has made a business very rich with his own invented perfumes. But after getting cut out of the big profits for years, he concocts a formula that is an "aftershave" lotion where-in the victim puts the lotion on the neck and Cruthers lets out of his house a gigantic "devil bat" which he's created. The movie follows the typical investigation, the intrepid reporter out to crack the case, and the realization (dum-dum-dum!) that Cruthers, who everybody in town loves, is hatching a diabolical plot! AHH! Actually, the movie isn't very scary; one part where a woman sleeps in bed and the bat comes towards the house (intercut between the sleeping woman and some rare good shots of the bat "flying" in the sky) is kind of chilling in a silly way, but it's not scary cause of the bat.

Matter of fact, if gauging the success of The Devil Bat on just being scary, it's not really very good. But, if you're a Bela Lugosi fan, it's probably one of his best performances in these kinds of near-forgotten horror pics where he plays a scientist or doctor or creator of some giant thing to kill other things (maybe not the quintessential one, that goes to Bride of the Monster). The other actors fare well enough too, if usually just adequate for the material, and it's all very enjoyable - almost against one's better judgment for something like this. It's a minor campy treat.

Average B-terror movie with Bela Lugosi in his usual role as a mad doctor

[ma-cortes · 4/10 · 12 April 2022]

A madman =Bela Lugosi= has dark and sinister purports ,as the scientific develops an aftershave lotion that causes his gigantic bats to murder enemies and anyone who wears. As he trains a swarm of monstruous bats to attack here and there. Sharp fanged blood-sucking death dives from midnight skies!. He trained his breed of blood-hungry bats to kil on command!

This is a pretty fair terror movie from PRC, it gives us yet another blood-thirsty mad scientist who trains over-size rubber bats to suck blood from selected victims by use of a scent to attack whenever when they smell perfume . It was ordinarily realised with another Bela Lugosi vehicle : Scared To Death 1946 . Lugosi gives his usual acting as a madman , this performance is paired with other similar outings as in Black Cat , Island of Lost Souls , The Raven , The Invisible Power , Chandu, Night of Terror, Satanas, The Death Kiss . It was followed by an unimaginative and unsuccessful sequel titled Devil Bat's Daughter 1946 by Frank Wisbar with Rosemary La Planche.

This low budget bore motion picture was regularly directed by Jean Yarbrough. This filmmaker was an artisan who usually worked in TV : Área 12 , Bonanza , Broadside, The Addans Family , The case of dangerous Robin, The Blue Angels , Pony Express, Gunsmoke, 21 Beacon Street, Flight , Border Patrol, and occassionally for theater films : Footsteps in the night , The Women of Pitcairn Island , Hot Shots, Yaqui Drums , Crashing Las Vegas , Night Freight , Los in Alaska , Sideshow , Master Minds, The Mutineers , Big Timber , among others . Rating : 4,5/10 . Mediocre horror movie , only for Bela Lugosi fans.

SAY CHEESE PLEASE

[cathoga_hunter · 10/10 · 11 July 2003]

If you like B-Movie cheese...this film is for you! I love this flick. Sure it's not Citizen Kane. But it never said it was. Bela is excellent. He always took his roles so serious. And that's why he's so good in these types of goofball films. If your a fan of DVD Extras, you will love this one. The commentary features Bela Lugosi, Jr. And Numerous Lugosi movie trailers. Well worth checking out! 5 out of 5 stars. GOOD STUFF!!

Batty fun.

[BA_Harrison · 6/10 · 12 February 2013]

Less than a decade after his iconic turn as Count Dracula, Bela Lugosi could be found slumming it in poverty row shockers, earning a crust starring in cheap bill-filling movies like this, a rather ridiculous romp in which the Hungarian horror legend plays Paul Carruthers, a mad scientist who holds a grudge against his employees for becoming filthy rich off the back of his hard work. In order to exact his revenge, Carruthers experiments with electricity on bats in his secret laboratory, growing the creatures to massive proportions and training them to attack only those wearing a special aftershave lotion that he has developed. With the police baffled, it is up to intrepid New York reporting duo Johnny Layton (Dave O'Brien) and 'One-Shot' McGuire (Donald Kerr) to solve the mystery.

A seriously daft plot with hammy performances and laughable giant rubber bats suspended on wires, The Devil Bat is, unsurprisingly, utter nonsense, but if you have a hankering for some classic B-movie cheese, then the film should prove entertaining enough for the duration. An over-theatrical Lugosi chews up the scenery with gusto, and O'Brien and Kerr provide some enjoyable comedy relief, but it is the murderous flying mammal which is the real star of the film: an unconvincing inanimate model when seen from a distance, but very much alive in close-ups, it's aerial attacks are absolutely hilarious, the stiff-winged bloodsucker swooping from the sky, shrieking like a demented banshee.

The Delicious Bela

[daniewhite-1 · 5/10 · 23 November 2020]

'The Devil Bat' surely has a status as an all time great Poverty Row film and an all time great 40's b-movie programmer horror.

Tongue is in cheek just enough throughout because the material of plot and characters is "implausible" and the production standards "unconvincing" but 'The Devil Bat' flies above these limitations on the back of Bela Lugosi and a strain of comedy just about wide enough to fill the gaping gaps in such balderdash.

I have enjoyed 'The Devil Bat' twice and I recommend to any film fan interested in Bela Lugosi, bmovies, old horror or wacky juicy black comedy.

I rate a high 5/10, a 5.5, for a film that enlivens Lugosi's filmography.

This is despite the obvious and vicious problems associated with its production as a cheapie/quickie. Somehow sheer charm and a conviction of wacky energy carry it all off nicely for just over an hour.