The Devil Bat
1940
Dir. Jean Yarbrough
Dr Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi) devises a plan to extract revenge on his employers, the owners of a cosmetics company, whom he believes have exploited and betrayed him, getting rich on a product he created. Concocting a new aftershave (!), he offers it to the sons of his employers and then releases an electrically enlarged bat, trained to hone in on the distinct aftershave (!!), and slaughter its wearer. The series of mysterious deaths sparks the interest of roving reporter Johnny Layton (David O’Brien) and photographer, One-Shot McGuire. The two set out to investigate the murders and put a stop to the diabolical mastermind orchestrating them, before they too become victims of the ‘death-diving’ giant bat.
The Devil Bat was produced by PRC (Producers Releasing Corporation), one of the more modest production studios of Hollywood’s ‘Poverty Row.’ PRC produced mainly low budget B-movies, particularly horror films, westerns and melodramas.
The film comprises of scenes in which Lugosi dips stuff in lotions, stirs potions, cackles evilly to himself, hangs a bat on a coat hanger and through the power of cross-fade editing, enlarges stock-footage bats to gigantic proportions. He then persuades his various victims, the handsome, shockingly dim sons of his employers, to try out his new aftershave. He then releases his giant death-bat to track them down and rip out their throats. Lather, rinse, repeat. This all goes according to plan, strangely enough, until our intrepid reporter Layton catches a whiff of something sinister and jumps on the case. He and his sidekick, One-Shot McGuire, bulk out the rest of the story as they try to solve the case. In one scene they attempt to drum up some interest in the sensational story by faking a photo of a giant bat. Cue a montage of spinning newspaper headlines. They are rumbled by a giant bat-expert on the local radio station, when said expert examines the photo and notices a ‘made-in-Japan’ label on the fake bat…
The Devil Bat is one of the many poverty row films that Bela Lugosi starred in during the latter part of his career, way after the international success of Dracula. The film is competently made, and whilst neither really good nor really bad, hovers (bat-like!) somewhere in the middle, and proves to be an entertaining if somewhat forgettable experience. Which is perfectly fine. The tragic actor obviously relished playing the oddly sympathetic, yet utterly cuckoo Dr Carruthers, and delivers his lines with the sort of fiendish aplomb we know and love him for. Unfortunately, once the murder investigation begins, Lugosi doesn’t feature onscreen much, but when he does, he exudes all the charm, dark elegance and over-zealous melodrama you would expect him to. We are also privy to his inner monologues, as he bitterly waxes lyrical about his disdain and disgust for his employers, who he believes have paid him a measly amount of money for his contribution to their cosmetics company. This serves to vaguely flesh out an otherwise typical ‘mad-doctor’ character and imbue him with the faintest touch of pathos.
Director, Jean Yarbrough - who would later go on to direct the likes of King of the Zombies, She-Wolf of London and several episodes of The Addams Family – handles his duties with rudimentary competence. The film is overtly silly, yet highly enjoyable, and often wanders into bizarre comedic territory – intentional and indeed otherwise. Some viewers may also recognise David O’Brien from Spooks Run Wild (also starring Lugosi) and Reefer Madness (he’s the guy who implores Mae to play her piano ‘faster! Faster!’ and orders her to ‘Bring me some reefers!’). The only moments of genuine creepiness come as the bat is released from its attic dwelling-place and, as some day-for-night stock footage of a large bat flying past the same trees over and over again plays out, the bat omits a chilling scream that proves genuinely unnerving. The scenes featuring the bat ‘death-diving’ its victims have to be seen to be believed: a gaggle of handsome, not very bright young men recoiling in terror as a giant rubber bat falls on them from above. Great stuff.
Dir. Jean Yarbrough
Dr Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi) devises a plan to extract revenge on his employers, the owners of a cosmetics company, whom he believes have exploited and betrayed him, getting rich on a product he created. Concocting a new aftershave (!), he offers it to the sons of his employers and then releases an electrically enlarged bat, trained to hone in on the distinct aftershave (!!), and slaughter its wearer. The series of mysterious deaths sparks the interest of roving reporter Johnny Layton (David O’Brien) and photographer, One-Shot McGuire. The two set out to investigate the murders and put a stop to the diabolical mastermind orchestrating them, before they too become victims of the ‘death-diving’ giant bat.
The Devil Bat was produced by PRC (Producers Releasing Corporation), one of the more modest production studios of Hollywood’s ‘Poverty Row.’ PRC produced mainly low budget B-movies, particularly horror films, westerns and melodramas.
The film comprises of scenes in which Lugosi dips stuff in lotions, stirs potions, cackles evilly to himself, hangs a bat on a coat hanger and through the power of cross-fade editing, enlarges stock-footage bats to gigantic proportions. He then persuades his various victims, the handsome, shockingly dim sons of his employers, to try out his new aftershave. He then releases his giant death-bat to track them down and rip out their throats. Lather, rinse, repeat. This all goes according to plan, strangely enough, until our intrepid reporter Layton catches a whiff of something sinister and jumps on the case. He and his sidekick, One-Shot McGuire, bulk out the rest of the story as they try to solve the case. In one scene they attempt to drum up some interest in the sensational story by faking a photo of a giant bat. Cue a montage of spinning newspaper headlines. They are rumbled by a giant bat-expert on the local radio station, when said expert examines the photo and notices a ‘made-in-Japan’ label on the fake bat…
The Devil Bat is one of the many poverty row films that Bela Lugosi starred in during the latter part of his career, way after the international success of Dracula. The film is competently made, and whilst neither really good nor really bad, hovers (bat-like!) somewhere in the middle, and proves to be an entertaining if somewhat forgettable experience. Which is perfectly fine. The tragic actor obviously relished playing the oddly sympathetic, yet utterly cuckoo Dr Carruthers, and delivers his lines with the sort of fiendish aplomb we know and love him for. Unfortunately, once the murder investigation begins, Lugosi doesn’t feature onscreen much, but when he does, he exudes all the charm, dark elegance and over-zealous melodrama you would expect him to. We are also privy to his inner monologues, as he bitterly waxes lyrical about his disdain and disgust for his employers, who he believes have paid him a measly amount of money for his contribution to their cosmetics company. This serves to vaguely flesh out an otherwise typical ‘mad-doctor’ character and imbue him with the faintest touch of pathos.
Director, Jean Yarbrough - who would later go on to direct the likes of King of the Zombies, She-Wolf of London and several episodes of The Addams Family – handles his duties with rudimentary competence. The film is overtly silly, yet highly enjoyable, and often wanders into bizarre comedic territory – intentional and indeed otherwise. Some viewers may also recognise David O’Brien from Spooks Run Wild (also starring Lugosi) and Reefer Madness (he’s the guy who implores Mae to play her piano ‘faster! Faster!’ and orders her to ‘Bring me some reefers!’). The only moments of genuine creepiness come as the bat is released from its attic dwelling-place and, as some day-for-night stock footage of a large bat flying past the same trees over and over again plays out, the bat omits a chilling scream that proves genuinely unnerving. The scenes featuring the bat ‘death-diving’ its victims have to be seen to be believed: a gaggle of handsome, not very bright young men recoiling in terror as a giant rubber bat falls on them from above. Great stuff.
The Devil Bat is in the same league as the likes of The Vampire Bat, though it doesn't seem to take itself so seriously. Whilst thoroughly ludicrous, it is also pretty solid entertainment and, at a skimpy 72 minutes, far from outstays its welcome. It is best enjoyed on a Sunday afternoon whilst draped across your couch, surrounded by the remnants of the night before. Endearing hokum.
Comments
And yet, on the other hand, there will always be a part of me that says: this is the greatest work of art ever created by humans.
Have you seen Devil Bat's Daughter, the sequel that completely exonerates Lugosi's character of all responsibility for the devil bat killings (!) ?
They make for quite the double-bill.
I know what you mean about a little part of you thinking that this is perhaps the greatest work of art ever created by humans. Well, this and Dunston Checks In, of course.
As always Matthew - thanks for stopping by - enjoy your weekend. :)
Loved the "dark elegance" description of Lugosi. Perfect turn of phrase. Had not noticed the gay subtext, but now that you mention it . . The lead female is pointedly ignored and all the gentlemen do work for a cosmetics company, which I always thought was an odd an interesting point in the film. I mean, to have the mad scientist in the film made so by shabby treatment from a cosmetics company is downright fascinating.
Interesting. I will have to have a few beers some evening soon (my mood enhancer of choice) and explore this wine-induced hypothesis of yours. Any chance to re-watch the great Devil Bat.
Another good one, James. -- Mykal
panavia999 - thanks for your comment - good to hear from you. I must emphasise that my hypothesis was, as Mykal so elegantly put it, wine-induced. I picked up on one throw-away comment and ran with it - a little too tenuously perhaps! I guess I was looking for something interestig to throw into the mix. That Mill Creek 50 DVD megapack sounds awesome - have you watched much of it?
Thanks for stopping by - don't be a stranger. :)
http://store.dvdmegapacks.com
I really like 1930's and 40's B movies; I purchased Dark Crimes, Crime Classics, Mystery Classics, Horror Classics, Jack Benny, 50 Musicals and Max Fleischer Cartoons and Victory at Sea. It's all public domain stuff so the picture quality can be mediocre but for the prices, I am not complaining!
They offer quite a variety ranging from the crappiest slasher flicks to wholesome family fare.
I know what you mean about many of these old public domain films having mediocre (at best) picture quality. I picked up a pile of DVDs a while ago that were all public domain - there are three 'classic horrors of the silver screen' on each disc and the quality is extremley poor. still though, each disc was only £1. I was very pleased with that. :)
Last night I had dinner with a friend. At dusk we walked several blocks returning to our cars discussing 30's gangster films. I re-enacted the last lines of some classics: "Mother of Mercy! Is this the end of Rico?" Etc, Etc. As I was wearing a silk blouse, I stopped short of lying in the gutter but I grabbed lamp posts, staggered and dramatized. Since it was still fresh on my mind, I proffered a 90 second re-enactment of the Devil Bat. I must have looked a fool but plenty of laughter. I'd only had two drinks!
A 90 second re-enactment of the Devil Bat!? How utterly marvellous. Oh to have been a fly on one of those lamp posts you staggered around! Sounds like you guys had a thoroughly enjoyable evening.
As always - good to hear from you - thanks for stopping by. :)
Might you consider adding one? I really liked the hamster in a cup. -- Mykal