The Devil Bat

All is not well in Heathville, the town where cosmetic magnates live off the wealth and riches made from the purchase of a cold cream formula from benevolent scientist Dr. Carruthers. Or is Dr. Carruthers as nice as he seems? Maybe, while others sleep, he experiments with bats and somehow comes up with some huge bat that kills people that have used a specially formulated cologne or aftershave. Such is the premise of The Devil Bat, with the addition of a couple wise-cracking, no-acting newspaper men thrown in for extra measure. The film was one of those Poverty Row features made by Bela Lugosi in the forties, and if anything, it is fun to watch. But that does not mean it is good. Lugosi hams up his scenes with outrageous speeches and the usual flair only he can give. The rest of the cast is very unspectacular as is the script, the special effects, the budget, and the direction. Speaking of direction, this film WAS directed by the man who would later bring us Hillbillys in a Haunted House. Enough said!

I always watch this Lugosi classic with affection, and I don't agree with its detractors. Here's another bit of harmless detective drama, unusual in the fact that the law teams up with reporters to solve a mystery (imagine that today). Inexpensively made to be sure, and with a sound track that turned up in later thrillers, "Devil Bat" is subtle humor mixed with the obvious. Is there any doubt as to the outcome? Dave O'Brien and Donald Kerr are delightful as the reporter-photographer team, respectively, and the casting is on the money. Except the big mystery for me is that the coroner shows up in the credits but not in the film! Go figure.

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.

An inventor gets revenge on his treacherous employer and family by programming vampire bats to attack them.

Wow, those devil bats look more like eagles than little flying mammals. I thought they might have to get a fighter plane to knock them down. Still, this is a tightly scripted, more believable than most, horror film. Sure, it's got its hokey elements; plus, it's a PRC production meaning the exterior sets are about ten-feet by ten-feet. But at least, Lugosi doesn't have to mug it up all the time. In fact, his nice guy is pretty persuasive, even if he's got his mad scientist moments. Good thing Dave O'Brien's around. He's really lively, more than expected for such a cheapo. And please, I'm lusting after the maid, Yolande Donlan. I can see why ace filmmaker Val Guest scooped her up for his prestige productions. Anyhow, this is a better than average little thriller that understandably led to several sequels. Thanks to the movie, however, I won't be using shaving lotion unless the window's closed and I'm going to bed.

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.