The Bat Photo: courtesy of Moma
In 1926, Roland West’s silent horror comedy The Bat wowed cinema audiences with its story of criminal daring and double-crosses set in a mysterious mansion. Today, it gets attention for another reason; as a clear precursor to the story of Batman. Long thought to be lost, it has recently been restored and brought back to the big screen by Undercrank Productions. I recently spoke with producer Ben Model, a musician who has provided live accompaniment for numerous such films in cinemas, who told me the story of The Bat and of his ongoing work in recovering the lost treasures of the silent era.
"The Bat was pretty much missing for decades,” he begins. “A nitrate print turned up in Boise, Idaho in the late 1980s. And a professor at Boise State named Tom Trusky, and Frank Thompson – a well-known film historian and author – ensured that the nitrate made.
In 1926, Roland West’s silent horror comedy The Bat wowed cinema audiences with its story of criminal daring and double-crosses set in a mysterious mansion. Today, it gets attention for another reason; as a clear precursor to the story of Batman. Long thought to be lost, it has recently been restored and brought back to the big screen by Undercrank Productions. I recently spoke with producer Ben Model, a musician who has provided live accompaniment for numerous such films in cinemas, who told me the story of The Bat and of his ongoing work in recovering the lost treasures of the silent era.
"The Bat was pretty much missing for decades,” he begins. “A nitrate print turned up in Boise, Idaho in the late 1980s. And a professor at Boise State named Tom Trusky, and Frank Thompson – a well-known film historian and author – ensured that the nitrate made.
- 10/19/2024
- by Jennie Kermode
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
It’s a classic from the Golden Year of 1939, directed in fine style by Wild Bill Wellman and well cast with Paramount stars Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, and Robert Preston, and with Brian Donlevy as one of the movies’ most hissable villains. The popular story has been remade and spoofed innumerable times, yet this remains the indelible best version. A commentary with William Wellman Jr. and Frank Thompson points out many things we didn’t notice before, including where some excised scenes belong, and what originally happened in them.
Beau Geste
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1939 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 112 min. / Street Date April 7, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, Brian Donlevy, Susan Hayward, J. Carrol Naish, Albert Dekker, Broderick Crawford, Charles Barton, James Stephenson, Heather Thatcher, George P. Huntley, Donald O’Connor, Billy Cook, Martin Spellman, Ann Gillis, David Holt, Henry Brandon, Nestor Paiva, Francis McDonald.
Beau Geste
Blu-ray
Kl Studio Classics
1939 / B&w / 1:37 Academy / 112 min. / Street Date April 7, 2020 / available through Kino Lorber / 24.95
Starring: Gary Cooper, Ray Milland, Robert Preston, Brian Donlevy, Susan Hayward, J. Carrol Naish, Albert Dekker, Broderick Crawford, Charles Barton, James Stephenson, Heather Thatcher, George P. Huntley, Donald O’Connor, Billy Cook, Martin Spellman, Ann Gillis, David Holt, Henry Brandon, Nestor Paiva, Francis McDonald.
- 3/24/2020
- by Glenn Erickson
- Trailers from Hell
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.