|
CREEPY CLASSICS presents... |
|
Creepy Classics Spotlight Movie Last Weekend - THE DEVIL BAT (1940) Every week, readers here are selecting a movie to view...then we all try to watch it together utilizing our DVD/video library. This past Saturday night, many of us watched THE DEVIL BAT (1940). This was suggested by by Kirk Smith, Manito, IL. Details about movie nights to come are HERE. Please include your name and location after your comments, so we can see how we're all joining together from diffeent locals around the globe! Let's all Synch-Up Saturday nights at 7:30PM, or catch it sometime over the weekend!
Non-matching footage of a fruit bat, a scene of the prop bat(s) flying out of a window (no wings flapping) that has a bad edit in it...but, is used over and over again anyway! Probably the best they could come up with. A goofy script that involves "shaving lotion" developed by a mad doc (Bela) as a lure for his scientifivally enlarged bats. This whole concept is for his mad plot of revenge for those he feels have wronged him out of his inovative perfume recipes! You get the feeling that everyone on the project knew it was a slap-dash effort and just relaxed and had a good time making it. These people surely had no clue that this film would be seen over-and-over by legions of movie fans more than half a century later. No clue. You need to appraoch this the same way the actors apparently did....sit back and just have fun with it. Sure it's goofy, but it works outstandingly on its own turf. Screeeeechhhhh. "Goodbyeeeeeee." Note: PRC re-hashed the same plot with a very slightly different concept in THE FLYING SERPENT a few years later with George Zucco. -Ron Adams, Ligonier, PA
Just finished watching The Devil Bat for the 1st time, and it was fun! I remember seeing a photo of Lugosi & the title creature many times in FM, great to finally see the whole film! Mr. Lugosi is one of the greatest actors ever, and he is excellent as the heavy in this picture. To complete my weekend of spooky viewing, tomorrow night I'll watch a great film that was released on this day 35 years ago....Jaws! In closing, keep up the good work, and have a great 2010 Bash! -Sincerely, David Dodd in Exeter, CA.
Next week this time, hopefully we will all be in the BUTLER did it, PA for the Bash! For now time to watch Bela and THE DEVIL BAT! See you next week at the next Synch movie...The Thing! Will you be there? - Ken Blose, Mexico
Hey everybody.
But who cares, this movie brought me back to when I first saw it on a Saturday afternoon on WWOR-NYC during a Mets rain delay and loved every bit of it. And who could forget Dave O'Brien as the dope fiend from Refer Madness " faster, play faster".Bela was never more sinister with such lines as " put it on the tender part of your neck " and when ever his next victim would tell him so long he would always respond "Good By" with a little smirk on his face. But the best line was said when Carruthers, Layden and Mary Heath was sitting around the table talking about the murders and Layden's disbelief that it was an animal that did the attack because no sounds were made. And Mary chimes in with "except for that awful screaming" What! Everybody have a good time at Monster Bash and we'll talk next week about The Thing. Bob Swaney
Have a safe trip!
Hi Ron, The film is fun. Almost absurd at times, but fun nonetheless. If you forgive that Carruthers is an odd name for a Hungarian you can just about forgive everything throughout. It’s not a “check your brain at the door” type of film, but a healthy ability to suspend your disbelief helps (like when the investigative reporters get their jobs back after pulling an unforgiveable stunt just to have something to send back to the editor). .
So butter the popcorn, dim the lights, sit back, and have fun!
Ron,
Out of all the poverty row films Bela Lugosi made, this is my favorite. He seems to be having fun. I believe that he was an intelligent enough actor to realize when a role called for scenery chewing. It's a testament to his ability that if another actor were put into that role, that The Devil Bat wouldn't even register a blip on the radar of horror movies. Hey Everybody, By the time you (all of us) read my review for this cheesy PRC gem directed by the great economical director Jean Yarborough which clocks in at a nice, quick 69 minutes we all would have experienced and enjoyed Monster Bash 2010!!---and then SADLY the show will be over and we will be back safely in our home surroundings----looking forward to Vampire Bash 2011!!---
So until next time, when we convene once again as ONE MONSTER NATION,HEMISPHERE AND WORLD to watch, analyze and review "THE THING (FROM ANOTHER WORLD)" {1951} "LIVE" from Monster Bash 2010 - THE DRIVE-IN SATURDAY NIGHT MOVIE!- I bid all of my fellow monster buddies a "very good E-V-E-N-I-N-G!!! ----Dan Brenneis- Monster Bash Staff Member And LifeTime FilmFan Extroadinairre.
|
|
Creepy
Classics Video |
Probably the most beloved "Povety Row" movie. THE DEVIL BAT still holds fun chills, a Lugosi who is chomping and stomping the scenery, and the craziest bat scenes on the silver scene. 
Classic opening chord and music. Something creepy is on the way. 
The shot of the bat over the trees isn't bad for this budget. 
A great Saturday night movie , thank you Kirk Smith. Along with The Ape Man I think this is one of the best of Bela's Poverty Row films. Another example of "so bad its good". Where to start: : How about the lab, more hidden doors than the opening of Get Smart and they never explain how all the lights going on and off makes the bat grow in size. Carruthers almost spilling the beans to Morton that he is the killer then looking sheepishly away like a little kid who did something wrong. And whats with the bat itself, I didn't know bats yell before they attacked. And last but not least is the reporter Layden and his bumbling side kick "One-Shot " McGurie. I don't know what is more unbelievable that they work for a major newspaper or that someone like Maxine the maid would be attractive to a boob like McGurie. And how about Layden's shooting the first bat and somehow not hitting McGurie. Could go on and on. 
Not only is The Devil Bat my favorite PRC film, but it's one of my favorite Bela Lugosi films as well. It's a fun story with some enjoyable characters. It has all the qualities of a poverty row funfest. Jean Yarbrough is once again at the helm directing some of PRC's finest ensemble players. Bela of course breathes the most life into this. However, he is ably assisted by Dave O'Brien as our heroic wisecracking reporter Johnny Layton, and Donald Kerr as his faithful sidekick photographer One Shot McGuire. Along for the ride is the familiar face of Suzanne Kaaren as our damsel in distress. The best guest appearance is made by Arthur Q. Bryan (The voice of Elmer Fudd) as Joe McGinty, the frustrated boss of Layton and One Shot. What really makes this movie for me are some of the lines. 
One Shot: " Now here's the idea Frenchy...you hang on to the bat until I get my camera set. When I raise my hand you give the bat a good shove and it'll swing out like it's flyin. Then I can get a swell picture for my boss...ya get it?"
“The Devil Bat” Wooweee! Where do I begin? Probably shorter if I just stick to my feelings about the film rather than hashing through the plot, etc.
1. The film goes out of it's way to tell you that "all Heathville loved Paul Carruthers, their kindly village doctor". From the onset 
6. The newspaper editor is Arthur Q. Bryan voice of Elmer Fudd in the Warner Brothers cartoons. The reporter is Dave 
7. Another example of Bela Lugosi's vocal workout routines occurs when he is listening to a scientist on the radio. The 
Anyway, on to the movie at task, folks!-- Watching this ultra low-budget movie with an open mind and realizing what these people had to work with (the lack of funds, the cheap sets and the lousy props) IT AMAZES ME HOW ENTERTAINING THIS FILM IS!-- Say what you want about this film`s weaknesses and flaws, but this film still manages to hold up upon repeated viewings (I WATCHED IT TWICE!) ---no doubt largely to the star power of Bela Lugosi himself, who really is quite wonderful in his role here as the revenge-crazed doctor/scientist Dr. Paul Carruthers, who because he is taken advantage of by his big business associates (they want to sell and mass market his perfume/cologne) he goes off the "deep end" and swears to himself to take revenge upon them (by killing them with his giant bat{s}) All goes well for our resident mad cologne manufacturer until Johnny Layton comes on the case! (potrayed wonderfully by Dave O` Brien)- In the meantime, our mad doctor has proceeded to wipe out a good part of the Heath and Morton families and is now aiming his evil sights on Mary Heath! (potrayed nicely by Suzanne Kaaren) Eventually our good man Johnny puts two and two together and figures out who is behind these dastardly, gruesome murders......But will he stop our villian before he strikes again??!! 
Watch (and/or buy this film from Creepy Classics) to find out, folks!!!! My Rating for "The Devil Bat" (1940) : 2/5 stars. By the way fellow film fiends, here`s a few more bits of trivia on this film for you: 1) This film is also known under the title of "Killer Bats" (The VHS copy I own of this film has this title on it! - released under the "Goodtimes" Home Video Label in 1985!) - The Video Cover Box is a BRIGHT RED! (Heh! Heh! -Ironic, Isn`t It?!) 2) Jean Yarborough, who directed this film on a shoestring budget, also was behind the camera for "She Wolf Of London" "House Of Horrors" and "The Brute Man" {all 1946 films- with the last two starring the late Rondo Hatton) He also directed the Lon Chaney Jr. schlockfest "Hillbillys In A Haunted House" (1967) 3) actor Dave O` Brien, who plays our resident hero Johnny Layton, also starred again with Bela Lugosi in the Bowery Boys vehicle "Spooks Run Wild" (1941) 4) Lastly, actress Suzanne Kaaren, who provides nice window dressing for the fans of this cheap-jack production also had a nice, meaty role in the Curly Three Stooges short "What`s The Matador?" (1942) playing the character of Dolores Sanchez! (this Stooges short featured our gang as bullfighters,I believe!) 
