The Bat (1959) Movie Review

The Bat – Movie Review

First Reaction – The Bat is an entertaining murder mystery.

Watch The Bat on Tubi.

Director: Crane Wilbur

Writer: Crane Wilbur (Screenplay)

Writer: Mary Roberts Rinehart, Avery Hopwood (Play)

Cast

• Vincent Price (The Fly)
• Agnes Moorehead (Citizen Kane)
• Gavin Gordon (Bride of Frankenstein)
• John Sutton (The Invisible Man Returns)
• Lenita Lane

Plot: A crazed killer known as “The Bat” is on the loose in a mansion full of people.

Runtime: 1 Hour 20 Minutes 

There may be spoilers in the rest of the review

Story: The Bat starts when acclaimed mystery author Cornelia van Gorder (Moorehead) rents a summer mansion. The mansion has a reputation and the owner is killed while away. Dr Malcolm Wells (Price) returns to the area to search for a fortune. Meanwhile, Cornelia and Lizzie Allen (Lane) deal with the staff members walking out on them.

The reputation around the home sees a serial killer named ‘The Bat’ targeting women and their victims are usually women. Cornelia takes on her ability to write mysteries to solve the latest one, leading to a surprising series of events.

Verdict on The Bat

Recap

The movie follows a murder mystery author who discovers herself in the middle of a mystery. It follows her using her knowledge to understand the situation and figure out who lurking around the home.

Best Parts

The set-up to the mystery is interesting and the calm approach to solving it keeps things relaxing throughout the movie. We get good performances from the whole cast that help keep us wondering how things will unfold.

Worst Parts

While it is an interesting mystery, it lets us know who is behind it early on and it’s more about how they will try to get away with the crime.

Final Thoughts – The Bat is a fun murder mystery to watch unfold.