Platicsco Good story, Not enough for a whole film

Acensbart Excellent but underrated film

Mandeep Tyson The acting in this movie is really good.

Billy Ollie Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

gridoon2018 I watched "The Vampire Bat" a couple of days after watching "Murders In The Zoo", also with Lionel Atwill, also made in 1933. The comedown in production quality is notable - there is a reason why you have heard of Paramount but not of "Majestic Pictures"! There is some impressive (subjective) camera-work, and the plot touches peripherally on the lynch-mob-mentality topic, but the film is excessively talky, and about as (un)surprising as a Scooby Doo episode. Atwill is perfectly cast, but his presence is a mixed blessing; it means than you know immediately who the villain of the story is. Fay Wray is highly desirable - even the camera loves her. ** out of 4.

Cristi_Ciopron A lovable and in fact very cherished classic B movie, with a sense of beauty and a 1st rate cast, the most astonishing being that a smaller studio could afford this A cast, and not only the A sets; and Fay was perhaps the most enjoyable actress ever. Surprisingly and stunningly good movie, proving that Atwill was a genuine contender in the trade, with this performance defining the crazy scientist, and the scenes that him, Fay and Douglas have together are of infinite charm, as the whole movie is lurid and graceful; it has the occasional humorous relief, but without the silliness. Its village comes straight from Expressionism.So this is B how it should be; with a B from beauty. And those yrs, the early '30s, have been a great time in cinema. As I have already remarked, Atwill took the chance to define a character, that of the insane scientist. Also, the humor doesn't spoil the suspense, and the chiller isn't yet a pretext for goofiness. Strayer directed a truly beautiful and stylish movie.The ever likable Fay was very good in a charming role.Frye in a supporting role and Ira Morgan's cinematography add to the beautiful movie's Expressionist feel, the creepy Expressionist poetry. Very beautiful, very effective and graceful. So if one likes B cinema, there's no need to fool oneself with the usual slapdash, pretending to find it funny or whatever; because the B has its values, and golden standard, and for its sake the demoralizing clumsiness should be acknowledged as such, so that what's very good can be also acknowledged freely. Too many claim to admire the B, the fact being they don't even know or feel what to like.

bkoganbing A poverty row outfit called Majestic Pictures produced The Vampire Bat and for a poverty row outfit managed to get a good cast for the film which included Melvyn Douglas as a police inspector, Fay Wray as the girl he's courting and Lionel Atwill as the village doctor. A string of horrifying murders are occurring in this German village. The victims are being left with two puncture wounds in the neck and the blood drained completely from them. Of course everyone is yelling vampires are about and all the old peasant legends are springing to life. Even Melvyn Douglas who is a 20th century man momentarily believes that maybe there's something to all this vampire talk. Signs point to poor Dwight Frye who is back to playing demented characters as he became in Dracula after Bela Lugosi put the bite on him. Here he's a simple soul who lives in a loft and actually keeps the bats there as pets. Frye gives the best performance in the film. Another role that is a scene stealer who is Fay Wray's aunt is Maude Eburne who is constantly bothering Atwill as she's the biggest hypochondriac for miles around. She's good comedy relief.Just a look at the cast will tell you who's responsible for all the mayhem and blood. What the need for the blood is we're never really given an answer. But there are Frankenstein like experiments going on.This had the potential to be a classic if Universal had produced The Vampire Bat. But it's as good as you'll get from a poverty row studio.

mark.waltz Fresh from the success of Bela Lugosi in "Dracula" and his low-budget success "White Zombie" came this slightly above average horror melodrama where an "A" list cast, on loan to an independent studio, seem to be having a blast camping it up. "King Kong's" Fay Wray and "The Old Dark House's" Melvyn Douglas are the romantic leads in this Gothic thriller where townspeople are systematically killed off by some sort of mysterious creature. Werewolf? Vampire? Or even an actual vampire bat? There are genuine chills for the bedridden old lady who has nightmares over being a victim, and the shots of the actual victims being approached by a shadowy figure are moderately frightening. When a loony towns person is confronted, there is a Frankenstein monster like chase into a dangerous cave where the Renfield like character (played by none other than Dwight Frye, of course) continues to protest his innocence. The actual motivation for the killings is never quite explained even though the atmosphere is eerie and the music (stolen from "White Zombie") is appropriately haunting. Performances by Lionel Atwill as the town's kindly doctor and salty Maude Eburne as Wray's aunt are other highlights.