The Bat is a mystery and horror film directed by Crane Wilbur, released in 1959. It's an adaptation of the novel The Circular Staircase (1908) by Mary Roberts Rinehart. More detailed, the movie is the fourth adaptation. The second was the play "The Bat" in 1920 by playwright Avery Hopwood. The third was the silent movie The Bat, released in 1926 and directed by Roland West.
Starring: Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead.
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Plot:
Cornelia Van Gorder, played by Agnes Moorehead, is a well-known mystery writer who has rented a summer house in a small town from the manager of the bank in that town. The bank manager is currently on a hunting trip with his physicist friend Dr. Malcom Wells (Vincent Price). The bank manager confides in his friend that he has stolen a million dollars from the bank and that he will give him half of the money if he helps him stage his own death. Well, Wells kills the bank manager and uses the fire to cover up the murder.
Meanwhile, a mysterious killer called The Bat terrorizes the city. At night, he kills women in a horrific way, by ripping out their throats with his steel claws. There is panic in Cornelia's house because the women have seen a clawed hand through the window. They call the police and the local police chief promises them a detective to investigate.
Accusations are made about who The Bat is and who stole the money from the bank, the story gets more and more complicated, and eventually, we meet the killer.
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The film was not a major success at the beginning, and critics gave it mixed reviews, with praise for the script and the direction being the highest, but they criticised the quality of the acting.
Over time, the film's reputation grew, and when it became in the public domain, the best statement yet from AllMovie.com:
"While it's all done in a by-the-numbers manner, there's more than enough here to entertain whodunit fans."
You can watch the full film here:
But since it's in the public domain, you can also view or download it at Archive.org
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More public domain content:
Destroy All Planets, Quicksand, Cosmos: War Of The Planets, Cowboy Junkies Live At Dakota Jazz Club, Night Of Living Dead, Killers From Space, Grateful Dead - RFK Stadium, They Made Me a Criminal, The Stranger.
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