Review of The Vampire Bat

This movie starts out with a premise that works. There are people dying, drained of their blood. There is this middle European connection to times past when vampires were believed in and actually seemed to exist. They knew all the rules, head cut off, silver bullet, stake through the heart. Everyone is in a tizzy because no one can seem to figure this out. They lock their door, close their windows, do all the right things, but the killing goes on. Crosses and other anti vampire paraphernalia don't seem to work. That's because there's more to it than meets the eye. As long as it was truly a vampire story, it worked. When other elements enter in, it starts to fall apart, if one does the least bit of thinking. Since seeing Dracula, I've enjoyed watching any appearance of Dwight Frye. He is the consummate scene stealer. The poor guy here comes and goes among the gentry, with bats in his pockets, staring with those sunken eyes. Considering people are terrified of bats and suspect him already, these are not the wisest of moves.

The whole premise for this set of events is never made totally clear. The blood of the victims is needed and so old Lionel Atwill springs into action. There seemed to be a few of the distinguished actors whose careers seemed to bank on the horror genre. He plays his part well. He also has his assistant. Who is this guy and why is he willing to work so hard (of course there's a secret). The film has its moments and it's not bad for this type of film, but it could have rivaled some of the better ones by banking a little more on the supernatural.