In the late 1920s until about the mid 1930s, Hollywood produced quite a few 'old, dark house' films. This genre always consisted of a group of people stuck in an old mansion as a maniac runs about trying to fill them off one-by-one. "The Old Dark House", "The Cat and the Canary" and "The Black Cat" are just a few examples of these films--as is "The Bat Whispers". So, while some today might be more impressed by this film than me, perhaps it's because they don't realize that the plot is very standard fare. And, aside from a few technical innovations, this is a rather poor example as well--mostly because it's so dreadfully boring.
The film begins with folks talking about 'The Bat'--a daring and murderous thief whose identity is unknown and who has long eluded the police. Most of the film centers on one particular mansion and a group of people who run about trying to avoid being his next victims. And, at the end, the mystery is, of course, unraveled.
This is an unusual film because the DVD has both a standard version and a unique 65mm version they also made for theaters. I watched the 65mm version and I could understand why some of the other reviewers disliked it. The overall look was akin to watching a film while standing far from the screen--very, very far. In other words, although they were innovating with the cinematography, they really didn't understand how to effectively utilize it. It's odd, as although they tried to innovate when it came to the picture, the sound is ancient by 1930 standards--with no incidental music and very flat sound. Overall, it's a film that looks unique (with some nice shadows and camera angles), sounds bad and bores the viewer to tears. A nice experiment--but one that just isn't very satisfying viewing.
The film begins with folks talking about 'The Bat'--a daring and murderous thief whose identity is unknown and who has long eluded the police. Most of the film centers on one particular mansion and a group of people who run about trying to avoid being his next victims. And, at the end, the mystery is, of course, unraveled.
This is an unusual film because the DVD has both a standard version and a unique 65mm version they also made for theaters. I watched the 65mm version and I could understand why some of the other reviewers disliked it. The overall look was akin to watching a film while standing far from the screen--very, very far. In other words, although they were innovating with the cinematography, they really didn't understand how to effectively utilize it. It's odd, as although they tried to innovate when it came to the picture, the sound is ancient by 1930 standards--with no incidental music and very flat sound. Overall, it's a film that looks unique (with some nice shadows and camera angles), sounds bad and bores the viewer to tears. A nice experiment--but one that just isn't very satisfying viewing.