Bat, The (1926) (Blu-ray Review)
- Review Date: Oct 07, 2024
- Format: Blu-ray Disc
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Director
Roland WestRelease Date(s)
1926 (October 15, 2024)Studio(s)
Feature Productions/United Artists (Undercrank Productions)- Film/Program Grade: B+
- Video Grade: A-
- Audio Grade: A+
- Extras Grade: B-
Review
Lost for decades before being re-discovered in the 1980s, Ronald West’s 1926 silent version of The Bat, adapted by West from a three-act play by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood (which was itself based upon the novel The Circular Staircase by Rinehart), was a big hit upon its original release. So much so that West would return in 1930 with the advent of motion picture sound for a remake, entitled The Bat Whispers. Most horror fans are familiar with the 1959 version featuring Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead, but few have seen Roland West’s original silent version. (In truth, the story was filmed as early as 1915 under the original novel’s title, but that version is still considered a lost film today.)
A murderous thief known only as “The Bat” has managed to elude the grasp of the police, setting his sights on a secluded mansion, which is being rented for the summer by Miss Cornelia Van Gorder (Emily Fitzroy), along with her maid Lizzie (Louise Fazenda) and her butler Billy (Sojin Kamiyama). Hoping to scare them off is Richard Fleming (Arthur Housman), who wants to lease the mansion with the help of Dr. Wells (Robert McKim). An ex-banker in disguise, Brooks Bailey (Jack Pickford) hopes to pose as a gardener at the mansion with the help of Van Gorder’s niece, Miss Dale (Jewel Carmen), whom he’s romantically involved with. Detectives Moletti (Tullio Carminati) and Anderson (Eddie Gribbon) soon arrive when Richard is shot and killed. Suspicion falls on Miss Dale and Bailey, putting forth the notion that they’re searching for a hidden room in the house, which may be where the stolen bank money is located. As all of this is taking place, The Bat soon re-appears on the mansion grounds.
Typical for its era, The Bat is one of many films in which the filmmakers try to include something for everybody in the audience, including suspense, comedy, romance, and even a bit of fantasy. A fine atmosphere is created, partially due to legendary cinematographer Arthur Edeson’s framing and lighting, but also William Cameron Menzies’ amazing production design. Beautifully towering sets with very high ceilings are on full display, as well as an impressive shot of a large staircase filmed from the side, looking almost as if it sprang from the pages of a comic book. Some of the comedy falls flat, though there are some fun, fear-filled scenes with Lizzie’s character to enjoy. The suspense works well as there are plenty of chilling moments to be had. How The Bat character is portrayed borders on the fantastic, but is nonetheless effective.
Though it’s well known to the public now that Bill Finger had just as much, if not more to do with the creation of the character of Batman, Bob Kane insisted in his autobiography that he drew inspiration from The Bat Whispers. However, seeing the 1926 film today, it’s possible that he could have seen this version, as well. A man dressed as a bat, flying through the air, and leaving his bat symbol everywhere, not to mention a memorable moment when a spotlight shines through the window with what appears to be The Bat’s symbol sitting right in the center—I’d say that’s a piece of trivia that’s not even up for debate. It’s patently blatant.
As this is a pre-Code film, there’s certainly aspects of it that are outdated, specifically the Japanese character of Billy and how some of the characters refer to him. That unfortunate characteristic aside, The Bat is an impressive-looking crime thriller that offers some fine performances. It may be mostly overlooked today, partially because it’s not been readily available on home video, but for silent film fans and horror fans alike, it’s one to seek out.
The Bat was shot by cinematographer Arthur Edeson on 35mm black-and-white film, finished photochemically, and presented in the aspect ratio of 1.33:1. The film comes to Blu-ray for the first time from Undercrank Productions. Thanks to a successful Kickstarter campaign by Ben Model, surviving safety 35mm preservation negatives taken from nitrate print elements were scanned by the UCLA Film & Television Archive on a LaserGraphics scanner. All 9 reels were restored in 2K by Undercrank Productions, which included grading, stabilization, de-flickering, and generally cleaning up the picture. The final encoded Blu-ray is quite the looker. Bitrates can range between 20 and 40Mbps with high levels of fine detail. Excellent contrast is on display, as well. There’s still some damage leftover, including scratches, frame damage, missing frames and sections of film, emulsion issues, and splice flashes in between frames, but these are minor compared to the Herculean efforts it took to get it looking this good, in both the 1980s when the original nitrate reels were literally falling apart during that complicated restoration, as well as the modern scans and restoration work by the team at Undercrank Productions. Some of the reels are certainly cleaner and more stable than others, but the overall picture quality is excellent.
Audio is included in 2.0 LPCM, with a new musical score by Ben Model. It’s a lovely theatre organ-driven score that fits the film well, and the sound quality is excellent.
The Bat (1926) is presented on Region-Free 1080p Blu-ray by Undercrank Productions in a blue Amaray case. The following extras are included in HD:
- Roland West: Cinematic Man of Mystery (8:44)
- A Fraternity Mixup (19:17)
Roland West: Cinematic Man of Mystery is a brief but excellent video essay by Crystal Kui and Steve Massa, with narration by Steve Massa, that details the short career of the filmmaker while also offering many fascinating photographs and aspects of West’s personal life.
A Fraternity Mixup is a comedy “two-reeler,” also from 1926, produced by Joe Rock for the Standard Cinema Corporation, and directed by Scott Pembroke. The surviving 16mm print was originally taken straight from the original 35mm camera negative and is currently held by the Library of Congress. Newly-scanned and restored in its original aspect ratio for this release, much in the same manner as the main feature (also with musical accompaniment by Ben Model), this short features the head mistress of Bryants College for Young Ladies trying to protect the virtues of her charges at all costs, especially from members of the opposite sex. Chaos ensues when a ladder, cross-dressing, a rainstorm, gunshots, a skeleton, a gorilla, and a lion all make appearances. It’s scratchy with some built-in damage, but offers plenty of clarity and good detail. It’s also entertainment in its own right, and a fine companion to the main feature.
The Bat is a film that’s sorely been out of proper circulation for much of its existence, mostly seen only in lower quality presentations and theatrical revival screenings. Now it’s fully available in excellent quality and should be on everyone’s radars for the Halloween season. Highly recommended.
- Tim Salmons
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