The Bat Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.0
Video		3.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		2.0
Overall		4.0

The Bat Blu-ray Movie Review

Reviewed by Jeffrey Kauffman September 27, 2024

Perhaps surprisingly The Bat has turned out to be one of the most endearing and enduring entertainments in the annals of the American (and later global) stage and screen. For a bit of history, I refer those interested to my The Bat Blu-ray review of the probably now better remembered 1959 adaptation starring Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead. This 1926 version was the first filmed adaptation and was considered lost for decades, a loss which didn't preclude the film, or at least its progenitor play, from sparking a veritable cottage industry of both touring stage productions, as well as two more film versions, the above referenced 1959 opus, and rather interestingly an interstitial affair called The Bat Whispers made by this version's director Roland West at the dawn of the sound era in order to offer a more "high tech" version (the film's slightly revised title seems to subliminally hint at a soundtrack). But The Bat's influence didn't stop at remakes of the original property, as any number of at least tangentially related films like The Cat and the Canary easily prove. Undercrank Productions is now offering this 1926 production culled from a new 2K restoration of preservation elements held at the UCLA Film & Television Archive. This was another crowdfunded effort by the label, and kind of interestingly, this is the first release from Undercrank that I've personally reviewed that is on a pressed disc rather than their traditional MOD, um, Burnt Offerings.

Note: Undercrank has clarified that the pressed discs were for the Kickstarter backers, and that general retail discs will in fact be MOD.

This is in every way an early Old Dark House mystery (and in fact that James Whale film probably owes at least some of its moody ambience to The Bat as well), and for anyone familiar with the general outlines of this oft told story, this 1926 version doesn't vary too far from its source. For a general outline of the plot dynamics, I refer you again to my review of the 1959 version which, yes, has any number of changes but which still hews closely enough to this film's plot machinations that I won't waste time repeating myself here.

What ultimately sets this version apart from its kin is its incredible style, aided and abetted by outstanding art direction by the legendary William Cameron Menzies and some gorgeous chiaroscuro cinematography courtesy of Arthur Edeson and the soon to be legendary Gregg Toland. As I mentioned in my The Cat and the Canary Blu-ray review of that silent outing, there was a distinct German Expressionist quality suffusing that film, and there's something at least a bit similar going on here, though probably not at anything above a subliminal level. Instead, the film almost glories in shadows and immense sets that virtually dwarf the human inhabitants, and it features an absolutely goofy but still terrifying costume for its titular villain. I mentioned in my review of the 1959 version how it was never very scary, and at least with regard to several showdowns featuring The Bat and various prospective victims, this 1926 silent easily out frightens its much later remake.

The Bat Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

The Bat is presented on Blu-ray courtesy of Undercrank Productions with an AVC encoded 1080p transfer in 1.32:1. As someone who was born and raised in Utah and who was once given a joke holiday gift of a book called Utah: Gateway to Idaho, I have to kind of love the fact that a prefatory text card thanks Boise State University and whom I'm assuming was an individual Idahoan who provided the 35mm nitrate print that served as the source element for this transfer. This is by and large a rather appealing restoration, though those used to the kinds of age related wear and tear frequently seen in these older, often uncurated, elements may be better prepared for some of the issues on display. These range from relatively minor, including recurrent scratching which is probably more than discernable in some of the screenshots I've uploaded to accompany this review, but also some pretty serious emulsion damage that starts cropping up around the last half hour or so. Otherwise, though, things are in rather good shape, with nice detail levels on things like costumes or that horrifying bat head worn by the film's nemesis. Contrast is also generally solid, helping to amplify the shadowy cinematography.

The Bat Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

The Bat features an LPCM 2.0 track offering another nice "silent movie score" from Undercrank's Ben Model. This one is theater organ based, and has that big "fluffy" sound so redolent of old time movie houses. Model keeps things energetic, and also at time surprisingly anchored in major keys, given the underlying spookiness of the property. Fidelity is fine and there are no issues of any kind to report.

The Bat Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

• Roland West: Cinematic Man of Mystery (HD; 8:44) is a brief but interesting overview of West's career.


• A Fraternity Mixup (HD; 19:17) is a somewhat frantic two reeler from 1926 documenting college hijinks.

The Bat Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

There's a kind of fun "suggestion" offered via intertitle at this film's opening urging viewers not to divulge who turns out to be The Bat, in a strategy that was more or less aped decades later when Alfred Hitchcock urged viewers not to reveal a "little secret" about Psycho. Vis a vis finding out whom The Bat is, and without posting an overt spoiler, I'll only say my hunch is the venerable Dame Agatha Christie may have been aware of this property and kinda sorta stole an idea from this story for the denouement of her long running play The Mousetrap. Technical merits are generally solid and the two supplements enjoyable. Recommended.