Movie Review: The Vampire Bat (1933)

Synopsis: A series of mysterious deaths in the village of Kleinschloss cause the village leaders to suspect a vampire. Soon after, suspicions fall on an eccentric man by the name of Hermann Gleib because of his obsession with bats. However, the answer may not be as simple as that.

Who's in it? The movie stars Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Dwight Frye, Melvyn Douglas and George E. Stone.


Review: I picked out The Vampire Bat as my movie this morning for a pair of reasons. One of them was the number of recognizable Hollywood actors that starred in it, especially Hollywood's first scream queen, Wray and a horror movie icon, Frye. The other was the movie's description made it sound like a combination of my two favorite genres, horror and mystery. I think it ended up being a great choice.

I think the thing I liked best about this film was the mystery surrounding the deaths. Everyone in the village seemed to be quick to believe it was the work of a vampire, likely one in the form of a bat. However, I suspected there might be more to the story with the vampire theory possibly being a red herring.

Gleib (Frye) made an intriguing scapegoat. While the accusation of him being a vampire seemed a bit farfetched, he certainly was one of the village's creepiest residents. In addition to his obsession with bats, he had a bit of a stalker vibe, especially when it came to Ruth (Wray). How the heck does Frye not have a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame yet?

The ending of this movie is a good one. The killer's identity isn't hard to deduce but the motive for his crimes and the suspense that is built are as good as any I've seen in horror films. At minimum, it didn't ruin an otherwise good movie, as has been the case way too many times in the past.

My only real complaint is I would have liked to see Wray have more of a role than she did. I know it was the 1930s and female actresses rarely were more than love interests and/or damsels in distress, but I think her potential was wasted a bit in this one.

Final Opinion: It's a good classic movie that has a hint of mystery and some great acting. I enjoyed it and would recommend it.

My Grade: A-


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Here are some reviews of other Lionel Atwill movies:

Movie Review: Son of Frankenstein (1939)

Movie Review: Captain Blood (1935)

Movie Review: Mark of the Vampire (1935)

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