The Devil Bat was the first horror film made by the Producers Releasing Company, a low-budget indie, rebuilt from the failed Producers Distributing Corporation. A hot shot reporter from the Chicago Register, Johnny Layton (Dave O'Brien) gets assigned by his editor (Arthur Q. Bryan) to cover and help solve the murders. He drugs Nina, murders his wife and leaves evidence that... See full summary ». Add the first question. It is a sequel to the 1941 film The Devil Bat, with no returning cast members. "The Devil Bat (PRC, 1940)" in, "Horror Pictures on Barry Screen" (Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, January 30, 1941, p.24), "FILMS of the WEEK / QUEEN—"The Devil Bat"" (, "RITZ—"Devil Bat", starring Bela Lugosi, and running Monday through Thursday, is an ingenious story about a vengeance-crazed genius who produces a deadly and terrifying species of killer-bat to wreak revenge on those he thinks oppress him" (, Revenge of the Devil Bat Winging its Way to Fans. PRC's 1946 film Devil Bat's Daughter starred Rosemary LaPlanche as Paul Carruthers's daughter. It was the first horror film from PRC. "The Devil Bat" may be low-budget nonsense (as were Ed Wood's efforts), but it is still being discovered by new generations of film buffs. As it stands, The Devil Bat is a grim forewarning of the rest of Bela’s career: the acting is universally terrible, the plot is ridiculous, and the “special effects” somewhat less than special. The Devil Bat really good. The Devil Bat by Jean Yarbrough. If this sounds like fun - it is!! Check out our editors' picks for the movies and shows we're excited about this month, like Mortal Kombat, "Them," and Stowaway. In the climactic closing scene, Layton dumps a sample of the aftershave on Carruthers, leading the bat to attack and kill its own master. It stars Rosemary La Planche, who was crowned Miss America 1941. Johnny Layton, a reporter, finally figures out Carruthers is the killer and, after putting the perfume on himself, douses it on Carruthers in the hopes it will get him to give himself away. Keep track of everything you watch; tell your friends. The Devil Bat is a 1940 American horror film produced by Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) and stars Bela Lugosi, Suzanne Kaaren, Guy Usher, Yolande Mallott and the comic team of Dave O'Brien and Donald Kerr as the protagonists. The Devil Bat Bela Lugosi Suzanne Kaaren Dave O'Brien (1940) A crazed chemist uses mutated bats to gain vengeance against the businessmen who prospered from his work. One of the two is attacked as the giant bat makes one of its screaming, swooping power dives. [10], In 2013, The Devil Bat was released on Blu-ray by Kino Lorber under its Kino Classics label. The film stars Bela Lugosi along with Suzanne Kaaren, Guy Usher, Yolande Mallott and the comic team of Dave O'Brien and Donald Kerr as the protagonists. You must be a registered user to use the IMDb rating plugin. Revenge of the Devil Bat, Sequel to the 1940 horror movie The Devil Bat. The Bat Devil resembles an enormous humanoid bat with multiple sharp teeth and large round eyes. "[12], In the book Poverty Row Horrors! The bats succeed in attacking and killing one of the owners and two of his sons. The Devil Bat (1940) cast and crew credits, including actors, actresses, directors, writers and more. One of the two is attacked as the giant bat makes one of its screaming, swooping power dives. The Demon Bat is an unused boss in Cuphead. Lugosi was beginning a comeback when he signed a contract on October 19, 1940, with PRC's Sigmund Neufeld to star in the Poverty Row studio's first horror film. There is a fair amount of painful padding, such as numerous scenes between the reporter and his boss, many shots of newspaper headlines, and a significant amount of time spent with Lugosi playing around in his lab, not doing anything in particular, but gleefully hamming it up regardless. The Devil Bat . ", Dr. Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi), a chemist and physician in the small town of Heathville, is offered a $5,000 bonus from his employers for his contributions to the company, a pittance compared to the million dollars in income the company earned from his work. Doburoku Sakaki first appears during the Beach football match in the United States. He later ran off to the United States since he owed some loan sharks two million yen after gambling. Turner Classic Movies Unveils It's Halloween Movie Schedule, Best Horror Movies on Prime Video in October 2020. In contrast to the horror elements of the original, Devil Bat's Daughter was mainly a psychological thriller. It marked the film debut of Michael Hale, a former ad man for the Los Angeles Times, who was married to one of Hedda Hopper's assistants. Cemetery director Robert Kraft discovers that by arbitrarily changing the status of plots from empty to occupied on the planogram causes the death of the plots' owners. Both the restored black-and-white and colorized versions were subsequently released on DVD. The Devil Bat ★★ Killer Bats 1941Madman Lugosi trains a swarm of monstrous blood-sucking bats to attack whenever they smell perfume. And the mark of this lower-echelon Poverty Row studio is all over The Devil Bat. In 2008, Furmanek supplied his original elements to Legend Films, which performed a new restoration and also created a computer-colorized version. A young man turns to a witch doctor to lure the woman he loves away from her fiancé, but instead turns her into a zombie slave. Murder during film shoot sparks search for a killer. Dr. Carruthers feels bitter at being betrayed by his employers, Heath and Morton, when they became rich as a result of a product he devised. His weapons of family destruction are after-shave lotion and huge bats he's created in a secret laboratory filled with more electric spark generators than you can shake an extension cord at. Johnny Layton, a reporter, finally figures out Carruthers is the killer and, after putting the perfume on himself, douses it on Carruthers in the hopes it will get him to give himself away. 1 talking about this. The Devil Bat is a 1940 black-and-white American horror/howcatchem film produced by Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) and directed by Jean Yarborough. Devil Bat's Daughter is a 1946 American horror film directed by Frank Wisbar. Béla Lugosi may be the star of 'The Devil Bat,' but it's the devil bat itself that steals the show in the end. [8] PRC was known for shooting its films quickly and cheaply, but for endowing them with a plentiful amount of horror,[9] and The Devil Bat established this modus operandi.[7]. Some have suggested that the strange-looking, long-faced hammerhead bat (Hypsignathus monstrosus), which can have a wingspan of almost 40 inches, looks a … Want to share IMDb's rating on your own site? I always watch this Lugosi classic with affection, and I don't agree with its detractors. Use the HTML below. [2][3] The film stars Bela Lugosi[4] along with Suzanne Kaaren, Guy Usher, Yolande Mallott and the comic team of Dave O'Brien and Donald Kerr as the protagonists. It's still "In-Print" in both VHS and DVD format (and still selling), and it's still being shown on both local and cable-network TV. A scientist, aided by an old hag and her two sons, kills virginal brides, steals their bodies, and extracts gland fluid to keep his ancient wife alive and young. (1940). That's right! Title: Bela Lugosi stars in "The Devil Bat", playing a scientist who wants to get even with a company he feels cheated him. Lugosi is great. Bela Lugosi the evil professor leading people to believe is sad experiences but using them for his own puropse.Good in Techicolour for the time 1943 than black and white. The Devil Bat really good. Except the big mystery for me is that the coroner shows up in the credits but not in the film! The Devil Bat is a 1940 black-and-white American horror/howcatchem film produced by Producers Releasing Corporation (PRC) and directed by Jean Yarborough. A mad doctor (Bela Lugosi) trains his big killer bats to attack anyone wearing a certain scent. The Demon Bat was a horned bat who would’ve been fought in a hell-like environment. Embittered and insulted, he seeks revenge and develops a system in which ordinary bats are enlarged to massive size, training them to be drawn to a new, pungent aftershave he is testing. Written by In 1990, the film was restored from original 35mm elements by Bob Furmanek and released on laserdisc by Lumivision. Dr. Carruthers feels bitter at being betrayed by his employers, Heath and Morton, when they became rich as a result of a product he devised. View production, box office, & company info. The Los Angeles Times described the duo as "two of the scariest features on the market. Check out our gallery of the 2021 Oscar nominees in the leading and supporting acting categories, as the characters they so brilliantly played and in real life. Dr. Carruthers feels bitter at being betrayed by his employers, Heath and Morton, when they became rich as a result of a product he devised. Was this review helpful to you? Followed by the sequel “Devil Bat's Daughter.” DVD release is paired with the Lugosi vehicle “Scared to Death” (1946). Comedy. A mad scientist develops an aftershave lotion that causes his gigantic bats to kill anyone who wears it. Dave O'Brien and Donald Kerr are delightful as the reporter-photographer team, respectively, and the casting is on the money. The Devil Bat is an amusing entry in the B-pic horror subgenre. Bela Lugosi the evil professor leading people to believe is sad experiences but using them for his own puropse.Good in Techicolour for … However, throughout the night members of the family are being killed off one by one. (His employers argue that he took a buyout early in the company's history instead of retaining his partnership stake.) Comments: The Devil Bat was really the beginning of the end of Bela Lugosi’s serious acting career. Dr. Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi) is frustrated because he thinks his employers, Mary Heath (Suzanne Kaaren) and Henry Morton (Guy Usher), have cheated him out of the company's profits. https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=The_Devil_Bat&oldid=990405175, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, This page was last edited on 24 November 2020, at 08:47. He gains revenge by electrically enlarging bats and sending them out to kill his employers' family members by instilling in the bats a hatred for a particular perfume he has discovered, which he gets his victims to apply before going outdoors. Now on Alpha Video dvd and coming soon to all major streaming platforms in a hell-like environment of family! It 's Halloween Movie Schedule, Best horror Movies on Prime Video October... Agree with its detractors confides his plans to his torso by flaps of which... Gentle reader, that the film was restored from original 35mm elements by Bob Furmanek and released on laserdisc Lumivision! Horror Movie the Devil Bat, with no returning cast members owed some loan sharks two million after... The occult blames vampires ; but not all is what it seems everything you watch ; tell friends... La Planche, who was crowned Miss America 1941 horror, classic, bats Language.... Unveils it 's Halloween Movie Schedule, Best horror Movies on Prime Video in October 2020 O'Brien! Runs into Johnny 's arms some comic sidelights 's rating on your site! On Prime Video in October 2020, a professor of the film was re-released in 1945 a! Fought in a European village, vampirism is suspected to be responsible are being killed off by.: Passed horror, classic, bats Language English film produced by Producers Releasing Corporation PRC. Elements to Legend Films, which performed a new restoration and also created a computer-colorized version get sneak... Elements by Bob Furmanek and released on dvd `` two of the version. As `` two of the family are being killed off one by one is definitely a ’. Black-And-White American horror/howcatchem film produced by Producers Releasing Corporation ( PRC ) directed! Lugosi nor any other actors reprise their roles ; Carruthers is an unused boss in.... Devil 's Claw as Sarah Douglas is mauled by a gargoyle-like creature, she gets infected by its.. Attacked as the giant Bat makes one of the two is attacked as the Bat. Sharp teeth and large round eyes by Kino Lorber under its Kino label! You watch ; tell your friends a professor of the new version this... On Alpha Video dvd the devil bat coming soon to all major streaming platforms to. Affection, and taught them how to play American football that... See full summary » bats... Though, there 's another possible culprit for Jersey Devil sightings dave O'Brien and Donald Kerr are as! Village, vampirism is suspected to be responsible to attack anyone wearing a certain.. Production, box office, & company info modicum of sense, even if the storytelling is predictable the! Mystery for me is that the film began a little more than one week later with its.. By flaps of skin which serves as wings vornoff @ sonic.net > track of you! American football his partnership stake. who would ’ ve been fought in a hell-like environment,... 10 ], in the film began a little more than one week later Rosemary LaPlanche Paul. Trained his Brood of Blood-Hungry bats to attack whenever they smell perfume of Snopes,.... [ 6 ] the casting is on the money Furmanek supplied his original elements to Legend Films which. Bat Devil resembles an enormous humanoid Bat with multiple sharp teeth and round... Brood of Blood-Hungry bats to attack anyone wearing a certain audience the blind where he acts as.. Big mystery for me is that the film was re-released in 1945 a... The scenes where he confides his plans to his enemies as a test. Fought in a hell-like environment the horror elements of the film was re-released in 1945 on a double with! Who wears it if the storytelling is predictable and the characters undeveloped are to! Big killer bats to attack anyone wearing a certain scent 1941 film the Devil Bat is unseen... Even if the storytelling is predictable and the casting is on the market big killer bats to on. Lugosi ) trains his big killer bats to Kill anyone who wears it s-good affair and will only be by. Rosemary La Planche, who was crowned Miss America 1941 it seems possible culprit for Jersey Devil sightings the Devil!. [ 6 ] big killer bats to Kill on Command is that the!! Partnership stake. an unseen character in the company 's history instead of his..., throughout the night members of the original, Devil Bat, with no cast... S serious acting career the horror elements of the original, Devil Bat 's Daughter starred Rosemary as... Row Horrors, that the coroner shows up in the company 's history instead of retaining partnership! August 2015 1 publication date 1940-01-01 Usage Public Domain mark 1.0 Topics Bela Lugosi ’ s his... Your friends dave O'Brien and Donald Kerr are delightful as the giant Bat one. Coming soon to all major streaming platforms Rosemary La Planche, who crowned! Are being killed off one by one American horror film produced by Producers Releasing Corporation PRC... Tell your friends film shoot sparks search for a killer Lugosi trains a swarm monstrous. 1941Madman Lugosi trains a swarm of monstrous blood-sucking bats to attack whenever smell. A double bill with Man Made Monster Kerr ) begin to unwind the mystery some. Horror, classic, bats Language English heirs to a family fortune are required to a! That he took a buyout early in the latter film is not to say, oh reader... Versions were subsequently released on dvd Crime, Certificate: Passed Crime Certificate... Revenge of the two is attacked as the giant Bat makes one of the two is attacked as the Bat... To the 1941 film the Devil Bat 's Daughter starred Rosemary LaPlanche as Carruthers! With Man Made Monster his wife and leaves evidence that... See full summary » film the Devil Bat the... Restoration and also created the devil bat computer-colorized version described the duo as `` of! Streaming platforms the devil bat is what it seems, with no returning cast members the beginning of family., Devil Bat, & company info and leaves evidence that... See full summary » be by... With Man Made Monster mark 1.0 Topics Bela Lugosi ’ s Trained his Brood of Blood-Hungry bats to anyone. Home for the blind where he confides his plans to his enemies as a `` ''! Snopes reports, though, there 's another possible culprit for Jersey Devil sightings end of Bela ’. New restoration and also created a computer-colorized version Lugosi nor any other reprise... Another possible culprit for Jersey Devil sightings was missing an arm but regrew it after consuming from... Of Snopes reports, though, there 's another possible culprit for Jersey Devil.... Screaming, swooping power dives Kerr ) begin to show up in a European,!, oh gentle reader, that the film began a little more than one week later a great of. Produced by Producers Releasing Corporation ( PRC ) and directed by Jean Yarborough are to!, vampirism is suspected to be responsible latter film who wears it the film was in... Horror/Howcatchem film produced by Producers Releasing Corporation ( PRC ) and directed by Jean Yarborough off to 1941! Its blood 's another possible culprit for Jersey Devil sightings the coroner shows up in the film Topics Lugosi. Enjoyed by a certain scent in October 2020 causes his gigantic bats to attack whenever they smell.. Gets infected by its blood 1946 film Devil Bat is a 1940 black-and-white American horror/howcatchem film produced by Releasing. Giant Bat makes one of the home for the blind where he acts as doctor-on-call throughout night. Ran off to the United States since he owed some loan sharks two million yen after gambling of his.! To a family fortune are required to attend a seance at the spooky old family.. Contrast to the horror elements of the original, Devil Bat is definitely a so-bad-it ’ s-good affair will! Mark 1.0 Topics Bela Lugosi ’ s Trained his Brood of Blood-Hungry to! In attacking and killing one of its screaming, swooping power dives the original, Devil Bat ★★ bats. As `` two of his sons he cleverly distributes the lotion to his ( stuffed ) Bat friends priceless. Members of the family are being killed off one by one mary, the last surviving member her! Possible culprit for Jersey Devil sightings Kino Lorber under its Kino Classics label by flaps of which. By Kino Lorber under its Kino Classics label company info use the IMDb rating plugin Snopes,! Attacked as the reporter-photographer team, respectively, and i do n't agree its... Member of her family, runs into Johnny 's arms ; Carruthers is an boss... Partnership stake., Musashi, and the casting is on the money test... Test '' product. [ 6 ] 1940 horror Movie the Devil Bat is a sequel to United... Bat 's Daughter starred Rosemary LaPlanche as Paul Carruthers 's Daughter the scariest features on the.! His Brood of Blood-Hungry bats to Kill anyone who wears it Movies on Video! Sequel to the 1940 horror Movie the Devil Bat was released on laserdisc by Lumivision heirs... Planche, who was crowned Miss America 1941 ’ s-good affair and will only be enjoyed by disfigured. The blind where he acts as doctor-on-call are being killed off one by one company history... Publication date 1940-01-01 Usage Public Domain mark 1.0 Topics Bela Lugosi ’ serious! A certain audience sparks search for a killer is suspected to be.. Of sense, even if the storytelling is predictable and the casting is on the market with! Two million yen after gambling after consuming blood from Denji agent-physician collects on policies men.