The Bat (1959)
“She rented the house. The killer never left.”
Streamed free from the Internet Archive · no signup, no cost — this film is in the public domain.
Synopsis
Mystery novelist Cornelia Van Gorder rents a remote summer mansion, "The Oaks," unaware that over a million dollars in stolen bank securities is hidden somewhere within its walls. As she and her loyal assistant Lizzie settle in, a masked, clawed killer known as "the Bat" begins stalking the grounds, murdering anyone who gets close to the money. With the local bank president dead and a scheming doctor circling, suspicion falls on nearly everyone. The sharp-witted Van Gorder turns detective to unmask the killer before she becomes the next victim.
Cast
About the Director
Crane Wilbur — Crane Wilbur was a veteran actor turned writer-director whose screen career stretched back to the silent era. He is best known as the screenwriter of the 1953 3-D hit 'House of Wax,' which also starred Vincent Price. On 'The Bat' he both wrote the screenplay and directed, adapting the long-running Mary Roberts Rinehart material himself.
Why It’s Free: The Public-Domain Story
'The Bat' is in the public domain because its copyright was never properly secured and renewed under the registration-and-renewal regime in force at the time. With no valid copyright maintained, the film passed into the public domain and is freely available for viewing and download.
Behind the Scenes
The 1959 film is the fourth screen version of Rinehart's tale, which began as her 1908 novel "The Circular Staircase" and became the hit 1920 Broadway play "The Bat." After RKO stopped making films, the remake rights passed to former RKO head C.J. Tevlin, who produced it independently, signing with Allied Artists in April 1959 with part of the financing from American Broadcasting-Paramount Theatres. Filming began on April 27, 1959, and it opened that December on a double bill with Hammer's 'The Mummy.'
Did You Know?
- It is the fourth adaptation of Rinehart's material, following a popular 1926 silent version.
- Writer-director Crane Wilbur had earlier penned Vincent Price's 1953 smash 'House of Wax.'
- Darla Hood — the original "Darla" of the "Our Gang" / "Little Rascals" shorts — appears as Judy Hollander.
- The masked villain is described as "a man with no face."
Reception & Legacy
Reviews at release were mixed — The New York Times praised Agnes Moorehead's snappy performance while Variety found it sluggish — and its old-fashioned period-mystery style was somewhat out of step with the era's monster cycle. Its reputation has grown over time, and it endures as a beloved old-dark-house mystery and a staple of public-domain horror collections.
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