The Bat

"When it flies... someone dies!"

1959 1h 20m EN

😐

5.9

MID

★5.9TMDB · 141

HorrorMysteryThrillerCrime

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Mystery writer Cornelia Van Gorder has rented a country house called "The Oaks", which not long ago was the scene of some murders committed by a strange and violent criminal known as "The Bat". Meanwhile, the house's owner, bank president John Fleming, has recently embezzled one million dollars in securities and has hidden the proceeds in the house, but is killed before he can retrieve it.

“When it flies... someone dies!”

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Cast

Vincent Price
Dr. Malcolm Wells
Agnes Moorehead
Cornelia van Gorder
Gavin Gordon
Lt. Andy Anderson
John Sutton
Warner, the Chauffeur
Lenita Lane
Lizzie Allen
Elaine Edwards
Dale Bailey
Darla Hood
Judy Hollander
John Bryant
Mark Fleming

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Crane Wilbur
Writers: Crane Wilbur, Crane Wilbur
Languages: English
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

80 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

67 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Crane Wilbur, shot by Joseph F. Biroc. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Louis Forbes. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor William Austin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead and Gavin Gordon carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "When it flies... someone dies!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Crane Wilbur directs. Joseph F. Biroc behind the camera. Louis Forbes scores. William Austin cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

180 minutes exactly — the "classic feature" runtime most directors aim for.
267 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Lean credit list — fewer than 30 people officially credited.
4Directed by Crane Wilbur, shot by Joseph F. Biroc. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Louis Forbes. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor William Austin shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead and Gavin Gordon carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "When it flies... someone dies!".
9IMDB entry: tt0052602 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Classified under 8 themes, including "amateur detective", "bat", "black and white", "series of murders".