The Vampire Bat

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The Vampire Bat

1933,

1h 2m,

Horror/

Drama/

Romance

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Watchlist

Watchlist

67%

6 Reviews

Tomatometer

26%

250+ Ratings

Popcornmeter

67%

Tomatometer

6 Reviews

26%

Popcornmeter

250+ Ratings

When corpses drained of blood begin to show up in a European village, town elders suspect a vampire on the loose. Policeman Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas) doubts the existence of vampires, but Dr. Otto von Niemann (Lionel Atwill) argues to the contrary. Fingers point at the village idiot, Herman Gleib (Dwight Frye), but after local vigilantes get him out of the picture, the killings continue. Brettschneider then tries to keep a cool head as he searches for possibly supernatural answers.

Matt Brunson

Film Frenzy

Apr 10, 2022

2.5/4

Poverty Row studio Majestic Pictures had quite the all-horror-star lineup when it debuted this moderately entertaining yarn.

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Tim Brayton

Antagony & Ecstasy

Jun 4, 2015

7/10

The movie is no timeless classic, but it's definitely a unique one-off.

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Emanuel Levy

EmanuelLevy.Com

Jul 21, 2005

2/5

Carol Cling

Las Vegas Review-Journal

Aug 29, 2003

3/5

Christopher Null

Filmcritic.com

May 4, 2003

1.5/5

Ken Hanke

Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)

Dec 29, 2002

4/5

Great cast and borrowed sets (from Universal) distinguish this poverty row thriller.

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Hermione S

Mar 23, 2019

Blobbo like. Period piece. Old. Pretty good.

Anakin S

Oct 12, 2017

The was a cute wannabe "Universal Horror" film.

Theodore M

Sep 30, 2014

A small town is suffering a rash of deaths that appear to be the work of a vampire ... wounds on the neck, blood drained, etc. Local cop Melvyn Douglas is skeptical, but the townsfolk are convinced and eccentric, bat-loving weirdo Dwight Frye is blamed. How is seemingly benevolent doctor Lionel Atwill connected. An enjoyable, brief little programmer with an impressive cast (Fay Wray is also here as a love interest for Douglas).

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Frank R. Strayer

Director

Lionel Atwill

Dr. Otto von Niemann

Melvyn Douglas

Karl Brettschneider

Fay Wray

Ruth Bertin

Dwight Frye

Herman Gleib

Maude Eburne

Aunt Gussie Schnappmann

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Synopsis

When corpses drained of blood begin to show up in a European village, town elders suspect a vampire on the loose. Policeman Karl Brettschneider (Melvyn Douglas) doubts the existence of vampires, but Dr. Otto von Niemann (Lionel Atwill) argues to the contrary. Fingers point at the village idiot, Herman Gleib (Dwight Frye), but after local vigilantes get him out of the picture, the killings continue. Brettschneider then tries to keep a cool head as he searches for possibly supernatural answers.

Director: Frank R. Strayer
Producer: Phil Goldstone
Screenwriter: Edward T. Lowe Jr.
Distributor: Capitol Film Exchange Inc.
Production Co: Larry Darmour Productions
Genre: Horror, Drama, Romance
Original Language: English
Release Date (Theaters): Jan 21, 1933, Original
Release Date (Streaming): Jul 1, 2016
Runtime: 1h 2m

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