Small, independent distributor majestic pictures known for their westerns and melodrama throughout the 1930s attempted to capitalize on the majorstudio horror boom of the early 1930s by creating this unusual hybrid film comprised of sets, props and actors borrowed from. Italia latinoamerica magyarorszag nederland new zealand norge. With lionel atwill, fay wray, melvyn douglas, dwight frye. The common vampire bat desmodus rotundus, the hairylegged vampire bat diphylla ecaudata, and the whitewinged vampire bat diaemus youngi. Policeman karl brettschneider melvyn douglas doubts the existence of vampires, but dr. Their food source is blood, a dietary trait called hematophagy. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. The vampire bat, lobbycard, from left, melvyn douglas, lionel atwill. While police inspector karl remains skeptical, scientist dr. Discovering what kind of evil ghoul is at work is half the fun in watching this atmospheric little thriller. An interesting precode 1933 resurrection starring melvyn douglas and fay wray. The vampire bat is a very enjoyable mysteryhorror film and at only 63 minutes, a quite short one. The vampire bat 1933 is an american horror movie starring lionel atwill, fay wray, melvyn douglas and dwight frye.
The main story is that people are dying in the town of klineschloss and it looks like a vampire is doing the killing. I just picked up the vampire bat dvd, a film i saw only once on tv back in the early 80s so i have little recollection of it, except that at the time i thought it was very atmopherically photographed. The vampire bat is presented in full screen with an aspect ratio of 1. Vintage horror gem the vampire bat debuts hd restoration.
The vampire bat is a fun trip, getting by on looking okay and playing with enough conventions to still seem sprightly, even with wooden direction and some lame comic relief. Any of several bats of the subfamily desmodontinae, found in subtropical and tropical regions of the americas, that bite mammals and birds to feed on their blood and that often carry diseases such as rabies. The producer, phil goldstone, was an independently wealthy real estate tycoon with financial ties to the major studios. The vampire bat 1933 universal studios was the undisputed trendsetter in the horror movie cycle of the1930s, though most other studios tried their hand at the genre in the wake of thesuccess of such films as dracula 1931 and frankenstein1931. The vampire bat ruse worked well for majestic, which was able to rush the quickie film into theaters less than a month before warners release of mystery of the wax museum. Paramount pictures, for example, indulged in some elaborate monster makeupsand precode scenes of torture in. The vampire bat is a 1933 american precode horror film directed by frank r. The movie plays like a second rate universal horror movie and melvyn douglas plays his character like water down thin man.
The vampire bat is a 1933 scifi horror film starting fay wray the village of kleinschloss has run into a small problem. Even for a movie from 1933, this image seemed problematic. This enemy is an homage to the wesley willis song vampire bat. The vampire bat appears in an aspect ratio of approximately 1.
Find highquality vampire bat stock photos and editorial news pictures from getty images. The vampire bat is one hour and eleven minutes and was released in theaters on january 10, 1933. A bloodthirsty mob hounds gleib to his death, but the. The bloodsucking vampire bat may have a lesson to teach us on what sharing is all about.
Nevertheless the vampire bat is a horror quickie that honestly earns its four stars. And when it comes to fairly forgotten b horror pictures from poverty row during the 1930s, frank r. The vampire bat is a 1933 film about a villiage with a suspected resurgence of vampirism. In this film though the science is no bad thing because where there is science there is usually a scientist and scientists often need an assitant. The vampire bat is not scary at all by any sense of the word, it is actually pretty boring.
Sometimes, being in the right place at the right time is all it takes. The vampire bat 1933 is a bmovie from majestic pictures that looks like an amovie. Of course, sinister cinemas the vampire bat special edition is interesting for the extra musical backing. A detective is sent to investigate the murders, and discovers a secret related to a scientists mysterious experiments. The vampire bat 1933 in film is an american horror movie starring lionel atwill, fay wray, melvyn douglas, and. I have been watching alot of horror movies from the 30s and i really didnt enjoy this one.
A minor distraction is the overuse of comic relief supplied by maude eburne. After our hero has begun to pursue the possibility that a vampire is at work, the expert he has relied on, dr. Vampire bats are bats that feed on blood hematophagy. Melvyn douglas is the debonair flatfoot assigned to solve a series of vampire killings. Newly restored the vampire bat lands on bluray with a. With an atmosphere worthy of universals contemporaneous horror films, this slick little thriller finds mad doctor lionel atwill at work in a village where bodies are turning up mysteriously drained of blood.
Any of various other bats, as those of the family megadermatidae, erroneously believed to feed on blood. The vampire bat, lobbycard, from left, melvyn douglas, lionel atwill, 1933. When the villagers of kleinschloss start dying of blood loss, the town fathers suspect a resurgence of vampirism, but police inspector karl breettschneider remains skeptical. The vampire bat poster us poster art lionel atwill melvyn douglas 1933.
Download premium images you cant get anywhere else. When the villagers of kleinschloss start dying of blood loss, the town fathers. Get this there are 950 different species of bats in the amazon, so youd best like them. It serves as a fascinating mix of every genre trope that had emerged in both the silent era and the early sound years. Vampire bat definition of vampire bat by the free dictionary. In the wild, common vampire bats are microbats that live about nine years. The common vampire bat, desmodus rotundus, is the most wellknown and intriguing in its genus. The description text and many of the combat messages are quotes from that song, including the folgers slogan quoted at the end of the song.
When corpses drained of blood begin to show up in a european village, vampirism is suspected to be responsible. Mysterious deaths are plaguing the mitteleuropa town of kleinschloss, with the victims all dying of blood loss. These varied in intensity but remained a frequent distraction. But this spanishlanguage version is also curious for another reasonthe amplification, or addition or both, of the sound of footsteps. This is a vampire movie, but not the kind you think. You see, a serial killer is on the loose, draining people of their blood, and superstitious townsfolk think a vampire is on the loose. In order to do this, the vampire bat has had to adapt its body so that it. If you dont believe this, gerald carter can prove it with his new research paper, social bethedging in. A man who is fond of bats is suspected and a angry mob gets rid of him. The vampire bat 1933 the vampire bat 1933 paleoguy. The amazonian vampire bats are the only true vampire bat in the world, i. Villagers are turning up dead and vampires are suspected. It serves as a fascinating mix of every genre trope that had emerged in. The vampire bat is a 1933 american precode horror film starring lionel atwill, fay wray, melvyn douglas, and dwight frye.
Throughout the movie, i saw specks, scratches, blotches and other issues. When the villagers of klineschloss start dying of blood loss, the town fathers suspect a resurgence of vampirism. Melvyn douglas, maude eburne, lionel atwill, fay wray. The bat order, chiroptera, splits bats into megachiroptera megabats and microchiroptera microbats. Harmony joy ride was how willis referred to his musicmaking in general.
Restored from a 35mm composite acetate fine grain master and a 35mm nitrate print, uclas restoration recreates the sensational gustav brock color sequence, unacknowledged and unseen since first run. Strayers underrated gem the vampire bat essentially flew down from the skies and into motion picture history just for its impeccable timing alone. Its a poverty row studio effort thats in the vein of universals horror of the era screenwriter edward lowe also wrote house of frankenstein and house of dracula, and features an impressive cast starring lionel atwell, fay wray, and melvyn douglas. There are only three bat species that feed on blood. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. The town elders suspect vampire bats, but is it something more sinister. But the vampire bats springy forelimbs can propel it vertically like a harrier jump jet at a speed of over 2 ms. Enter your location to see which movie theaters are playing the vampire bat near you. According to the film daily january 10, 1933, the films running time was 63.
With lionel atwill, fay wray, melvyn douglas, maude eburne. It has lush visuals and the look of a bigger budget movie for good reason the producers shot much of the film on. Lionel atwill is in the cast, so that is probably a rhetorical question. Vampire bats, species of the subfamily desmodontinae, are leafnosed bats found in the americas. One major concern resulted from print flaws, as those abounded. Featurette on gregory hesselberg, son of melvyn douglas, audio. When the villagers of klineschloss start dying of blood loss, the town fathers. Strayer and starring lionel atwill, fay wray, melvyn douglas, and dwight frye. Lionel atwill and fay wray in the vampire bat 1933. The vampire bat 1933 is an american horror movie starring lionel atwill, fay wray, melvyn douglas, and dwight frye. The vampire bat 1933 page 11 classic horror film board. Media in category the vampire bat the following 2 files are in this category, out of 2 total. All three species are native to the americas, ranging from mexico to brazil, chile, and argentina.
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