I watched "The Vampire Bat" a couple of days after watching "Murders In The Zoo", also with Lionel Atwill, also made in 1933. The comedown in production quality is notable - there is a reason why you have heard of Paramount but not of "Majestic Pictures"! There is some impressive (subjective) camera-work, and the plot touches peripherally on the lynch-mob-mentality topic, but the film is excessively talky, and about as (un)surprising as a Scooby Doo episode. Atwill is perfectly cast, but his presence is a mixed blessing; it means than you know immediately who the villain of the story is. Fay Wray is highly desirable - even the camera loves her. ** out of 4.

After several mysterious deaths around town, a town doctor and detective disprove the old town legend about vampires as the rising death toll suggests that vampire bats are the real culprit they band together to bring it to justice.This here wasn't all that bad and did have some good moments. One of the better features is that this here did get some rather atmospheric scenes at times, most notably the opening where a witness observes a figure leaving the scene of a crime on the rooftops from below though the trees. The combination of the setting and the scene taking place at night is a great combination and that there's other outside factors contributing to this one makes it all the better. The later confrontations inside the cave are quite fun which give off an air of suspense and creepiness, which is aided nicely by the sight of burning pitchforks and dogs barking off in the distance as well as features a lot of nice action since it's tagged off chasing scenes. Though these are presented as the follow-up scenes of many of these encounters, there's still plenty of energy here giving them some extra incentive to go alongside the rather fine mystery which is quite nicely layered with the attacks rousing the same local hysteria and mounting fear that's handedly played well with their dismissals and continued search leading them into fine territory with the action in the final half. These here are what make the film enjoyable though this here does have a few discernible flaws with it. One of the main ones is that this one doesn't know what kind of film it wants to be, as this one toys with vampires and killer vampire bats at several points, yet doesn't seem comfortable with either one as the villain. Despite strong evidence for both as the main target, they're automatically dismissed right when it makes sense at the time in the perfect opportunity given. The last flaw is that it doesn't really do much in the middle of the film. This is mostly relegated to talking about the situation on-hand and doesn't spend any time on the real heart of the story. That can make it seem like a drag, which isn't needed on a film this short. As well as the confusion over what happens in the finale, these here are what hold this one down.Today's Rating-PG: Mild Violence.

Fresh from the success of Bela Lugosi in "Dracula" and his low-budget success "White Zombie" came this slightly above average horror melodrama where an "A" list cast, on loan to an independent studio, seem to be having a blast camping it up. "King Kong's" Fay Wray and "The Old Dark House's" Melvyn Douglas are the romantic leads in this Gothic thriller where townspeople are systematically killed off by some sort of mysterious creature. Werewolf? Vampire? Or even an actual vampire bat? There are genuine chills for the bedridden old lady who has nightmares over being a victim, and the shots of the actual victims being approached by a shadowy figure are moderately frightening. When a loony towns person is confronted, there is a Frankenstein monster like chase into a dangerous cave where the Renfield like character (played by none other than Dwight Frye, of course) continues to protest his innocence. The actual motivation for the killings is never quite explained even though the atmosphere is eerie and the music (stolen from "White Zombie") is appropriately haunting. Performances by Lionel Atwill as the town's kindly doctor and salty Maude Eburne as Wray's aunt are other highlights.

And most of them belong to Dwight Frye as the town idiot who specializes in cuddling bats--much to the horror of the village inhabitants.However, the filming is on a very primitive scale. Sets and costumes have the proper Gothic mood but the production is obviously a cheapie made in a hurry to capitalize on other films featuring Lionel Atwill and Fay Wray which were decidedly more polished.Melvyn Douglas, looking very youthful, is studying the case and can't figure out who the real culprit is. By this time, the audience can guess that it's "the one you'd least suspect." Summing up: Watchable as a primitive horror film from Majestic Studio with a reasonably good cast. Has the necessary ingredients for classic horror films of this era.