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The Bat Whispers: Special Edition - VCI Entertainment (Blu-ray)

Theatrical Release Date: USA/UK, 1930
Director: Roland West
Writer: Roland West
Cast: Chester Morris, Una Merkel, William Bakewell, Grayce Hampton, Maude Eburne, Gustav von Seyffertitz, Spencer Charters, Charles Dow Clark, Hugh Huntley, DeWitt Jennings, Richard Tucker, Wilson Benge, Chance Ward, Sidney D'Albrook, S.E. Jennings, Ben Bard

Release Date: August 13th, 2024
Approximate running times: 85 Minutes 32 Seconds (The Bat Whispers - 35 mm version U.S. Theatrical Release), 85 Minutes 56 Seconds (The Bat Whispers - 35 mm version UK Theatrical Release), 84 Minutes 50 Seconds (The Bat Whispers - 65 mm version)
Aspect Ratio: 1.32:1 Aspect Ratio / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (The Bat Whispers - 35 mm version U.S. Theatrical Release), (The Bat Whispers - 35 mm version UK Theatrical Release), 2.00:1 Widescreen / 1080 Progressive / MPEG-4 AVC (The Bat Whispers - 65 mm version)
Rating: NR
Sound: LPCM Mono English (All Versions)
Subtitles: English SDH (All Versions)
Region Coding: Region Free
Retail Price: $29.95

"An infamous burglar and jewel thief known as "The Bat" plays cat and mouse with the police and terrorizes the occupants of a mansion, leased from a bank president who is in Europe. After the town bank is robbed, "the Bat" and a cashier named, Brook, who disappeared afterwards, are the main suspects. Strange things begin to occur in the mansion, such as mysterious noises, lights being turned on and off and an ominous shadow is seen by the occupants. When a rock is thrown through a window with a threatening note telling the occupants to leave 'or else', the renter, Cornelia Van Gorder, and her guests, suspect the money from the robbery might be hidden there. They begin a search for a hidden room, hoping to find the stolen money but when Ms. Gorder's guests begin turning up dead, she fears "The Bat" is trying to keep them from finding his 'Stash'." - synopsis provided by the distributor

Video: 3.75:5 (35 mm version U.S. Theatrical Release, 35 mm version UK Theatrical Release), 3.5/5 (65 mm version)

The Bat Whispers comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 46.2 GB

Feature: 20.5 GB (35 mm version U.S. Theatrical Release), 20.8 GB (35 mm version UK Theatrical Release)

The Bat Whispers comes on a 50 GB dual layer Blu-ray.

Disc Size: 45.6 GB

Feature: 21.7 GB (The Bat Whispers - 65 mm version), 19.1 (The Bat -1959)

All three versions are in very good shape; this is easily the best they have ever looked at on home media. That said, contrast and grayscale are slightly stronger on two 35mm versions, while the source for the 65mm version is the weakest.

Audio: 3.75/5 (All Versions)

Each version comes with one audio option, a LPCM mono mix in English with removable English SDH. All three audio tracks sound very good; dialog comes through clearly, everything sounds balanced, and range-wise ambient sounds are well-represented. That said, each version has some minor hiss.

Extras:

Extras on disc one include a photo gallery with music from the film playing in the background (poster/stills/advertisements), and a featurette titled Version Comparison 1.32:1 U.S. vs British (10 minutes 14 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles).

Extras on disc two include a featurette titled The Bat - 1926 Before & After Restoration (1 minute 54 seconds, no sounds with English intertitles), a featurette titled The Bat - 1926 vs The Bat Whispers (7 minutes 33 seconds, LPCM mono English with English intertitles), a featurette titled Version Comparison: U.S. 1.32: 1 vs Widescreen 2.00:1 (10 minutes 14 seconds, LPCM mono English, no subtitles), an audio commentary with Mick LaSalle for the widescreen 2.00:1 version), and a bonus feature film The Bat - 1959 (79 minutes 57 seconds, 1.85:1 aspect ratio, LPCM mono English with removable English SDH).

Other extras include a 12-page booklet with cast & crew information, and a text piece titled The Restoration of The Bat Whispers written by Richard Burrios.

Summary:

The Bat Whispers: A mastermind jewel thief known as The Bat plays a cat and mouse game with the police.

The Bat Whispers is the second of three film adaptations of Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood’s three-act play titled The Bat. The other two adaptations are The Bat (1926), also directed by Ronald West, and The Bat (1959), which starred Vincent Price.

Though modern audiences take most visual techniques, The Bat Whispers was truly innovative for its time, where most cinema was stationary in the 1920s and 30s, and The Bat Whispers uses fluid camera movements that were uncommon for films from that area. Besides innovative camera techniques, the visuals have an expressionistic quality to them that's reminiscent of 1920s German cinema.

Another way in which The Bat Whispers stands apart from its contemporaries is its use of a widescreen format, decades before it became the norm. Besides being filmed in widescreen, there was a version made for U.S. audiences and a version made for UK audiences. The three versions have unique footage that sets them apart; the widescreen version is framed in a drastically different way.

Having seen the 1959 adaptation first, it's interesting to see how it differed from The Bat Whispers. Though both films share a premise, tone-wise, these two adaptations could not be more different, notably when it comes to The Bat Whisper's use of offbeat humor, while The Bat (1959) has a more serious tone. That said, despite their differences, you cannot go wrong with either of these adaptations.

Though the use of obvious miniatures gives The Bat Whispers a dated look, one would be hard-pressed to name another area where it is lacking. The narrative is well-constructed, pacing is never an issue, and a superb finale perfectly wraps up the events that proceeded. Other areas of note are solid production design and an abundance of atmosphere. Ultimately, The Bat Whispers is a solid crime drama that fans of Old Dark House films should thoroughly enjoy.

The Bat - 1959: The Bat was directed by Crane Wilbur, whose other notable credits as a screenwriter include He Walked by Night, House of Wax, and The Mad Magician. The Bat would also be Crane Wilbur's third collaboration with Vincent Price, following House of Wax and The Mad Magician.

When one thinks of Vincent Price, it is his work in the horror genre that immediately comes to mind. And though there are horror elements in The Bat, the result is something that is closer to a mystery film, think Agatha Christie.

The narrative revolves around Cornelia van Gorder, a mystery writer who has rented an old estate with a macabre past. After an initial setup, the narrative is told via a flashback that fills in the blanks that led to the moment that opens The Bat. With a finale that neatly wraps everything up.

Despite the fact that the entire cast is excellent in their roles. The main attractions of The Bat are Agnes Moorehead (Citizen Kane) in the role of Cornelia van Gorder and Vincent Price (The Last Man on Earth) in the role of Dr. Malcolm Wells. These two actors give The Bat star power and both deliver solid performances that elevate the story at hand. Another performance of note is Lenita Lane (While America Sleeps) in the role of Lizzie Allen, Cornelia van Gorder’s assistant who is prone to hysterics whenever something sinister is lurking.

Given that The Bat has all of the characteristics that one would expect from a B film, the result is actually a film that often exceeds its limited resources. Another strength of The Bat is how effectively it mixes genres. One minute it is a suspense film, only to shift to a horror film, and humor also plays a role in the story at hand. Ultimately, The Bat is a highly entertaining murder mystery that greatly benefits from its two leads, Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead.

The Bat Whispers gets an exceptional release from VCI Entertainment, highly recommended.

1.32:1 Aspect Ratio U.S. Version Screenshots.