The Bat (1959)

A famous mystery writer (Agnes Moorehead) rents a creepy "old dark house" for the summer. Meanwhile, a killer known only as The Bat (who kills women by ripping out their throats with his claws) begins to terrorize her and her house guests. Directed by Crane Wilbur (probably more known for his screenplays like HOUSE OF WAX and HE WALKED BY NIGHT than as a director), this hoary old chestnut based on a 1920 stage play and previously filmed as a silent in 1926 and a talkie in 1930 is rather silly and shows its age. Certainly not scary by today's standards but if you're partial to those "it was a dark and stormy night" old dark house thrillers with secret passageways, hidden treasure and shadows on the wall, it can be good fun. The house itself is a real corker, expertly rendered by art and set directors Dave Milton and Rudy Butler. Vincent Price as a doctor experimenting on rabid bats doesn't have much to do except lend his authoritative presence. The B&W cinematography is by Joseph Biroc (an Oscar winner for TOWERING INFERNO). With John Sutton, Elaine Edwards, Gavin Gordon (BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN), a grown up Darla Hood of The Little Rascals fame and Lenita Lane as Moorehead's maid in a performance so amateurish, it has to be seen to be believed.