Devil Bat (1941)

56% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
31% of users liked it
(1,957 ratings)

This campy, entertaining cheapie from PRC Pictures features Bela Lugosi as a chemist who plots an elaborate revenge scheme on his business partners, whom he feels have cheated him out of his share. To this end he develops a mutant breed of vicious, oversized bats and trains several of this breed to… More This campy, entertaining cheapie from PRC Pictures features Bela Lugosi as a chemist who plots an elaborate revenge scheme on his business partners, whom he feels have cheated him out of his share. To this end he develops a mutant breed of vicious, oversized bats and trains several of this breed to home in on a special chemical which he then blends with shaving lotion. Presenting gifts of the lotion to his partners as a peace offering (and browbeating them into splashing it on themselves while in his presence), he subsequently unleashes his monstrous pets to tear them to pieces. Believe it or not, this was one of PRC's more successful horror programmers, spawning a the sequel Devil Bat's Daughter. ~ Cavett Binion, Rovi

Rating, Runtime: PG-13, 1 hr. 7 min.
Directed By: Jean Yarbrough
Written By: John T. Neville, Jean Yarbrough
Genres: Horror, Mystery & Suspense, Classics, Science Fiction & Fantasy

In Theaters: Dec 13, 1940 Wide
On DVD: Jun 18, 2002
Studio: Independent International Pictures Corp.

Critic Reviews

Stefan Birgir Stefansson, sbs.is
the worst bat effect ever
Steve Crum, Video-Reviewmaster.com
Horror fluff noted for Lugosi starring role.
Staci Layne Wilson, StaciWilson.com
I smell a bat!
Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
Rubbed me the right way.
Bob Bloom, Journal and Courier (Lafayette, IN)
A corny Monogram cheapie, allowing Lugosi to chew the scenery.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
You've got Lugosi giving it his all -- as if he believes he can hold this nonsense together by the sheer force of his will. And in some ways, he nearly does.

Read all 6 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Tim S

It's very simple. You want Lugosi to be a vampire again, but you don't want to rip off the success of Dracula. How do you do it? Make Lugosi a doctor who experiments on bats that he trains to go out and kill people at night for him. Oh, and you might not want to call it a… More
It's very simple. You want Lugosi to be a vampire again, but you don't want to rip off the success of Dracula. How do you do it? Make Lugosi a doctor who experiments on bats that he trains to go out and kill people at night for him. Oh, and you might not want to call it a vampire bat... that would be too obvious. To me, that pretty much sums up The Devil Bat. It's an attempt to capitalize on Lugosi's legacy as the most famous vampire in the history of cinema. Lugosi actually gives a great performance in the film, but the film's has some very broad humor mixed in that sort of destroys any sense of atmosphere it might have. There are two newspaper reporters who are constantly handing out one liners while they investigate the murders taking place. It's very silly at times, but it somehow works well enough for what it is. It isn't anything particularly scary, but it's enjoyable to an extent. It's good for Lugosi's performance, that much is certain.
AJ V

I don't know why Lugosi couldn't have just been a vampire again, but I suppose this is supposed to be a variation on Dracula somehow. I don't know, but this was actually a good movie, and Lugosi is always cool.
Luke B

Dodgy 40's B-movie. Perfectly harmless and actually rather enjoyable. The bat is pretty hilarious once it takes flight and the story is ofcourse absurd. Other than its camp value there is nothing worth of note.
Chris B

A campy and fun little horror film, elevated only by Bela Lugosi and his great portrayal of Dr. Paul Carruthers. The bat effects are pretty poor, especially by today's standards. The movie, despite its limitations, makes for a dark and fun little watch so long as your… More
A campy and fun little horror film, elevated only by Bela Lugosi and his great portrayal of Dr. Paul Carruthers. The bat effects are pretty poor, especially by today's standards. The movie, despite its limitations, makes for a dark and fun little watch so long as your expectations are tempered. As usual like most of these older horror films, the ending is rapidly wrapped up with a generic happy ending. For fans of campy horror flicks or, like me, fans of Bela Lugosi who appreciative his wonderfully diabolical performances.
Eduardo C

It is debatable just how seriously the film took itself but Lugosi is in top form and the movie never fails to entertain.