gridoon2018 "The Bat Whispers" boasts striking, spacious sets and some remarkably (for 1930) fluid camera-work, but it still can't completely shake off its staginess, and it includes not one, not two, but three unfunny comic relief supporting characters (the maid's squealing is absolutely insufferable). As for who The Bat is, it is possible after a point to put 2 and 2 together and figure it out before he is unmasked. But the final 2 minutes are most unusual - for this ending, and the visuals, the film is worth a look. **1/2 out of 4.

Brandin Lindsey The Bat Whispers is a 1930 suspense-thriller with elements of mystery and drama. The story follows a middle-aged woman of wealth, named Cornelia Van Gorder, who has rented an elaborate mansion from a wealthy banker's son. When the large house is used to hide the proceeds from a bank robbery, several different parties compete to remove the inhabitants and find the money. Excitement, suspense, and thrills ensue as Cornelia, along with her friends and family, attempt to put an end to the fiasco.The film, The Bat Whispers, manages to stay enjoyable throughout its entirety, with barely a dull moment. The Bat character is reminiscent of an early Batman and it is easy to draw parallels between the two characters. The ending is also extremely fun, after the resolution and when the audience is addressed. I won't give anything away, but this film is worth watching for this part alone.One of the worst parts of the film, unfortunately, is the corny attempts at humor. Hiding halfway under a bed, cross-eyed fainting, and overdone acting add a cringe element to the film, which is disappointing. The story is done very well and the added comedy elements deduct from the overall viewing experience. There are also a few ambitious attempts at using special effects, such as tiny models to show a sprawling cityscape or a car traveling down a road. Although it is a good effort by the artists involved, these scenes do not work either. They are simply too artificial and, worse, are completely irrelevant. Lastly, one could argue that much of the conflict in this film, along with many thriller and mystery movies, is based on a faulty personality by the characters, such as an extreme naivety in their surroundings and the ability to trust even the most suspicious- looking individuals without hesitation.Overall, The Bat Whispers is a fun film. Exciting, suspenseful, full of thrills and twists, and a good mystery story, all audiences can enjoy this movie. A few downfalls and bad choices keep this film from being truly great, but it is worth a watch. And don't forget to watch the very end, it's great.

Michael_Elliott Bat Whispers, The (1930) 35mm version *** (out of 4) 65mm version ** (out of 4)The master criminal known as The Bat steals a necklace even though he warned police that he was going to do it. They believe he's taken shelter inside an old house, which is full of shocks and surprised for the Detective (Chester Morris) on the case. This film has a pretty strange history behind it since Roland was remaking his earlier film from 1926 and was shooting two different versions. The 35mm version is the one being reviewed it and for the most part I was shocked at how well made it was. What really shocked me is that a lot of these early sound films are quite horrid and hard to understand but that's not the case here as everyone from the director to the cast seem perfectly normal working with the sound. The actors really take off and know how to work their dialogue, which again is something I wasn't use to seeing in such a early sound film. The visual look of this film mixed in with the sound makes the film appear to be something made later in the decade and not at the start. The cast all turn in impressive performances starting with Morris who has become a favorite of mine over the past couple years. It took me a little while to warm up to his type of delivery but once I did I really enjoyed watching him and his style of comedy. Una Merkel is also very good as is Chance Ward and Richard Tucker. The film offers up a lot of comedy and for the most part it works including a scene where the two older women are being questioned and are asked how old they are. One tells and lie and this is one of the highlights of the film. Even before we get to the two versions of the film it's also important to note that the film offers up one of the first "dolly" shots with a special camera that was created just for this film, which allowed it to move 18-feet in the matter of seconds. There's also a sweeping camera shot that is way ahead of its time even though the miniature used is easy to spot. Some might find the story or settings full of clichés must one must remember that this is the film that influenced everything that would follow, which is saying quite a bit for director West as his 1926 film influenced all the future silent old dark house films. After the film we also get a quick "warning" from The Bat telling people not to spoil the movie for those who haven't seen it.The 65mm version features the exact same story and cast but of course it's shown in an early widescreen format and features all new shots by a different cinematographer. It's really amazing at how different these two versions are and I'd say the 65mm is more of a curiosity than anything else. I think the best film is the 35mm version for various reasons. For one, the widescreen process being used here really takes you out of the action in several ways as the camera is far back from the actors and this here kills several of the comedy sequences. It's also worth noting that apparently shooting this way was very expensive so they couldn't do countless takes, which might explain a few instances where lines are messed up but the actors keep going. This might also explain why the performances here are a lot more lacking than in the other version. It almost appears that the cast members are worried about messing up and this too effects their work and once again the comedy is what appears hurt the most. It's always interesting seeing these early attempts at widescreen but I think in this case it really hurt the movie. There just seems to be way too much going on trying to get this trick to work that both the director and cast aren't up in their game.

funkyfry A tour-de-force of chases, shootouts, and robbery, as "The Bat" terrorizes a city, and particularly the renters of a mansion where he makes his hideout. Nearly everybody is a suspect, but the key lighting pretty much gives it away. Nonetheless, West keeps the pace moving so fast that we don't really have time to stop and think about much of anything. Features West's trademark effects with miniatures and wires. Some remarkable photography (in 65mm, no less) in the disappearing silent gothic tradition makes this movie a link from the newly emerging horror scene to the old "haunted house with criminals" genre into which it more properly falls. "Goofy gothic" excellence.