Batty!

DEVIL BAT (sometimes AKA KILLER BATS)-1942- is weird but enjoyable poverty row production from PRC. It stars Bela Lugosi as Dr. Paul Carruthers, a bitter inventor who uses a giant bat to kill people he believes have wronged him. It's also the only movie I know of that's plot revolves around shaving lotion!

Yeah, Lugosi is mad because the shaving lotion he invented made millions for the company he sold it to. Now he wants revenge! He implores his intended victims to sample a new lotion he's created and after they are gone he sends his "gigantic" bat to do them in (it also makes strange whooping sounds before it attacks). It's funny when the victims say something like "See ya Later, doc" and his reply is just "goodbye". Suzanne Kaaren portrays Lugosi's niece. Her love interest is a reporter played by Dave O'Brien (from The East Side Kids series, Pete Smith shorts and REEFER MADNESS).

Director Jean Yarbrough began as an assistant director in 1926 who graduated to the full time in 1936. He made some other interesting low budget movies THE BRUTE MAN and HOUSE OF HORRORS (both starring Rondo Hatton), KING OF THE ZOMBIES, THE CREEPER and five for ABBOTT and COSTELLO. He later directed all 52 episodes of their great TV show. He worked mainly in TV after that directing episdoes of THE ADDAMS FAMILY, BONANZA, GUNSMOKE, MY FAVORITE MARTIAN and others.

PRC later remade this as THE FLYING SERPENT with George Zucco in Bela's role. Instead of a bat, mythic Aztec creature, Quetzalcoutl is the killer. They also made a semi-sequel THE DEVIL BAT'S DAUGHTER in 1946 which actually exonerates the Carruthers character's evil ways!!!


Bela has some fun! Thanks for reading!