#The Devil Bat (1940)

[clownery-blog]

[rat-hand]

Bela Lugosi in The Devil Bat (1940)

[schlock-luster-video]

On December 13, 1940 The Devil Bat debuted in the United States.

[weirdlookindog]

The Devil Bat (1940)

[thewarmestplacetohide]

Dread by the Decade: The Devil Bat

👻 You can support me on Ko-Fi! ❤️

★

Plot: A vindictive chemist creates giant bats to kill his enemies.

Review: Despite Lugosi's presence, this film is imbued with none of his charm. It's too silly to be taken seriously, yet too boring to laugh at.

Year: 1940 Genre: Creature Feature, Sci-Fi Horror Country: United States Language: English Runtime: 1 hour 8 minutes

Director: Jean Yarborough Writer: John Thomas Neville Cinematographer: Arthur Martinelli Editor: Holbrook N. Todd Composer: David Chudnow Cast: Bela Lugosi, Suzanne Kaaren, Dave O'Brien, Guy Usher, Yolande Mallot, Donald Kerr

------

Story: 1/5 - A terrible combination of stupid, repetitive, and dull. Any camp is negated by stock characters and empty filler.

Performances: 2/5 - Lugosi is sometimes fun to watch in a campy (and weirdly sweaty) way, but everyone else is fairly one-note.

Cinematography: 2.5/5 - Serviceable enough.

Editing: 2/5

Music: 2/5

Effects & Props: 1/5 - Hilariously bad. There's a stuffed bat that swings from a string and screams like R2-D2.

Sets: 3/5 - Most of the sets are generic, but the doctor's lab at least has some personality and dressing.

Costumes, Hair, & Make-Up: 3.5/5 - Just normal clothing, but of good quality.

Trigger Warnings:

Mild violence

Animal death

Casual racism (brief, dialogue-only)

[adamwatchesmovies]

The Devil Bat (1940)

Sometimes, you dig through the films that have fallen into the public domain and find some gems. Most of the time, you find the likes of The Devil Bat.

Dr. Paul Carruthers (Lugosi) is beloved by the town of Heathville. Particularly by the Morton and Heath families, whom he’s made rich by developing several of the beauty products they sell. Bitter and resentful of their fortunes, Carruthers has devised an elaborate means of getting revenge. Using electricity, he’s enlarged an ordinary bat to enormous size and trained it to attack anyone wearing a new aftershave he’s developed. After several murders, reporter Johnny Layton (Dave O’Brien) and his sidekick photographer “One-Shot” McGuire (Donald Kerr) begin investigating.

If the plot sounds needlessly complicated and dumb, it's because it is. Carruthers’ plan has way too many phases. Step one: train ordinary bats to attack anyone wearing a very specific scent. Step two: use his SCIENCE! to enlarge one of these bats. Step three: convince his targets to try the aftershave he’s developed. Step four: release the animal from its cage. Hopefully, it rips his target's’ throat out. Meanwhile, he’s got to cross his fingers hoping the police don’t connect him and the victims’ death, a task that would be pretty hard considering he’s always the last person they talk to before getting shredded.

The plot is ludicrous and made more comical by several unintentional quirks in the direction and set design. To release the Devil Bat, Carruthers has to open a secret door in a bookcase which leads to a secret room. In this secret room, there’s a hidden door in the wall which leads to a staircase. At the top is another room whose entrance is hidden in a wall. That final room, by the way, has a window which opens to the outside. After the first murder, you figure the police will need some time to connect the victim to our villain but no! Since no one saw the bat attack the first Heath son, they assume a person attacked him despite 1) the killer getting away fast as lightning 2) the strange bite marks and scratches around the victim’s neck and shoulders 3) the “rat-like” hairs found on the man’s clothing 4) the animal-like shrieks heard as the man’s sister, Mary (Suzanne Kaaren) ran towards him. Imagine going through all these hoops and still becoming suspect #1.

Watching the characters slowly piece together what would be obvious to everyone watching even if the “twist” wasn’t revealed in the first scene is funny. I’ll give the special effects a break - the bats featured don’t look much better than the ones alongside Lugosi in 1931’s Dracula - but the dialogue is so wooden and clunky it feels like a first draft. The characters show no emotion whatsoever. Even after their loved ones are violently killed. I’ve seen stronger reactions from people who spilled a drink than from Mary after her brother is torn apart! Everyone’s a cartoon, with Lugosi faring the best out of everyone. I guess because at least his hamminess fits the part of a mad scientist obsessed with bats.

Classic horror-movie connoisseurs may find their interests peaked when they see Bela Lugosi’s name in the credits. If I had to pick, I’d say the horror icon is the best part of this movie but in this case, that doesn’t mean a whole lot. The Devil Bat only lasts 68 minutes, which is one of its strong suits. It may be worth a watch… if you want some laughs. (On DVD, March 18, 2020)

[moviesandmania]

THE DEVIL BAT Bela Lugosi goes batty! Reviews and free online

‘Sharp fanged blood-sucking death dives from midnight skies!’ The Devil Bat is a 1940 sci-fi horror film about a mad scientist who develops an aftershave lotion that causes his gigantic bat to kill anyone who wears it.directed by Jean Yarbrough (Hillbillys in a Haunted House; The Creeper; She-Wolf of London; House of Horrors) from a screenplay written by John Thomas Neville (The Flying Serpent),…

[roxysretrodrive-in]

Retro Trailer: The Devil Bat (1940)

Disclaimer: I am not associated with the uploader nor the creators of this trailer.

[ronmerchant]

the DEVIL BAT (1940)

[horrororman]

The Devil Bat was released on December 13, 1940(US).

#BelaLugosi #horror #scifi #sciencefiction

[comics-n-stuff]

Everyone who has ever, even slightly, been Robin

*In official, DC-endorsed media 

Total: 98 (i think)

FYI:

my definition of a ‘Robin’ is extremely vague. For example, I’m counting Lois Lane because she went to a costume party as Robin, and I’m also counting ‘Boy’ from Batman: the Return of Bruce Wayne because he had the domino mask paint and was clearly a stand-in for Robin. Et cetera.

They’re organized chronologically by their first appearance as Robin

Also this is heavily dependent on DC Fandom Wiki, so please let me know if I missed anyone or if anything is inaccurate

KEY

Red = actually Robin for a significant portion of time (more than a few in-universe days & more than one issue/episode/movie/etc)

Italics = was never Robin in main continuity (i.e. Earth Two [before Earth One existed], Earth One, New Earth, and Prime Earth)

Bold = I actually acknowledge them as Robin in my heart

Dick Grayson (Apr 1940)

Julie Madison (Mar 1941)

Ricky (Dec 1944) [possible future]

Mary Wills (Apr 1950) [Earth-Two]

Bruce Wayne (Dec 1955)

Vanderveer Wayne (Jun 1962)

Alfred E. Neuman (Sep 1966) [Mad Magazine]

Jimmy Olsen (May 1970)

Jason Todd (Mar 1982)

Boyd, the Robin Wonder (Apr 1983) [Earth-C-Minus]

Carrie Kelly (Jun 1986) [Dark Knight Returns]

Tim Drake (Oct 1989)

Robert Chang (Apr 1990) [Digital Justice]

Redbird (Jan 1993) [The Blue, the Gray, and the Bat]

Thomas Wayne (Jan 1993) [Robin 3000]

Bane (Apr 1993) [rejected elseworlds]

Robin Redblade (Jun 1994) [Earth-494]

Tengu (Sep 1994) [Narrow Path]

Alfred Pennyworth (Feb 1996) [Batman: Dark Alligiances]

Jubilation Lee (Apr 1996) [Amalgam Universe]

Tris Plover (Jun 1996) [Legends of the Dead Earth]

Darkbird (Jul 1996)

Bruce Wayne Jr. (Feb 1997) [Earth-3839]

Lois Lane (Oct 1997)

Rodney the chimpanzee (Nov 1997) [Batman: Dark Knight Dynasty]

Marya (1998) [I, Joker]

Barbara Gordon (Feb 1998) [Earth-37]

Robin the Toy Wonder (Nov 1998) [DC One Million]

Rochelle Wayne (Feb 1999) [Reign of Terror]

Kon-El (Mar 1999) [Hypertension]

Clark Wayne (Mar 1999) [Earth-3839]

Squid Wonder (Aug 1999)

The Robin (Mar 2000) [Earth-40]

Robin Drake (Feb 2002) [Riddle of the Beast]

Stephanie Brown (May 2004)

Koriand’r (Jan 2005) [Teen Titans (2003 show)]

Garfield Logan (Jan 2005) [Teen Titans (2003 show)]

Rachel Roth (Jan 2005) [Teen Titans (2003 show)]

Victor Stone (Jan 2005) [Teen Titans (2003 show)]

Robbie the Robin (Jun 2005) [Krypto the Superdog]

Control Freak (Oct 2005) [Teen Titans (2003 show)]

Damian Wayne (Nov 2006)

Robin Olsen (Oct 2007) [Earth-8]

Bizzaro Robin (Nov 2007)

Unnamed penguin (Jun 2010) [Tiny Titans]

Boy (Jul 2010)

Robin Robin (Jul 2010) [Tiny Titans]

M’gann M’orzz (Nov 2010) [Young Justice (2010 show)]

Jericho (Dec 2010) [Tiny Titans]

Kid Devil (Dec 2010) [Tiny Titans]

Wildebeest (Dec 2010) [Tiny Titans]

Kroc (Dec 2010) [Tiny Titans]

The Joker (Jan 2011)

Lance Heart (Feb 2011)

Fransisco Ramirez (Feb 2011)

Christopher Ward (Feb 2011)

Robin John Blake (Jul 2012) [Dark Knight Trilogy]

Helena Wayne (July 2012) [Earth 2]

Robin’s Egg (Jan 2013) [Farm League]

Super Robin (Jul 2013) [Teen Titans Go!]

Selina Kyle (Mar 2014)

Damien Wayne (Jun 2014) [Infinite Crisis Video Game]

John Thomas Grayson (Dec 2014) [Earth 2]

Nibor (Jan 2015) [Teen Titans Go!]

Daxton Chill (May 2015)

Dre Cipriani (May 2015)

Riko Sheridan (May 2015)

Duke Thomas (Jul 2015)

Troy Walker (Jul 2015)

Kat-R-ina (Aug 2015)

Isabella Ortiz (Aug 2015)

BlackDomino (Oct 2015)

Darkestdawn (Oct 2015)

SideKicker (Oct 2015)

Yellowcape (Oct 2015)

Shug-R (May 2016)

Robinbot (May 2017)

Dinesh Babar (May 2017)

Rabid Robins (Oct 2017) [Earth -22]

Cult Member Robins (Apr 2018)

Rosie (Apr 2018)

Matt McGinnis (May 2018) [Futures End]

Harley Quinn (Apr 2019)

Jarro (Oct 2019)

Billy Batson (Oct 2019)

Six of Hearts (Dec 2019)

Maps Mizoguchi (Dec 2020)

Talia Kane (Feb 2021) [Earth 11]

LeBron James (Jul 2021) [Space Jam: A New Legacy]

Drake Winston (Oct 2021) [Batman ‘89]

Anita Jean (Oct 2021)

Kiki (Nov 2021)

Son of Don Mitchell Jr. (Mar 2022) [The Batman (2022 movie)]

Gan (Mar 2022)

Jon Kent (Jul 2022)

Amish Boy Wonder (Nov 2022) [The Last Harley Story]

Darcy Thomas (Nov 2022)

Elizabeth Prince (Jan 2024) [Possible Future]

@help-i-need-a-cool-username

[ronnymerchant]

the DEVIL BAT (1940) and the PANTHER’S CLAW (1942)

[schlock-luster-video]

On November 15, 1941 The Devil Bat debuted in Mexico.

[weirdlookindog]

Bela Lugosi and Edmund Mortimer in The Devil Bat (1940)

[ilovedamsels1962]

The Devil Bat (1940)

[baseballisabunchofweirdmen]

Willie "The Devil" Wells was one of the finest players to play in pre-integration black baseball leagues. A true five tool shortstop, Wells was one of the fastest runners in each league he played in, as well as one of the best defenders and possessing a fantastic bat.

Playing for multiple Negro League teams, he was known as part of the famous "Million Dollar Infield" in his time with the Newark Eagles. The infield included fellow legend Mule Suttles, as well as stars Ray Dandridge and Dick Seay.

As was common for non-white players pre-integration, Wells played in Mexico and enjoyed his time in the first years of the 1940s there. Compared to the brutal segregation and racist groups throughout America, Wells enjoyed the acceptance and freedom he found in Mexico. For the rest of his playing career he spent time in Mexico, US, and Canada until 1950.

Wells, besides being one of the biggest stars of black baseball, was also the first professional player to wear a being helmet while batting, something that would not be required until decades later.

Wells may not have the notoriety of arguably the greatest hitters and pitchers of all time, Josh Gibson and Satchel Paige respectively, but Wells career spanning from the early 20s to 1950 still carries a lasting legacy that earned him a spot in the hall of fame in 1997. Wells passed away in 1989, missing his induction, sadly all to common for former black baseball stars.