THE BAT
starring Jack Pickford, Louise Fazenda, Jewel Carmen
PHOTOPLAY
May 1926
Eeeeee! "The Bat!" It's thrilling. It's chilling. It's a scream of laughter and spookiness. Your spine quivers and your hair stiffens every moment.
Perfectly written, originally by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood and scenarized by Julien Josephson, this Roland West production is simply superb. Each detail dovetails properly into every other. Lights flash, guns are fired, secret panels swing, and the laughter and the creeps alternate till you chew your fingers in excitement and delight.
The involved plot is centered around a criminal with the bat as his trademark and his operations in a Long Island household. Beyond that, we refuse to tell. But when "The Bat" flies in your neighborhood, don't fail to see it and take the youngsters, if it's not too late at night.
THE BAT
starring Jack Pickford, Louise Fazenda, Jewel Carmen
SCREENLAND
June 1926
The screen is making the world safe for spooks. Secret panels; creeping fingers; shapes in the dark - they're all in "The Bat," and you can enjoy them and still get a good sound night's sleep afterwards. For safe and sane thrills, see this. You can sit in your comfortable seat and watch the mysterious proceedings without being annoyed by unexpected pistol shots or shrieks from the agonized actors. The mystery play on the screen has it all over the same variety on the stage. All the thrills and the fun - without the danger of the excited party sitting next to you poking an elbow into you when she puts her finger in her ears.
Another advantage: the audience can play the guessing game called, "False face, false face, who wears the false face?" And this time it is not Lon Chaney. Don't coax, because I positively refuse to tell you the identity of the stranger known as The Bat. There are plenty of people to suspect, from Louise Fazenda to Robert McKim; there are peering faces and bulging eyes. But just when you think you have spotted your Bat, along comes Louise with horrified features and pointing finger, and you have to guess all over again. That's what makes "The Bat" such fun. Take a theatre party and make everybody write down his guess on a slip of paper. Put the papers in a hat and the hat carefully on the vacant seat next to you. A large lady will then come and sit down on the hat; and what's become of your silly old game? (There won't be any vacant seats anyway.) Mary Roberts Rinehart certainly started something when she wrote the story; and Roland West, who directed the picture, left no crime uncommitted to give you a good time. Emily Fitzroy is priceless as the dignified dowager who knits unconcernedly through murders and mystery. Jewel Carmen - Mrs. Director in private life - and a peaches-and-cream blonde who used to play with Doug Fairbanks, is a decided decoration. Jack Pickford is there, too, acting pretty suspicious, but who would be mean enough to suspect Mary's brother?