The Bat (1959) FULL MOVIE | Starring Agnes Moorehead & Vincent Price

REUPLOAD NOTE/UPDATE (9/19/2025): Even though our channel is ad-free/unmonetized, YouTube decided to take issue with this PUBLIC DOMAIN film's music. At first, just with the opening theme and then with ALL of the music. So, I've edited out all of the music and reuploaded this one :( All of the dialogue is still intact, but the music (and some of the sound effects like slamming doors and gunshots that were intertwined with music) have been muted. I'm sorry about that and I hope it doesn't kill the experience. I rewatched the footage this morning and the main gist of it is still there - it's a bit like watching Dracula (1931), or other early films with noticeably missing or reduced scores, now. A bit odd at times, but not ENTIRELY unpleasant...

ORIGINAL VIDEO DESCRIPTION (9/18/2025):

I asked our social media followers which Public Domain horror movie they'd like to see next, and this was the winner! The Bat (1959), directed by Crane Wilbur (who was also the screenwriter for 1953's House of Wax!) and starring Agnes Moorehead (Endora on Bewitched) and horror fave Vincent Price.

A loose adaptation of Mary Roberts Rinehart's 1908 novel, The Circular Staircase (and the 1920 stage play, The Bat), this is a mystery-thriller/home invasion horror film that's pretty unique! If you ever thought The Golden Girls needed a bit more murder and intrigue, then The Bat might be just what you're looking for. Writer Cornelia (Agnes Moorehead) and her "assistant" Lizzie have rented out a remote mansion to spend their summer in. Unfortunately for them, somewhere in the house is a hidden $1M (that's roughly $12M in 2025 dollars!) and THE BAT - a local serial killer - is determined to bust into the house and get it, and he/she has no qualms about taking out anyone who gets in their way.

Two more gal pals come to stay with Cornelia and Lizzie and the four women need to band together to solve the mystery of The Bat's identity and the location of the $1M before it's too late! Is it Vincent Price, the local doctor? Is it the police lieutenant? The banker? The butler? The new housekeeper? Everyone has a motive, the body count is stacking up, and these mature Final Girls aren't putting up with being locked in their rooms - they're on the case!

The Bat manages to be suspenseful, a little silly (the conversation Vincent Price has with another character near the beginning is wild!), it keeps you guessing even if you squint a little at some of the wacky coincidences, and the "old married couple"-style banter between "Corny" and "Lizzie" is very cute.

This version of The Bat (1959) entered the public domain in 2019 because the copyright wasn't renewed. Lucky for us! Now, we can legally share it with all of you!! :)

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