The Bat

A writer of mystery novels rents a large house outside town. Around the same time a masked thief dressed as a bat is at work in the area. There is also a rumour of money hidden in the house. One night everyone gathers under the same roof: guests, servants, a detective, and somebody moving about in the dark. The lights keep going out. Roland West directed this silent film from the play by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood. It is now counted among the productions that set the patterns of horror and thriller: the old house, the masked killer, the group thinning out one by one. The bat costume and the play of shadows are among the details said to have inspired later comic-book heroes. The sets and the lighting are the film's strongest side.