This week’s mystery movie was the 1933 Majestic Pictures film The Vampire Bat, with Lionel Atwill, Fay Wray, Melvyn Douglas, Maude Eburne, George E. Stone, Dwight Frye, Robert Frazer, Rita Carlisle, Lionel Belmore, William V. Mong, Stella Adams and Harrison Greene.
Screen story by Edward T. Lowe.
Photographed by Ira Morgan.
Art direction by Daniel Hall.
Edited by Otis Garrett.
Sound by Dick Tyler.
Directed by Frank Strayer.
Produced by Phil Goldstone.
Further information on The Vampire Bat is available from the AFI Catalog.
The Vampire Bat is available on DVD and Blu-ray from Critics’ Choice Video.
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After I scotched last week’s original choice for a mystery movie because of its poor reviews, I felt obligated to pick another movie shot by cinematographer Ira Morgan, and The Vampire Bat has Fay Wray, a connection to last week’s mystery film. As might be expected, the production values are virtually nil, but the photography is good and Dwight Frye’s performance is worth seeing, as is that of Melvyn Douglas in what may be his only “vampire” film, coming a year after The Old, Dark House. The film is a lesson in what could be done with very little.
Are we in Mordaunt Hall territory?
He defers to A.D.S (possibly Andre Sennwald) for the assignment (The New York Times, January 23, 1933):
The Winter Garden has added its mite to the contemporary horror cycle. Bats flew in and out of the windows, women screamed, strong men blanched and Lionel Atwill drained the life blood of simple peasants in the interests of science. The Vampire Bat is a mystery as well as a horror picture, so that it is not well to inquire too deeply into the activities of Mr. Atwill. The central figure, up to that moment when the camera boldly invades the doctor’s laboratory and proves him to be quite mad, is Melvyn Douglas. Wearing the somewhat unwieldy name of Karl Breettschneider, Mr. Douglas appears to be an amateur detective in search of the malevolent thing that is decimating the populace of Kleinschloss, “somewhere in Central Europe.”
For Monday, we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is Dwight Frye in a totally deranged performance.
For Tuesday, we have a mystery chap.
Update: This is Robert Frazer.
Brain Trust roll call: Robert Morrissey (Monday’s mystery peeper), Chrisbo (Monday’s mysterious peeper), Mike Hawks (mystery movie and Monday’s mystery peeper), Sheila (Monday’s mystery fellow) and Anne Papineau (Monday’s mystery chap).
For “Hm Wednesday,” we have a mysterious fellow.
Update: This is George E. Stone in a change of pace from his customary role in gangster pictures.
Brain Trust roll call: Sarah (Monday’s mystery fellow), L.C. (mystery movie and mysterious cast), Megan and Thom (Monday’s mystery guest), Veronyka (Monday’s mysterious peeper), Stacia (mystery movie and both mysterious guests), Mike Hawks (Tuesday’s mysterious chap) and Sheila (mystery movie and Tuesday’s mystery guest). Note to Allie: Very close!
For “Aha Thursday,” we have a mysterious fellow and a mystery woman. Bonus points awarded for connections to last week’s mysterious movie.
Update: This is Lionel Atwell and Maude Eburne.
Brain Trust roll call: Megan and Thom (mystery movie and Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mystery guests), Chrisbo (mystery movie, Tuesday’s and Wednesday’s mysterious guests), Mike Hawks (Wednesday’s mystery fellow) and Allie (Monday’s mystery guest).
For Friday, we have a mysterious leading man and enigmatic leading lady.
Update: This is Melvyn Douglas and Fay Wray.
Brain Trust roll call: Chrisbo (Thursday’s mysterious guests), Suz n Chaz (mystery movie, Thursday’s mysterious guests, mystery cinematographer and bonus points for mystery theme), Robert Morrissey (mysterious movie, mystery production company and Thursday’s mystery guests), Mike Hawks (Thursday’s mysterious guests) and Anne Papineau (mystery movie, all mysterious guests and common theme from last week).
ladailymirror.com 
This is the unforgettable Dwight Frye. I don’t know the movie, but I know HIM!
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Dwight Frye?
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Dwight Frye in THE VAMPIRE BAT.
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Dwight Frye for Monday?
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It looks silent and he’s giving off strong Dwight Frye vibes.
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I’ll guess Monday’s mystery gent is Dwight Frye.
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The Vampire Bat (1933) w/Dwight Frye, Fay Wray, Lionel Atwill, Melvyn Douglas, George E. Stone, William Mong, Maude Eburne, Robert Fraser…
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We think Monday’s guest is Dwight Frye.
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Dwight Frye
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That’s Dwight Frye on Monday! Tuesday really looks like Robert Frazer so this must be THE VAMPIRE BAT (1933). I really need to get back into Poverty Row horror movies from this era so I put this in my YouTube library to watch later. A Majestic Pictures production!
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Barry Norton?
Spanish language Dracula, 1931?
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Robert Frazer.
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Robert Frazer, ‘The Vampire Bat’?
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Our movie is The Vampire Bat with George E. Stone and Robert Frazer.
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Robert Frazer and George E Stone in The Vampire Bat.
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George E. Stone.
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Dwight Frye?
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Lionel Atwill and Maude Eburne today.
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Maude Elburne and Lionel Atwill the “The Vampire Bat”1933…photographed by Ira Morgan, my great-great uncle!
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An early Lionel Atwill film…and that’s Maude Eburne, so…..”triangulating,” as the G-men say in those late 40s films when they’re hot on the tail of various miscreants, adding in Mr. Frye, this must be Majestic Pictures’ The Vampire Bat, from 1933. Never seen it…yet!
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Fay Wray is in the movie plus last week’s “Affairs of Cellini”
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Lionel Atwill and Maude Eburne.
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So many wonderful people in “The Vampire Bat.” Is Fay Wray one of the commonalities with last week’s feature? This week, we also see a caped Robert Frazer, George E. Stone on Wednesday and Lionel Atwill and Maude Eburne on Thursday. Maude helped me a lot with this.
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THE VAMPIRE BAT. Dwight Frye Monday, Robert Frazier Tuesday,.George E. Stone Wednesday, Lionel Atwilll and Jessie Ralph Thursday, Melvyn Douglas nd Fay Wray today.
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Melvyn and Fay.
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Man in Monday photo has Dwight Frye vibes, but that seems too obvious? Man in Thursday photo is Lionel Atwill, I believe. The woman could be Dame May Whitty. The man in Friday photo could be a young Melvyn Douglas.
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