American Cinematographer - September 1988 - 41

one

shot the creature's shadow takes

and closes

a

on

life of its

distinguished use of shadows in The Bat Whispers and
Corsair. Stage space and darkness are used profitably in
the sequence where Detective Anderson is attacked by
Dr. Wells. West shoots this as a single take in long shot
with the detective sitting downstage in the study while
the angle affords us a view through the doorway into
two rooms upstage. Dr. Wells appears on the staircase
in the farthest room and upon reaching the landing
snaps off the light. There is a beat or two before he
skulks from the blackness and pauses in the second
room, again extinguishing the light. A longer pause,
then he emerges into the study and switches off that
light. Moonlight streams into the room from the tall
window, and

as

Stylish night light¬
ing by Arthur
Edeson. Top: the

own

door, pointing the way to West's most

1

/

#

,

.

r

Bat,

:

on a

limb,

awaits his victim.

i
1

A ft

.

d&V

'
x

1

y

M

\

,

t

*

*

K

A

,

^

■'*

J?**

"V

Center: Jack Pick- *■

*/-t
.

'/ v

ford in the estate

jj^v
|

'*

"

r '

grounds. Bottom:
The Bat prowls in
the secret

'
f

room.

■

' s*

*

■

"

Anderson looks about, startled, the

Doctor slinks up

from behind into the moonbeams and
bludgeons the detective. A sequence like this probably
would not work in

a

realm of silent film it

sound film; in the dream-like

up the basic sensation of a
nightmare: something advancing upon the dreamer,
sensed but unseen and moving in darkness to bring
sums

him harm.
The performances are a checkerboard, with
only Emily Fitzroy as the spinster and Louise Fazenda
as the maid
really shining with the material. Most
unfortunate is the colorless casting of stage singer

Tullio Carminati, a Dalmatian count, as the ersatz
detective. Perhaps one is spoiled by Chester Morris'

crazily overblown portrayal in the 1930 film; his villain
seems almost more
dangerous once unmasked! Car¬
minati is so perfunctory and bland that it is hard to
credit his detective with the nerve, agility or wit to pull
off The Bat's escapades.
But visually the film is quite fine. It is often
strikingly composed and lit, turning to some of the
silent medium's most decorative effects for climaxes

(The Bat's dialogue gliding down his flashlight beam in
an

illustrated title card; red-tinted stock for the climac¬

tic

fire,

an

effect West suggested using again in his

screenplay for The Bat Whispers). Properly presented as
entertainment, not a "classic," The Bat is tremen¬
dous fun. The Cleveland premiere was blessed with a
live organ accompaniment by Dennis James, who had
an

the wit and

facility to review the original 1926 cue sheet
compile as many relevant compositions as could
be found, such as "Creepy Creeps" by Kilenyi. James'
careful preparation and attention to visual cues was a
welcome reminder of how much a silent film gains by
the careful rendering of its musical accompaniment.
and

needed

After the events at Cleveland, all that was
for the Magnifilm version of The Bat Whis¬

was

pers to redebut, which it did on March 12th of this year
at UCLAs Melnitz Theater as part of the UCLA Film

through the night, from 7 p.m. to 7 a.m. - West felt he
during those hours! Fie was a tac¬
iturn, bandy-legged, stocky little guy. Tle'd call for

and Television Archive's First Annual Festival of Pres¬

did his best work

ervation. William Bakewell, one of the picture's stars,
on hand to address an SRO audience with his

action, then turn

recollections of Roland West and the

of the

was

making of the

at the end of

picture:
"We actors had
widescreen

September 1988

-

we

were

no

idea it

confused

being shot in
enough filming all
was

on

his heel and walk off into the back

stage. Fle'd listen to the dialogue, and call "cut"
a scene.

But he

never

watched

a

scene

being taken. He was much
ows

more concerned with shad¬
and visual effects than he was with actors."

American

Cinematographer

39
American Cinematographer - September 1988

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