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This September I wrote a review of a special edition Blu-ray release featuring THE BAT WHISPERS. That film was a sound remake of the 1926 silent THE BAT--and now the original gets a restored Blu-ray, courtesy of Undercrank Productions.
THE BAT has long been considered one of the best of the many mystery-thrillers made during the silent era, but due to the terrible condition of most available versions of the movie, it has been hard to fully appreciate it. This new restoration presented by Undercrank looks amazing, and it enables one to examine the atmospheric art direction by William Cameron Menzies and the striking photography by Arthur Edeson and Gregg Toland.
The story elements in both THE BAT and THE BAT WHISPERS (1930) are nearly exactly the same--Roland West (who directed both features) uses many of the same shot compositions and dialogue lines in each. I believe that THE BAT is the much better film--the story seems to flow much better in the silent version, and the comedic elements are not as intrusive without sound. THE BAT is also enhanced by a new rollicking musical score by Ben Model.
One notable point about THE BAT is the way that the title character is shown. The silent Bat wears a big-eared headpiece that at first glance seems to resemble a cheap Halloween costume, but it is so flamboyant it genuinely becomes unnerving. Roland West doesn't engage in as much camera trickery in THE BAT as he would in the remake, but the overall story comes off much better. The main manor setting is also far more extravagant in the original--the place looks more like a cathedral than an actual home where people would live in on a day-to-day basis.
This release is actually a BD-R, but the quality is excellent. There are two extras on the disc. One is a 9 minute program detailing the life and movie career of Roland West. One wishes it had been longer and more detailed, but it does give the basic info on the man (and yes, it mentions his connection with Thelma Todd). The other is a 1926 comedy short called A FRATERNITY MIXUP. It's more frantic than funny, but it does name drop Lon Chaney and there is a guy running around in a gorilla suit. (This disc is Region-Free.)
An informative audio commentary for this would have been most welcome, and it might be something Undercrank may want to think about for future releases.
One of the great things about physical media--and one of the things that makes me spend way too much money on it--is the amount of wonderful restorations of silent classics that a number of companies have released on home video in the 21st Century. The average person would never have a chance to watch so many great silents in uncut, restored conditions if it wasn't for these Blu-rays and DVDs. The original THE BAT has long needed and deserved a top-notch presentation, and Undercrank Productions has provided it.
