Reviews (2)

Very Stagey, But The Material Still Resonates
Robert E. Sherwood's Pulitzer Prize-winning IDIOT'S DELIGHT was one of the great play of Broadway's "golden age of drama" in the 1930s: starring stage greats Lunt and Fontanne, it told a darkly comic tale of a group of people staying at an Alpine hotel--including small-time nightclub performer Harry Van and con-artist and sometime entertainer Irene, the latter passing herself off as a Russian of noble birth--whose largely shallow lives create a ridiculous and often disturbing counterpoint to the world as it edges toward war.

Unfortunately, and although it is fairly faithful the the stage original, the screen version of IDIOT'S DELIGHT is nothing to write home about, and not even starpower saves it; indeed, it proved one of Gable or Shearer's few box office failures. There are several reasons for this, but the overall problem is that the production has the feel of a filmed stage play rather than of a movie; director Clarence Brown fails to endow the production with anything approaching a cinematic quality. The cast is also problematic. Although he delivers a surprisingly effective song-and-dance turn with "Puttin' on the Ritz"--the only musical number he ever performed on screen--Gable is essentially miscast as Harry Van; Norma Shearer, almost unrecognizable in a blonde wig, is relentlessly over the top in her performance as the fake countess; and even the usually reliable Burgess Meredith (along with most of the supporting cast) seems overblown and stagey, as if he were playing to the balcony instead of the camera.

But in spite of these significant drawbacks, the disturbing nature of Sherwood's story still packs enough of a punch for us to recognize how powerful the material itself is, and the vision of fools dancing recklessly on the edge of war has clear resonation today. Still, unless you are die-hard Gable or Shearer fan, you might prefer to catch this one on the late-late show instead of purchasing the expensive and out-of-print tape.

HARRY VAN AND LES BLONDES.
Gable is a burlesque hoofer who, following WWI, takes a job as an assistant to an alcoholic mind-reader, played by Laura Hope Crews. He and Crews practice a "code" whereby Gable relates information about the person asking questions in the audience to the blindfolded medium, thus allowing her to render intelligent answers. Crews is so drunk that she confuses the "tips" Gable gives her and mixes up her answers so that she and Gable are booed offstage, especially when ingenue Shearer, waiting in the wings, cues the drunken medium so loudly that the audience hears it. Years later, Gable and Shearer meet again in an Alpine hotel named the MONTI LODI en route to Geneva and amusing antics ensue. The kind of humour displayed in Robert E. Sherwood's Pulitzer-Prize winning play (which starred Alfred Lunt and Lynn Fontanne on Broadway) and this film all but perished after the 1930's: broad, extravagant comedy requiring a perception of the double entendre and some literary background on the part of the viewer. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

On balance this is one of the better Three Stooges vidoes
"Boobs in Arms" is a military comedy from 1940, although it starts with the Stooges selling greeting cards and getting involved with a woman (Evelyn Young) who wants to make her husband jealous. This actually explains how the Stooges end up in the army. The payoff is the best part of this above-average effort from Moe, Larry and Curly, with the Stooges setting off a laughing-gas bomb and taking a ride aboard an artillery shell.

"Nuts to You" has a great opening where the Stooges are operating an automated dog-washer. They then find a baby on a doorstep which they think has been abandoned, but of course they end up being wanted for kidnapping. Curly has a great bit as Mrs. Dennis O'Toole, from Ireland, before the chase is on. This is a rather unique short in that we actually get back to the automated washing center at the end of the short; usually whatever starts off a Stooges two-reeler is long forgotten by the time you get to the second reel, let along the end.

"What's the Matador?" is a 1942 effort where the Stooges are supposed to be going to Mexico but have to get their suitcase back from a jealous husband (is there any other kind in a Stooges short?). Of course this sets up a bullfight, where Curly is the matador and Moe and Larry play the part of the bull (take a wild guess which Stooge plays which end), and Curly ends up taking on a real bull.

The first half of this last short is average Stooges fare at best, but the grand finale is enough to make this particular trio of comedies one of the better Stooges videos available. You will rarely find more than one classic comedy on a single video, but while the title comedy is the least of this trio, it is the strongest last place comedy I have seen on one of these Stooges videos. That would be a good thing.

What's the Matador?
BOOBS IN ARMS- A pretty funny short. About fourteen minutes of this short is funny, except where the Stooges are asleep during the war. That copies off HALF SHOT SHOOTERS, my least favorite Three Stooges short. This is a pretty funny short though. The end, where the Stooges get carried into the sky by a rocket is one of the funniest endings ever. The best short on this tape.

MUTTS TO YOU is another funny short. Vernon Dent is funny as the Stooges landlord. The only drawback is that backgroud music is added at the end of the short. I always disliked shorts that had background music.

WHAT'S THE MATADOR? is funny as well. This was remade as SAPPY BULLFIGHTERS with Joe Besser. That wasn't as good as this, though. This short, however, is not that special or new, but has some pretty good scenes.

This tape is worth adding to your collection.

MUTTS THE MATADOR?
BOOBS IN ARMS (1940) - This short holds a special place in my heart, because it's my favorite Three Stooges short of all time. I love this short, because it's excellent from beginning to end. A very fast-paced short, and Curly's at his best in the marching scenes. The ending with the boys being blown with laughing gas is the most funniest and outrageous Three Stooges ending ever. I never get tired of this.

MUTTS TO YOU (1938) is a bad short. I never really liked any of the "baby" shorts the boys did, and that goes for this one as well. There aren't a lot of funny scenes, and for the most part, it's a pretty boring short.

WHAT'S THE MATADOR? (1942) - A pretty good short. The best part is the second half with the Matador act - Curly is hilarious as the matador, and the ending is great, too.

Great tape, with only one weak short, but I still recommend it.

Some of their Best
These are some of the Stooges best, but I liked "A Ducking They Will Go" better. Still, these are classics.

These are three classics. For Stooge fanatics must buys!
First Classic: "Boobs in Arms." Anyone who has ever been in the Army will appreciate this one. Curly is at his best. I love the part where the Sergeant shows them how to skip to get into step; Curly - and then the whole squad - starts skipping, unbeknownst to the Sergeant. Also, when they hide in duffle bags used for bayonet practice and the Sergeant does some bayonet lunges that tickle the three recruits' noses. Doing shoulder arms drills results in three accidental kills - of ducks flying over! This one will break your gut!

Second Classic: "Mutts to you" is a favorite with spouses of Stooge maniacs, because it is a cutesy, not-so-rough episode, not real funny, but very amusing. It's a classic, but a relief from laughing so hard after the two other classics.

Third classic: "What's the Matador?" the title skit, is a great saga of the majestic sport of Bull Fighting. Especially stunning when Curly finally meets a bull head to head. ... Read more

Amazon.com

"We Want Our Mummy" (1939, short number 37) is arguably one of the top Three Stooges shorts of the 190 the team made for Columbia. As were many of their early films, this one is loaded with shameless puns and one of their most imaginative entrances, this time as private detectives. There is also the priceless routine in which Curly is swimming in what he thinks is a pool out in the desert, and his body movements are so perfect that one can almost see the water. The influence of the Boris Karloff film The Mummy (1932) is obvious, even down to the mummy's slowly opening its eyes behind Curly's back. A real gem.

"Restless Knights" (1935, number 6) has such a flimsy plot that a good deal of the running time is taken up by only two routines. In the first, the boys stage a wrestling match; in the second, they try to knock out three guards by luring them away from a card game one at a time. Neither really works and the "punch line" in which they knock out the very queen they were sent to save is lame even for this series. Things are saved a little by the presence of Walter Brennan as their dying father, who lets us know the source of the boys' face-slapping genes.

"Yes, We Have No Bonanza" (1939, number 39) has the Stooges out West where they are singing waiters who go prospecting to get three attractive performers out of debt and into marriage. What they find is a bonanza of hidden money and bonds ("Ain't nature wonderful," one of them exclaims), which leads to the inevitable confrontation with the crooks and a chase on a wooden horse. Good vintage Stooging. --Frank Behrens ... Read more

Reviews (7)

One classic Stooges short and a surprise as the Stooges' dad
"We Want Our Mummy" is a classic Three Stooges short from 1939, no doubt inspired in part by the even more classic Boris Karloff horror film, "The Mummy." The boys have the opportunity to earn $5,000 by traveling to Cairo to pick up the cursed mummy of Rootentooten. Too bad the cab fare was $2,198.55. As you can expect from the title and the subject, there are plenty of bad puns, as well as a couple of great bits of physical comedy by Curly. So, here we are, one Columbia two-reeler into the videotape and already you have your money's worth, which is good, because it is all down hill from here.

"Restless Knights" is an early Stooges comedy from 1935, is set back in the days of olde in the land of the King of Anaesthesia. Walter Brennan shows up as the father of the Stooges and sends them off to meet their destiny at the castle, which comes in the form of a lengthy wrestling match that has its moments but makes no sense given the setting. The costumes are nice, and seeing Brennan is a treat, but that is about it for this one.

The title piece, "Yes, We Have No Bonanza," comes from 1939, and finds the boys starting off as singing waiters who go prospecting so they can get money and then marry the three lovely cowgirls who have captured their hearts. Like the previous short, the whole thing ends in a chase scene. The three cowgirls are actually the best part of this one, which one again offers none of the memorable routines that made the first offering so great.

The net result is above average, since you have a classic short and the idea that Walter Brennan was the father who taught the Stooges the value of slapping. But the last one has too little to really recommend it, beyond those aforementioned cowgirls.

A funny short, a boring short, and a decent short.
WE WANT OUR MUMMY is a funny short. The scene where the Stooges drive to Egypt in a cab is hilarious. The chase through the tomb is also very funny.

RESTLESS KNIGHTS is a pretty boring short. Five minutes is taken up from unimportant wrestling scenes. None of this is very funny.

YES WE HAVE NO BONANZA, a decent short. Some of this is funny, but other scenes are not funny enough. The ending was pretty funny though.

Decent tape. The quality comes out too dark.

A high quality choice
We Want our Mummey is easily one of the best shorts in the entire series. A classic for stooges fans and a great intoduction for those unfortunate few who do not know the stooges. From the taxi to the "this is dangerous" line the fun flys. *****

Restless Knights is an uneven choice. It is funny but poorly plotted. Walter Brennan is very funny as the father, however it is unclear exactly what they are doing and why they are doing it (Even for the stooges.) It is funny but likely the worst of the really early shorts *** 1/2

Yes we have no Bonanza is another high quality choice. The plot is one that repeats in the series. Boys want to marry girls, boys go prospecting to get the money and accidently find loot from elsewhere, the crooks chase our boys etc... It doensn't matter the plot exists and the boys work well within it. The chase scene and the prospecting scenes are classic.
The girls are pretty but not very great actors. In his book MOE HOWARD AND THE THREE STOOGES Moe says a director who he doesn't name used to give parts to ladies in exchange for favors. This one is a prime candidate for that interpertation. They aren't on the screen enough to hurt the show. A winner **** 1/2

YES, WE WANT OUR RESTLESS KNIGHTS
WE WANT OUR MUMMY (1939) - Great short. The Stooges' opening entrance, with them donning backwards detective outfits is fall-out-of-your-chair hilarious. Their taxi ride to Egypt, which ends up costing a fortune is great, and the scenes in the mummy's tomb are great, too.

RESTLESS KNIGHTS (1935) - The wrestling scenes are a hoot, and the second half is good, too. One of the Stooges earlier shorts.

YES, WE HAVE NO BONANZA (1939) - One of the few good Western-themed shorts the Stooges did. The digging scenes are great, and the chase scene is a highlight. Great ending, too.

Stooge fans will enjoy this tape
Here's a trio of Three Stooges comedies (with Curly) that Stoogeaholics will enjoy. YES, WE HAVE NO BONANZA (the one in which they sing "Red River Valley") and WE WANT OUR MUMMY (the one with "King Rootentooten's tomb") date from their peak period. Both are very amusing, both feature the same villain, and best of all, both are presented here in sparkling prints. RESTLESS KNIGHTS is an early costume piece with the Stooges rescuing the kidnapped "Queenie." It's more obscure than some shorts, but movie fans can look for the young Walter Brennan in a character role. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Allright
The first tape is good,but the other it stunk! Three stooges fans you won't like the tape 2! Stay away from tape two! It rarly has the three stooges!

It's a pretty bad tape
To jerycath@midwest.net

Have you tried to find Three Little Beers thru "Soitenly Stooges" ? It's a store in northern IL and I think they have a web page

Horrible version.
This is probably the worst copy of a video I have seen. It has tracking problems and audio problems. It re-hashes the same routines as seen on other "collections." Do not buy unless you want a poor quality copy of their routines plus Ed Win's early TV show.

Help!
I'm looking for the three Stooges title, "Three Little Beers", where they start out working for Panther beer and end up golfing at the country club to win $100. It is the all time funniest (to me) and your videos don't give me the titles included on the tape. ... Read more

Reviews (5)

Funniest 3S of All
Disorder in the Court is my all-time favorite Stooge flick. While it has constant laughs, the scene where Curly is being sworn in is the best. And I can't the number times I quoted him saying "I'm a victim of soycumstance."

Disorder in the Brideless Groom.
DISORDER IN THE COURT is in my top five favorite Curly Three Stooges films. I can't believe this wasn't nominated for an Academy Award. This has to be the most famous Three Stooges short ever made. You can't be a Three Stooges fan until you see this.

BRIDELESS GROOM was SO funny. Shemp is the funniest Stooge of all. This is possibly his best film. This deserved an award, too. I, somehow, like the remake, HUSBANDS BEWARE, better. But still an excellent short.

A MUST BUY
Its hilarious, there's too many funny parts to miss. I can't say much else, because there is nothing but one good laugh after another in this video!!

CURLY IS HILLARIOUS!!!!
This has to be in my top 5 stooge shorts. This is extremely funny. I don't want to talk about it much because I'll ruin it. All I can say is, this is one of the best films with Curley. I believe Shemp is my favorite Stooge though.

My brother and I like the Three Stooges...
My brother in particular likes "Disorder in the Court," whatever that's about. He wishes he still had a video of this. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Perhaps the Definitive Version of This Lugosi Classic
Among horror fans, Lugosi fans, and fans of psychotronic films in general, "The Devil Bat" holds a special place. Made by poverty row studio PRC in 1940, the film is a wonderfully ridiculous chiller about a mad scientist (Lugosi, of course)who takes revenge on his double-crossers (no, not the producers of this movie) by enlarging a normal bat to gigantic proportions through electrical treatments and using a new shaving lotion he perfected as the bait to attract the bat to its victim. ...)...

The film has kicked around the public domain for the last decade or so, with the result that VHS prints of it were either excellent or hardly watchable. DVD versions in general have been clear, but this version beats the others and comes close to being a definitive version of the picture, if one is possible.

Released by the Lugosi estate, "The Devil Bat" is the first in a proposed series of definitve versions of Lugosi films. (The unjustly overlooked "Bowery at Midnight" is the second movie in this series.)Extras on this DVD include stills from the movie, a poster card (very well done), and a commentary track featuring Bela Junior and film historian Ted Newsom. The commentary track is a laugh in itself as the two quickly run out of things to say about the movie (in fact, one wonders if Bela Jr. even saw it before this)and switch topics to Bela Junior's memories of life with father. As he provides some unusual insight into the life of his father, the commentary track is a must for all Lugosi fans, and, combined with the price, makes for one of the biggest bargains for film fans.

so bat it is goot
This would have simply been a terrible movie with laughable special effects if Bela Lugosi were not the star. As it is, he lends the film his uncanny talent of elevating even the worst flicks into pure entertainment.

It is funny. Some of the stock characters banter and talk real cool. A gigantic furry bat on a string shrieks like a teradactyl. Bela tells each of his victims "goodbye" before he sends them to their deaths at the maw of the devil bat.

Still Lugosi is worth watching as he plays yet another mad scientist bent on revenge. This time a brilliant perfume maker who is also capable of raising and training gigantic bats. There is a high body count for a film of this era, and unlike too many Lugosi films, Bela gets plenty of camera time.

The print looks good to my untrained eye--far better than my video copy. The extras aren't bad-- it's great to have any extras--most Lugosi films don't. The radio show is an interesting curio. I hope this DVD sells well so there will be more films in this series to recieve this deluxe treatment--such as The Corpse Vanishes...

Bela Goes Batty!
Dr. Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi) is a scientist who invents new fragrances for a successful aftershave maker. His failure to invest in the company has left him without the millions he feels he deserves. Carruthers is a bitter man who has sworn revenge. How? Does he plan to sue for his fair share of the profits? Nah, the sinister doc creates a small army of giant, mutant, killer bats to exact his vengeance! These fuzzy monsters are attracted by a new aftershave lotion he's formulated in his secret laboratory. He gets his intended targets to splash some on their faces. One by one, the victims are attacked, their throats ripped out by soaring, shrieking, stuffed devil bats! Bela is priceless as always. This movie belongs in every horror collection...

THE povery-row Lugosi film
Here's a nice treat: Bela Lugosi Jr. has acquired to rights to some of his famous father's lesser films, and the first offering is the lovable, laughable PRC programmer THE DEVIL BAT.

Bela is Dr. Carruthers, plotting the death of his enemies by training giant mutated bats to attack those who wear the doc's new experimental shaving lotion. Bela has some great, darkly-comic dialogue. When one intended victim comments on how smooth the new lotion is, Carruthers offers, "I don't think you'll ever wear anything else."

THE DEVIL BAT has, of course, been previously available on DVD and VHS, in various conditions. The best previous DVD release is certainly the one offered by Roan. This new "official" version compares favorably to the Roan disc, though acute listeners might find the sound is a touch clearer on this new disc. Bela Lugosi Jr. partners with genre critic Ted Newsom for an interesting commentary track, which unfortunately shows how little Bela Jr. actually knows about the film.

There are 2 other Lugosi theatrical trailers (but not one for Devil Bat?), some archival photos and a pretty neat audio-only feature: A radio play from the 1940's starring Bela.

If you're a fan of these type of "poverty row" horrors, DEVIL BAT will certainly make your day. If you're a fan of his more popular Universal features, this is a good introduction to a very different career path that poor ol' Bela got stuck on around 1940.

Just a few drops on the neck, where the skin is tender
OK. The plot of Devil Bat doesn't sound that impressive, but Bela Lugosi's performance earns the movie five stars from this reviewer. Lugosi plays Dr. Carruthers, a doctor and scientist beloved by everyone in the village of Heathville; he is the last person anyone suspects when a series of strange murders take place. The first three victims are all sons of the rich and powerful Heath and Morgan families. These two families made their fortunes, it turns out, on one of Dr. Carruthers' formulas, and all the doctor got out of the deal was a measly ten thousand dollars compared to their millions. Ah, yes, we have a motive. Of course, these are no ordinary murders; they seem to have been made by some type of unknown wild animal. It couldn't be a bat, of course, because the killer was definitely a pretty large specimen. Carruthers' plan is hokey but brilliant. He still works for the cosmetics firm, and he has just come up with an experimental new aftershave formula. Naturally, he wants the Heaths and Morgans to try the product out themselves before marketing it-just a few drops spread across the neck, where the skin is always tender. He doesn't bother to tell his victims that bats really, really hate the smell of the formula's secret ingredient, nor does he mention the fact that he has figured out a way to use electrical stimulation to turn a normal bat into a Devil Bat. Everything is going according to plan until a nosy reporter shows up and starts snooping around.

Lugosi is great in this movie. By 1940, he had the whole mad scientist act down to a science, and his secret scowls are enhanced by just the right touch of madness in his eyes. Best of all is the way he tells his victims "Goodbye" in a sinister voice once he has them in the soon-to-be clutches of his Devil Bat. One thing that bothers me about great old horror movies like this is the fact the moviemakers always felt compelled to provide some comic relief in the form of a goofy character-this time around, we have the newspaper photographer "One Shot" McGuire who is more interested in shooting pictures of the Heath's French maid than any silly old bat. The Devil Bat itself isn't very impressive; without the grainy, far from perfect black and white print, I am sure it would look quite ridiculous. It never even moves when Carruthers is handling it, it looks more like a hawk or eagle to me when it is flying, and its swoop attacks on unsuspecting victims make me think of the scene in Naked Gun where Frank Drebbin struggles against a towel thrown in his face. None of that matters, though, because Lugosi is just so much fun to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (4)

Corpse and a Bat
In the Devil Bat, Dr. Carruthers (played by Bela Lugosi) raises oversize bats that are enlarged by a special electrical machine. When the company he works for becomes rich because of the perfumes and colognes he has developed, he seeks revenge with these large bats that he has trained to "hate" a particular shaving cologne. His revenge is against his employer and family but a reporter puts together the bats and cologne and douses it on Carruthers. One of the last scenes is a giant bat going after Carruthers.

In The Corpse Vanishes, Dr. Lorenz (played by Bela Lugosi) keeps his wife young by kidnapping young females brides and extracting glandular fluid from them and then uses the fluid for his wife. He does this by kidnapping young brides, using a special orchid that puts them in suspended animation. He keeps the brides in an underground vault until their "fluids" run out.

The Devil Bat and The Corpse Vanishes are not Bela's best work but I think most Bela Lugosi fans will enjoy these two.

The quality of the pictures on the DVD are not crisp - but there are times where some of the old movies need a little less quality to give them their flair.

Lugosi's best Poverty Row films on one disc!
First of all, you know whether or not these are "your" type of movies. They're cheap, short and have Bela Lugosi just as his star was beginning to fade. THE CORPSE VANISHES is a typical Mongram 40's programmer, but Bela's really pretty good in it. The real attraction here is THE DEVIL BAT. An unexpected dose of humor is sprinkled throughout the macabre events. Lugosi is perfect as Dr. Carruthers, fiendlishly plotting deaths with his giant mutated bats. And surely no other film in history has used shaving lotion for such a sinister purpose! Naturally, one wishes for more supplemental materials. But the picture quality (and for the most part, the sound) is up to the usual Roan standard of excellence. There are several other povery row Lugosi films available from Roan (The Invisible Ghost, Bowery at Midnight, etc.) but if you only buy ONE, this is the one to get.

Bela never looked better!
I must admit, I was sweating bullets when I brought this DVD home, I was convinced that there would be something wrong with it, either bad audio, bad video or both. I have both of these films on the digitally remastered versions of the "Bela Lugosi Collection" VHS tapes whose manufacturers name escapes me at the moment. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of the picture and sound. And after seeing this DVD, I think it looks even better than the tapes, as well it should! No extras though, I was never big into the "extras" anyway, besides you can't expect many with films like these, but I still love 'em! My hat is off to the Roan Group...I know they've released quite a number of these films on DVD that the bigger studios won't touch, and I've passed them up a number of times, until now. So take my word for it, If you've held off on this DVD waiting for some sucker to "jump in" and write a crappy review, I hate to disappoint you. This is a pleasant surprise. So come on in, Bela fans, the water's fine!

Creaky old low-budget horror movie.
"Vampire Bat" is a Dracula movie without Dracula. Lionel Atwill plays the role of the resident good doctor/mad scientist who sends his mesmerized servant out for victims. The victims are drained of blood Atwill uses in his obscure experiments. Melvyn Douglas, in spite of his obvious American demeanor and manner of expression, has a German sounding name in the movie and plays the local inspector of police. Dwight Frye does well portraying a "Renfield" type madman who gets blamed initially for the mysterious vampire-like killings. Fay Wray is wasted as Atwill's lab assistant. There is a weak attempt at comedy relief via a goofy old woman who likes to pretend she's "doctor for a day" by diagnosing herself and others until she gets her just reward by means of a strong laxative. The atmosphere of the film is spooky; nice and dark and gloomy. Aside from the main characters the villagers all look and talk as authentic mid-Europeans (circa 1930). The real identity of the fiend is kept secret until later in the film. The film does a good job of creating an air of terror and suspense. All things considered, this little film is a good movie for Halloween or anytime when the winds howl in the mountains by night, the clock strikes midnight, and there is something scratching at your bedroom window. Well....we warned you! ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A history of the Three Stooges
This disc contains four classic Stooges shorts -- "Brideless Groom," "Disorder in the Court," "Sing a Song of Six Pants" and "Malice in the Palace" (all of which are in the public domain) -- and 8 others that were done before the Columbia era and feature either one Stooge or the Stooges with Ted Healy, who they worked with in their early days. The Columbia shorts are great, especially "Disorder," a classic Curly short (the other three are Shemp). Those who aren't familiar with their early work will find some interesting stuff here, including several routines that popped up later in the Columbia shorts. The quality on all is as good as can be expected. But be aware that, since most of these aren't the classic Columbia shorts, the Stooges, as seen here, are in slightly different form from the familiar versions that came later. Still, from a historical standpoint, this disc is invaluable, as several of these shorts aren't available in complete form on DVD elsewhere, to my knowledge. Other than the fact that "Nertsery Rhymes" is b/w instead of color (as it was originally released), this disc is recommended for Stooges fans who are interested in the team's history and their early work. Another nice thing: It's over 3 1/2 hours long, so it's a nice value for the price.

The Three Stooges.The Early Years.
This DVD is great value for the price.Even more worthwhile if your interested in film history.
Four of these shorts are well known classics featuring either Curly or Shemp Howard as the third Stooge.
Some of the other shorts on this disc feature members of the Three Stooges in solo film before they came together as a team.
A couple feature the full Stooges line-up with Ted Healy.
I find the Ted Healy stuff very poor quality,but interesting if you are interested in seeing how their early vaudeville performance would have been like on stage.

poor quality made up by rarities
Buy this if you are interested in Ted Healy's productions from really early Stooge days. If not, skip it. The quality (audio and video) of the DVD is shabby...hence, the low price. There are only 4 of 12 shorts really worth owning, available on other, higher quality products.

Terrific value; great material
What a DVD! This has three hours of extremely rare, hard to find material. And its not filler, like some of the other Three Stooges collections out there; this is all content, baby. The best part about this collection is that it has many of the hard-to-find shorts with Ted Healy.

The only problem is that no effort was made to clean up the video or the sound, and the original prints from which this DVD was made seem to have been in poor shape in places. A new release, with the latest in digital remastering, will be most welcome.

If only there were more stuff like this...
Yes, the picture quality needs work, but this is the earliest stuff the Stooges did. In fact, a lot of it is pre-Stooge work! There are several totally random musical numbers in the non-Stooge shorts. It's particularly interesting to see Shemp work on his own and wonder what his career would have been like without the Stooges; he certainly is a good actor, probably the best out of all the Stooges. And over 3 hours for around $?!? The world needs more bargains like this. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Perhaps the Definitive Version of This Lugosi Classic
Among horror fans, Lugosi fans, and fans of psychotronic films in general, "The Devil Bat" holds a special place. Made by poverty row studio PRC in 1940, the film is a wonderfully ridiculous chiller about a mad scientist (Lugosi, of course)who takes revenge on his double-crossers (no, not the producers of this movie) by enlarging a normal bat to gigantic proportions through electrical treatments and using a new shaving lotion he perfected as the bait to attract the bat to its victim. ...)...

The film has kicked around the public domain for the last decade or so, with the result that VHS prints of it were either excellent or hardly watchable. DVD versions in general have been clear, but this version beats the others and comes close to being a definitive version of the picture, if one is possible.

Released by the Lugosi estate, "The Devil Bat" is the first in a proposed series of definitve versions of Lugosi films. (The unjustly overlooked "Bowery at Midnight" is the second movie in this series.)Extras on this DVD include stills from the movie, a poster card (very well done), and a commentary track featuring Bela Junior and film historian Ted Newsom. The commentary track is a laugh in itself as the two quickly run out of things to say about the movie (in fact, one wonders if Bela Jr. even saw it before this)and switch topics to Bela Junior's memories of life with father. As he provides some unusual insight into the life of his father, the commentary track is a must for all Lugosi fans, and, combined with the price, makes for one of the biggest bargains for film fans.

so bat it is goot
This would have simply been a terrible movie with laughable special effects if Bela Lugosi were not the star. As it is, he lends the film his uncanny talent of elevating even the worst flicks into pure entertainment.

It is funny. Some of the stock characters banter and talk real cool. A gigantic furry bat on a string shrieks like a teradactyl. Bela tells each of his victims "goodbye" before he sends them to their deaths at the maw of the devil bat.

Still Lugosi is worth watching as he plays yet another mad scientist bent on revenge. This time a brilliant perfume maker who is also capable of raising and training gigantic bats. There is a high body count for a film of this era, and unlike too many Lugosi films, Bela gets plenty of camera time.

The print looks good to my untrained eye--far better than my video copy. The extras aren't bad-- it's great to have any extras--most Lugosi films don't. The radio show is an interesting curio. I hope this DVD sells well so there will be more films in this series to recieve this deluxe treatment--such as The Corpse Vanishes...

Bela Goes Batty!
Dr. Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi) is a scientist who invents new fragrances for a successful aftershave maker. His failure to invest in the company has left him without the millions he feels he deserves. Carruthers is a bitter man who has sworn revenge. How? Does he plan to sue for his fair share of the profits? Nah, the sinister doc creates a small army of giant, mutant, killer bats to exact his vengeance! These fuzzy monsters are attracted by a new aftershave lotion he's formulated in his secret laboratory. He gets his intended targets to splash some on their faces. One by one, the victims are attacked, their throats ripped out by soaring, shrieking, stuffed devil bats! Bela is priceless as always. This movie belongs in every horror collection...

THE povery-row Lugosi film
Here's a nice treat: Bela Lugosi Jr. has acquired to rights to some of his famous father's lesser films, and the first offering is the lovable, laughable PRC programmer THE DEVIL BAT.

Bela is Dr. Carruthers, plotting the death of his enemies by training giant mutated bats to attack those who wear the doc's new experimental shaving lotion. Bela has some great, darkly-comic dialogue. When one intended victim comments on how smooth the new lotion is, Carruthers offers, "I don't think you'll ever wear anything else."

THE DEVIL BAT has, of course, been previously available on DVD and VHS, in various conditions. The best previous DVD release is certainly the one offered by Roan. This new "official" version compares favorably to the Roan disc, though acute listeners might find the sound is a touch clearer on this new disc. Bela Lugosi Jr. partners with genre critic Ted Newsom for an interesting commentary track, which unfortunately shows how little Bela Jr. actually knows about the film.

There are 2 other Lugosi theatrical trailers (but not one for Devil Bat?), some archival photos and a pretty neat audio-only feature: A radio play from the 1940's starring Bela.

If you're a fan of these type of "poverty row" horrors, DEVIL BAT will certainly make your day. If you're a fan of his more popular Universal features, this is a good introduction to a very different career path that poor ol' Bela got stuck on around 1940.

Just a few drops on the neck, where the skin is tender
OK. The plot of Devil Bat doesn't sound that impressive, but Bela Lugosi's performance earns the movie five stars from this reviewer. Lugosi plays Dr. Carruthers, a doctor and scientist beloved by everyone in the village of Heathville; he is the last person anyone suspects when a series of strange murders take place. The first three victims are all sons of the rich and powerful Heath and Morgan families. These two families made their fortunes, it turns out, on one of Dr. Carruthers' formulas, and all the doctor got out of the deal was a measly ten thousand dollars compared to their millions. Ah, yes, we have a motive. Of course, these are no ordinary murders; they seem to have been made by some type of unknown wild animal. It couldn't be a bat, of course, because the killer was definitely a pretty large specimen. Carruthers' plan is hokey but brilliant. He still works for the cosmetics firm, and he has just come up with an experimental new aftershave formula. Naturally, he wants the Heaths and Morgans to try the product out themselves before marketing it-just a few drops spread across the neck, where the skin is always tender. He doesn't bother to tell his victims that bats really, really hate the smell of the formula's secret ingredient, nor does he mention the fact that he has figured out a way to use electrical stimulation to turn a normal bat into a Devil Bat. Everything is going according to plan until a nosy reporter shows up and starts snooping around.

Lugosi is great in this movie. By 1940, he had the whole mad scientist act down to a science, and his secret scowls are enhanced by just the right touch of madness in his eyes. Best of all is the way he tells his victims "Goodbye" in a sinister voice once he has them in the soon-to-be clutches of his Devil Bat. One thing that bothers me about great old horror movies like this is the fact the moviemakers always felt compelled to provide some comic relief in the form of a goofy character-this time around, we have the newspaper photographer "One Shot" McGuire who is more interested in shooting pictures of the Heath's French maid than any silly old bat. The Devil Bat itself isn't very impressive; without the grainy, far from perfect black and white print, I am sure it would look quite ridiculous. It never even moves when Carruthers is handling it, it looks more like a hawk or eagle to me when it is flying, and its swoop attacks on unsuspecting victims make me think of the scene in Naked Gun where Frank Drebbin struggles against a towel thrown in his face. None of that matters, though, because Lugosi is just so much fun to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (15)

A history of the Three Stooges
This disc contains four classic Stooges shorts -- "Brideless Groom," "Disorder in the Court," "Sing a Song of Six Pants" and "Malice in the Palace" (all of which are in the public domain) -- and 8 others that were done before the Columbia era and feature either one Stooge or the Stooges with Ted Healy, who they worked with in their early days. The Columbia shorts are great, especially "Disorder," a classic Curly short (the other three are Shemp). Those who aren't familiar with their early work will find some interesting stuff here, including several routines that popped up later in the Columbia shorts. The quality on all is as good as can be expected. But be aware that, since most of these aren't the classic Columbia shorts, the Stooges, as seen here, are in slightly different form from the familiar versions that came later. Still, from a historical standpoint, this disc is invaluable, as several of these shorts aren't available in complete form on DVD elsewhere, to my knowledge. Other than the fact that "Nertsery Rhymes" is b/w instead of color (as it was originally released), this disc is recommended for Stooges fans who are interested in the team's history and their early work. Another nice thing: It's over 3 1/2 hours long, so it's a nice value for the price.

The Three Stooges.The Early Years.
This DVD is great value for the price.Even more worthwhile if your interested in film history.
Four of these shorts are well known classics featuring either Curly or Shemp Howard as the third Stooge.
Some of the other shorts on this disc feature members of the Three Stooges in solo film before they came together as a team.
A couple feature the full Stooges line-up with Ted Healy.
I find the Ted Healy stuff very poor quality,but interesting if you are interested in seeing how their early vaudeville performance would have been like on stage.

poor quality made up by rarities
Buy this if you are interested in Ted Healy's productions from really early Stooge days. If not, skip it. The quality (audio and video) of the DVD is shabby...hence, the low price. There are only 4 of 12 shorts really worth owning, available on other, higher quality products.

Terrific value; great material
What a DVD! This has three hours of extremely rare, hard to find material. And its not filler, like some of the other Three Stooges collections out there; this is all content, baby. The best part about this collection is that it has many of the hard-to-find shorts with Ted Healy.

The only problem is that no effort was made to clean up the video or the sound, and the original prints from which this DVD was made seem to have been in poor shape in places. A new release, with the latest in digital remastering, will be most welcome.

If only there were more stuff like this...
Yes, the picture quality needs work, but this is the earliest stuff the Stooges did. In fact, a lot of it is pre-Stooge work! There are several totally random musical numbers in the non-Stooge shorts. It's particularly interesting to see Shemp work on his own and wonder what his career would have been like without the Stooges; he certainly is a good actor, probably the best out of all the Stooges. And over 3 hours for around $?!? The world needs more bargains like this. ... Read more

Reviews (17)

RetroHumor
You have to be in the right frame of mind to get a chuckle out of "The Three Stooges" as advanced techniques have raised expectations, but if you can transport yourself back in time, some of the routines are still cute. "Malice in the Palace" is the best on this DVD. It's based on misunderstanding and inaccurate assumptions, like most Stooge pieces are.

"Disorder in the Court" plays on another recurring Stooge theme, that of taking yourself and life too seriously. In the end the hapless baffoons save the day. It isn't as well written as "Malice," but is still an interesting piece to look at in terms of representingcomedy of the era.

Fergitaboutit
The four public domain shorts are good, but everywhere.
Ted Healy was incredibly UNfunny. He held the Stooges down.
When the Stooges left that jerk, they soared. Historicly interesting;Yes. Funny;No It's a small wonder Healy got stomped to death in a bar-room.

The Three Stooges.The Early Years.
This DVD is great value for the price.Even more worthwhile if your interested in film history.
Four of these shorts are well known classics featuring either Curly or Shemp Howard as the third Stooge.
Some of the other shorts on this disc feature members of the Three Stooges in solo film before they came together as a team.
A couple feature the full Stooges line-up with Ted Healy.
I find the Ted Healy stuff very poor quality,but interesting if you are interested in seeing how their early vaudeville performance would have been like on stage.

poor quality made up by rarities
Buy this if you are interested in Ted Healy's productions from really early Stooge days. If not, skip it. The quality (audio and video) of the DVD is shabby...hence, the low price. There are only 4 of 12 shorts really worth owning, available on other, higher quality products.

Terrific value; great material
What a DVD!This has three hours of extremely rare, hard to find material. And its not filler, like some of the other Three Stooges collections out there; this is all content, baby.The best part about this collection is that it has many of the hard-to-find shorts with Ted Healy.

The only problem is that no effort was made to clean up the video or the sound, and the original prints from which this DVD was made seem to have been in poor shape in places.A new release, with the latest in digital remastering, will be most welcome. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Perhaps the Definitive Version of This Lugosi Classic
Among horror fans, Lugosi fans, and fans of psychotronic films in general, "The Devil Bat" holds a special place. Made by poverty row studio PRC in 1940, the film is a wonderfully ridiculous chiller about a mad scientist (Lugosi, of course)who takes revenge on his double-crossers (no, not the producers of this movie) by enlarging a normal bat to gigantic proportions through electrical treatments and using a new shaving lotion he perfected as the bait to attract the bat to its victim. ...)...

The film has kicked around the public domain for the last decade or so, with the result that VHS prints of it were either excellent or hardly watchable. DVD versions in general have been clear, but this version beats the others and comes close to being a definitive version of the picture, if one is possible.

Released by the Lugosi estate, "The Devil Bat" is the first in a proposed series of definitve versions of Lugosi films. (The unjustly overlooked "Bowery at Midnight" is the second movie in this series.)Extras on this DVD include stills from the movie, a poster card (very well done), and a commentary track featuring Bela Junior and film historian Ted Newsom. The commentary track is a laugh in itself as the two quickly run out of things to say about the movie (in fact, one wonders if Bela Jr. even saw it before this)and switch topics to Bela Junior's memories of life with father. As he provides some unusual insight into the life of his father, the commentary track is a must for all Lugosi fans, and, combined with the price, makes for one of the biggest bargains for film fans.

so bat it is goot
This would have simply been a terrible movie with laughable special effects if Bela Lugosi were not the star. As it is, he lends the film his uncanny talent of elevating even the worst flicks into pure entertainment.

It is funny. Some of the stock characters banter and talk real cool. A gigantic furry bat on a string shrieks like a teradactyl. Bela tells each of his victims "goodbye" before he sends them to their deaths at the maw of the devil bat.

Still Lugosi is worth watching as he plays yet another mad scientist bent on revenge. This time a brilliant perfume maker who is also capable of raising and training gigantic bats. There is a high body count for a film of this era, and unlike too many Lugosi films, Bela gets plenty of camera time.

The print looks good to my untrained eye--far better than my video copy. The extras aren't bad-- it's great to have any extras--most Lugosi films don't. The radio show is an interesting curio. I hope this DVD sells well so there will be more films in this series to recieve this deluxe treatment--such as The Corpse Vanishes...

Bela Goes Batty!
Dr. Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi) is a scientist who invents new fragrances for a successful aftershave maker. His failure to invest in the company has left him without the millions he feels he deserves. Carruthers is a bitter man who has sworn revenge. How? Does he plan to sue for his fair share of the profits? Nah, the sinister doc creates a small army of giant, mutant, killer bats to exact his vengeance! These fuzzy monsters are attracted by a new aftershave lotion he's formulated in his secret laboratory. He gets his intended targets to splash some on their faces. One by one, the victims are attacked, their throats ripped out by soaring, shrieking, stuffed devil bats! Bela is priceless as always. This movie belongs in every horror collection...

THE povery-row Lugosi film
Here's a nice treat: Bela Lugosi Jr. has acquired to rights to some of his famous father's lesser films, and the first offering is the lovable, laughable PRC programmer THE DEVIL BAT.

Bela is Dr. Carruthers, plotting the death of his enemies by training giant mutated bats to attack those who wear the doc's new experimental shaving lotion. Bela has some great, darkly-comic dialogue. When one intended victim comments on how smooth the new lotion is, Carruthers offers, "I don't think you'll ever wear anything else."

THE DEVIL BAT has, of course, been previously available on DVD and VHS, in various conditions. The best previous DVD release is certainly the one offered by Roan. This new "official" version compares favorably to the Roan disc, though acute listeners might find the sound is a touch clearer on this new disc. Bela Lugosi Jr. partners with genre critic Ted Newsom for an interesting commentary track, which unfortunately shows how little Bela Jr. actually knows about the film.

There are 2 other Lugosi theatrical trailers (but not one for Devil Bat?), some archival photos and a pretty neat audio-only feature: A radio play from the 1940's starring Bela.

If you're a fan of these type of "poverty row" horrors, DEVIL BAT will certainly make your day. If you're a fan of his more popular Universal features, this is a good introduction to a very different career path that poor ol' Bela got stuck on around 1940.

Just a few drops on the neck, where the skin is tender
OK. The plot of Devil Bat doesn't sound that impressive, but Bela Lugosi's performance earns the movie five stars from this reviewer. Lugosi plays Dr. Carruthers, a doctor and scientist beloved by everyone in the village of Heathville; he is the last person anyone suspects when a series of strange murders take place. The first three victims are all sons of the rich and powerful Heath and Morgan families. These two families made their fortunes, it turns out, on one of Dr. Carruthers' formulas, and all the doctor got out of the deal was a measly ten thousand dollars compared to their millions. Ah, yes, we have a motive. Of course, these are no ordinary murders; they seem to have been made by some type of unknown wild animal. It couldn't be a bat, of course, because the killer was definitely a pretty large specimen. Carruthers' plan is hokey but brilliant. He still works for the cosmetics firm, and he has just come up with an experimental new aftershave formula. Naturally, he wants the Heaths and Morgans to try the product out themselves before marketing it-just a few drops spread across the neck, where the skin is always tender. He doesn't bother to tell his victims that bats really, really hate the smell of the formula's secret ingredient, nor does he mention the fact that he has figured out a way to use electrical stimulation to turn a normal bat into a Devil Bat. Everything is going according to plan until a nosy reporter shows up and starts snooping around.

Lugosi is great in this movie. By 1940, he had the whole mad scientist act down to a science, and his secret scowls are enhanced by just the right touch of madness in his eyes. Best of all is the way he tells his victims "Goodbye" in a sinister voice once he has them in the soon-to-be clutches of his Devil Bat. One thing that bothers me about great old horror movies like this is the fact the moviemakers always felt compelled to provide some comic relief in the form of a goofy character-this time around, we have the newspaper photographer "One Shot" McGuire who is more interested in shooting pictures of the Heath's French maid than any silly old bat. The Devil Bat itself isn't very impressive; without the grainy, far from perfect black and white print, I am sure it would look quite ridiculous. It never even moves when Carruthers is handling it, it looks more like a hawk or eagle to me when it is flying, and its swoop attacks on unsuspecting victims make me think of the scene in Naked Gun where Frank Drebbin struggles against a towel thrown in his face. None of that matters, though, because Lugosi is just so much fun to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Perhaps the Definitive Version of This Lugosi Classic
Among horror fans, Lugosi fans, and fans of psychotronic films in general, "The Devil Bat" holds a special place. Made by poverty row studio PRC in 1940, the film is a wonderfully ridiculous chiller about a mad scientist (Lugosi, of course)who takes revenge on his double-crossers (no, not the producers of this movie) by enlarging a normal bat to gigantic proportions through electrical treatments and using a new shaving lotion he perfected as the bait to attract the bat to its victim. ...)...

The film has kicked around the public domain for the last decade or so, with the result that VHS prints of it were either excellent or hardly watchable. DVD versions in general have been clear, but this version beats the others and comes close to being a definitive version of the picture, if one is possible.

Released by the Lugosi estate, "The Devil Bat" is the first in a proposed series of definitve versions of Lugosi films. (The unjustly overlooked "Bowery at Midnight" is the second movie in this series.)Extras on this DVD include stills from the movie, a poster card (very well done), and a commentary track featuring Bela Junior and film historian Ted Newsom. The commentary track is a laugh in itself as the two quickly run out of things to say about the movie (in fact, one wonders if Bela Jr. even saw it before this)and switch topics to Bela Junior's memories of life with father. As he provides some unusual insight into the life of his father, the commentary track is a must for all Lugosi fans, and, combined with the price, makes for one of the biggest bargains for film fans.

so bat it is goot
This would have simply been a terrible movie with laughable special effects if Bela Lugosi were not the star. As it is, he lends the film his uncanny talent of elevating even the worst flicks into pure entertainment.

It is funny. Some of the stock characters banter and talk real cool. A gigantic furry bat on a string shrieks like a teradactyl. Bela tells each of his victims "goodbye" before he sends them to their deaths at the maw of the devil bat.

Still Lugosi is worth watching as he plays yet another mad scientist bent on revenge. This time a brilliant perfume maker who is also capable of raising and training gigantic bats. There is a high body count for a film of this era, and unlike too many Lugosi films, Bela gets plenty of camera time.

The print looks good to my untrained eye--far better than my video copy. The extras aren't bad-- it's great to have any extras--most Lugosi films don't. The radio show is an interesting curio. I hope this DVD sells well so there will be more films in this series to recieve this deluxe treatment--such as The Corpse Vanishes...

Bela Goes Batty!
Dr. Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi) is a scientist who invents new fragrances for a successful aftershave maker. His failure to invest in the company has left him without the millions he feels he deserves. Carruthers is a bitter man who has sworn revenge. How? Does he plan to sue for his fair share of the profits? Nah, the sinister doc creates a small army of giant, mutant, killer bats to exact his vengeance! These fuzzy monsters are attracted by a new aftershave lotion he's formulated in his secret laboratory. He gets his intended targets to splash some on their faces. One by one, the victims are attacked, their throats ripped out by soaring, shrieking, stuffed devil bats! Bela is priceless as always. This movie belongs in every horror collection...

THE povery-row Lugosi film
Here's a nice treat: Bela Lugosi Jr. has acquired to rights to some of his famous father's lesser films, and the first offering is the lovable, laughable PRC programmer THE DEVIL BAT.

Bela is Dr. Carruthers, plotting the death of his enemies by training giant mutated bats to attack those who wear the doc's new experimental shaving lotion. Bela has some great, darkly-comic dialogue. When one intended victim comments on how smooth the new lotion is, Carruthers offers, "I don't think you'll ever wear anything else."

THE DEVIL BAT has, of course, been previously available on DVD and VHS, in various conditions. The best previous DVD release is certainly the one offered by Roan. This new "official" version compares favorably to the Roan disc, though acute listeners might find the sound is a touch clearer on this new disc. Bela Lugosi Jr. partners with genre critic Ted Newsom for an interesting commentary track, which unfortunately shows how little Bela Jr. actually knows about the film.

There are 2 other Lugosi theatrical trailers (but not one for Devil Bat?), some archival photos and a pretty neat audio-only feature: A radio play from the 1940's starring Bela.

If you're a fan of these type of "poverty row" horrors, DEVIL BAT will certainly make your day. If you're a fan of his more popular Universal features, this is a good introduction to a very different career path that poor ol' Bela got stuck on around 1940.

Just a few drops on the neck, where the skin is tender
OK. The plot of Devil Bat doesn't sound that impressive, but Bela Lugosi's performance earns the movie five stars from this reviewer. Lugosi plays Dr. Carruthers, a doctor and scientist beloved by everyone in the village of Heathville; he is the last person anyone suspects when a series of strange murders take place. The first three victims are all sons of the rich and powerful Heath and Morgan families. These two families made their fortunes, it turns out, on one of Dr. Carruthers' formulas, and all the doctor got out of the deal was a measly ten thousand dollars compared to their millions. Ah, yes, we have a motive. Of course, these are no ordinary murders; they seem to have been made by some type of unknown wild animal. It couldn't be a bat, of course, because the killer was definitely a pretty large specimen. Carruthers' plan is hokey but brilliant. He still works for the cosmetics firm, and he has just come up with an experimental new aftershave formula. Naturally, he wants the Heaths and Morgans to try the product out themselves before marketing it-just a few drops spread across the neck, where the skin is always tender. He doesn't bother to tell his victims that bats really, really hate the smell of the formula's secret ingredient, nor does he mention the fact that he has figured out a way to use electrical stimulation to turn a normal bat into a Devil Bat. Everything is going according to plan until a nosy reporter shows up and starts snooping around.

Lugosi is great in this movie. By 1940, he had the whole mad scientist act down to a science, and his secret scowls are enhanced by just the right touch of madness in his eyes. Best of all is the way he tells his victims "Goodbye" in a sinister voice once he has them in the soon-to-be clutches of his Devil Bat. One thing that bothers me about great old horror movies like this is the fact the moviemakers always felt compelled to provide some comic relief in the form of a goofy character-this time around, we have the newspaper photographer "One Shot" McGuire who is more interested in shooting pictures of the Heath's French maid than any silly old bat. The Devil Bat itself isn't very impressive; without the grainy, far from perfect black and white print, I am sure it would look quite ridiculous. It never even moves when Carruthers is handling it, it looks more like a hawk or eagle to me when it is flying, and its swoop attacks on unsuspecting victims make me think of the scene in Naked Gun where Frank Drebbin struggles against a towel thrown in his face. None of that matters, though, because Lugosi is just so much fun to watch. ... Read more

Reviews (18)

Perhaps the Definitive Version of This Lugosi Classic
Among horror fans, Lugosi fans, and fans of psychotronic films in general, "The Devil Bat" holds a special place. Made by poverty row studio PRC in 1940, the film is a wonderfully ridiculous chiller about a mad scientist (Lugosi, of course)who takes revenge on his double-crossers (no, not the producers of this movie) by enlarging a normal bat to gigantic proportions through electrical treatments and using a new shaving lotion he perfected as the bait to attract the bat to its victim. ...)...

The film has kicked around the public domain for the last decade or so, with the result that VHS prints of it were either excellent or hardly watchable. DVD versions in general have been clear, but this version beats the others and comes close to being a definitive version of the picture, if one is possible.

Released by the Lugosi estate, "The Devil Bat" is the first in a proposed series of definitve versions of Lugosi films. (The unjustly overlooked "Bowery at Midnight" is the second movie in this series.)Extras on this DVD include stills from the movie, a poster card (very well done), and a commentary track featuring Bela Junior and film historian Ted Newsom. The commentary track is a laugh in itself as the two quickly run out of things to say about the movie (in fact, one wonders if Bela Jr. even saw it before this)and switch topics to Bela Junior's memories of life with father. As he provides some unusual insight into the life of his father, the commentary track is a must for all Lugosi fans, and, combined with the price, makes for one of the biggest bargains for film fans.

so bat it is goot
This would have simply been a terrible movie with laughable special effects if Bela Lugosi were not the star. As it is, he lends the film his uncanny talent of elevating even the worst flicks into pure entertainment.

It is funny. Some of the stock characters banter and talk real cool. A gigantic furry bat on a string shrieks like a teradactyl. Bela tells each of his victims "goodbye" before he sends them to their deaths at the maw of the devil bat.

Still Lugosi is worth watching as he plays yet another mad scientist bent on revenge. This time a brilliant perfume maker who is also capable of raising and training gigantic bats. There is a high body count for a film of this era, and unlike too many Lugosi films, Bela gets plenty of camera time.

The print looks good to my untrained eye--far better than my video copy. The extras aren't bad-- it's great to have any extras--most Lugosi films don't. The radio show is an interesting curio. I hope this DVD sells well so there will be more films in this series to recieve this deluxe treatment--such as The Corpse Vanishes...

Bela Goes Batty!
Dr. Paul Carruthers (Bela Lugosi) is a scientist who invents new fragrances for a successful aftershave maker. His failure to invest in the company has left him without the millions he feels he deserves. Carruthers is a bitter man who has sworn revenge. How? Does he plan to sue for his fair share of the profits? Nah, the sinister doc creates a small army of giant, mutant, killer bats to exact his vengeance! These fuzzy monsters are attracted by a new aftershave lotion he's formulated in his secret laboratory. He gets his intended targets to splash some on their faces. One by one, the victims are attacked, their throats ripped out by soaring, shrieking, stuffed devil bats! Bela is priceless as always. This movie belongs in every horror collection...

THE povery-row Lugosi film
Here's a nice treat: Bela Lugosi Jr. has acquired to rights to some of his famous father's lesser films, and the first offering is the lovable, laughable PRC programmer THE DEVIL BAT.

Bela is Dr. Carruthers, plotting the death of his enemies by training giant mutated bats to attack those who wear the doc's new experimental shaving lotion. Bela has some great, darkly-comic dialogue. When one intended victim comments on how smooth the new lotion is, Carruthers offers, "I don't think you'll ever wear anything else."

THE DEVIL BAT has, of course, been previously available on DVD and VHS, in various conditions. The best previous DVD release is certainly the one offered by Roan. This new "official" version compares favorably to the Roan disc, though acute listeners might find the sound is a touch clearer on this new disc. Bela Lugosi Jr. partners with genre critic Ted Newsom for an interesting commentary track, which unfortunately shows how little Bela Jr. actually knows about the film.

There are 2 other Lugosi theatrical trailers (but not one for Devil Bat?), some archival photos and a pretty neat audio-only feature: A radio play from the 1940's starring Bela.

If you're a fan of these type of "poverty row" horrors, DEVIL BAT will certainly make your day. If you're a fan of his more popular Universal features, this is a good introduction to a very different career path that poor ol' Bela got stuck on around 1940.

Just a few drops on the neck, where the skin is tender
OK. The plot of Devil Bat doesn't sound that impressive, but Bela Lugosi's performance earns the movie five stars from this reviewer. Lugosi plays Dr. Carruthers, a doctor and scientist beloved by everyone in the village of Heathville; he is the last person anyone suspects when a series of strange murders take place. The first three victims are all sons of the rich and powerful Heath and Morgan families. These two families made their fortunes, it turns out, on one of Dr. Carruthers' formulas, and all the doctor got out of the deal was a measly ten thousand dollars compared to their millions. Ah, yes, we have a motive. Of course, these are no ordinary murders; they seem to have been made by some type of unknown wild animal. It couldn't be a bat, of course, because the killer was definitely a pretty large specimen. Carruthers' plan is hokey but brilliant. He still works for the cosmetics firm, and he has just come up with an experimental new aftershave formula. Naturally, he wants the Heaths and Morgans to try the product out themselves before marketing it-just a few drops spread across the neck, where the skin is always tender. He doesn't bother to tell his victims that bats really, really hate the smell of the formula's secret ingredient, nor does he mention the fact that he has figured out a way to use electrical stimulation to turn a normal bat into a Devil Bat. Everything is going according to plan until a nosy reporter shows up and starts snooping around.

Lugosi is great in this movie. By 1940, he had the whole mad scientist act down to a science, and his secret scowls are enhanced by just the right touch of madness in his eyes. Best of all is the way he tells his victims "Goodbye" in a sinister voice once he has them in the soon-to-be clutches of his Devil Bat. One thing that bothers me about great old horror movies like this is the fact the moviemakers always felt compelled to provide some comic relief in the form of a goofy character-this time around, we have the newspaper photographer "One Shot" McGuire who is more interested in shooting pictures of the Heath's French maid than any silly old bat. The Devil Bat itself isn't very impressive; without the grainy, far from perfect black and white print, I am sure it would look quite ridiculous. It never even moves when Carruthers is handling it, it looks more like a hawk or eagle to me when it is flying, and its swoop attacks on unsuspecting victims make me think of the scene in Naked Gun where Frank Drebbin struggles against a towel thrown in his face. None of that matters, though, because Lugosi is just so much fun to watch. ... Read more