Roland West

A masked criminal known as the Bat terrorizes the guests of an old dark house rented by a mystery writer, while a stolen bank fortune is hidden somewhere inside. The Bat announces his crimes in advance and dares the police to stop him, and the household spends the night hunting for the money, the Bat, and a killer who may or may not be the same person. Roland West directed this adaptation of the 1920 Broadway hit by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood, and his use of a bat signal and a caped figure inspired Bob Kane's later creation of Batman. The film was considered lost for decades before a print surfaced in the 1980s. Pre-1930 films are in the public domain in the United States.

Horror · Comedy · Silent

A 1930 pre-Code mystery film directed by Roland West and produced by Joseph M. Schenck for United Artists. Based on the 1920 play The Bat by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood, the film follows the mysterious criminal known as "The Bat" who terrorizes the occupants of a lonely country mansion. Notable as one of the first widescreen films, West shot the picture in both standard 35mm and an experimental 65mm format requiring two cameramen. The film stars Chester Morris, Una Merkel, and Grayce Hampton, and is widely cited as an inspiration for Bob Kane's Batman. Long thought lost, a nitrate print was discovered at the Mary Pickford Estate in 1987 and restored by UCLA. The film is in the public domain.

Mystery · Crime · Thriller

An early "old dark house" horror-comedy directed by Roland West, starring Lon Chaney as Dr. Gustave Ziska, a mad scientist who terrorizes a small town. When an amateur detective (Johnny Arthur) investigates a series of disappearances, he finds himself trapped in Ziska's labyrinthine mansion, complete with secret passages, trapdoors, and a hulking assistant named Caliban. Chaney's grotesque makeup and sinister mannerisms elevate the film above its stage-play origins, while Arthur provides comic relief as the bumbling would-be detective. The film was released with lavish color tints that enhanced its eerie atmosphere, and is considered one of the first horror films to top the North American box office. The film is in the public domain.

Horror · Comedy · Silent

A masked criminal known as the Bat terrorizes the guests of an old dark house rented by a mystery writer, while a stolen bank fortune is hidden somewhere inside. The Bat announces his crimes in advance and dares the police to stop him, and the household spends the night hunting for the money, the Bat, and a killer who may or may not be the same person. Roland West directed this adaptation of the 1920 Broadway hit by Mary Roberts Rinehart and Avery Hopwood, and his use of a bat signal and a caped figure inspired Bob Kane's later creation of Batman. The film was considered lost for decades before a print surfaced in the 1980s. Pre-1930 films are in the public domain in the United States.

Horror · Comedy · Silent

An early "old dark house" horror-comedy directed by Roland West, starring Lon Chaney as Dr. Gustave Ziska, a mad scientist who terrorizes a small town. When an amateur detective (Johnny Arthur) investigates a series of disappearances, he finds himself trapped in Ziska's labyrinthine mansion, complete with secret passages, trapdoors, and a hulking assistant named Caliban. Chaney's grotesque makeup and sinister mannerisms elevate the film above its stage-play origins, while Arthur provides comic relief as the bumbling would-be detective. The film was released with lavish color tints that enhanced its eerie atmosphere, and is considered one of the first horror films to top the North American box office. The film is in the public domain.

Horror · Comedy · Silent