Vincent Price and Agnes Moorehead star in this classic crime-mystery thriller, The Bat (1959). But did you know this film is the culmination of a story that captivated audiences for over 50 years?

This chilling tale began in 1908 with Mary Roberts Rinehart's groundbreaking mystery novel, The Circular Staircase. A massive bestseller, it pioneered the "had I but known" storytelling technique and established Rinehart as a master of the genre. The story's popularity soared even higher when Rinehart adapted it into the smash-hit 1920 Broadway play, The Bat, co-written with Avery Hopwood.

The play's success spawned a wave of early film adaptations, including a silent version in 1926 and the innovative early talkie, The Bat Whispers, in 1930.

This 1959 version stands as the fourth film adaptation of this enduring story, bringing the classic mystery of a masked criminal stalking the inhabitants of a isolated mansion to a new generation with the iconic horror presence of Vincent Price.

So dim the lights and prepare for a night of suspense, and remember: you're watching a piece of cinematic and literary history, one of many incarnations of a mystery that has kept audiences on the edge of their seats since the dawn of the 20th century.