Devil Bat’s Daughter And Strangler Of The Swamp

Two low-budget horror pictures directed in 1946 for the PRC studio by Frank Wysbar, a German director who emigrated to Hollywood in the 40s. The most notable thing about Devil Bat’s Daughtera quiet psychological thriller in the Val Lewton mode about a young woman (Rosemary LePlanche) who may or may not be murdering people and animals in her sleepis the low-key avoidance of cliches in the performances. Strangler of the Swamp, which I only sampled, is a remake of Wysbar’s German film Fahrman Maria, starring LePlanche and none other than Blake Edwards in his predirectorial days; this film seems to do a bit more with mood and atmosphere. (JR)

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