I liked this film to a degree: the idea of vampire bats, a murder mystery and a belief that one might be a vampire rolled into a film is a pretty neat idea 1935 and still is today.The acting is good, fine. The story is just "okay" - nothing to really brag about but it's not a terrible film either. The biggest thing is it's easy to solve the mystery, so you are left watching the characters "solve the mystery" when you already know the answer - but it is kind fun watching them solve it.Dr. Anders Bizet is played by Pedro de Cordoba - quite well I must add. But I have to admit I kept seeing John Carradine playing the role in my mind.5.5/10

Rating films as from this era can be quite challenging. American horror films of the 1930's are notorious for unbelievable special effects, degrading female acting, and incoherent plots. This film is no exception, but Condemned to Live is still entertaining due to the care with which it was made. It isn't Karloff's Frankenstein, but it's worth a viewing.In an African cave, a pregnant woman is bitten by a vampire bat. It is implied that her child is born and sent back to a European village. He becomes a doctor and is quite respected in his town. This prestige has earned him the admiration of a young woman, Marguerite. However, Marguerite has fallen in love with her neighbor David, but feels obligated to marry doctor Kristan. Kristan is visited by a college, Dr. Bizet who discovers Kristan's affliction: he becomes ferociously violent when the lights are dimmed and has killed several people. Kristan does not recall any of these murders and thinks the culprit is a giant bat. He remains innocent due to his devoted hunchback, Zan, covering his outbursts. Both are discovered and commit suicide at the end of the film.With such a short running time, a lot happens in Condemned to Live, and most of it happens too quickly. Despite the compressed time, the film develops an intriguing antagonist. Dr. Kristan is hell-bent on discovering the perpetrator of the murders, but is unaware of his involvement in them. While it isn't difficult to see this plot twist, Strayer's incorporation of Jeckyll and Hyde personality disorder and vampirism into Ralph Morgan's character add suspense to the film. Zan also shares traditional horror elements, with his inhuman devotion to his master and his shrunken appearance. These two also have a fitting end in their joined suicide. Kristan is a knowledgeable man, and he knows he must separate himself from the village in order to continue serving the people.The special effects are also worthwhile and appear as realistic as one could expect from a film so old. The bat in the opening sequence doesn't appear fake given the film's age, which is unlike some films today (Army of Darkness is a modern film which incorporates absurdly unconvincing special effects). Morgan's portrayal as a bloodthirsty killer is also intriguing. He exhibits no obvious traits of being a vampire, but bites people as if he were. I interpret his desire to bite as a trait inherited from the bat which attacked his mother. This is why he prefers biting people on the neck, but isn't a real vampire.I may have read too much into the film, but a good film allows an audience to do that. The film does suffer from a low budget, and certain parts of it are difficult to see. If you find a single disc version, I would suggest that you watch it, since I've had better success with them. I've read the plot summary for The Vampire Bat, and feel obligated to warn you that this film is similar but they both have around a 5.0 rating on IMDb. Yes, there are several holes in the plot, but I don't think I can fairly lower the film's score given its age. While Condemned to Live is dated, it is still a great way to spend 67 minutes of your time.

The plot of this is very similar to another movie (I believe "The Vampire Bat). Still, it holds its own pretty well. The main character, Paul, was cursed from birth to become a horrible creature with bat-like tendencies. He rips the throats out of people and drinks their blood. He has no recollection of his actions. A young woman who admires him is engaged to marry him, even though he is twice her age (at least). His best friend is aware of what is happening and tries to intervene. He also has a hunchback assistant who tries to keep things from escalating. Eventually the murders are going to be investigated. The black and white film has a nice quality to it. The principle character is a kind man who has helped people for years, especially the downtrodden. He makes a very tragic figure. There is a bit of the Wolfman, imitating Lawrence Talbot. Of course, things must come to a proper conclusion. It's a little slow at times, but the gentle goodness of the characters, contrasted with the evil forced on them, makes it work.

I'd never heard of this film but it's worth a look for those who can put up with 1930's style film-making and especially for genre fans.The story has elements of Jeckyll and Hyde and it has psychological overtones of the main monster character that help it. These elements help keep it fresh despite the hunchback and dated directorial non-touches and lack of much on screen violence. But the aftermath of the killings and good acting of Ralph Morgan help. The final scene is suspenseful as well and of course the whole thing is over pretty quickly, but still manages, thanks for Karn DeWolf's script to pack in quite a bit of character complication.Nice production values but the director, Frank Strayer, shows little flair. Then again he keeps things moving and the acting is good. Alpha Video copy I watched was "okay" looking a better source print is unlikely to turn up, but the movie deserves some restoration and recognition.