THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS (1940)
For an Invisible Man film, you need an actor with a good voice. Vincent Price plays the title role, in his first horror film--or second if you count TOWER OF LONDON (1939).
Geoffrey Radcliffe is framed for a murder which he did not commit, and sentenced to hang. Hours before the execution, his friend, Frank Griffin, brother of Jack Griffin (Claude Rains' original Invisible Man), injects him with the invisibility serum so that he can escape. Geoffrey must now evade the police and find the real culprit. Meanwhile, Griffin races against time to find an antidote--before Geoffrey goes mad like his predecessor. And go mad he does--which Vincent Price does deliciously. The man was quite an actor.
If this film lacks some of the finesse--and viciousness--of the original, it still has the fun, and energy, and hits all its marks. The invisibility effects were low tech, but they work great. Good one.
Alan Napier plays a supporting role. I couldn't remember where I knew that name--but he played Alfred in the Batman TV show. Look here!
Regrettably, this was also Vincent Price's last horror picture for Universal, except for a voice-only cameo in ABBOT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948). Mr. Price died in 1993. His last feature film was EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990).
Universal Classic Horror Blog Series Rating:
4 - For everyone
3 - For horror fans only
2 - For classic horror fans only
1 - For Pete's sake
0 - Paging MST3K
Geoffrey Radcliffe is framed for a murder which he did not commit, and sentenced to hang. Hours before the execution, his friend, Frank Griffin, brother of Jack Griffin (Claude Rains' original Invisible Man), injects him with the invisibility serum so that he can escape. Geoffrey must now evade the police and find the real culprit. Meanwhile, Griffin races against time to find an antidote--before Geoffrey goes mad like his predecessor. And go mad he does--which Vincent Price does deliciously. The man was quite an actor.
If this film lacks some of the finesse--and viciousness--of the original, it still has the fun, and energy, and hits all its marks. The invisibility effects were low tech, but they work great. Good one.
Alan Napier plays a supporting role. I couldn't remember where I knew that name--but he played Alfred in the Batman TV show. Look here!
Regrettably, this was also Vincent Price's last horror picture for Universal, except for a voice-only cameo in ABBOT AND COSTELLO MEET FRANKENSTEIN (1948). Mr. Price died in 1993. His last feature film was EDWARD SCISSORHANDS (1990).
Universal Classic Horror Blog Series Rating:
4 - For everyone
3 - For horror fans only
2 - For classic horror fans only
1 - For Pete's sake
0 - Paging MST3K