Jeff Flugel
Premium
20. The Invisible Man Returns (1940) ***1/2
Sequel to the James Whale' original, starring Vincent Price as a man falsely accused of murdering his brother, who, on the eve of his execution, is given a dose of invisibility serum by his close friend (John Sutton), the brother of the original Invisible Man, and then sets out to find the real murderer and clear his name. But can he do so before madness and megalomania consume him? This one is lots of fun, fast-paced, with more neat special effects (courtesy of John Fulton), a good cast and what looks like a fairly hefty budget by Universal standards, featuring a variety of lavish sets and sleek cinematography, which really shines on the Legacy Collection Blu-Ray. Cecil Kelloway is delightful as the shrewd police inspector who puts two and two together immediately and doesn't waste most of the runtime disbelieving eyewitness accounts like you see in most horror films. I love how, when he first steps into Dr. Griffin's lab, he blows cigar smoke everywhere to see if the invisible fugitive is there. And, holy cow, was Nan Grey - who plays Price's faithful fiancee - drop-dead gorgeous.
21. Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) ***
Another funny A & C romp lifts a lot of elements from The Invisible Man Returns, as freshly-minted dope detectives Bud and Lou are hired by boxer Tommy Nelson (Alfred
Franz), who's on the lam after being set up by a gangster (Sheldon Leonard) for the murder of his manager. Tommy's girlfriend (Nancy Guild), just happens to have a scientist uncle who has inherited Dr. Griffin's invisibility formula, and soon Tommy is running around town trying to clear his name, with the assistance of Bud and Lou. Some really good gags in this one, including a ridiculous but highly amusing scene with pudgy Lou in the boxing ring, knocking seven bells out of his opponent with a little help from his invisible friend. The "fixed fight" crime plot adds a nice new angle to the usual, rehashed invisibility gimmick. Not up there with the classic Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, but certainly one of the duo's best 1950s pictures.

Sequel to the James Whale' original, starring Vincent Price as a man falsely accused of murdering his brother, who, on the eve of his execution, is given a dose of invisibility serum by his close friend (John Sutton), the brother of the original Invisible Man, and then sets out to find the real murderer and clear his name. But can he do so before madness and megalomania consume him? This one is lots of fun, fast-paced, with more neat special effects (courtesy of John Fulton), a good cast and what looks like a fairly hefty budget by Universal standards, featuring a variety of lavish sets and sleek cinematography, which really shines on the Legacy Collection Blu-Ray. Cecil Kelloway is delightful as the shrewd police inspector who puts two and two together immediately and doesn't waste most of the runtime disbelieving eyewitness accounts like you see in most horror films. I love how, when he first steps into Dr. Griffin's lab, he blows cigar smoke everywhere to see if the invisible fugitive is there. And, holy cow, was Nan Grey - who plays Price's faithful fiancee - drop-dead gorgeous.

21. Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951) ***

Another funny A & C romp lifts a lot of elements from The Invisible Man Returns, as freshly-minted dope detectives Bud and Lou are hired by boxer Tommy Nelson (Alfred
Franz), who's on the lam after being set up by a gangster (Sheldon Leonard) for the murder of his manager. Tommy's girlfriend (Nancy Guild), just happens to have a scientist uncle who has inherited Dr. Griffin's invisibility formula, and soon Tommy is running around town trying to clear his name, with the assistance of Bud and Lou. Some really good gags in this one, including a ridiculous but highly amusing scene with pudgy Lou in the boxing ring, knocking seven bells out of his opponent with a little help from his invisible friend. The "fixed fight" crime plot adds a nice new angle to the usual, rehashed invisibility gimmick. Not up there with the classic Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, but certainly one of the duo's best 1950s pictures.
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