The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

In January of 1940 nearly seven years after the release of the first film (a classic in every sense of the word), it's sequel "The Invisible Man Returns" arrived, this time he's played by an American actor - the late and great Vincent Price.In The Invisible Man Returns the dapper and refined 6 foot 5 actor portrays the invisible man with a fair degree of effectiveness (though certainly not as spectacularly or as vividly as his British counter-part years earlier) and the film as a whole is a handsomely staged, big-budget sequel that features a good cast - and even better crew backing them up. To put it one way - when the invisible man returned so did the renowned special-effects expert John P. Fulton - whose indelible contributions greatly enhanced the distinctive visual style of The Invisible Man film series and several other early Universal classics. If only the director of this film was as talented as it's special-effect guru, but that's certainly not the case here, the first Invisible Man film benefited from the masterful direction of James Whale. However, this film was directed by a far less talented director, Joe May (a veteran German director of temperamental nature) whose workman-like sense of direction clearly doesn't produce the same levels of energy or enthusiasm. However, if there's one aspect where this film is superior to the first film, it would certainly be from a musical angle, The Invisible Man Returns is blessed with one of the best efforts from the the renowned duo of Hans J. Salter and Frank Skinner; who at the time were Universal Studio's go-to team when a new horror score was needed. I'd also say that The Invisible Man Returns has the edge in terms of it's cinematography, the sequel has a bit more spit and polish to it compared to the original, resulting in an overall smoother visual presentation. You certainly can't fault this film's camera-work, it's beautifully shot from the opening frame to the last.However, every time I see The Invisible Man Returns it leaves me with the same impression, though it's a good sequel, it's certainly not in the same league as the original. It's obviously lacking much of the verve and excitement that the first film has in spades, but why is that? First off lets start with the cast, Vincent Price though visually more impressive at a towering 6'5, but the actors voice is definitely not the equal to that of Claude Rains, maybe had he been 30 years older at the time that would have made the difference, as his voice became much more distinctive with age. Secondly director Joe May simply lacked the distinctive flair for sly and witty or "impish" humor that James Whale was well known for. Thirdly the movies script required that the invisible man's actions to be held much more in check this time around, because after all, unlike in the original film, in the sequel the invisible man is the "good guy" and as the rules stipulate the good guy's can't be running around the countryside murdering and maiming. Those are three obvious reasons I could detect as to why this sequel fails to live up to the original - though there may be more. Even so there's still a lot to like about this classic film, such as, the invisibility effects which are every bit as good and in some cases even better then first film, you get a few good hefty doses of those distinctively ego-maniacal rantings and ravings (a side-effect of the invisibility drug), there's the aforementioned musical brilliance, then there's the humor aspect and though it's not as funny as one would hope, it's certainly not devoid of humor, as there are several funny moments seen throughout the film - people think they're seeing ghosts after all.And if the Invisible Man Returns doesn't move you, relax, because there were at least three other "Invisible" movies made shortly thereafter in the form of "The Invisible Woman" (1940), "Invisible Agent" (1942) and "The Invisible Man's Revenge" (1944). It's my opinion that none of those three are better then the first two films, but they too have there moments and not surprisingly The Invisible Woman is the lightest and most whimsical of the lot (having none of the demonic charm and vindictive fury that THE Invisible Man, a.k.a. Claude Rains, exudes).One last thing, as of yet I still haven't heard a compelling answer as to why they changed the named of the drug from Monocaine to Duocaine. Personally I always preferred Monocaine, simply because it sounds like the more dangerous of the two.

It's certainly challenge to bring back a character when he dies in the original. Often some contrived plot manipulation is used and it doesn't satisfy. Why not do it the way they do here. In this, a respected man, played by Vincent Price, is convicted of a murder he didn't commit. At the eleventh hour, he escapes after being visited by a scientist who knows the secret of invisibility. An injection is used and when the guards open the door to see where he is, he rushes out, taking refuge in the home of his fiancée. The unfortunate reality is that the scientist has not found an antidote so he is trapped in his invisibility, facing the side effect of madness after a period of time. He is also pursued by a determined detective from Scotland Yard. His only option is to recognize his fate, and bring to justice the two men who committed and framed him for murder. There are some really delightful scenes here. This is a very young Vincent Price and he hasn't developed that characteristic voice yet. A very sound sequel.

I don't know if this constitutes "blasphemy", but as far as the Universal horrors go, I found this film to be just as enjoyable, if not better than the original "Invisible Man" picture with Claude Rains.Vincent Price--who had yet to have his name become synonymous with horror--turns in a fantastic performance as the "Invisible One." His voice and delivery are almost on par with Rains, as Price's character has to take on the burden of invisibility because he's been wrongly accused of murder.Price's slow descent into madness is fun to watch--i.e. the dinner table scene when he's going on about how he can rule the world. I also enjoyed Cecil Kellaway as the Scotland Yard Agent, especially some of his witty banter to some of the fumbling policemen we see throughout this picture.There's also a great exchange between 2 policemen who are talking about the Invisible One and the supernatural as one of them says "I don't hold with no spiritualism." And the photographic effects by the great John P. Fulton are top notch.Overall, "The Invisible Man Returns" rates to me as one of the finer films from Universal's 2nd wave of horror during the 1940s.8/10

Released a surprising seven years after James Whale's fantastic and commercially successful The Invisible Man (1933), this sequel faces the problem of creating a story worth telling, without recycling the events and themes that ran through the original and H.G. Wells' novel of the same name. Pleasingly, Returns is an exciting little horror film, that boasts the same fantastic (and Oscar nominated) special effects as the first, as well as offering Vincent Price in one of his very first horror roles.Falsely imprisoned for the murder of his brother, Sir Geoffrey Radcliffe (Price), the owner of a mining corporation, awaits the death sentence. As his execution looms close, Radcliffe suddenly disappears from his cell, baffling the guards who are placed under suspicion. Knowing Radcliffe to be innocent, Dr. Frank Griffin (John Sutton), the brother of Claude Rains' original Invisible Man, has injected him with the invisibility drug so Radcliffe may conduct his own investigation into the murder. But with Scotland Yard detective Sampson (Cecil Kellaway) suspecting Griffin and the drug slowly turning him mad, Radcliffe faces a race against time to find the culprit and cure himself of the effects of the drug.This is one of those old-fashioned horror films that adhere to all the genre clichés and never really surprises you, but the cast and execution of the film is wholly charming. The plot keeps things interesting, as the sympathetic innocent man is slowly driven to madness that is beyond his control. Price, although only appearing for less than a minute, had yet to hone his acting craft, but manages to carry the film using only that voice which is now so embedded in horror culture. It's not a patch on Whale's masterful original, but The Invisible Man Returns is a worthy sequel, remaining thoroughly entertaining throughout, kick-starting one of many lucrative franchises for Universal Studios.www.the-wrath-of-blog.blogspot.com