The Invisible Man's Revenge

Last updated
The Invisible Man's Revenge
The-invisible-mans-revenge-movie-poster-md.jpg
Film poster
Directed by Ford Beebe
Screenplay by Bertram Millhauser [1]
Produced byFord Beebe [1]
Starring
Cinematography Milton Krasner [2]
Edited bySaul A. Goodkind [3]
Music by Hans J. Salter [1]
Production
company
Distributed byUniversal Pictures Company, Inc.
Release date
  • 9 June 1944 (1944-06-09)
Running time
77 minutes [1]
CountryUnited States [2]
Budget$314,790
Box office$765,700

The Invisible Man's Revenge is a 1944 American science fiction horror film directed by Ford Beebe and written by Bertram Millhauser. [2] The film stars John Carradine as a scientist who tests his experiment on a psychiatric hospital escapee, played by Jon Hall, who takes the invisibility serum and then goes on a crime spree. The film was announced on June 10, 1943, and began shooting on January 10, 1944 finishing in mid-February. On its release, reviews in The New York Herald-Tribune , The New York Daily News and The New York World-Telegram noted that the film series and its special effects became tired, while a review in The Hollywood Reporter declared it as one of the best in the series.

Contents

Plot

After murdering two orderlies, Robert Griffin escapes from the Cape Town mental institution where he was committed, intent on revenge on the Herrick family. One night, Sir Jasper Herrick and his wife Lady Irene engage in inspecting the new boyfriend of their daughter Julie, journalist Mark Foster. Later, Julie and Mark leave the family residence, and Jasper and Irene are left alone. That is when Robert decides to pay the couple a visit. He enters the residence and accuses them of leaving him to die out injured in Africa, when they were on a safari together. The couple defends themselves, claiming they were told that he was dead and not injured, but Robert does not believe them. He demands they give him his share of the diamond fields they discovered together on the safari. Jasper tries to tell Robert that that property was lost in a series of bad investments. Robert refuses to give in, threatening to sue the Herricks, and to calm him down, they offer him a share in an estate, the Shortlands. His counter-proposal is that they should arrange for him to be married to Julie. After saying this, he is drugged by Lady Irene and passes out in their home. The Herricks realize that Robert has gone completely mad, and despite being frightened of what he could do to them if they do not obey him, they see no problem with stealing the agreement made or pushing him further along the path of insanity with their betrayal. They search Robert's clothes and find the written partnership agreement they all entered into some time ago. Taking the paper, they next throw Robert out of their house. Robert nearly drowns where he lies unconscious but is saved by Herbert Higgins, a local Cockney cobbler.

Herbert decides to use the information he gets from Robert to blackmail the Herricks. He is unsuccessful, as Jasper calls on chief constable Sir Frederick Travers. The chief constable declares Robert's claims as void and orders him to leave his jurisdiction. Robert leaves for London, but on his way he happens to come by the home of shady scientist Dr. Peter Drury. Drury is eager to find a suitable subject to test his new experimental formula on - a formula for invisibility. Robert asks that the doctor try it on him, and he agrees, not knowing that Robert wants to use this to get his revenge. Robert forces Jasper to sign over their entire estate to him. He also finds time to help his saviour Herbert win a game of darts at an inn. Jasper secretly agrees to give his daughter's hand in marriage to Robert - if he ever regains his visibility. Robert goes back to Drury's laboratory and witnesses how the doctor restores visibility to his dog Brutus, by giving him a blood transfusion. Robert knocks Drury unconscious, before performing a transfusion on himself, using the doctor's blood. The transfusion results in Drury's death, and to avoid capture, Robert sets the laboratory on fire and takes off just before the police arrive.

Robert changes his identity to "Martin Field" and moves in with the Herricks at the estate which he is now owner of. When Herbert finds out about Robert's return he makes a futile attempt to blackmail him too, and out of pity - and perhaps thankfulness - Robert pays the man one thousand pounds to get rid of him. Robert has one condition for paying the money: that Herbert kills Brutus, who has followed Robert back to the estate after the fire. Robert starts losing his visibility one day at the breakfast table, with Julie and her fiancé Mark present. He tricks Mark to follow him down into the wine cellar and knocks the man out, starting another transfusion with Mark's blood. Travers arrives at the estate after finding out about Robert's return. Aided by Herbert and Jasper, he breaks into the cellar just as the transfusion is about to be completed, in time to save Mark's life. Robert is then attacked by Brutus and killed.

Cast

Production

Universal first announced the plan for The Invisible Man's Revenge on June 10, 1943 with the hopes of having Claude Rains perform in the lead, as he had in the 1933 film. [3] Other cast members who were lined up for the film were Edgar Barrier who opted out of the production on January 6, after being disenchanted with the roles he had in films like Phantom of the Opera and Cobra Woman . [4]

Jon Hall had also played an Invisible Man character for Universal in Invisible Agent (1942), two years before this film. [5]

Prior to the first day of shooting the film, Universal's attorneys made a deal with H. G. Wells for the rights to make two more Invisible Man sequels between July 1943 and October 1951. [4] Production on the film began on January 10, 1944 and continued for five weeks and three days finishing in mid-February. [4] After this, John P. Fulton took over to complete the special effects sequences. [4] The film's final cost was $314,790. [6]

Release

The Invisible Man's Revenge was distributed theatrically by the Universal Pictures Company on June 9, 1944. [1] [2] The film's worldwide gross was $765,700. [6] The film was released on DVD on as part of the "Invisible Man: The Legacy Collection" set, which included The Invisible Man , The Invisible Man Returns , The Invisible Woman and Invisible Agent . [7] It was released again on blu ray as part of the "Invisible Man: The Complete Legacy Collection" on August 28, 2018. [7]

Reception

From contemporary reviews, Howard Barnes of The New York Herald-Tribune found the film "singularly unexciting" finding John Fulton's special photography as "the most striking aspect of the picture [but] the tricks have been done too often before by the camera to make them particularly effective by themselves". [8] Wanda Hale of The New York Daily News echoed this statement, finding that "the frightening creature [...] is no novelty" and that the film was "not the stimulating thriller that The Invisible Man was". [8] A reviewer in The New York World-Telegram declared that "some of the earlier variations of H.G. Wells' invisible man idea were filmed with an idea that the story should make good sense. That policy has been abandoned this time" while still noting that Jon Hall was being "a much more effective actor than he has been in some of his recent adventures in gaudy Technicolor". [8] Conversely, a reviewer from The Hollywood Reporter declared it as one "of the best and most entertaining of the series". [3]

From retrospective reviews, the authors of the book Universal Horrors declared the film to be "the least ambitious but hardly the least entertaining of Universal's widely varying series" noting its "no frills approach to its subject matter", declaring it better than The Invisible Woman and Invisible Agent but not as strong as The Invisible Man or The Invisible Man Returns. [3] [8] Special effects in the film were described as "have a slapdash quality" with only a few pulling of "startlingly effective tricks". [9]

Actor John Carradine, who loathed the horror films he worked in, was asked in the British fanzine House of Hammer if he liked any of the horror films he was in, and he responded he enjoyed The Invisible Man's Revenge. [8]

See also

Related Research Articles

<i>The Invisible Man</i> (1933 film) 1933 film by James Whale

The Invisible Man is a 1933 pre-Code American science fiction horror film directed by James Whale loosely based on H. G. Wells's 1897 novel, The Invisible Man, produced by Universal Pictures, and starring Gloria Stuart, Claude Rains and William Harrigan. The film involves a stranger named Dr. Jack Griffin (Rains) who is covered in bandages and has his eyes obscured by dark glasses, the result of a secret experiment that makes him invisible, taking lodging in the village of Iping. Never leaving his quarters, the stranger demands that the staff leave him completely alone until his landlady and the villagers discover he is invisible. Griffin goes to the house of his colleague, Dr. Kemp and tells him of his plans to create a reign of terror. His fiancée Flora Cranley, the daughter of his employer Dr. Cranley, soon learn that Griffin's discovery has driven him insane, leading him to prove his superiority over other people by performing harmless pranks at first and eventually turning to murder.

Griffin (<i>The Invisible Man</i>) Titular fictional character from H.G. Wells novel The Invisible Man

Griffin, also known as the Invisible Man, is a fictional character who serves both as the main protagonist and the main antagonist of H. G. Wells' 1897 science fiction novel The Invisible Man. In the original work, Griffin is a scientist whose research in optics and experiments into changing the human body's refractive index to that of air results in him becoming invisible. After becoming invisible, he wraps his head in bandages and dons a pair of goggles or glasses in order to enable others to see him. Unable to reverse the invisibility process, he descends into insanity and becomes a criminal.

<i>The Invisible Man Returns</i> 1940 film by Joe May

The Invisible Man Returns is a 1940 American horror science fiction film directed by Joe May. The film stars Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, Nan Grey and John Sutton. The film is a sequel to the 1933 film The Invisible Man, and the second film in the Invisible Man film series, loosely based on the novel by H. G. Wells. The film is about Sir Geoffrey Radcliffe (Price) who is condemned for a murder he did not commit, which leads to him begging Dr. Frank Griffin (Sutton) to inject him with the invisibility serum despite Griffin's warning that the serum will drive him mad.

<i>Invisible Agent</i> 1942 film

Invisible Agent is a 1942 American action and spy film directed by Edwin L. Marin with a screenplay written by Curt Siodmak. The invisible agent is played by Jon Hall, with Peter Lorre and Sir Cedric Hardwicke as members of the Axis, and Ilona Massey and Albert Basserman as Allied spies. The film is inspired by the 1897 H. G. Wells novel The Invisible Man.

<i>The Black Cat</i> (1941 film) 1941 film by Albert S. Rogell

The Black Cat is a 1941 American comedy horror and mystery film directed by Albert S. Rogell and starring Basil Rathbone. The film was a stylistic hybrid, inspired by comedy "Old Dark House" films of the era as well as the 1843 short story "The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe. It stars Basil Rathbone as Montague Hartley, the head of a greedy family who await the death of Henrietta Winslow so that they can inherit her fortune. When she is found murdered, an investigation begins into who might be the culprit. Alongside Rathbone and Loftus, the film's cast includes Hugh Herbert, Broderick Crawford, and Bela Lugosi.

<i>The Invisible Ray</i> (1936 film) 1936 American film

The Invisible Ray is a 1936 American science-fiction horror film directed by Lambert Hillyer. It stars Boris Karloff as Dr. Janos Rukh, a scientist who comes in contact with a meteorite composed of an element known as "Radium X". After exposure to its rays begins to make him glow in the dark, his touch becomes deadly, and he begins to be slowly driven mad. Alongside Karloff, the film's cast includes Bela Lugosi, Frances Drake, Frank Lawton, Walter Kingsford, Beulah Bondi, Violet Kemble Cooper, and Nydia Westman.

<i>Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man</i> 1943 US horror film directed by Roy William Neill

Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man is a 1943 American horror film directed by Roy William Neill and starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Larry Talbot and Bela Lugosi as Frankenstein's monster. The script, written by Curt Siodmak, follows The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942) and The Wolf Man (1941), though with a number of retcons. Most significantly, Talbot only transforms into werewolf form during a full moon, which became a standard part of werewolf lore. The film involves Larry Talbot, who is resurrected when his tomb is disturbed. His search for a way to end his seeming immortality leads to his befriending Frankenstein's monster.

<i>Son of Dracula</i> (1943 film) 1943 film by Robert Siodmak

Son of Dracula is a 1943 American horror film directed by Robert Siodmak with a screenplay based on an original story by his brother Curt Siodmak. The film stars Lon Chaney Jr., Louise Allbritton, Robert Paige, Evelyn Ankers, and Frank Craven. The film is set in the United States, where Count Alucard has just taken up residence. Katherine Caldwell (Allbritton), a student of the occult, becomes fascinated by Alucard and eventually marries him. Katherine begins to look and act strangely, leading her former romantic partner Frank Stanley (Paige) to suspect that something has happened to her. He gets help from Dr. Brewster (Craven) and psychologist Laszlo who come to the conclusion that Alucard is a vampire.

<i>House of Frankenstein</i> (film) 1944 American film

House of Frankenstein is a 1944 American horror film starring Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney Jr. and John Carradine. It was directed by Erle C. Kenton and produced by Universal Pictures. Based on Curt Siodmak's story "The Devil's Brood", the film is about Dr. Gustav Niemann, who escapes from prison and promises to create a new body for his assistant Daniel. Over the course of the film, they encounter Count Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's monster. The film is a sequel to Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943).

<i>House of Dracula</i> 1945 film by Erle C. Kenton

House of Dracula is a 1945 American horror film released and distributed by Universal Pictures. Directed by Erle C. Kenton, the film features several Universal Horror properties meeting as they had done in the 1944 film House of Frankenstein. The film is set at the castle home of Dr. Franz Edelmann, who is visited first by Count Dracula and later by Larry Talbot, the Wolf Man, who are trying to cure their vampirism and lycanthropy, respectively. Talbot is eventually cured, which leads him to discover the body of Frankenstein's monster in a cave below the base of the castle. Edelemann takes the monster's body back to his laboratory but finds Count Dracula has awakened and by attacking his assistants, he captures Edelmann and forces a reverse blood transfusion, which gives Edelmann a split personality and makes him a killer.

<i>The Mummys Tomb</i> 1942 film by Harold Young

The Mummy's Tomb is a 1942 American horror film directed by Harold Young and starring Lon Chaney Jr. as Kharis the mummy. Taking place 30 years after the events of The Mummy's Hand, where Andoheb has survived and plans revenge on Stephen Banning and his entire family in Mapleton, Massachusetts. With the help of the high priest Mehemet Bey, Andoheb and the mummy Kharis Bey takes up a job as a caretaker of a graveyard. At the first full moon, the mummy is fed tanna leaves which allow him to break into the Banning residence and kill the now elderly Stephen. Banning's son then seeks assistance from Babe Hanson, one of the members of the original Banning expedition to Egypt to stop Andoheb and Kharis.

<i>House of Horrors</i> 1946 film by Jean Yarbrough

House of Horrors is a 1946 American horror film released by Universal Pictures, starring Rondo Hatton, Martin Kosleck and Robert Lowery. The screenplay was by George Bricker from an original story by Dwight V. Babcock. A sculptor enlists the assistance of a madman to kill his critics.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Universal Monsters</span> Horror and science fiction franchise made by Universal Studios (1910s–1950s)

The Universal Monsters media franchise includes characters based on a series of horror films produced by Universal Pictures and released between 1913–1956.

<i>Captive Wild Woman</i> 1943 film by Edward Dmytryk

Captive Wild Woman is a 1943 American horror film directed by Edward Dmytryk. The film stars Evelyn Ankers, John Carradine, Milburn Stone, and features Acquanetta as Paula, the Ape Woman. The film involves a scientist, Dr. Sigmund Walters, whose experiments turn a female gorilla named Cheela into a human by injecting the ape with sex hormones and via brain transplants.

<i>Calling Dr. Death</i> 1943 film by Reginald Le Borg

Calling Dr. Death is a 1943 mystery film, and the first installment in The Inner Sanctum Mysteries anthological film series, which was based on the popular radio series of the same name, the film stars Chaney Jr. and Patricia Morison, and was directed by Reginald Le Borg. Chaney Jr. plays a neurologist, Dr. Mark Steele, who loses memory of the past few days after learning that his wife has been brutally murdered. Aware of his wife's infidelity and believing he could be the killer, Steele asks his office nurse Stella Madden to help him recover his lost memories.

Shock Theater is a package of 52 pre-1948 classic horror films from Universal Studios released for television syndication in October 1957 by Screen Gems, the television subsidiary of Columbia Pictures. The Shock Theater package included Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Invisible Man and The Wolf Man as well as a few non-horror spy and mystery films. A second package, Son of Shock, was released for television by Screen Gems in 1958, with 20 horror films from both Universal and Columbia.

<i>The Secret of the Blue Room</i> 1933 film by Kurt Neumann

The Secret of the Blue Room is a 1933 American pre-Code mystery film directed by Kurt Neumann and starring Lionel Atwill, Gloria Stuart, Paul Lukas, and Edward Arnold. A remake of the German film Geheimnis des blauen Zimmers (1932), it concerns a group of wealthy people who stay at a European mansion that features a blue room that is said to be cursed, as everyone who has stayed there has died shortly after. Three people suggest a wager that each can survive a night in the blue room.

<i>Frankenstein</i> (Universal film series) American horror film series

Frankenstein is a film series of horror films from Universal Pictures based on the play version by Peggy Webling and the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley. The series follow the story of a monster created by Henry Frankenstein who is made from body parts of corpses and brought back to life. The rest of the series generally follows the monster continuously being revived and eventually focuses on a series of cross overs with other Universal horror film characters such as The Wolf Man. The series consists of the following films: Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), Son of Frankenstein (1939), The Ghost of Frankenstein (1942), Frankenstein Meets the Wolf Man (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944), House of Dracula (1945) and Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948).

Dracula is a film series of horror films from Universal Pictures based on the 1897 novel Dracula by Bram Stoker and its 1927 play adaptation. Film historians have had various interpretations over which projects constitute being in the film series; academics and historians finding narrative continuation between Dracula (1931) and Dracula's Daughter (1936), while holding varying opinions on whether Son of Dracula (1943), House of Frankenstein (1944) and House of Dracula (1945) are part of the series. Author and academic Gary Don Rhodes stated the all the mentioned films would require an audience to be familiar with Count Dracula, portrayed by Bela Lugosi, and the various character traits the actor established in the original 1931 film.

<i>The Invisible Man</i> (film series) American film series

The Invisible Man is a film series by Universal Pictures. The series consists of The Invisible Man (1933), The Invisible Man Returns (1940), The Invisible Woman (1940), Invisible Agent (1942), The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944) and Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951). The film series borrows elements from H. G. Wells's novel The Invisible Man, but it focuses primarily on the idea of a serum that causes someone to go invisible and its side-effects.

References

Footnotes

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Weaver, Brunas & Brunas 2007, p. 400.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 "The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)". American Film Institute. Archived from the original on July 10, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  3. 1 2 3 4 Weaver, Brunas & Brunas 2007, p. 401.
  4. 1 2 3 4 Weaver, Brunas & Brunas 2007, p. 405.
  5. ↑ Vagg, Stephen (April 9, 2022). "The Campy, Yet Surprisingly Interesting Cinema of Jon Hall". Filmiink. Archived from the original on February 23, 2023. Retrieved February 23, 2023.
  6. 1 2 Mank 2015, p. 313.
  7. 1 2 "The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)". AllMovie. Archived from the original on July 8, 2020. Retrieved July 8, 2020.
  8. 1 2 3 4 5 Weaver, Brunas & Brunas 2007, p. 406.
  9. ↑ Weaver, Brunas & Brunas 2007, p. 403.

Sources

This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.