‘A trail of terror!’
The Invisible Man’s Revenge is a 1944 science-fiction horror film about a scientist that helps a fugitive from the law become invisible, unwittingly giving him the power to exact revenge on his former friends.
It was produced and directed by Ford Beebe (Night Monster; The Phantom Creeps serial) from a screenplay written by Bertram Millhauser (The Spider Woman and other Sherlock Holmes films), loosely based on characters suggested by H.G. Wells. The Universal Pictures production stars Jon Hall, Leon Errol, John Carradine, Alan Curtis, Evelyn Ankers and Gale Sondergaard.
Reviews:
“There is literally no one to root for to stop the madness of our invisible man. Even the worst slasher films attempt to make a hero but not here and the film suffers for that fact. Like the other entries, the special effects are the real highlight and the effects displayed here are the best of the series.” Blood Brothers
“John P. Fulton’s special effects in The Invisible Man’s Revenge don’t seem up to his usual high standards, which could be a result of the film’s lower-than-usual budget. Ford Beebe keeps things moving swiftly in the director’s chair, and there are some decent horror parts, but on the whole, The Invisible Man’s Revenge is the weakest entry in the series.” Cracked Rear Viewer
“It’s likable enough and fun to watch, but it is probably the least of the series. I think its main problem is that it’s a bit muddled.” Fantastic Movie Musings and Ramblings
“The FX are the best in the series (well, they should be as it is the last in the series). The most impressive trick has Griffin splash water on his face to become momentarily visible. It holds up fifty years later. The ending is manipulative, which isn’t a bad thing on its own. It will either make you cheer or groan. I’m on the cheering side.” Foster on Film
” …the weakest of the Universal Invisible pictures, an uneven, awkward picture that is still certainly enjoyable, but gives the impression of having been written in a rush. The attempt seems to have been to makes a darker, more serious film about an invisible person, though the odd comedy sequence does remain, and the movie as a whole never finds a consistent tone.” Horror Cult Films
“I can understand why having the lead be an unsympathetic character could be troublesome for some viewers, but I had fun watching all of these selfish characters duke it out. The pace here is solid and doesn’t feel overly long or drawn out, while the movie offers up some cool special effects, as you’d expect from this series.” Marc Fusion
“There are some good invisibility effects with the invisible man splashing the likes of water and flour on his face at various points. As with The Invisible Man (1933) and with The Invisible Man Returns (1940), there is a great deal of humour made out of English provincials. Leon Errol as the invisible man’s visible assistant gives a very funny performance…” Moria
“The more sober screenplay, solid direction by Beebe, and the good cast helped make The Invisible Man’s Revenge possibly the best entry since the original film. Jon Hall was cast against type as a mentally unbalanced fellow with an arguably justifiable chip on his shoulder. ” Mountain Xpress
“Sure, it reinvents the entire premise of the series and is far more interested in that revenge plot than in anything that has to do with invisibility. But then, at least it does show a few signs of imagination here and there (although not too many) and even finds a new way for an invisible man to be threatening.” Rivets on the Poster
“The effects are just as convincing as before, if not more. This technique doesn’t get old. The actors do a good job, especially when considering the cinematographic challenges at hand […] The comedy often serves as filler and sadly waters down a potentially darker film.” Tales of Terror
” …the special effects are great this time around. Although you can see some of the wires whenever the Invisible Man is holding something, there is some really terrific stuff here. Like when Hall splashes water or flour on his face and you can see the outline of his facial features walking around in thin air. That was pretty cool.” The Video Vacuum
Cast and characters:
- Jon Hall … Robert ‘Rob’ Griffin
- Leon Errol … Herbert Higgins
- John Carradine … Doctor Peter Drury
- Alan Curtis … Mark Foster
- Evelyn Ankers … Julie Herrick
- Gale Sondergaard … Irene, Lady Herrick
- Lester Matthews … Sir Jasper Herrick
- Halliwell Hobbes … Cleghorn
- Leyland Hodgson … Sir Frederick Travers (as Leland Hodgson)
- Doris Lloyd … Maud
- Ian Wolfe … Feeney
- Billy Bevan … Sergeant
- Grey Shadow … Grey Shadow
Filming locations and schedule:
Universal Studios – 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California
The film was shot from January 10th to February 17th 1944
Technical details:
- 78 minutes
- Black and White
- Aspect Ratio: 1.37: 1
- Audio: Mono (Western Electric Recording)
Release:
9th June 1944 in Los Angeles, California
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