The Invisible Killer

Now, don't expect too much from this Poverty Row 'cheapie'; it was made by PRC, one of the poorest of the poor - and yet this murder yawn DOES have some very nice points for fans of the genre: a quite realistic depiction of the gambling racket with all its crossing and double-crossing, a pretty inventive murder method, and a VERY entertaining 'love-hate' relationship between a tough cop and an even tougher girl reporter, who's always a step ahead of the police...

You think you've seen all that before? Well, but probably not in THIS literally DRASTIC way: Sue, who's a true-bred police reporter and would risk ANYTHING (even her life) for a hot murder headline, even goes so far as to knock her flatfoot 'boyfriend' out when he wants to keep her from digging deeper into that dangerous gangster story!! All in all, Grace Bradley as Sue is the very core of the otherwise pretty average movie - one of the greatest (and yet one of the least known to the wider audience) reporter heroines of classic crime movies - which leaves us all with a REAL mystery: WHY didn't she become a big star?? She would most CERTAINLY have deserved it.

The plot concerns the police and a spunky girl reporter battling to solve murders connected to a gambling syndicate. Its a run of the mill affair that really isn't anything special, at least not the sort of special the title Invisible Killer might imply. The "killer" of the title is given the short end of the stick since the film is more concerned with the spunky (ie annoying) girl reporter and her battle with a homicide detective to flush out the murderer. If you've seen any film with a spunky girl reporter and a harden police detective you'll know what to expect from this movie. While I can say that this trip down the well worn rut of a plot isn't bad, I also have to say that is completely unremarkable and the sort of thing that's not likely to remain with you long after the credits roll. Its like eating your favorite dessert only discovering half way through it has almost no flavor, its not bad but it doesn't have what makes you love to eat it. Not bad, not good, just sort of is.

Perky gal reporter Grace Bradley (as Sue Walker) and police detective Roland Drew (as Jerry Brown) butt heads, banter romantically, and try to solve a series of murders connected to a gambling racket. This low-budget crime drama begins with its highlight, as officer Drew attempts to pull over Ms. Bradley for speeding; the "chase" effectively introduces the lead characters and their relationship. Later, Bradley shows some female muscle when she decks Drew; with pain and pleasure, he remarks, "What a gal!" Despite the promise of the title, there is no "Invisible Killer"; perhaps, this refers to poisoning, the killer's favorite murder method - "odorless and tasteless, works on the membrane of the nose and mouth." The story is as engaging.

*** The Invisible Killer (11/14/39) Sam Newfield ~ Grace Bradley, Roland Drew, Boyd Irwin

This film is pretty much what you'd expect from a murder mystery film from Monogram--a spunky reporter (in this case she's a lady) and insanely difficult and complicated murders.

Sue Walker (Grace Bradley) is a reporter who wants the guys to respect her, so, like Lois Lane, it means being brash and trying to scoop everyone else on a case involving gamblers. And, like MOST B- mysteries of the age, that means she will end up investigating a murder case like she's one of the cops! In this case, folks are dying...but the coroner isn't sure how. They've been poisoned but who and how are they doing it?

Overall, the film is exactly what you'd expect from such a film--the usual clichés and the usual suspense. No real surprises here and certainly not a film for those who cannot cut it a lot of slack. Passable low-budget entertainment and nothing more.

OK, I'm reviewing this film for one reason only...I really liked the leading lady. She was stunning, truly drop dead beautiful. Amazingly, she is almost a dead ringer for Fay Wray! I'm a huge Fay Wray fan so I noticed this right away. The movie is really average at best, the only real reason I kept watching was to see more of lovely Grace. There wasn't much of a plot and the rest of the cast were pretty lame. The strange thing about some of these old movies is the simple fact that had they added a couple of good shootouts or brawls, they would have managed to hold one's attention much better. I recall some movies much worse than this one that stick in my memory because they offered a couple of nice action sequences. Maybe the budget wouldn't allow? Anyhow, this one is worthwhile if you want to see a remarkable beauty. "What a Gal!" ...indeed!