The Invisible Menace

Invisible Menace, The (1938)

** (out of 4)

Slightly entertaining whodoneit about a body being found at a military institution and the investigation that follows. I've seen countless films like this over the years and this one here really isn't any better or worse than the majority out there. The main reason to see this film is due to Boris Karloff but be warned that he's not in the film too much even with the top billing. The supporting cast are decent but the good thing is that the film runs a short 54-minutes. Had the screenplay been a tad bit better the film might have worked better.

When the film begins, Private Eddie Pratt (Eddie Craven) and his new bride, Sally (Marie Wilson) are sneaking onto the military base. Why? These idiots just got married and were looking for a cozy hidden spot in which to consumate their marriage! Romantic, huh?? Well, they just happened upon a dead body...and they hide. Soon, the body is discovered and Eddie and Sally are certainly in hot water. But attention soon switches to Jevries (Boris Karloff)...a man with a very checkered past.

This film was made by the B-movie unit of Warner Brothers....meaning it's short (55 minutes) but has reasonably good production values. It helped that it had Boris Karloff and Regis Toomey (an old reliable B actor) in the picture. The plot itself is pretty much the standard detective film but instead of the usual smart amateur sleuth (often a reporter), here the folks investigating are Army officers....a decent switch from the norm but still a very standard sort of story.

Overall, quite enjoyable for what it is. I might have scored it a 7, but took away a point because the notion of ANYONE taking his new bride onto a military base to boink her....well, that's ridiculous!

Fine B mystery from Warner Bros. with nice foggy atmosphere and a good performance from Boris Karloff in a small but important role. Directed by John 'father of Mia' Farrow, it's a good-looking picture that has a horror movie feel to it. The story involves a murder on an army base, with Karloff as one of the suspects. There's also some comic relief from Eddie Craven and Marie Wilson as a pair of newlyweds trying to have their honeymoon on the base without anyone knowing. The comedy upsets the fine mood Farrow sets but I'm sure his hands were tied on that front. The rest of the cast includes Regis Toomey, Charles Trowbridge, Frank Faylen, and Henry Kolker. Cy Kendall plays a brutish investigator brought in to solve the crime. His method is to slap suspects around until they confess. Sherlock Holmes he's not! It's worth a look for Karloff fans or anyone who enjoys old B mysteries. The short runtime helps a lot.

What in the world was Karloff doing in this B-picture quicky years after his triumph as The Frankenstein Monster??? Karloff tries his best but nothing could save this snoozer. The plot summary pretty much gives you the entire plot. Tries to be a sassy sexy comedy, a thriller and a who dunnit all at once. Fails miserable at all 3! The "comedy" is sophomoric. There are no real "thrills". The "mystery" wouldn't fool a 5 year old. Lots of good character actors wasted (Regis Toomey, the perpetual sergeant/policeman, "Dobie Gillis'" father Frank Faylen, and others). For Karloff completists only!

Murder mystery with a silly title. Better-than-average direction from John Farrow. Marie Wilson is quite funny as a horny newlywed, although the jokes are sticky and worth a few groans. But Karloff as usual is multi-dimensional, spooky and human, a warmer version of the guilty icon that Lon Chaney Sr. perfected.