The Invisible Menace

In THE INVISIBLE MENACE, a soldier smuggles his new bride onto an island base, only to become caught up in a murder mystery. This is a thriller, broken up by big dollops of silly humor.

Of course, the main draw to this film is Boris Karloff as Jevries. This movie was made after Mr. Karloff's astonishing run in Universal Studios' horror classics of the early 1930s, and before his triumphant return in the 1940s, especially in the productions he did with Producer Val Lewton. In MENACE, Mr. Karloff shines darkly in his potential-killer role. You might say that he's "over qualified" for this movie, although it does give him a chance for some more poignant scenes toward the end.

Regis Toomey is also good in his role.

Recommended for fans of Boris Karloff...

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!

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.

Short murder mystery from Warner Brothers and director John Farrow. On a fog-enshrouded American military base, a man is found gruesomely murdered, having apparently been tortured before his death. Gruff military investigator Colonel Rogers (Cy Kendall) tries to find the culprit among the pool of suspects, including quiet Dr. Jevries (Boris Karloff), newlywed soldier Eddie (Eddie Craven) and his bubble-headed bride Sally (Marie Wilson) who has been smuggled onto the island, or any of the other soldiers on or off duty. The cast includes Regis Toomey, Henry Kolker, Frank Faylen, Eddie Acuff, Charles Trowbridge, Phyllis Barry, Harland Tucker, and Carole Landis.

Despite the title and the presence of Karloff, this isn't a supernatural or science fiction tale, just a routine murder mystery, although there is one incongruous scene of a Haitian voodoo ritual. Craven and Wilson stick out like a goofy sore thumb from the proceedings, but I still liked Wilson. Cy Kendall is unusually cast as the law enforcer, as he's typically cast as a gangster or corrupt politician. Just a few years earlier, Toomey was playing the kind of roles played by Craven in this one.

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.