Le retour de l'homme invisible

I had watched this twice as a kid on Italian TV and remember loving it; however, as was the case with THE GHOST OF FRANKENSTEIN (1942), when I caught up with it again as an adult via DVD, it proved something of a let down! Mind you, it's still a pretty good film and John P. Fulton's trick work is as brilliant as ever. And yet, I felt that it tried a bit too hard to duplicate those elements which made the original so successful to begin with: the eccentric Englishness so unique to Whale's work, for instance, comes off as somewhat heavy-handed this time around; the very young Vincent Price has yet to come into his own as a horror icon and his lapses into madness are overdone, not matching Claude Rains' menacing delivery. Besides, the identity of the villain is no mystery here! Still, while I particularly missed the wit of the original, Joe May's expert handling and Milton Krasner's effective lighting give the film a suitably Germanic feel at times. Ultimately, I feel that of all the first sequels to the original Universal monster films (BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN [1935], DRACULA'S DAUGHTER [1936], THE MUMMY'S HAND [1940] and FRANKENSTEIN MEETS THE WOLF MAN [1943]), this one is perhaps the least impressive - as all the others seemed to go in different directions.

In general, it seems that sequels seldom live up to the originals. There are just too many examples I can think of when this was the case. In addition, sequels that take an entirely different approach to the original subject matter often are abysmal failures as well (such as the wonderful VILLAGE OF THE DAMNED and it's incredibly awful and saccharine CHILDREN OF THE DAMNED). In light of this, I was very pleasantly surprised to this see that this film, while quite different from the fantastic original, is still an exceptional film.

Much of the reason for the film being so good was that the film was made by Universal Studios during a very productive period for their horror films. They just knew how to put the whole package together to make a dandy film. Additionally, the cast really helped as well, as Vincent Price (mostly just his voice, as he IS invisible through almost all the film), Cedric Hartwicke, Cecil Kellaway and many others worked together to quite nicely. The writing, also, is a big standout, as the film COULD have easily been just another "hack" sequel. Using bits of humor here and there throughout the film and providing a great ending really made this film worth while.

While certainly not as good as its original source(sans Claude Rains, sans James Whale), this sequel is very entertaining. It lacks the raw energy of the first film as well as the dark humour. The film begins with Geoffrey Radcliffe about to be executed for a crime we soon learn he did not do. How he gets out of his visit with the executioner is a little matter of drinking a potion given to him by a friend(the brother of the Claude Rains character in the original). In a matter of moments he(Vincent Price's voice) works toward finding his brother's true killer and fending off the madness that comes from drinking the invisibility solution. Price is in fine form though don't expect the hamminess you usually get(a bit disappointing for me). The rest of the cast is very good. Universal actress Nan Grey(from Dracula's Daughter) is lovely, and Cedric Hardwicke actually gives a convincing performance as a villain. Cecil Kellaway and Alan Napier also provide wonderful supporting help. The special effects really shine and are first-rate for their time.

THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS (Universal, 1940), directed by Joe May, is, what is indicated during the opening credits, "a sequel to THE INVISIBLE MAN by H.G. Wells," capitalizes on the success of recent update sequels to old 1930s horror tales. Unlike the resurrections of the Frankenstein Monster in THE SON OF FRANKENSTEIN (1939), and later, Dracula and a new revised Mummy, all of whom have or would be resurrected from the dead through some supernatural means, Claude Rains, who originated the Invisible Man character in 1933, whose Jack Griffin was shot and killed by the police in the conclusion, would not have the power to be brought back from the dead as his monstrous contemporaries had, but to have an introduction to a new invisible man, played with distinction by Vincent Price. This sequel, however, not essentially a horror film, is a blend of science fiction and murder mystery

Through the first few minutes of the story, it is learned to the viewer through lines of dialog from the servants that a young man named Sir Geoffrey Radcliffe (Vincent Price), sentenced to death for the murder of his brother, Michael, is scheduled for execution by hanging at dawn for the crime for which he is innocent. His fiancée, Helen Manson (Nan Grey), appeals to Geoffrey's cousin, Richard Cobb (Sir Cedric Hardwicke), to have the execution postponed in order to prove his innocence, but there's nothing he can do. Later that night, Geoffrey's friend, Doctor Frank Griffin (John Sutton), brother to the late Jack Griffin, who had experimented with chemicals that cause invisibility, comes to the prison to pay his last respects to Sir Geoffrey hours before his death sentence is to be carried out. Some time later, the guards discover that Sir Geoffrey has escaped and they are completely baffled as to how he had gotten by them without anyone seeing him. Discovering some clothing left behind in his cell, it is Inspector Sampson (Cecil Kellaway) of Scotland Yard who realizes how this was done, especially since he is very much familiar with the Jack Griffin case nine years previously, which causes him to suspect the late scientist's younger brother, Frank, into having something to do with Geoffrey's escape. The next scene then focuses on the movement of bushes and trees in the woods, with a suitcase full of clothes opening up by itself. Sir Geoffrey is now an invisible man, thanks to Griffin for his discovery of a secret formula known as duocaine, which would leave Geoffrey transparent and free to go about to learn the truth as to why he was framed and to clear his name by revealing the true murderer. But the problem is for Griffin to come up with an antidote to prevent Geoffrey from going insane and meeting the same fate as his brother.

While not up to the wit and pace to THE INVISIBLE MAN, THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS done have some added bonuses. It's quite obvious, however, to take notes and compare the original film with its sequel. The leading ladies in both films (Gloria Stuart and Nan Grey) are not only blondes, but play fiancées to the leading character. Claude Rains was virtually unknown to movie audiences when chosen to play the invisible man while Vincent Price has had some exposure in movies since his feature debut in 1938. The one thing both Rains and Price had in common while playing invisible men on screen was their individual distinctive voices. As with the earlier film, the sequel takes time for some prank humor by the new invisible man as he stalks Willie Sphears (Alan Napier), a night watchman through the woods. It is believed that Mr. Sphears, who had testified against him at his trial, might be the sole witness to his brother's murder. At times amusing, this sequence ends with some unpleasantness after Geoffrey takes the fainted Mr. Sphears, ties his feet and arms behind him, and leaving him alone in a room standing helplessly on a stool with his neck placed inside a hanged noose. Special effects, compliments by John Fulton, take precedence throughout the story with Geoffrey removing his goggles, bandages and clothing only to reveal nothing underneath, as well as one interesting highlight where the now wounded and cold Geoffrey is alone in the country, talking to the scarecrow as he "borrows" its clothing for his own use.

Forrester Harvey, who appeared as Herbert Hall in THE INVISIBLE MAN, returns in this sequel assuming another character role, that of Ben Jenkins. What a welcome added attraction THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS would have been had Forrester Harvey and Una O'Connor reprized their original roles as the scared innkeepers encountering another invisible man.

THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS would spawn two more sequels in the 1940s, THE INVISIBLE AGENT (1942) and THE INVISIBLE MAN'S REVENGE (1944), each featuring Jon Hall playing descendants to Jack Griffin, concluding in 1951 when another invisible man meets up with Abbott and Costello. In order not to forget the originator to THE INVISIBLE MAN, a photo of Claude Rains would be evident, as was in THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS. The overly familiar instrumental Frank Skinner underscoring used during the closing cast credits of this production would be heard in several other Universal productions of that period, including THE SON OF FRANKENSTEIN, THE TOWER OF London (both 1939), and BLACK Friday (1940), all featuring Boris Karloff.

THE INVISIBLE MAN RETURNS, available on video cassette and then onto DVD, and had played on several cable channels, including the Sci-Fi Channel in the 1990s, and on American Movie Classics in 1991, and brought back on that channel again from 2000 to 2001. (***)

It took Universal Studios seven years to produce this sequel to The Invisible Man, but in some regards, it was worth the wait. Geoffrey Radcliffe (Vincent Price) is an innocent man condemned to death for a murder he didn't commit. At the last minute, Radcliffe's gal pal, Helen (Nan Grey), and the friendly mad doctor, Frank Griffin (John Sutton), decide the only way to save Radcliffe is by injecting him with the invisibility serum invented by Jack Griffin. Radcliffe's invisibility enables him to escape the gallows and easily elude the police led by the wily Inspector Sampson (Cecil Kelloway). Radcliffe figures out the identity of the murderer but his behavior soon borders on madness, unsettling Dr. Griffin and Helen. Should they continue to aid Radcliffe or rat him out to the constabulary? Will Radcliffe remain sane long enough to clear his name or will the law have to gun him down like his phantom predecessor, Jack Griffin?

This is a real rarity among sequels in that it is nearly as good as the original. It's one of my favorites in this genre. The story moves along briskly, features some intriguing scenes, and offers some occasional humor. The acting is solid. The special effects though primitive by today's standards are still effective. That doesn't mean it is without it share of faults. Chief among them is why they didn't inject Radcliffe earlier instead of waiting till the day of his execution? Or better yet, inject Helen, so she might solve the crime. Speaking of solving the crime, Radcliffe uncovers the real murderer's identity much too easily. Still, I would love to see Universal Studios remake this someday with a woman as the unseen protagonist/fugitive-Thandie Newton would be my choice. But, knowing Universal Studios, I probably couldn't get that lucky.