Dracula (1931)

     I feel like anything that I can say about this movie has already been said.  Most anyone that loves these classic movies, loves Lugosi's Dracula.  And they should because I'm not sure that any actor has ever owned a role like Lugosi did in this movie.  That commanding presence, that thick accent, those hand gestures.........all iconic.  A role that ended up being both a gift and curse to the man.  But I'm not covering any new ground by pointing those things out.  We're all aware of it.  We're also well aware of how good Dwight Frye and Edward Van Sloan are in this and how atmospheric this movie is, so I don't feel the need to go into any of that in great detail.

     There is no question that this movie is great.  The only real questions surrounding this movie generally are "Do you enjoy watching this with the updated Philip Glass score?" or "What color was the inner lining of Lugosi's cape?".   I've tried to watch Dracula with the Philip Glass score and I didn't care for it.  After about 20 minutes, I stopped.  The fact that there is no music in this movie, save for the Swan Lake piece, adds an eerie quality to it.  And what about that snippet of Swan Lake that we hear at the beginning credits?  We hear it again at the beginning of The Mummy but I have to be honest; every time I hear that music, I think of Lugosi's Dracula.  And for the record, the inside of Lugosi's cape in the movie is gray.  At least that's my understanding.  We envision it as red, but if the cape were red, it would have been much darker on film.  I believe Lugosi went through many colored capes in his career.  Before filming Dracula, Lugosi of course played him on stage.  Some early reviews pointed out that the inside of the cape was purple, others say orange.  I think I read that his Dracula cape from A&C Meet Frankenstein was of a pink/salmon color.  But in Dracula (1931) it was said to be a grey/silver.

     It is often pointed out that we never get around to staking poor Lucy in the heart.  It was scripted but never shot due to budget/time restraints.  So Lucy must still be wondering about London, preying on children right?  I think for the benefit of this movie and the sequel (Dracula's Daughter),  I'm going to assume that Dracula took care of Lucy himself, deciding that she was drawing too much attention.  This is London after all, not Transylvania.  The vampires ability to survive depends on laying low and in secrecy.  That's my story and I'm sticking to it.

     One last thing.  I can't recommend the Blu-Ray enough.  If not for the picture, then definitely for the sound quality, which is amazing.  Lugosi never sounded clearer or better.
                                                             GRADE: A+

    

Abbott & Costello Meet The Invisible Man (1951)

     It seems that I've made it to my last "Invisible" film for a while.  And it's one that I was looking forward to because Bud & Lou have never failed to entertain me.  Abbott & Costello movies used to come on weekly when I was a kid, so seeing them again is like revisiting people that I haven't seen in a long time.

     The standard Abbott & Costello gags are here as well as some new ones and they work as usual.  I don't know why they felt the need to change the names of Bud & Lou in these movies, because I'd rather just believe that the same duo are getting into a new set of hijinks movie after movie after movie.  Worked for The Three Stooges, right?

     The Invisible Man in this one is a boxer who's been framed.  Despite his rough and tough attitude (you know, because he's a boxer), he's very patient with the bumbling private detectives that are helping him.  (When they aren't trying to turn him in to the police.)  We also get a Claude Rains reference here that connects this movie to the original Invisible Man.   Thankfully, unlike Dr. Griffin from the first movie, Dr. Gray does manage to find a cure for the invisibility.  And what timing too since boxer, Tommy Nelson had just managed to clear his name.

     This has long been my second favorite Abbott & Costello movie.  And if ever there was an Abbott & Costello movie that I feel could be reworked and remade, it's this one. 
                                                               GRADE: B

The Invisible Man's Revenge (1944)

     I was pleased to know that Jon Hall made a return as the Invisible Man here.  Maybe we can finally get some good continuity out of these films, right?  Nope!  Jon Hall plays Robert Griffin, who has absolutely no relation to all those past Griffins that keep turning invisible.  He also isn't playing QB for the Washington Redskins, in case anyone was wondering about that.  No, Jon Hall is just a random guy named Griffin who to be honest, is a bit crazy, even before he's invisible.  I can't help but feel that maybe there was an early attempt to keep some sort of continuity, but script re-writes wouldn't have it and the name Griffin just stuck around this time.

     Hall's character this time does have a very different feel to him.  He plays the part well and I actually enjoy him in this movie more so than Invisible Agent.  John Carradine plays the doctor with the invisibility serum this time, and give him credit where credit is due, he's smart enough NOT to experiment on himself.  Instead he waits for some random stranger to come upon his house in the middle of the night.  Oh look, it's some guy named Griffin and as we all know the name Griffin and turning Invisible go together so well.

     There is also a nice scene involving a game of darts, even if it is quite a bit unrealistic even for someone who can't be seen.  It still amused me and was one of the better parts of the film.  The ending as well wasn't bad and overall this movie is worth a quick watch.  Even though Hall's character impressed me more in this one, I still believe I enjoyed Invisible Agent more overall, but maybe that's because I've always been a sucker for some spy stuff.
                                                                  GRADE: C-

Invisible Agent (1942)

     World War II is in full swing and the Nazi's want Dr. Griffin's invisibility formula.  The last surviving Griffin family member is Frank Griffin.  No, not Frank the brother of the original Invisible Man, but his grandson.  Named after the original Invisible Man that was gunned down by the cops.  No, wait, his name was Jack wasn't it?  Or John? Or...........ok, the writers are little all over the place with this.  Or let's just say that the Nazi's don't know what they are talking about.

     This Frank Griffin, played by Jon Hall,  has changed his name to Frank Raymond in order to hide himself and his inherited invisibility potion.  The Nazi's find him anyway and make their demands.  Peter Lorre plays one of the villains in this and I have to say, it's my favorite performance of his.  The only real downside was that about half way through this flick, we learn that Peter Lorre's character is supposed to be Japanese?  Huh?  <SIGH>  Ok, I'll just roll with it.  Lorre is very menacing.  Almost as if he leaped out of an Indiana Jones film.  (Yes, I know this was 40 years before Indy).  Anyway, Frank Raymond flees the Nazi's and joins the cause against the Germans by allowing himself to go invisible so that he may infiltrate the enemy ranks as a spy for the good guys.  Good thing too because Germany was just about to bomb the United States with their super secret operatives like the next day.

     And who's the surprise cameo in this one?  Matt Willis.  Who's that you ask?  Well, he played Andreas the werewolf bodyguard in Return Of The Vampire.  He plays one of the Nazi secret police here but don't blink because you may miss him.

     Overall, it's a decent watch.  I have to admit though, if not for Peter Lorre, I wouldn't be rating this movie nearly as high I don't think.  He steals every scene he's in.
                                                            GRADE:  C

The Invisible Woman (1940)

     I'm wondering why or how this movie got made?   It has no connections to the other films, other than it was produced under the mighty Universal Studios banner.  What makes the release of this movie even stranger, is that it was released the same year as the first sequel, The Invisible Man Returns.   So why two "invisible" films in one year by the same studio?   It's clear to anyone that's seen these movies, that the Vincent Price starring Invisible Man Returns is the official sequel.  What isn't clear is how The Invisible Woman got thrown into the mix.  The Invisible Woman doesn't even credit author H.G. Wells like the rest of these movies do, which leads me to believe that this movie was always seen as a stand alone film, separate from any of the others.  Maybe Universal were attempting to get a series of invisible female movies into motion, along side their current invisible male counterparts?  Seems possible.  Thankfully it didn't work out that way, so we never had to suffer through any cross over movie like The Invisible Couple or The Invisible Family that might have resulted when/if the two movie series merged.
  
    But how is the movie though?   Is it really that bad?  Well..... no, not really.  But I think I'm pretty glad that it stopped at one.  The Invisible Woman seems to try and play more to comedy than terror, and in some instances it works.  You're even going to be treated to a Stooge sighting in the form of Shemp Howard.   Though he really doesn't shine in this, he is present.  I wouldn't recommend watching The Invisible Woman purely to see Shemp.  You'll be disappointed.  To the best of my knowledge, this is also the only movie other than The Wizard Of Oz that I've seen Margaret Hamilton.  She played the Wicked Witch of the West.  Here, she plays a housekeeper of sorts.  It's not a big role, but it was a nice little surprise.  Other than the supporting cast, and a couple laughs, there isn't a lot to get excited about.  I would have been ok never seeing this.  Again, it's not a terrible movie either.  It just wasn't the movie I was wanting.  Expectations were fairly low and they were met.  The Invisible Woman is basically the chick flick version of The Invisible Man.
                                                       GRADE: D+

The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

     Ok, so the Invisible Man doesn't exactly return here.   Instead of Claude Rains, we get a 29 year old Vincent Price in the sequel, playing an invisible man that's a bit more gentle and heroic, and a little less chaotic and murdersome.   Don't get me wrong, Price's character of Geoffrey Radcliffe does encounter some of the same egocentric and power mad delusions that would plague Rains' Dr. Griffin in the first installment, but never at such a high level of madness.  This time, instead of an invisible man that we fear, we end up with a noble one that is in need of help if he is to get his name cleared in the killing of his own brother.   A crime that Geoffrey Radcliffe is set to hang for.

    

     When the film opens we learn that Geoffrey Radcliffe, played by Vincent Price, is already in prison awaiting his execution for the murder of his brother.  A murder that his fiance nor his friend believe him to be guilty of.  Well, it just so happens that this friend of his is Dr. Frank Griffin, brother of Dr. Jack/John Griffin, otherwise known to the viewer as the original Invisible Man from the first film.  Frank has his brother's old invisibility formula, and though he hasn't yet found a cure these past nine years, time is running out for Radcliffe, so the decision is made to put the invisibility formula to use in order to help his friend escape.  Of course the police connect the dots fairly quickly here.  Inmate vanished into thin air after getting a visit from a scientist related to a guy that made himself invisible you say?   Of course we still have to prove this theory and a little bit of convincing, but eventually the manhunt for the second invisible man is on.  From there, the police chase after Vincent Price, Mr. Price chases after the real bad guys that framed him, hopefully proving his innocence before he goes power mad crazy.

    

     I like that we are treated to a performance by Alan Napier in this movie.  For those that don't remember, Alan Napier played Alfred, the butler in the 1960's Batman TV series.  I had no idea he was in this until I saw the opening credits.  Seems every so often we are treated with an actor at a time we aren't suspecting him.  It made me think of the Dwight Frye cameo in the first Invisible Man, though Napier has a bigger role in this movie.

    

     And as Alan Napier caused me to recall Dwight Frye, so too did the annoying dog that wouldn't quit barking cause me to remember how annoying I found Gloria Stuart and/or Una O'Connor to be in the first film.  Don't get me wrong though,  I'd much rather listen to Una O'Connor's over the top screams than the whiney howls of this dog.

    

     The special effects weren't as impressive this time around but they do work for the most part.  Overall, I enjoyed this movie.  How does one not enjoy any sort of Vincent Price performance?  Even if Mr. Price only really shows himself at the end of the movie.

                                                                  GRADE: B-

The Invisible Man (1933)

     Before Heath Ledger's Joker, there was Claude Rains' Invisible Man.  That is the thought that runs through my mind every time the subject of this movie comes up.  Rains is about as maniacal and off the rails as one is going to find back in 1933, and he is perfect at it.  And to think that we almost got Karloff or Clive in this role.  I find the prospect of Colin Clive as The Invisible Man particularly interesting, but it was not to be.  The role went to Claude Rains and he ran with it.  Director James Whale took quite a chance hiring the unknown Rains, but it paid off in a big way.

 

     Now, I do also find this movie to have a bit of silliness to it but I believe those moments to be largely on purpose.  When the policeman and his two buddies chase the shirt around the chair, was it really necessary?  Una O'Connor's over exaggerated screams?   I suppose some people find those moments to simply add to the finished film but I found them to be a bit too Mel Brooks in a pre-Mel Brooks world.  I'm sure that in this movie, it was easy to take things over the top.  The scene where Rains skips down the road, singing in nothing but a pair of pants could have easily pushed itself too far as well, but it didn't.  I think it was very important for Whale to find the correct balance for this movie, and for the most part he did.

     The special effects of The Invisible Man hold up really well.  Especially if you are fortunate enough to view the Blu-Ray version of it.  When I first saw this movie, I expected a lot more visible wire work and cheap parlor tricks.  Boy was I wrong.  The effects are outstanding and not nearly as dated as one might think.

     Still, the real attraction of this movie is in Claude Rains' performance as Dr. Griffin, a scientist that has managed to turn himself invisible but can't seem to find the privacy or time he requires to turn himself back.   And this invisibility comes with a price.  His mind.  The longer Dr. Griffin remains in this invisible state, the more egocentric and power mad he becomes.   Before too long, Dr. Griffin's motives become less about curing himself and more about causing chaos.  De-rail a train?  Sure.  Kill a policeman by bashing him in the head to prove you exist?  Why not?  And that's just what Dr. Griffin does to people that he doesn't hold a grudge against.  Just ask his lab partner Dr. Kemp.  Oh wait, we can't.  Poor Kemp.  Then again, he was a filthy sneaky rat coward wasn't he?

     Part of me wishes that Gloria Stuart's character of Flora was in that car that went over the cliff.  I just found her to be a bit whiney and over dramatic, even for a 1933 film.  Still, there was way more to love about this movie than to nitpick about, and it's become one of my favorite Universal Monster films.

                                                              GRADE: A-