Another Invisible Venture From Universal

Laff Till You Hurt at The Invisible Woman (1940)

Line Up, Guys and Ghouls --- The Invisible Woman Can Be Yours To Home-View

Way goofy comedy that Realart sold as a straight thriller when they reissued it, The Invisible Woman was obscure to horror-watchers for being kept out of Screen Gems' TV "Shock" packages. My awareness was restricted to an 8mm highlight reel sold by Castle Films and available on back pages of monster magazines. Art had the transparent woman, visible only in outline, kicking someone in the backside, not promising for chill shoppers, let alone where shipping/handling ran the tab past $6. Query to then-Screen Gems: Why put Chinatown Squad in your Shock group and leave The Invisible Woman off? Maybe they thought we'd resent comedy, but then The Boogie Man Will Get You went in, plus others more foolish than scary. Now there is all of what was Invisible for Universal in a "Legacy" box, from which I sampled Woman and a wartime offshoot, Invisible Agent, another that wasn't, but should have been, included with the syndicated "Shocks." Missing these when they would have made a best impression is rankling still, as catch-up after too many years leaves the pair wanting, no matter the curiosity value in each.

Realart Sells The Invisible Woman For Scares In A 50's Reissue

Universal Gave Barrymore A Straight Portrait Sitting To Publicize The Invisible Woman

Injustice is made plain by credits for The Invisible Woman: Virginia Bruce (titular character) billed over John Barrymore, him in admitted career doldrums, but with a bigger part and more presence here than for occasions where he was top name. Jawn is a dotty professor, not "mad" by Karloff definition, but not unlike BK as benign inventor of 1937's Night Key. A mainstream wanted chills leavened with comedy, and wasn't it time we got more fun out of invisibility? James Whale had seen humorous possibility from the start, and a first sequel even let see-through Vincent Price survive the fade and unmask a killer (not himself) besides. What was left but to burlesque a property wrung out otherwise? Universal truly got money's worth for whatever was spent on rights from H.G. Wells. Besides Woman, then Agent, there was that Man in again for Revenge, then fire sale of a meet with Abbott and Costello. We forget how prolific Universal was with these because of gaps in later years exposure. "Exposure" is tickler of The Invisible Woman, where question is how much we'll see of Virginia Bruce, her understood to be nude while invisible, titillation flogged over much of run time. 1940 audiences had to grab for what eroticism they could get.

Invisible Is Support Feature For a Universal "A"

Opening shot has Charlie Ruggles' stunt double taking headlong spill down a flight of stairs to launch seventy-two minute frenzy.  Foundation for Universal had always been lowbrow comedy, either starring, or in prominent support. The brand had been renewed at fresh vigor with 1939's Destry Rides Again, so was not confined to B's and program pictures U did with chain-driven efficiency. A sameness of funny faces gave unity to product that lent all from them the warmth of family reunions. As U's Plexiglas logo turned, so surely would Shemp Howard or thereabouts be along to spread fun. Even horrors were made less horrible by jesters there for the spook ride. Trick was to embrace comedy relief, for at Universal, it was that relief that often made up bulk of interest in their shows. The Invisible Woman has Shemp plus lamebrains he plays off of, and then Ruggles, a master hand for Lubitsch before, but congenial to dropping trays and falling over furniture here. Witchy Margaret Hamilton is welcome for those old enough to remember when The Wizard Of Oz was a meaningful TV event (seems now like a long time ago, doesn't it?). Braying and pain-in-rear Ed Brophy shows up for slapshoeing, while an immortal part, one of his best, is limned by Charles Lane. Point of this recital is to say that The Invisible Woman is rich dish for ones who treasure comedians as they applied themselves to whatever utility job needed doing. These combined make The Invisible Woman play like a charm, especially with old pro director A. Edward Sutherland for guidance. Get it and have a nostalgic laugh.