The Invisible Woman (1940)

An attractive model with an ulterior motive volunteers as guinea pig for an invisibility machine.

Director:

A. Edward Sutherland

Writers:

Curt Siodmak (story), Joe May (story),

Stars:

Virginia Bruce, John Barrymore, John Howard

Nominated for 1 Oscar.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Virginia Bruce	...	Kitty Carroll
John Barrymore	...	Professor Gibbs
John Howard	...	Richard Russell
Charles Ruggles	...	George (as Charlie Ruggles)
Oskar Homolka	...	Blackie
Edward Brophy	...	Bill
Donald MacBride	...	Foghorn
Margaret Hamilton	...	Mrs. Jackson
Shemp Howard	...	Frankie
Anne Nagel	...	Jean
Kathryn Adams	...	Peggy
Maria Montez	...	Marie
Charles Lane	...	Growley
Mary Gordon	...	Mrs. Bates
Thurston Hall	...	Hudson

Storyline

Eccentric Professor Gibbs, brilliant but impractical, invents an invisibility machine and advertises for a guinea pig. What he gets is Kitty Carroll, an attractive, adventurous model, who thinks being invisible would help her settle a few scores. Complications arise when three comic gangsters steal the machine to use on their boss. But they fail to reckon with the Revenge of the Invisible Woman!

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Plot Keywords:

invisibility | model | professor | revenge | working girl | 

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Taglines:

The YEAR'S FUNNIEST FUN! (original print ad - mostly caps)

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Genres:

Comedy | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Certificate:

Approved

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 December 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

A Mulher Invisível

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

72 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Margaret Sullavan, who owed Universal one picture on an old contract, was originally assigned the starring role. With more attractive roles being floated her way, she balked at appearing in the film, feeling it was beneath her. When she failed to appear for the rehearsals, the studio slapped her with a restraining order preventing her from working anywhere. Eventually she agreed to fulfill her contract by appearing in Back Street and Virginia Bruce stepped into the role.

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Goofs

At the lodge, the invisible Kitty puts on stockings so Dick can "see" her but moments later when she faints she's completely undressed again.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Attorney: Where is he? Where is he? Get up! Get up!
George: I am up. I was up. And I've been up all night. I would have stayed up if you hadn't knocked me down.

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Connections

Edited into The Invisible Woman (1966)

User Reviews

very amusing

Director: A. Edward Sutherland, Story: Curt Siodmak, Joe May, Cast: Virginia Bruce (Kitty), John Barrymore (Prof. Gibbs), John Howard (Richard Russell), Charles Ruggles (George), Oskar Homolka ('Blackie'), Charles Lane (Mr.Growley)

For this third installment in the Invisible Man series,Universal decided to do a comedy with a little twist. This time the invisible man is a women! Otherwise this film had no relation to the previous two. Not a horror but a rather lightweight,amusing little film.

John Barrymore plays a simple minded professor who has just created an 'invisible machine'. Rich playboy Richard Russell is financing the professor's 'research' so the professor has to convince him that he can actually make people invisible. Of course he thinks he is crazy! All the professor needs is a human volunteer so he puts an add in the paper. Lovely model 'kitty',played by Virginia Bruce, wants to teach her mean boss,Mr Growley, a little lesion so she answers the add. Things get a little more complicated when a group of thugs hiding out in Mexico see the add. Blackie ,the leader, sends his nitwit sidekicks to try to get the machine. I enjoyed this film and got quite a few laughs watching it. It is available on the Universal Legacy Series Invisible Man film set.