The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

The owner of a coal mining operation, falsely imprisoned for fratricide, takes a drug to make him invisible, despite its side effect: gradual madness.

Director:

Joe May

Writers:

H.G. Wells (characters), Joe May (story)

Stars:

Cedric Hardwicke, Vincent Price, Nan Grey

Nominated for 1 Oscar. Another 1 nomination.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Richard Cobb (as Sir Cedric Hardwicke)
Vincent Price	...	Geoffrey Radcliffe
Nan Grey	...	Helen Manson
John Sutton	...	Doctor Frank Griffin
Cecil Kellaway	...	Sampson
Alan Napier	...	Willie Spears
Forrester Harvey	...	Ben Jenkins

Storyline

Framed for the murder of his brother, Geoffrey Radcliffe is scheduled to hang. After a visit from his friend Dr. Frank Griffin, he vanishes mysteriously from prison. Police inspector Sampson realizes that Griffin is the brother of the original Invisible Man and has given Geoffrey the formula to aid his escape. Can Geoffrey elude the police dragnet and track down the real murderer? More importantly, can Griffin discover an antidote before the invisibility formula drives Geoffrey insane?

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Plot Keywords:

invisible man | murder | wrongful arrest | framed for murder | violence | 

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Taglines:

CALL OUT THE RESERVES! (The reserve floor staff, the guard rails, the tapes!)

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Genres:

Drama | Horror | Mystery | Sci-Fi | Thriller

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Certificate:

Passed

Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

12 January 1940 (USA)

Also Known As:

The Invisible Man Returns

Filming Locations:

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

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

81 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Color:

Black and White (Sepia)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The initial wrapping of Radcliffe's face is eerily reminiscent of the facial structure of the creature from the black lagoon. ( see lips and eyes).

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Goofs

Geoffrey Radcliffe had been invisible for several days through the course of the film. As such, it would have been impossible to see his reflection in a mirror and therefore he couldn't groom himself. Yet when he becomes visible in the final scene, he is perfectly clean-shaven and his hair impeccably combed.

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Quotes

[first lines]
Mr. Cotton: I - I can't believe it's going to happen. Just two more hours, and they're going to kill him.

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Alternate Versions

When originally released theatrically in the UK, the BBFC made cuts to secure a 'A' rating.

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Connections

Referenced in The Horror Hall of Fame (1974)

User Reviews

An invisible man sequel worth seeing

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.