Simply A Masterpiece

A Masterpiece!

The film creates a perfect balance between action and depth of basic needs, in the midst of an infertile atmosphere.

A movie that not only functions as a solid scarefest but a razor-sharp satire.

Not the very best, Meet Frankenstein is my personal favourite and was their to me their last truly great one. Afterwards their films didn't reach the level set by Meet Frankenstein and their earlier outings but there were a few that did come close. The best one being Meet the Invisible Man, which, personally and to by the looks of it a few others, of the Meet...films is bettered only by Meet Frankenstein(Meet Jekyll and Hyde was fun though too). There is very little actually that's wrong actually, for personal tastes a couple of parts are ever so slightly rushed and the ending was more grotesque than funny and the special effects in that scene were very slapdash, a let down after being so impressed by the rest of the special effects in the film. The plot is silly and on the thin side, but that can be forgotten and forgiven if the material is good and that is the case with Meet the Invisible Man.Actually the material is more than good, it's great and the best parts are the funniest of Abbott and Costello's later films. The dialogue is smartly written throughout and makes one laugh so much that there's the danger of missing something(Costello has the best lines) and the gags and slapstick while a tad overdone(again forgivable as that is part of the charm with Abbott and Costello) similarly delightful. The highlight of the film is, agreed, the boxing match but the dinner and Abbott's drunk act scenes stand out too. From a technical standpoint, Meet the Invisible Man impresses, it's well shot and has an appropriate setting but especially good were the special effects which not only look good but are especially for the Invisible Man some of the most ingenious of all their films. The score has the right amount of jauntiness and the film is briskly directed. The supporting cast are solid as rocks with Sheldon Leonard faring best but it's Abbott and Costello, as they rightly should, who steal the show. Abbott plays it straight effectively and Costello proves that being bumbling can be hilarious.To conclude, Meet the Invisible Man is A&C's best film of the 50s, the second best of the Meet...films after Meet Frankenstein and it's one of their better outings overall without being towards the top. 8/10 Bethany Cox

Abbott & Costello play Bud Alexander & Lou Francis, two recent graduates of a private detective agency whose first case involves helping fugitive boxer Tommy Nelson(played by Arthur Franz) who is wanted for the murder of his manager. Tommy insists he's innocent, and is aided by a scientist who has acquired the invisibility formula of the original Invisible Man(Claude Rains' picture is seen!) Of course, this formula causes Tommy to gradually go insane, but not before he helps Lou trap the real killers by assisting him in the ring, where he is now "Louie The Looper". Funny comedy makes up for not having Vincent Price by creating clever gags around being invisible, with good F/X and energetic direction. A worthy follow-up to "Meet Frankenstein"(and not a sequel either, just an amusing spoof.)

Right out of the gate I got a kick out of 'Dugan's Detective Training' Class of 1951. The initials 'DDT' could also be taken for a widely used insecticide during the era that was eventually banned in the U.S. As a farmer, my Dad used it on his onion crops in the 1950's, and it makes me wonder now whether the film's use of the initials was a clever pun on taking out the competition.So with a title like "A&C Meet the Invisible Man", probably the last thing you would think of is some connection to a boxing story. But then again, why not, as anything could happen with these boys around. As new graduates of the detective school, Bud and Lou's first case involves boxer Tommy Nelson (Arthur Franz) who's on the run after being framed for murdering his manager. The invisibility hook comes in as Tommy's girlfriend (Nancy Guild) has an uncle (Gavin Muir) who's a scientist working on a secret pripitane serum that's been effective on animals, but has the potential of driving human users insane. Nevertheless, Tommy is intent on turning himself invisible and hires Bud and Lou to get the goods on gangster Boots Morgan (Sheldon Leonard) who's been fixing matches against his champ Rocky Hanlon, and also arranged the rubout of Tommy's manager.If you've seen your fair share of Abbott and Costello flicks you could figure how they'd use the invisibility gimmick to their advantage in setting up a variety of situations. The most humorous example of it here was when Lou nonchalantly worked on the speed bag and amazed every onlooker at the gym. Of course it came in real handy in the final match against Rocky (John Daheim), with Lou defeating his rival with an assortment of phantom punches.Today was Abbott and Costello day on Turner Classics, a nice way to ring out the old year 2012 on New Year's Eve. Catching this one was a welcome treat as I don't remember seeing it back in the day, though I could have. A&C were teamed up with various Universal monster characters during their heyday, like Dr. Jekyll and The Mummy, but like many others, my favorite will always be their 1948 flick when they 'Meet Frankenstein', though the title doesn't tell the whole story. Universal went for the gusto by throwing in Dracula and the Wolf Man as an added bonus.

I would place this film in the top five of Abbott and Costello's films and the best film they made in the 1950s. It gets very good marks for excellent special effect as well as a clever story. It's one of several "monster films" Bud and Lou made for Universal Studios--having also done movies with Dracula, Frankenstein, the Wolf-Man, Dr. Jekyll and the Mummy. All of these films were among their better films--great fun and a nice break from the usual Abbott and Costello formula. And speaking of formula, since this was made later in their careers, the original formula (including lots of song and dance numbers and a side romantic plot) was abandoned and the film was pure comedy.The film begins with the boys graduating from detective college. When Lou wonders how he managed to graduate, Bud says that he "slipped them a few bucks"! Their first case involves a desperate man that comes for help. Tommy is a boxer who is accused of murder. He's on the run from the police and hopes Bud and Lou can help. Bud is only concerned with turning him in for a reward and Lou is his usual nice but wimpy self--he just wants to stay out of trouble. Just before the police nab Tommy, he injects himself with an invisibility formula. Now it's a matter of the doctor coming up with an antidote before the formula drives him made. It's also a matter of proving his innocence so he's able to once again show his face! The movie has a lot of excellent invisibility special effects and these are done very well. About the only thing that is rather cheesy are the effects at the very end as well as the plot involving Lou posing as a pro boxer (with invisible Tommy taking pokes at his opponent). They didn't even try to do these scenes well and Lou obviously wasn't doing much of the punching. People said "wow he punches fast" but I just thought that looked a bit dopey. Still, considering how well made the rest of the film is, I can't complain. It's yet another one of the team's excellent Universal monster films and one any fan must see. Others probably will have a few laughs as well.