Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man

USA 1951
produced by
Howard Christie for Universal
directed by Charles Lamont
starring Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Nancy Guild, Arthur Franz, Adele Jergens, Sheldon Leonard, William Frawley, Gavin Muir, Sam Balter, John Daheim, Paul Maxey, Herb Vigran, Ralph Dunn, Milt Bronson, Walter F. Appler, Billy Wayne, Frankie Van
story by Hugh Wedlock jr, Howard Snyder, screenplay by Robert Lees, Frederic I. Rinaldo, John Grant, based on a concept by H.G. Wells, musical direction: Joseph Gershenson, special effects by David S.Horsley

Abbott & Costello, Abbott and Costello Meet ..., The Invisible Man, Universal's Invisible Man, Universal horror cycle

review by
Mike Haberfelner

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Bud Abbott and Lou Costello have just started out as private eyes, and they already get their first customer, Tommy Nelson (Arthur Franz), a boxer on the run after being accused of having killed his manager. Abbott immediately wants to sell of Nelson to the police to get the reward, but before he can do so, Nelson disappears - literally, thanks to an invisibility serum developed by his girlfriend's (Nancy Guild) uncle (Gavin Muir).

As an invisble man, Nelson has little problems to convince Abbott and Costello to help him. Point is, he insists on not having killed his manager, the guy who bribed him to lose a fight against Rocky Hanlon (John Daheim) did, a fight Nelson won nevertheless - and now he wants to lure the guy, a gangster named Boots Morgan (Sheldon Leonard) out into the open by making a championship fighter out of Lou Costello - of all people - and having him face Rocky in the ring. Turning Lou into a championship fighter only works as long as Nelson gives his invisible support and punches for Lou ... and there's a bit of a problem, because the invisiblility serum slowly turns Nelson unpredictable and ultimately insane, while on the other hand, Abbott, who poses as Lou's manager, slowly comes to the realization that if everything goes according to plan and Lou wins the fight, he will share the fate with Nelson's dead manager ...

Everything ends happily though.

Routine Abbott & Costello genre spoof that at least manages to not be too repetitive, tell a rather well-developed story and properly include the boys into the plot - but that said, the film also lacks any directorial spark, does nothing to create atmosphere, and what should come off as a slapstick highlight - the finale in the ring - is disappointingly underdeveloped.

Now there are certainly much worse Abbott & Costello-movies out there, but that fact alone doesn't make this film particularly good ...

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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