The Invisible Woman (1940)

User Rating:

6.1/10   

Director:

A. Edward Sutherland

Writers:

Curt Siodmak (story) &
Joe May (story) ...

Release Date:

27 December 1940 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

IT'S A Ghost-to-Ghost HOOK-UP!

Plot:

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

Plot Keywords:

Invisibility | Model | Revenge | Professor | Invisible Woman

Awards:

Nominated for Oscar.

Cast

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

Runtime:

72 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Mirrophonic Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #6945) | Finland:S

Company:

Universal Pictures

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 (1941) and Virginia Bruce stepped into the role.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: Virginia Bruce was dressed in black velvet and shot against a black background as part of the special-effects process of making her appear invisible. During the scene where her character is undressing in front of a startled Mr. Growley, her black velvet-clad arms are visible whenever they cross in front of her legs or torso.

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.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Son of Svengoolie: The Invisible Woman (1940) (#1.63)" (1980)

The Lady Vanishes and Laughs Appear

Dispensing with the melodramatic excesses of Universal's previous "Invisible Man" films, The Invisible Woman aims strictly for laughs in this dated but still enjoyable comedy. The film puts to good use the considerable leering talents of John Barrymore. Allegedly, he ad-libbed his way through the entire film. Luckily, for him the plot was hardly rocket science. The eccentric Professor Gibbs (Barrymore) invents a weird contraption that under the right circumstances bestows temporary invisibility. What he needs is someone to act as a guinea pig. So, he does what any self-respecting wacko would do in such a situation--he places an ad in the local newspaper. Enter Kitty Carroll (Virginia Bruce), an eye-catching model with a spunky attitude. Kitty is eager to become invisible so she can teach her boss, a grouchy sourpuss if there ever was one, a much needed lesson in humility. Even having to run about in the altogether in order to be invisible doesn't deter her. The sponsor of these shenanigans (John Howard) is a fatuous moneybags who has lost his fortune and is in need of another. He is irresistibly drawn to the shapely specter like a magnet.

Things become more complicated after Gibb's ad makes its way down to the Mexican hideout of mobster Blackie Cole (Oscar Homolka). He wants the invisibility machine for his own nefarious purposes. Fortunately, for law-abiding citizens, Blackie's saddled with three moronic henchmen. Consequently, Blackie and his gang don't stand a ghost of a chance against the clever and resourceful invisible woman.

Though the special effects for this film are poor by any standards, a talented and likable cast of comical characters overcomes this shortcoming to make this one of the best films in Universal's "invisible series." Oddly enough, Virginia Bruce wasn't the first choice for the role, Margaret Sullivan was, but she sued Universal to avoid doing the film. Ms. Sullivan lost the case but Universal decided not to use her anyway. Viewers were better off as a result. The studio would be wise to update and remake this movie with someone like Charlize Theron in the lead.