Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)

User Rating:

6.7/10   

Director:

Charles Lamont

Writers:

Hugh Wedlock Jr. (story) and
Howard Snyder (story) ...

Release Date:

7 March 1951 (USA)

Genre:

Comedy | Sci-Fi | Sport

Tagline:

AS PRIVATE EYES...they're getting an Eyeful!

Plot:

Two bumbling private eyes help a man wrongly accused of murder who has become invisible to help clear his name.

Plot Keywords:

Detective | Manager | Invisibility | Private Detective | Hoodlum

Cast

Bud Abbott	...	Bud Alexander
Lou Costello	...	Lou Francis
Nancy Guild	...	Helen Gray
Arthur Franz	...	Tommy Nelson
Adele Jergens	...	Boots Marsden
Sheldon Leonard	...	Boots Morgan
William Frawley	...	Det. Roberts
Gavin Muir	...	Dr. Philip Gray
Sam Balter	...	Radio announcer (voice)
John Daheim	...	Rocky Hanlon (as John Day)
Paul Maxey	...	Dr. James C. Turner, Police Psychiatrist

Also Known As:

Meet the Invisible Man

Runtime:

82 min | Argentina:86 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #15003) | USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | Argentina:Atp | Australia:G | Finland:K-12 | Sweden:15

Filming Locations:

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

Company:

Universal International Pictures (UI)

Trivia:

This was originally intended to be a straight film in the Invisible Man series. After the huge grosses from Bud Abbott Lou Costello Meet Frankenstein (1948), the script was rewritten to make it another thrill comedy with Bud Abbott and Lou Costello. As it happened, Abbott and Costello met an invisible man in the earlier film, too, but it was a different character.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Tommy Nelson is hiring Bud and Lou, the radio broadcast describes Nelson as 5'11'' tall with brown hair. Moments later, Bud repeats the description, but says 5'10'' tall with sandy hair.

Quotes:

Dr. James C. Turner, Police Psychiatrist: I know, you saw this man disappear into thin air. Do you always see things?
Lou Francis: Only when my eyes are open.
Dr. James C. Turner, Police Psychiatrist: Did you ever see somebody disappear before?
Lou Francis: Yes sir, I have.
Dr. James C. Turner, Police Psychiatrist: This may explain it, seeing things. When did this happen?
Lou Francis: One day me and my brother were walking down the street... my brother disappeared.
Dr. James C. Turner, Police Psychiatrist: Into thin air?
Lou Francis: No, into a man hole.
Dr. James C. Turner, Police Psychiatrist: How about voices? Do you ever hear strange voices?
Lou Francis: Yes sir.
[...]

Movie Connections:

Spoofs The Invisible Man (1933)

Works pretty well

Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man sticks with it's plot and lets the comedy come in the flow of the story. The story is actually pretty solid and the comedy seems to be more a supplement then the main attraction. Bud Abbott is in top form and Costello shines in the fight sequence, which is well filmed. Not nearly as corny as a lot of the other A and C movies of the period.

6.6/10