Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (1951)

Director:

Charles Lamont

Writers:

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

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 | Invisibility | Manager | Reference To Shakespeare | Boxing

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
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Walter F. Appler	...	Professor Dugan (uncredited)
Howard Banks	...	Officer (uncredited)
Bobby Barber	...	Sneaky (uncredited)
Richard Bartell	...	Bald man (uncredited)
Milt Bronson	...	Ring announcer (uncredited)
Ralph Brooks	...	Man (uncredited)
Russ Conway	...	Newspaperman (uncredited)
Frank Dae	...	Col. Duffie (uncredited)
Roy Darmour	...	Man (uncredited)
Sayre Dearing	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Ralph Dunn	...	Motorcycle cop (uncredited)
Edward Gargan	...	Milt (uncredited)
Harold Goodwin	...	Bartender (uncredited)
Dick Gordon	...	Man (uncredited)
Kit Guard	...	Fighter on rowing machine (uncredited)
Chuck Hamilton	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Ringsider with cigar (uncredited)
Kenner G. Kemp	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Fight spectator behind Boots (uncredited)
Perc Launders	...	Cop (uncredited)
George J. Lewis	...	Torpedo Al (uncredited)
Rory Mallinson	...	Tough guy at bar (uncredited)
Ralph Montgomery	...	Photographer (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Fight Crowd Extra (uncredited)
Franklin Parker	...	Photographer (uncredited)
Charles Perry	...	Rocky's handler (uncredited)
Syd Saylor	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Edith Sheets	...	Nurse (uncredited)
Jack Shutta	...	Attendant (uncredited)
Carl Sklover	...	Lou's handler (uncredited)
Billy Snyder	...	Newspaperman (uncredited)
Frankie Van	...	Referee (uncredited)
Herb Vigran	...	Stillwell (uncredited)
Billy Wayne	...	Rooney, Rocky's manager (uncredited)

Directed by
Charles Lamont

Writing credits
Hugh Wedlock Jr.		(story) and
Howard Snyder		(story)
Robert Lees		(screenplay) and
Frederic I. Rinaldo		(screenplay) and
John Grant		(screenplay)
H.G. Wells		story "The Invisible Man"

Produced by
Howard Christie	....	producer

Cinematography by
George Robinson

Film Editing by
Virgil W. Vogel		(as Virgil Vogel)

Art Direction by
Bernard Herzbrun
Richard H. Riedel		(as Richard Riedel)

Set Decoration by
John P. Austin		(as John Austin)
Russell A. Gausman

Makeup Department
Joan St. Oegger	....	hair stylist
Bud Westmore	....	makeup artist

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Ronald R. Rondell	....	assistant director (as Ronnie Rondell)

Art Department
Ed Keyes	....	property master

Sound Department
Leslie I. Carey	....	sound
Robert Pritchard	....	sound

Special Effects by
David S. Horsley	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Roswell A. Hoffmann	....	optical cinematography

Music Department
Joseph Gershenson	....	musical director
Daniele Amfitheatrof	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Johnny Green	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
William Lava	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Milton Rosen	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Miklós Rózsa	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Hans J. Salter	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Walter Scharf	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Frank Skinner	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Eric Zeisl	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)

Production Companies

• Universal International Pictures (UI)

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1951) (USA) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (VHS)

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:

The picture in Dr. Gray's laboratory of Griffin, the inventor of the invisibility serum, is a photo of Claude Rains, who played the title role in The Invisible Man (1933).

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:

Lou Francis: [about graduating] This is the happiest day of my life, how did I ever graduate?
Bud Alexander: [whispering] I slipped the guy twenty bucks. Now keep quiet.

Movie Connections:

Spoofs The Invisible Man (1933)

Lou "The Looper"

Bud Abbot and Lou Costello were an amazing comic team who endeared themselves to their fans with the kind of humor they projected; theirs was the kind of good fun with a lot of sight gags that made them one of the favorite duo in the movies for quite a while.

Universal, their studio, decided to showcased them in a series of movies that involved the "monsters" in its roster. This film is not one of those, but because of the usage of the amazing visual effects employed in using the visual effects in the "Invisible Man", it became a winner from the start.

This was one of the best Abbot and Costello's best movies. Both do excellent work under the direction of Charles Lamont. Arthur Franz, who is not "seen" enough is good as Tommy, the man accused of a crime he didn't commit. Sheldon Leonard is one of the gangsters that are manipulating the boxing matches. Nancy Guild and Adele Jergens are welcome additions to the movie.

Best of all are the boxing scenes involving Lou Costello as the amazing new boxer, Lou, "The Looper", who goes to beat Rocky, his better equipped opponent with a little help of his invisible friend.