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) ...
(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 | 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
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 last names of Bud Abbott and Lou Costello's characters, Bud Alexander and Lou Francis, are actually their real middle names.

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: [hypnotizing Lou with a watch] Tick-tock-tick-tock-tick-tock...
Lou Francis: [gasps] You forgot to say the mouse went up the clock!

Movie Connections:

Spoofs The Invisible Man (1933)

This one is "under wraps"!

I am amazed by the special effects in this Abbott and Costello thriller.

An invisible man manages to smoke? How did they do it? This is a fun one since the boys spend most of their time talking to a man they can't see! Creepy for the time...now curl up with it on a rainy day. That's a great way to enjoy Bud and Lou's crime capers!