Search - The Amazing Transparent Man on DVD

Don't Waste The X-13 On The Guinea Pig

Robert I. Hedges | 02/02/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"This is one of those old drive-in formulaic wonders that make you roll your eyes and laugh, yet mysteriously manages to entertain with predictable plot points. The story essentially boils down to a mercenary ex-soldier who employs a crack thief (metaphorically named "Faust"...don't ever say the movie isn't heavy handed) to steal radioactive material for him under the cloak of invisibility. (Oh, wrong movie...I mean transparency.) The thief has other ideas and decides to rob a bank instead, but in one of the most unintentionally funny moments in cinema history, parts of him blink back into the visible spectrum during the holdup. Things go horribly awry, there is a short bout of love, a few hysterical fist fights (as the fighters "fight" their invisible...I mean transparent...foe), an atomic detonation, and a wonderful cold war era ending presenting the audience with a real conundrum.

This is a fairly entertaining, and very short, movie. It is generally well acted (though the fight scenes really needed work) and the special effects were above average for the time (I especially like the guinea pig's progressive disappearance effect, though the reanimation effects were really silly looking); I was especially fond of the completely bogus scientific content (the X-13 versus radium explanation is priceless). Fans of cold war films and B-grade horror should enjoy this one."

I enjoyed this film -- here's why

Patrick W. Crabtree | Lucasville, OH USA | 09/01/2008

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This 1960 black-and-white film is sort of a The Invisible Man rip-off, but I'm okay on that criticism in that the two stories aren't all that similar. "The Invisible Man" is clearly the superior film of the pair but this one still has its good points.

The tale here is that an infamous safe-cracker ("Joey Faust," played by Douglas Kennedy) is sprung from prison to become the minion of a criminal mastermind ("Major Paul Krenner," played by James Griffith) who has established an atomic laboratory in a large farmhouse located out in the boondocks. Why does he need an atomic lab? To produce an army of invisible zombies which he plans to sell to the Army!

The lab's venerable old scientist is "Dr. Peter Ulof" (Ivan Triesault), a man working under duress because Krenner holds his young daughter hostage in the lab's closet. Krenner has two other shills, neither of which are all that loyal to him: "Laura Matson" (Marguerite Chapman) and "Julian" (Boyd 'Red' Morgan, who plays the farm watchman, armed with a Winchester .30-30). No one else, including the main cop, is all that significant in the film.

After Faust initially reaches the farm, driven there by Laura in a very cool 1959 Buick convertible, he comes to terms with Krenner after a bit of arguing. Krenner threatens to have him tossed back into the pokey if he doesn't cooperate with his (mad) plan.

Faust takes the tour upstairs with Krenner where Dr. Ulof is introduced along with his new invisibility ray which he demonstrates on a Guinea pig mainly to garner Faust's confidence. Faust is impressed but he sees the device as infinitely more useful in robbing banks while Krenner insists on his stealing atomic material from a government vault. This material is purportedly much more effective, albeit it's also a notably more volatile substance than what Ulof is currently using. The side effects are additionally anticipated to be very hazardous, a fact which is shrewdly withheld from Faust.

Faust goes along with the initial plan, stealing the atomic material right from under the noses of two astonished guards. But after that he sets his own agenda and attempts to draw in his sympathetic peers to help him overcome Krenner.

I can go no further than that without revealing the direction and the ending of the film so I'll stop there.

I thought that the special effects (by Roger George and Howard A. Anderson), the sets, the scenery, the camera work, and the story were all pretty darned impressive, all better than what one typically experiences in this genre of films. The actors weren't too hokey and the action stayed pretty brisk. This was also a nostalgic, Drive-in movie-type film from my own teen years so that plus is a somewhat personal one and a more subjective point.

The biggest shortcoming of this movie for me is that it only runs for 57 minutes, but that was pretty typical for these B-horror and sci-fi flicks. Also, the DVD packaging on this one conveys that the Transparent Man can walk right through walls, which he can't.

This film was produced by Miller Consolidated Pictures (MCP) and was directed by Edgar G. Ulmer. Jack Lewis wrote the original screenplay. The aspect ratio is 1.75:1, essentially full-frame. It's more of a science-fiction entry than a horror film but I guess you could include it under either title.

In summary, I would definitely recommend this budget film for avid fans of the genre(s).
"

Who's afraid of the big bad Amazing Transparent Man?

Michael Bolts | Superior, WI | 06/25/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"James Griffith stars as crazed ex-military officer Paul Krenner who has dreams of world domination whe he forces scientist Peter Ulof played by Ivan Trisquif to do his bidding. Ulof develops the process of invisibility through atomic-radiation in wich Krenner plans to make an army of invisible military force and sell it to the highest bidder. Douglas Kennedy plays Joey Faust a safecracker who has just gotten outta jail and they make him invisble so that he can steal more radium. After he does this things start to take a unexpected turn. Laura played by the beautiful Marguerite Chapman is thrown into the mix. The showdown at the end boosted this up. It was great seeing Griffith and Kennedy duke it out with one another. It's still a hokey movie but an enjoyable one. The Invisible Man & Hollow Man shouldget together with The Amazing Transparent Man and make a 3 invisible men movie extraviganza. I'd watch it. Also starrng Edward Erwin and the adorable Carmel Daniel. Carmel & Marguerite are sexy names"