The Invisible Ghost

Starring:Lugosi, Young
Studio: St Clair Vision
Product Type: DVD

Ghost Of Dragstrip Hollow/The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (Midnite Movies Double Feature)

Average customer rating:

Great B movies
Ghost in the Invisible Bikini is Awesome
The Endest, Man!
drive in maddness
The Ghosts Are Lose In 2 Great Teen Classics Now On DVD

Ghost Of Dragstrip Hollow/The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini (Midnite Movies Double Feature)
Starring: Jody Fair , Russ Bender , Henry McCann , Martin Braddock , and Elaine DuPont
Director: William J. Hole Jr. , and Don Weis
Manufacturer: MGM (Video & DVD)
ProductGroup: DVD
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ASIN: B0007MHFHW
Release Date: 2005-02-15

Description

THE GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI: Original Theatrical Trailer

Customer Reviews:

Great B movies.......2007-06-08

If you like B movies with lots of camp this is one for your collection.

Ghost in the Invisible Bikini is Awesome.......2006-12-04

I haven't seen the other one, but the Ghost in the Invisible Bikini is really great. All of the songs are really catchy and watching all of the lame background dancers is a hoot. Plus Nancy Sinatra is so cute in this movie! I would recommend this film to anyone who's into quality camp.

The Endest, Man!.......2005-09-04

"Ghost of Dragstrip Hollow" looks like "Leave It To Beaver" with souped-up jalopies. Square, brainy teens into automotive combustion lose the lease on their hang-out but quickly acquire new digs--but it's haunted, dig? A few funny double-entrendres(and a sassy parrot)keep this thing watchable, but it's really no better than your average sitcom. The nostalgia is amusing, what with clean-cut kids facing off at the weekend slumber party, but it's too short--and when two feuding girls duel it out with their racing cars to settle their differences, we aren't even privvy to the match! The music is OK, but the awkward, self-conscious teen-nobodys that dot the cast are unintentionally funny.
"Ghost in the Invisible Bikini" has Tommy Kirk, Deborah Walley, Harvey Lembeck, Nancy Sinatra, Susan Hart, Patsy Kelley and Boris Karloff--and still it's a dud! American International was apparently hurtin' for one last 'Beach Party' and this is the best they could do. Why Sinatra's boyfriend Goo-Goo keeps ditching her for that shapeless redhead is more a mystery than why Susan Hart(as the ghost)is donning the dopiest-looking blonde wig in B-cinema history.
Both films contain a completely different song each entitled "Geronimo" for reasons I can't fathom, although Nancy Sinatra's entry wins(and she looks cute shimmying poolside!).

drive in maddness.......2005-08-09

The first film,"GHOST OF DRAGSTRIP HOLLOW" is a little slow and corny with square teens hanging out at there local malt shop.
The fun begins when they have a girls pajama party and then go to a spooky old house to have a costume party.And that parrot{the comedy relief} with the punch lines is funny and annoying at times.

The ,"GHOST IN THE INVISIBLE BIKINI" is the better of the 2 films!
Borris Karloff plays a small role but it's fun seeing Borris in anything.The kids aren't as square in this film and the Haunted House is kool!!
This film reminds me a lot of the tv show the MONKEES.It would also be fun to watch at your local Drive In theatre on a stormy summer night with the gang ,a few beers and your sweetie on your arm!

The Ghosts Are Lose In 2 Great Teen Classics Now On DVD.......2005-08-09

If you like teen classics, with ghosts than these 2 movies are great for you.

SIDE A: Ghost Of Dragstrip Hollow. Roadster members of the famous drag-racing Kenith Club have blown a gasket since they wern't able to pay the rent and were thrown out of their groovy garage hangout. But luckily for them, a sweet old lady benefactor will let them user he house... only one problem though, it's haunted, and the only way to get rid of those eveil lil ghosts is to scare them out. Count on these Dragstrip racing teen's to get rid of the ghosts, in this pedal-to-the-medal thriller comedy. That really separated the chicks from the chickens!

SIDE B: The Ghost IN The Invisible Bikini. Poor dead Hiram (Boris Karloff)... he only has 24 hours to do a good dead or he won't be able to go to heaven! Happily, help arrives in the forum of a bikini-clad, vixen (Susan Hart)! Together, she and Hiram try to foil the plans of a dastardly lawyer (Basil Rathbone) hellbent on doing away with Hiram's teenage heirs and their entourage of Watusi-dancing, and singing friends before the reading of his will! From beach house to house of horrors, this fast and furious beach film will delight you, and startle you.

These are 2 Great Teen Flicks finally on dvd, if you want something fun to show the family, put this dvd in tonight, your whole family will love these 2 great films.

Average customer rating:

Strange... but kinda funny!
If you like to waste time and money

School Spirit
Starring: Tom Nolan , Elizabeth Foxx , Larry Linville , Roberta Collins , and Michael Miller
Director: Alan Holleb
Manufacturer: Buena Vista Home Entertainment
ProductGroup: DVD
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The Erotic Misadventures of the Invisible Man (Unrated Edition)

ASIN: B000BRMMIK
Release Date: 2005-12-26

Description

The only thing keeping Billy Batson from the girl of his dreams is one little car ride. He soon finds that speeding won't get him there any faster as he dies in a head-on collision. But he soon finds how pleasing the afterlife can be when he returns to the school as a ghost, making his first stop the girls' locker room!

Customer Reviews:

Strange... but kinda funny!.......2004-12-07

This is one those 80's films that video stores would put next to popular titles like "Meatballs", "Porky's", and "Screwballs" hoping that they would attract the same customers and i guess they did, because i fell for it.

Now i really don't remember the film that well, but i bought it recently (still waiting for it!) so i guess i'll just tell you what i do remember. It's takes place in a high school (duh!) and there's this student who dies (don't remember how but it's a stupid death) then comes back and realizes that nobody sees him. Awesome! Look for him in the shower of the girls locker room (like the Dvd cover), lifting up their skirts in the hallways, and getting back at other students who tormented him when he was alive.

Now i know there was a point to this film, but back in the 80's as a young kid..i really didn't care, i guess i just wanted to laugh and see a little T & A (didn't we all?) and i guess it had both so i enjoyed it.

Now being a bit older, i'm curious to see how this movie aged so i guess we'll have to wait till i get the movie in the mail.

Wait....I JUST GOT IT!!

If you like to waste time and money.......2004-08-05

This is one of..no wait, the worste 80's b movie I've ever seen, and I've seen alot. From the cover of the movie you may get some crazy ideas, but don't let the cover fool you. There is one good lockerroom seen, but it only last for a couple of seconds, and the other 89 minutes or so of the movie has a bad plot, screen writing and acting.

Average customer rating:

Marengo's version of "Invisible Ghost" can't be beat!
Good value DVD has varying quality.
Low-Budget Bela
Invisible Ghost / Corpse Vanishes (DVD)
Bela Lugosi Classics

Invisible Ghost/The Corpse Vanishes
Starring: Bela Lugosi , Luana Walters , Tristram Coffin , Elizabeth Russell , and Minerva Urecal
Director: Wallace Fox , and Joseph H. Lewis
Manufacturer: Marengo Films
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Ghoul

ASIN: B00004WL4P
Release Date: 2000-11-28

Product Description

INVISIBLE GHOST-CORPSE VANISHES (DVD MOVIE)

Customer Reviews:

Marengo's version of "Invisible Ghost" can't be beat!.......2006-06-28

For those who love 'B' horror flicks or poverty row films, this one is for you. "Invisible Ghost" is actually one of Bela Lugosi's better poverty row offerings and Marengo has done it justice, even better than the Roan version.

Paul Mular below pretty much summed up the rest... A strong double feature from Marengo and actually their first but not last as they have many now available and gearing up to release more double features soon.

If you like 'B' drive-in horror movies, their "Attack of the Giant Leeches" is also the best quality DVD print around. Check it out!

Good value DVD has varying quality........2003-05-02

I don't know that I would recomend Marengo as a quality DVD company, but this double feature from them is pretty good.
First one must consider that MONOGRAM PICTURES was a poverty row studio that rarely kept many negatives around. Most prints existing today were made from negatives struck from the studio's 1940s release prints. This means they are another generation away from the original negatives.

THE CORPSE VANISHES is the weaker of the two picture wise. It is soft and people's faces are a bit washed out. There are always film scratch lines present, but they are not very distracting. The film is clean of splices and the sound is clear. As of 2003, this is the best quality transfer available for this title, about the same as the ROAN copy.

THE INVISIBLE GHOST is much better. It is quite sharp with good contrast, and almost no scratches. The sound is even better. The title card is from a 1950s re-issue by Astor Pictures and that part looks grainy & dark. But don't let that dismay you, the actual movie is good. It is also similar to the ROAN copy.

If you are a fan of these low budget, erie atmosphere films, you will thoroughly enjoy this DVD!

Low-Budget Bela.......2002-07-23

Marengo Films has done a nice job with its Bela Lugosi double feature -- pairing two of the horror icon's better Monogram efforts, "The Invisible Ghost" (1941) and "The Corpse Vanishes" (1942). Though the print quality of "Corpse" is a notch below the sharpness of "Ghost," it remains superior to most public-domain dupes. Decent sound quality to boot. Neither Lugosi film is a classic, but you could do a lot worse when it comes to low-budget horror.

Invisible Ghost / Corpse Vanishes (DVD).......2001-03-07

Bela Lugosi brought class even to second rate productions, and these are 2 of his best B movies. For lovers of "old-fashioned" horror, this dvd makes for a fun evening. Get it.

Bela Lugosi Classics.......2000-12-13

Being a huge fan of the work of the great Bela Lugosi, I was pleased to see this new arrival from Marengo Films, a new company to this genre. The Invisable Ghost from 1941 and The Corpse Vanishes from 1942 were films Bela made after his famous role in Dracula. In Ghost he is under the spell of his insane and domineering wife. Bela carries out a series of stranglings and is as always, super creepy. The Corpse Vanishes is another classic Lugosi film, Bela plays a crazy scientist that uses human blood to keep his dying wife alive. These two films are a great pairing and a must for Lugosi fans. I look forward to see other films released in this genre from Marengo.

Average customer rating:

The first and the best of Lugosi's "Monogram Nine"
Death by smoking jacket...
A TORMENTED PERFORMANCE BY BELA
The best of Bela Lugoi's Poverty Row films for Monogram
INVISIBLE GHOST

Invisible Ghost
Starring: Bela Lugosi , Polly Ann Young , John McGuire , Clarence Muse , and Terry Walker
Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Manufacturer: ROAN
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Horror Classics 6: The Gorilla/Nabonga

ASIN: B00004WG6Y
Release Date: 2001-07-31

Customer Reviews:

The first and the best of Lugosi's "Monogram Nine".......2006-05-22

Death by smoking jacket..........2005-11-07

As I write this review, there are at least ten, separate DVD releases for the film, The Invisible Ghost (1941), some double features, some stand alone releases, which is usually a good indicator that the movie has fallen into the public domain, meaning the original copyright for the film has since lapsed, and now anyone can broadcast or release the film, if they have the means. The most famous case of this is Frank Capra's It's A Wonderful Life (1946). Ever wonder why it's shown on every stinking channel all hours of the day and night during the holidays? Well, it is a classic, but also none of the TV stations that broadcast it have to pay a penny to anyone for showing it...but I digress...written by Al and Helen Martin and directed by Joseph H. Lewis (Pride of the Bowery, The Mad Doctor of Market Street), The Invisible Ghost stars Bela Lugosi (Dracula, White Zombie), in one of a number of poverty row films he starred in during his `exile' from the major studio system. Also appearing is Polly Ann Young (Murder on the Yukon), John McGuire (The Prisoner of Shark Island), Clarence Muse (Huckleberry Finn, Show Boat), Terry Walker (Dangerous Lady), Betty Compson (Mr. & Mrs. Smith), Ernie Adams (Pride of the Legion), and George Pembroke (Bluebeard).

As the film begins we see Charles Kessler (Lugosi) sitting down to dinner alone...or is he? He's seems to be having a conversation with the empty chair across from him (he even tells the butler to serve the empty chair first)...nutty, perhaps, but then we learn this is an annual event, marking Kessler's wedding anniversary, only Mrs. Kessler (Compson) is unable to attend due to the fact she ran off with another man some years ago, leaving behind Charles and their daughter Virginia (Young), and died in a subsequent car accident, or so is the common belief. Well, turns out she ain't dead, but secretly stowed away in the cellar of the gardener's shack...why? I had a hard time understanding (and I saw the film!), but it has something to do with her having amnesia. Since her leaving there's been a rash of unexplained murders, which only happen at night, of the household staff (strangulations), but little in the way of clues as to the murderer. Virginia's boyfriend Ralph (McGuire) makes the scene, just about the time the current maid gets it, who he apparently had a past history with, and now he's on the hot seat, fingered by the inept authorities for her death. His brother Paul (also played by McGuire) shows up, and another person dies (the gardener), proving that, while good help may be hard to find, it's even harder to keep...from getting killed! Things eventually come to a head during a dark and stormy night as those left try to get to the bottom of things...

There really isn't much of a mystery here although it seems like the film was touted as such within the promotional material, as we know who the killer is fairly early into the film, along with the motive. Another thing the film does not have, despite the title, is an actual ghost, which was disappointing as I do like a good ghost story, but whatever...given how much we know early on, there seems to be little in terms of the story to keep the audience interested, but the movie does have a few things going for it, like creepy atmosphere and Lugosi himself. There's a scene in the film where Lugosi's character's in the maid's room, and the camera is positioned in such a way that it looks like he's coming at the audience. He has a smile on his face, but it's not of the `Let's be friends' type...no, it's more of the sinister `I going to throttle the life out of you' type. This, to me, was the highlight as few could pull off this kind of thing as well as he did. Another interesting aspect with regards to the film was that of Clarence Muse's character of the African American butler Evans. I was half expecting some sort of goofy, buffoonish, caricature prevalent in films about the time, but that wasn't the case here. His character was actually a capable one, lacking any speech impediments, one that seemed to garner a certain amount of respect despite his position within the household. Actually, Muse was quite an accomplished individual, holding a law degree, and thought of as a pioneer in the black theater movement. As far as John McGuire playing the dual roles of the brothers Ralph and Paul Dickson, there wasn't, as far as I know, any mention of them being twins, but I think this was done because it was probably cheaper to just have one actor play both roles. The one aspect that really stuck me as odd was the fact that while there were a number of murders in the house, no one within the house seemed all that put out by the fact a murderer was running around. I don't know about you, but someone gets murdered in my house, I'll be commencing to freaking out...the characters seemed not so bothered that household servants were being knocked off (and the murderer may be lurking about), but more so by the inconvenience of having to fill another, vacant position. Also, the story is filled with aspects that are the way they are only because they're written in the script that way, and not because they developed naturally. All in all the good canceled out the bad, so I was left feeling pretty neutral by the end. Had the movie not had Lugosi, I wouldn't have even bothered...I haven't seen all of Lugosi's poverty row films, but of the ones I have seen, White Zombie (1932), Bowery at Midnight (1942), and The Devil Bat (1940) are among the better ones, in my opinion.

This Roan DVD release features a decent looking, fullscreen (1.33:1) picture, presented in its original aspect ratio. The print does have plenty of flaws, but it is watchable. The Dolby Digital mono audio comes through well enough. There are a couple of extra features on the DVD, including a Cast & Credits listing, and text relating a little about the films background, which is also the same material print on the back of the DVD case. As I said, there are at least ten different DVD releases of this film, and I couldn't speak towards the quality of these other releases, so buyer beware.

Cookieman108

A TORMENTED PERFORMANCE BY BELA.......2005-06-24

Bela is Charles Kessler, whose wife ran off and left him several years earlier. On their anniversary, he still has the butler set a place for her at the dinner table, even having him serve the empty spot. Unknown to him, his wife was actually in a car accident and has been hidden away and cared for by Kessler's Gardener Jules and his wife. But Mrs. Kessler, now an amnesiac, sneaks out at night and stares up at the window of her husband's study. Kessler immediatelt seems to know when she is down there and goes to stare back at her. Then something happens...Kessler becomes hypnotized and immediately sets off to commit murder. Beeing entranced, Kessler isn't even aware what he is doing.

Several murders have already taken place at the estate and as the film opens, He ventures forth and murders the new maid in her bed. The fiancee of Kessler's daughter, one Ralph Dickson is accused of the crime since he and the maid had once been lovers. Dickson is found guilty on the most circumstantial evidence and is executed. Soon after, Dickson's twin brother Paul shows up at the Kessler estate to try and find out what happened to his brother and learns about the mysterious deaths. When he asks why they don't leave the house he's told that Kessler is waiting for his wife to return.

Invisible Ghost was a mere hook for a title as Kessler's wife is no ghost and not remotely invisible...dead or otherwise. But remember this was 1941 and truth in advertising was not order of the day. Lugosi plays a more tragic role here, not the menacing evil of other films like Dracula or White Zombie. He seems to be truly in love with his or maybe obsessed is a better word. His deliberate stalking of his victims, creeping up from behind or as they sleep is just fun to watch.

There doesn't seem to have been any reason for Paul Dickson to be an exact twin of Ralph's, as nothing was made of this fact outside of the initial reaction of Kessler's daughter, Virgina.

A good Role for Bela, one where he was the real murderer as opposed the red herring he would play in many other films.

The best of Bela Lugoi's Poverty Row films for Monogram.......2002-11-17

Actually "The Invisible Ghost" does refer to a character in this 1941 film, but then the only thing that matters is Bela Lugosi's name on the title card. Lugosi plays Charles Kessler, who we meet having dinner with his wife on their wedding anniversary; the only problem is that according to daughter Virginia (Polly Ann Young), her mother was killed in a car accident several years earlier as she was about to run off with her husband's best friend. But Kessler still worships his wife and on their anniversary he convinces himself he is having dinner with his beloved. Sounds plausible enough, but the truth is that Mrs. Kessler (Betty Compson) survived the auto accident and is being kept in the gardener's shed by the caretaker, Jules (Ernie Adams), who keeps assuring the poor woman that she will be taken to her husband and daughter "soon." Meanwhile, there have been a series of strange murders in the neighborhood and when the maid is struck down the suspicion falls on Virginia's beau (John McGuire). But, of course, that is not close enough to home to really ruin the rest of Virginia's life and sooner or later the local cops will figure out the truth of what is going on here.

"The Invisible Ghost" is the best of the nine Poverty Row productions Lugosi made for Monogram after his fall from grace at Universal Studios. The problems in the script (you can usually find the body in a car crash for starters) are compensated for by the work of director Joe Lewis, who shows a lot of cinematic flair for a B-film director making a quickie (e.g., filming the fireplace during the exposition). This film is rather face paced and gets a lot in for only 64-minutes. The other advantage it has is that Lugosi's performance is better than the plot; I mean, come on, you know who the murderer is before the movie begins, and it is just a question of waiting for all the pieces to be forced into place by the time the film ends. This is not a suspense film, but more one about atmosphere and mood. The insane wife, befuddled daughter and falsely accused beau are all above average performances as well; if you were just listening to them you would not know this was a low-budget horror film. There are times when I think this is Lugosi's best performance, but I am probably more comfortable claiming it is one in which he plays his most sympathetic character. But if you do not have a strong stomach for stupid plots, then you would want to pass this one bye.

INVISIBLE GHOST.......2002-09-08

Although not technically or artistically superior, Invisible Ghost is a winner for Lugosi fans. He plays Charles Kessler, who employs a butler, a maid, a cook and a gardener. There is a series of murders which cannot be solved. Controlled by his estranged wife, who is in a lost world herself (hidden below a storage room by the gardener), Kessler commits the murders in a trance with no memory of them in his normal state. Lugosi is very pleasant and unknowing of what is happening to him/others. This film is very satisfying to Lugosi fans but may be boring to general classic horror fans. [Favorite scene: Lugosi's talk with his new cook]

Average customer rating:

Late Night Fun
A TORMENTED PERFORMANCE BY BELA
Marital Problems...
Confusing script, but fun for Lugosi fans.

Invisible Ghost
Starring: Ernie S. Adams , Betty Compson , Fred Kelsey , Bela Lugosi , and John McGuire
Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Manufacturer: Alpha Video
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Human Monster/Mystery Liner:Horror Classics, Vol. 7
Devil Bat
Corpse Vanishes (1942) (B&W)
Black Dragons
Murder by Television

ASIN: B000087F1Y
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Customer Reviews:

Late Night Fun.......2006-05-11

For those who love to pop in these little "B" programmers on a rainy night with a bowl of popcorn this one with Bela Lugosi will certainly do the trick.

A good story and a nice cast you've probably never heard of off "B" fans a real treat in this atmospheric mystery that's strictly for fun. There is some good pacing by director Joseph H. Lewis so the story never lags in its meager 64 minutes. The cops don't seem as dumb as often portrayed in the programmers and when the plot takes a wild turn it doesn't seem hokey but simply part of the story.

Lugosi's wife is thought dead but unbeknownst to him is actually being hidden away after a car crash left her mind a mess. He still loves her and pines for her in the house the lived in. His pretty daughter Virginia (Polly Ann Young) lives with him and is about to marry when her husband-to-be is arrested and convicted for one of the muders which have been occuring at the house.

Lugosi, of course, is the real killer, going into a trance every time his wife sneaks out and makes it as far as the house. The attractive maid who has the hots for Virginia's boyfriend gets it first, then the gardner. When Virginia's fiance pays the ultimate price for a crime he did not commit, his twin brother Paul (John McGuire) shows up and romance blooms between he and Virginia despite the murders.

The cops are trying to figure out who could be doing the killings while Lugosi begins to sense something may be terribly wrong when he awakens from a trance in his daughter's room. He comes to before anything horrible happens and begins to suspect but isn't quite sure.....

It's best not to ask how or why Lugosi's wife only gets loose at night or why her appearance sends him over the edge. These little "B's" were only meant as a fun distraction and this one succeeds. It is miles ahead of some of Lugosi's "Poverty Row" stuff during the same period and rates high for fans of "B" horror and mystery films.

A TORMENTED PERFORMANCE BY BELA.......2005-06-24

Marital Problems..........2005-03-30

Bela Lugosi plays a poor sap who's wife ran off with another man, only to die in a fiery car-crash. Or did she? Wifey seems to come back nightly, haunting Bela through windows on stormy nights. This somehow puts him into a trance, sending him somnambulantly walking about, looking for victims to smother with his bathrobe! I guess he takes his spousal frustrations pretty seriously! INVISIBLE GHOST is a misleading title, as there are no ghosts, invisible or otherwise. It is however a good vehicle for Lugosi to be the sympathetic character, even though he's the killer! Check it out...

Confusing script, but fun for Lugosi fans........2004-04-03

We are told that Bela Lugosi's wife died in a car wreck while fleeing with her lover. Even so, Bela is devoted to her memory, and obsesses in grief. When the fickle spouse returns by night, she stands alive and silent beneath Bela's window. Under her hypnotic spell, he falls into a trance, and commits murder. Sound confusing? Join the club. Among other things, the woman's mysterious power over Bela is not explained. Lugosi's poverty row horror thrillers are best for fanatic cheap horror fans. (Count me as one of these). The script and other production values put low budget limits on one's viewing pleasure. At least the DVD is more technically tolerable than the low grade VHS tape that previously haunted our movie shelf. The dark and stormy night in the old mansion is an overworked cliche that is still fun to watch. Bela is only passively menacing in this one. He is a pawn, and not the instigator. This is a change from the usual mad doctor tampering in God's Domain. The other cast adequately goes through the motions. It's an agreeable way to spend 60+ minutes.
;-)

Average customer rating:

Invisible Ghost is surprisingly good, but The Gorilla is best left forgotten

Invisible Ghost / The Gorilla
Starring: Invisible Ghost , and Gorilla
Manufacturer: Miracle Pictures
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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ASIN: B0006BATZ4
Release Date: 2005-10-25

Product Description

Invisible Ghost - Out of the darkness comes the ear-piercing cry of a terrified girl... The Gorilla - When a wealthy man (Atwill) is threatened by a killer known as The Gorilla, he hires the Ritz Brothers to investigate...

Customer Reviews:

Invisible Ghost is surprisingly good, but The Gorilla is best left forgotten.......2006-06-11

Bela Lugosi was compelled to make a number of poor films during his down and out years, but 1941's Invisible Ghost should not be counted among them. While this is the first of Bela's infamous "Monogram Nine," it's actually a pretty interesting film, and one that allows Bela's star power to shine in several of its many facets. This talented actor could be quite the charmer in the right cinematic environment, as he proved in Dracula, and the role of Charles Kessler in Invisible Ghost provided him with an opportunity to showcase the warm, genteel aspect of his nature alongside the legendary horror prowess that made him famous. Of course, Kessler's a little bit odd - he does, after all, enjoy a serious dinner with his wife on the anniversary of their marriage, despite the fact that he has not seen her since she left him (and supposedly died) several years earlier - but he's a most sympathetic character with a wonderful daughter, a respected position in the community, and a most amiable personal nature.

Unfortunately, Kessler's home is quickly becoming a house of horrors. The first victim is the new maid, and her death complicates matters a great deal. We the viewers know who killed her because we watched the murder as it happened. Circumstantial evidence, however, leads the cops to charge Ralph Dickson (John McGuire), who just so happens to be the serious boyfriend of Kessler's daughter Virginia (Polly Ann Young), with this murder most foul. As additional murders follow, you can only wonder who will be next and when the authorities will figure out what we already know - the true identity of the murderer. You might think that your foreordained knowledge of the murderer would make Invisible Ghost a boring affair, but it really doesn't - largely thanks to Bela Lugosi's incredible performance (and a certain plot point I found rather shocking).

Joseph H. Lewis also deserves a lot of credit for making this film rise above its B-movie origins. As director, he maintains the gloomy atmosphere throughout, and he also gives us some unusual but wonderfully effective camera angles - including a truly memorable one through the flames of a fireplace. The lighting also wonderfully accentuates the whole effect of several Bela Lugosi close-ups (and no one has ever done close-ups like Bela Lugosi did). I will go so far as to tell you the butler didn't do it, but said butler (played by Clarence Muse) deserves special mention, as well. Rather than serve as stereotypical grist for the Hollywood mill, this African-American character was presented with seriousness and respect - quite a rarity for films of this particular era.

It's just unfortunate that the rest of Lugosi's films for Monogram lacked the kind of script and talent Invisible Ghost provided - this first of Lugosi's "Monogram Nine" is far and away the best of the lot. I would place this high on the second tier of Lugosi's most impressive performances.

The Gorilla, however, does not do much to warm the cockles of any Bela Lugosi fan's heart. Not only does it assign Lugosi a secondary role, it's just not a very good film.
As much a comedy as a murder mystery, it's more of a vehicle for the Ritz Brothers and their slapstick antics. Most folks say that this was a bad vehicle for the comedy trio and that they really could deliver laughs aplenty, so I'm giving them the benefit of the doubt. I've never seen the Ritz Brothers in anything before, but you'd have to have a really big funny bone to find much humor in all the bumbling around you'll find here.

Since this story, based on a play from the 1920s, had already been brought to cinematic life twice already, somebody at 20th Century Fox decided to bring in the Ritz Brothers and play it for laughs as much as suspense. Actually, there isn't all that much suspense to begin with. Some killer calling himself "the Gorilla" has been murdering folks all over town, making the cops look pretty inept in the process (since he tends to warn his intended victim a full 24 hours in advance). The latest target is Walter Stevens (Lionel Atwill), a fairly well-to-do guy who, we learn, happens to be heavily in debt. His niece (and co-beneficiary of Stevens' brother's will) Norma (Anita Louise) and her beau Jack Marsden (Edward Norris) just so happen to be on hand for the occasion, which has prompted Stevens to hire the Ritz Brothers to protect him. As the appointed hour approaches, there are plenty of wall-tapping, secret room-hopping shenanigans throwing the intrepid detectives off, and - wouldn't you just know it? - a real gorilla has escaped and headed right for the Stevens estate.

The Gorilla is an incredibly average film. It's certainly watchable, but nothing all that interesting or humorous ever happens. The main draw of the film today is the presence of Bela Lugosi as Stevens' butler. It's rather sad to watch such a talented actor as Lugosi play such a subordinate role in a film, but - as always - he steps up and delivers in a big way, despite the banality of the movie as a whole. Besides Lugosi, I think Lionel Atwill is quite a fine actor, but the most memorable player in this whole droll affair is Patsy Kelly, who plays Stevens' maid. She eventually becomes rather annoying due to her proclivity for delivering more and more one-liners as her general state of fear increases, but she's about the only character on hand with a discernible spark of life in her.

Horror and comedy can only bond effectively in the most special of circumstances, and the formula really just doesn't work in The Gorilla. Bela Lugosi certainly deserved better, and I can only hope that others are correct in saying that the Ritz Brothers were actually funny in some of their other films.

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7 a.k.a. Jungle Spirit

Manufacturer: CustomFlix
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Description

Jane is not the first reporter for a Malaysian Newspaper to investigate the mysterious murders of young girls over the last 20 years, but she is the first to know of Amachi_s dreams. Her investigations lead her to supernatural and unexplainable connections to a group of hostages, taken by Japanese soldiers in WWII that never returned, lost on a Malaysian Island. As she is drawn deeper and deeper into the unknown, the unknown comes to know her, to haunt her and to stalk her. Is she the next victim? The police know the answer but don_t interfere. They dare not. Are they part of the part of the conspiracy?

The Invisible Ghost & The Ghost Walks (2005 Digitally Remastered Ghostfest)

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The Invisible Ghost & The Ghost Walks (2005 Digitally Remastered Ghostfest)

Manufacturer: Family Value
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

Product Description

Out of the darkness comes the ear piercing cry of a terrified girl, the tag line for The Invisible Ghost (70 m). This film is perfect in black and white because of the use of light and shadow as well as thunder and lightning in a creepy old house that has the feel of an old tomb. Throughout the film, the house setting with its weird shadows and spooky atmosphere set the tone for the film. A series of unsolved murders take place in this old house and the authorities fail to close it up due to legal technicalities. From the beginning, one knows that the guilty party is Bela Lugosi under the bizarre hypnotic influence of his estranged wife. The story rolls on with additional murders and an innocent suitor being sent to the electric chair for a murder he did not commit. After a few more people bite the dust, the real murderer is uncovered in one of the most bizarre climaxes in "B" movie history. Great late night fun. For your next feature The Ghost Walks (69 m) On their way to a country house to hear a new play being read a theatrical producer, his secretary, and the playwright end up stuck in the mud. They make their way to a nearby house, only to end up at the home of the playwright's fiance. Murder and mayhem are about to take place. This is a a good entry in the old dark house genre. Not only does it have a good mystery, you also have some very funny one liners wandering through it. The cast is across the board excellent and they're more than willing to have a good time with what is good material.

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The Corpse Vanishes/The Invisible Ghost
Starring: Invisible Ghost , and Corpse Vanishes Collection
Manufacturer: Peter Pan
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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The Terror/Scared to Death
Pink Flamingos
The Ninth Gate
The Changeling
X-Men - The Last Stand (Widescreen Edition)

ASIN: B0002KPHT2
Release Date: 2004-09-16

Average customer rating:

A TORMENTED PERFORMANCE BY BELA
Pretty Good Lugosi Vehicle

The Invisible Ghost
Starring: Ernie S. Adams , Betty Compson , Fred Kelsey , Bela Lugosi , and John McGuire
Director: Joseph H. Lewis
Manufacturer: St Clair Vision
ProductGroup: DVD
Binding: DVD

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Customer Reviews:

A TORMENTED PERFORMANCE BY BELA.......2005-06-24

Pretty Good Lugosi Vehicle.......2004-08-18

Lugosi's horror movies of the late thirties and forties for Monogram pictures weren't particularly memorable or ingenious, but they served their purposes and were reasonably entertaining. In this movie, Lugosi is haunted by the ghost of his dead wife, and every time he sees her, he is put in a murderous trance. The plot is kind of hokey, but there are a few atmospheric scenes, and the acting is surprisingly good for this kind of movie.
The DVD from St. Claire Vision is in its original 1.33:1 aspect ratio. Unsurprisingly for a public domain horror movie, the picture is plauged with scratches, and it is consistently blurry (although if you're shopping in the bargain bin, like I did, you should know what to expect). There are no extra features, which is also unsurprising.

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Dragnet [2 Discs] (REGION 1) (NTSC)

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Justice under Fire