The Invisible Monster
The Invisible Monster | |
---|---|
Directed by | Fred C. Brannon |
Written by | Ronald Davison |
Produced by | Franklin Adreon |
Starring | Richard Webb Aline Towne Lane Bradford Stanley Price John Crawford George Meeker |
Cinematography | Ellis W. Carter |
Music by | Stanley Wilson |
Distributed by | Republic Pictures |
Release dates | May 10, 1950 (serial)[1] 1966 (TV)[1] |
Running time | 12 chapters / 167 minutes (serial)[1] 100 minutes (TV)[1] |
Language | English |
Budget | $153,070 (negative cost: $119,343)[1] |
The Invisible Monster is a 1950 Republic film serial, starring Richard Webb and Aline Towne.
Plot
A would-be dictator and scientist, known only as The Phantom Ruler, has developed a formula which, when sprayed on some solid object, renders that object and everything it contains invisible when exposed to rays emitted by a special lamp, also his own invention.[2] Covered from head to toe in formula-treated cloth, he thus moves about unseen, presently with the objective of stealing enough money and formula components to render an entire army of willing followers invisible. Two henchmen assist him, along with several illegal aliens smuggled into the US by him and used to infiltrate, as employees, possible sites for him to later rob while invisible. When he successfully robs a bank vault, an investigator from the bank's insurer teams up with a woman police detective to solve the mystery of the money which to all outside appearances has just vanished. Tracking clues and interrupting other attempts by the Phantom Ruler to commit crimes, the protagonists round up enough evidence that they are not merely dealing with an ordinary crime ring. Eventually they discover the invisibility fluid and lamp, and the Phantom Ruler is killed when he trips over an open high-power electric cable he had laid on the floor of his den to do in the forces of law and order closing in upon him.
Cast
- Richard Webb as Lane Carson
- Aline Towne as Carol Richards
- Lane Bradford as Burton
- Stanley Price as The Phantom Ruler. The villain of the serial uses the trappings of the Mystery Villain but his identity is revealed to the audience in the first chapter.[3]
- John Crawford as Harrison
- George Meeker as Harry Long
Production
The Invisible Monster was budgeted at $153,070 although the final negative cost was $152,115 (a $955, or 0.6%, under spend).[1]
It was filmed between March 7 and 30, 1950 under the working title The Phantom Ruler.[1] The serial's production number was 1707.[1]
Stunts
- Tom Steele as Lane Carson (doubling Richard Webb)
- Dale Van Sickel as Harry Long (doubling George Meeker)
Special effects
Special effects created by the Lydecker brothers.
Release
Theatrical
The Invisible Monster's official release date is May 10, 1950, although this is actually the date the sixth chapter was made available to film exchanges.[1]
Television
The Invisible Monster was one of twenty-six Republic serials edited to a uniform runtime of 100 minutes and syndicated directly to television as a package of TV Movies in 1966. The title of this new version was Slaves of the Invisible Monster.[1]
Critical reception
Cline describes this serial as just a "quickie."[4] In Creature Feature, this movie serial was given three out of five stars, stating that the movie villain is incredibly inept and rarely uses his creation intelligently, and that the entire series is naive, but that there was an underlying sense of non-stop fun.[5]
Chapters
The Invisible Monster has 12 chapters. The first chapter is 20 minutes long, and each one thereafter is 13 minutes, 20 seconds.[1][6] Chapter 10, "High Voltage Danger", is a recap of all previous episodes.
- Slaves of the Phantom
- The Acid Clue
- The Death Car
- Highway Holocaust
- Bridge to Eternity
- Ordeal by Fire
- Murder Train
- Window of Peril
- Trail to Destruction
- High Voltage Danger (clip show)
- Death's Highway
- The Phantom Meets Justice
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Mathis, Jack (1995). Valley of the Cliffhangers Supplement. Jack Mathis Advertising. pp. 3, 10, 118–119. ISBN 0-9632878-1-8.
- ^ Rovin, Jeff (1987). The Encyclopedia of Supervillains. New York: Facts on File. p. 263. ISBN 0-8160-1356-X.
- ^ Cline, William C. (1984). "3. The Six Faces of Adventure". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 51. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
- ^ Cline, William C. (1984). "5. A Cheer for the Champions (The Heroes and Heroines)". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. pp. 91. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.
- ^ Stanley, John. 2000. 2nd Edition. "Creature Feature. Berkley Boulevard
- ^ Cline, William C. (1984). "Filmography". In the Nick of Time. McFarland & Company, Inc. ISBN 0-7864-0471-X.[page needed]
External links
- The Invisible Monster at IMDb
- The Invisible Monster at Todd Gault's Move Serial Experience
- v
- t
- e
(1936–1941)
- Darkest Africa
- Undersea Kingdom
- The Vigilantes Are Coming
- Robinson Crusoe of Clipper Island
- Dick Tracy
- The Painted Stallion
- S.O.S. Coast Guard
- Zorro Rides Again
- The Lone Ranger
- The Fighting Devil Dogs
- Dick Tracy Returns
- Hawk of the Wilderness
- The Lone Ranger Rides Again
- Daredevils of the Red Circle
- Dick Tracy's G-Men
- Zorro's Fighting Legion
- Drums of Fu Manchu
- Adventures of Red Ryder
- King of the Royal Mounted
- Mysterious Doctor Satan
- Adventures of Captain Marvel
- Jungle Girl
- King of the Texas Rangers
- Dick Tracy vs. Crime, Inc.
(1942–1945)
(1946–1955)
- The Phantom Rider
- King of the Forest Rangers
- Daughter of Don Q
- The Crimson Ghost
- Son of Zorro
- Jesse James Rides Again
- The Black Widow
- G-Men Never Forget
- Dangers of the Canadian Mounted
- Adventures of Frank and Jesse James
- Federal Agents vs. Underworld, Inc
- Ghost of Zorro
- King of the Rocket Men
- The James Brothers of Missouri
- Radar Patrol vs Spy King
- The Invisible Monster
- Desperadoes of the West
- Flying Disc Man from Mars
- Don Daredevil Rides Again
- Government Agents vs. Phantom Legion
- Radar Men from the Moon
- Zombies of the Stratosphere
- Jungle Drums of Africa
- Commando Cody: Sky Marshal of the Universe
- Canadian Mounties vs. Atomic Invaders
- Trader Tom of the China Seas
- Man with the Steel Whip
- Panther Girl of the Kongo
- King of the Carnival
- Category