Invisible Ghost (1941) User Reviews

A fine performance from Lugosi

[bensonmum2 · 6/10 · 5 February 2005]

If you haven't seen Invisible Ghost, I won't bother going into much of the plot. Most of it is silly and doesn't make much sense. Basically, the story involves a man who is driven to commit murder by seeing his supposedly dead wife. That's really all you need to know. And, it's not much of a spoiler as you discover most of this within the first ten minutes or so.

Lugosi is great as the mad killer. A really first-rate acting job that is by far one of his best from the Poverty Row movies he made (that I've seen). He does an excellent job of alternating between the kindly Charles Kessler and the mad killer. Clarence Muse is also a standout as the butler, Evans. Muse played Evans as smart, calm, strong, and nothing like the typical black character you find in a 40s horror/mystery movie. I call him the anti-Mantan.

Over the past few years, I've learned to enjoy the movies from the 40s that Monogram and others were putting out. Invisible Ghost is not the best of the bunch, but it's certainly not the worst. It's fun to watch if just to see Lugosi hamming it up. Just don't take these movies too seriously.

"Do I look pale?... I feel pale."

[classicsoncall · 4/10 · 3 April 2005]

Bela Lugosi portrays Charles Kessler, in denial over his wife's running off with another man years ago, and now missing or presumed dead since being involved in a car crash which killed her husband. Yet she's living secretly in the basement of the gardener's shed, believing she's dead, and occasionally strolling out to the grounds of the estate in her bathrobe. Now read those two sentences once again, because if you buy it, you won't have any trouble with the rest of the film.

Whenever Kessler sees his wife, he goes into a catatonic trance like state, doing a Frankenstein walk as he finds a victim to strangle within his home. It's usually one of the staff, and with good help hard to find, this could be a bit troublesome. After his daughter's boyfriend is conveniently convicted for the murder of the maid, the lookalike brother conveniently shows up with enough common sense to help the inept police department figure out what's going on.

There are some redeeming qualities to the film though. There's an interesting camera technique used for parlor shots done through the flames of the fireplace framing the characters inside. It's rather well done and memory doesn't recall it's use in any other films. Additionally, the part of black Butler Evans is played straight and dignified by Clarence Muse, unusual for the era, when many black parts were either racially denigrated or played for comic relief. When Muse's character failed to slide into stereotype, especially under questioning by the police, it was a refreshing relief.

"The Invisible Ghost" probably won't make anyone's top ten horror list, or even top ten Lugosi list, though some of the prior postings on this film did surprise me. Although not "must see" in the usual sense, it does merit a viewing for a well rounded appreciation of Bela Lugosi's film credits.

Good Atmosphere-Silly Story

[Space_Mafune · 5/10 · 6 February 2003]

The best quality this film possesses is a genuine creepy atmosphere. Especially good use of the weather (rain, stormy nights) enhances certain scenes particularly those in which Bela Lugosi's character Dr. Kessler is visited by his ghostly long-thought dead wife. Following this, Dr. Kessler is driven to unwittingly become a mad strangler. Just the result you'd expect?...no I didn't think so either.

Lugosi is actually quite good in the film and gives it his best effort. Also I felt Polly Ann Young, Betty Compson and Clarence Muse did fine jobs with what they had to work with.

The Inspector (played by George Pembroke) is an incredibly silly stereotype who comes across as thoroughly incompetent. However I did laugh when the visiting psychiatrist suggests it may be the Inspector who needs help.

Lugosi is worth the price of this movie

[TigerMann · 4 May 2004]

I must say, I was a bit surprised after viewing "Invisible Ghost." It

could have been because of Bela Lugosi's sympathetic portrayal

of Charles Kessler, a warm and kind-hearted man, deeply

troubled by his wife's absence. Or ... it could have been Clarence

Muse, playing the black butler sans the usual comic relief.

Whichever way you look at it, "Invisible Ghost" is certainly worthy of

note. Too bad one has to rummage through so many bad movies

to locate the few really good ones. Here we have the late, great

Bela Lugosi, looking better than ever. His portrayal of a sympatheic

man under the control of powers beyond his comprehension is

somewhat of a diversion from previous characters. He's not

sucking the blood of beautiful ingenues. Nope. He's on a murder

rampage, suffocating his victims with a ... bedroom robe?

Okay ... a little quirky. What did you expect? Shakespeare?

What's impressive here is Mr. Lugosi's enormous acting talent.

Lugosi could express more emotion through a simple facial

expression than most actors could through an entire monologue.

He's an excellent example of a talented man giving a performance

greater than the movie itself deserves. No make-up effect or

computer generated effect could ever reproduce this. To this, I hold

Mr. Lugosi up next to Vincent Price ... as a man whose talents

barely reached the public surface. If only he were alive today and

making movies. No doubt he would have been treated with a great

deal more respect and admiration.

And so ... "Invisible Ghost" is a very good movie to enjoy. I was

lucky enough to purchase this along with seven other Lugosi films

in AMC's Monsterfest DVD collection. Pick it up if you get a chance.

It includes movies like "The Human Monster" and the amazing

"White Zombie." While some of these films were hits and others

were misses ... all feature the extraordinary presence of Bela

Lugosi ... certainly one of our greatest actors.

The invisible plot.

[sibisi73 · 4/10 · 9 April 2005]

Another cheapie from Monogram, once again casting Lugosi as a hypnotic murderer, lit from below as is expected. This time, however, he's the innocent victim, entranced by the sight of his 'dead' wife who appears beneath his window and seemingly 'commands' him to kill (rather surreptitiously and for a reason not fully explained). Indeed, most of the plot isn't really fully explained, but it's academic. Instead of the plot, concentrate on the director's unusual flair, and the writers' penchant for a decent gag or two. It's these that elevate this slightly above the rest of its kind. Some interesting panning between rooms, and behind furniture, and a memorable shot of Lugosi leering direct to camera from behind his black robe show that director Lewis had, at least, a modicum of creativity. There's also a wicked sense of humour that takes you by surprise, and is handled well enough to complement the thriller element. Sadly, the performances are mundane, especially Lugosi, who, once again mugs and grimaces his way through the part. The film is stolen by Clarence Muse, superb as the amenable butler, Evans - although he does get all the best lines.

Piffle, To Be Sure, But Entertaining Piffle, At Least

[ferbs54 · 6/10 · 7 November 2007]

Boy, this is one weird little movie! Bela Lugosi's first of nine films for Monogram Pictures, "Invisible Ghost" (1941) tells the story of Mr. Kessler (Lugosi), whose wife had run away some years before and been injured in a car wreck with another man. What Bela does not know is that his wife is still alive, in a semicomatose state, and being cared for by his gardener in a nearby barn. Unfortunately, whenever Mrs. K takes one of her nocturnal somnambulent strolls and Bela catches a glimpse of her, he becomes a mesmerized maniac and kills off another of his household... Anyway, this Bela outing, while perhaps not quite as much fun as another of his pictures that I saw recently, 1942's "The Corpse Vanishes," is still far, far superior to the surreally stinky "Scared to Death" (1947). It is interestingly shot and features some stylish direction by Joseph H. Lewis, who would go on to helm such cult classics as "Gun Crazy" (1949) and "The Big Combo" (1955). The film moves along quite briskly and manages to pack quite a bit into its brief 64-minute running time. And I like the fact that Bela's butler, as played by Clarence Muse, is devoid of the embarrassing black-stereotype behavior so often encountered in films of that era; indeed, he might be the most dignified character in the entire film. I also like the fact that, unlike so many other Bela films, this one is not presented on yet another awful-looking/sounding DVD from Alpha Video, but rather given a nice, clean treatment from the fine folks at the Roan Group. The bottom line, I suppose, is that "Invisible Ghost" is piffle, but still an engaging and entertaining time killer.

What Made HIm Do It?

[Hitchcoc · 3/10 · 23 February 2006]

The movie begins with a man being executed on circumstantial evidence for something he did not do. He was engaged to the daughter of the main character. Shortly after this, his twin brother shows up. Bela Lugosi, walking around with his hands in front of him (ala, a somnambulist), losing control because his mad wife is out in a hovel in the back yard. This movie makes absolutely no sense. In an old house lives a kindly man named Kessler, played by Lugosi. The problem is that people are being murdered routinely around him. The police, who are always without a clue (no pun intended) come and go and seem to think: Gee that's odd. Another murder. Lugosi is asked why he doesn't move, but he just waits for his wife to return from wherever she went. It's never clear what happened to his wife, but she seems to come and go from a little building in the back yard that is tended by the gardener (one of the early victims). For whatever reason, when she shows up, Kessler puts up his hands, walks into someone's room and murders them. There is comic relief from Clarence Muse. He is a black man and probably the only fun character in the movie. When he discovers a body, he has the great line: "Do I look pale? I feel pale." He is the most stable character in the movie which I thought was cool. When they try to pin the murders on him (a psychiatrist comes to see if he is crazy), he holds up very well. Eventually, of course, the true murderer will show what he is made of. The problem is that there is no wrap up other than possible mental illness. The wife figured into this somehow, but shouldn't we be told a little more. Oh, well, poor old Lugosi probably made about 50 dollars for this.

The Invisible Wife.

[morrison-dylan-fan · 7/10 · 4 October 2013]

Picking up a parcel from the local collection office,I was shocked to discover that an extremely kind IMDb'er had sent me a Mill Creek boxset,jam packed with a number of great sounding titles.With the "Horror Challenge" being held on the IMDb Horror board in a few days time,I decided to take a closer look at the titles contained in the set.Being in the mood of taking a look at another movie of Bela Lugosi's pre-Ed Wood low-budget era due to having found Lugosi's Ape Man to be a wild,wacky title,I was delighted to discover a more serious sounding Lugosi title contained in the boxset.

The plot:

Keeping hold of the things that he held dear to his wife,despite her having recently left him for a younger man,Mr.Kessler celebrates their wedding anniversary all on his own, as a mark of respect for how deep the vows that he made to his wife are contained within his heart.

Distressed over seeing Kessler's waiting for his wife's return to have no end in sight,and also seeing Kessler's daughter become desperate to pull her dad out of this dark trance,loyal servant Jules begins to seriously wonder if he should tell Kessler that instead of being away with her boyfriend,his wife is actually hidden in a darken corner of the house,after being pulled from a car crash that has left her permanently brain damaged.Fearing that Kessler's and his wife's reaction to each other might make things worse than they already are,Jules decides to stay quiet,and keep the secret all to himself.

Getting ready for bed,Kessler suddenly hears a strange tapping noise coming from outside a window in the living room.Entering the living room,Kessler discovers that the tapping sound is being made by the "ghost" of his wife.Shocked at what he is seeing,Kessler finds himself unable to deal with the supernatural sight in front of him,which leads to Kessler's sweet nature being left in ruins,when "the image" causes Kessler to have a strong desire to go on a killing spree.

View on the film:

After having been disappointed by the flat directing style of past titles that I have seen in the public domain,I was happily caught by surprise,thanks to director Joseph H.Lewis showing a keen eye in creating a wonderful Gothic chill.Keeping 95% of the movies setting limited to the Kessler house,Lewis uses tracking shots to show the shadow that is being cast around the darkest corners of the Kessler's lives,and also expertly covers the movie in rain,so as to create a wonderful atmosphere of there being no where for the character's to run away from Kessler's murderous urges.

Whilst the screenplay sadly avoids trying to look at the psychological reasons behind Kessler's changing personality,the screenplay by Al and Helen Martin takes things into an unexpected,sharp proto-Slasher direction,with the Martin's making sure to keep the viewers on their toes by making Kessler attack and kill some of the main character's early on,in scenes,which impressively still have a real edge around them.

Showing both sides of Kessler's conflicting personality,Bela Lugosi gives a terrific performance which carefully balances Kessler's warm hearted,wholesome image with the monster that becomes unleashed when the "ghost" of his wife appears.Along with Lugosi,the very pretty Polly Ann Young gives a good performance as the Kessler's daughter Virgina,with Young showing Virgina being unable to stop the "invisible ghost" from taking over her dad's life.

Not uninteresting Lugosi/Monogram horror film

[preppy-3 · 4/10 · 20 June 2001]

Dr. Kessler (Bela Lugosi)is a kind doctor whose wife ran away with another man and then died in a car crash. However, it seems she survived and Kessler's gardener is keeping her hidden in the gardener's cottage until she recovers. Periodically she walks around and stares at Kessler. He sees her, goes into a trance and kills people.

OK--the plot is stupid and makes no sense. Also the dialogue is bad (even by Monogram standards) and has plenty of laugh out loud lines and just beyond belief plot twists. Still it works. It plays quickly (it's only an hour long), has a very handsome actor (John McGuire) who can't act but is very easy on the eyes and two excellent performances. One is by Bela (even when he acted in low low LOW budget work like this he gave it his all) and Clarence Muse who plays the black butler but is very dignified and intelligent--a real rarity in those days. The other actors are terrible (especially the police lieutenant who ALWAYS has a huge cigar in his mouth--I'm not even going there!). It's also well-directed (considering). But, what's with that title? There's no ghost or anything invisible in this! So, it's worth seeing (sort of).

Classic Poverty Row fare with Bela Lugosi!

[ken-336 · 7/10 · 1 January 2001]

This murder shocker, featuring some typically hilarious plot twists and insane character reactions, is buoyed by that inimitable Lugosi magic. Also worth mentioning is the surprisingly inventive direction by Joseph H. Lewis, as is the comparatively dignified treatment of the black butler character, well played by Clarence Muse. Fans of old Monogram and PRC programmers will be well entertained.

Beware of missing wives lurking around grieving husbands!

[mark.waltz · 3/10 · 6 August 2012]

Lugosi once again gets to try to instill sincerity into a ridiculous plot. He's a seemingly kindly doctor who becomes a psychotic killer (committing the deeds while in a trance) when he spots his insane missing wife (Betty Compson) whom he adored, but in denial over the fact that she abandoned him for another man. In the meantime, boring daughter deals with a dull romantic subplot involving fiancee (John McGuire) who is accused of killing the possessive maid Terry Walker who became Lugosi's first victim.

One of his duller Monogram programmers, Lugosi couldn't add life to this by adding his own plasma. Obviously cheap sets (that look like they are about to collapse), a script that even lacks camp, and a dull supporting cast (lead by Young as his unfortunate daughter given a dull romance for a secondary story line) are other flaws. Young highly resembles her more popular sister (Loretta) but doesn't have her acting chops. McGuire has the oddest twist in the plot, suddenly coming back moments after the execution, as the twin nobody knew he had. Lugosi's performance is fine until he has to go into his sudden trance, but that seems to be a fault of the direction, not his choices.

Veteran black character actor Clarence Muse fortunately avoids stereotypes as the loyal butler who is actually the smartest person in Lugosi's household. Compson, a star of the early 30's, would have been better to have skipped this one, looking as if time had not been kind, and photographed in an unflattering light. The circumstances surrounding her character make absolutely no sense. The eerie musical score was also heard in Lugosi's 1932 horror classic, "White Zombie", but seems strangely inappropriate here. The painfully slow pacing destroys this even further.

Are you trying to strangle me or just glad to see me?

[Mike-764 · 8/10 · 18 October 2004]

Charles Kessler lives with his daughter, Virginia, and servants in his large house, but Kessler still awaits the return of his wife, who ran away with another man and disappeared following a car crash with her lover. Mrs. Kessler, unknown to her husband, is living in the gardener's tool shed, afraid to return home. She occasionally sneaks out of the shed, and spies on her husband through the window. One night Kessler sees his wife through the window and falls into a mad hypnotic state where he strangles Cecile, the new maid at the house. The crime is framed on Ralph Dickson, Virginia's fiancé and former love of Cecile. Dickson dies at the hands of the law, and his identical twin brother Paul comes to the Kessler residence, hoping to posthumously clear his brother's name. Kessler, under another trance, kills the house's gardener and nearly strangles his daughter, and it becomes obvious to the police and everyone in the house that the murders are the work of a madman, but how will Kessler be uncovered in this strange case. This film is probably the best of the Lugosi Monogram series, primarily due to Joseph Lewis' superb direction where there is a lot of suspense and neat twists. Good performances by the cast make this and a very good ending make this a good one to watch, despite a few plot holes. Rating, based on B mysteries, 8.

What Did I Watch?

[gavin6942 · 6/10 · 31 May 2006]

Maybe this is a spoiler, but I don't think anyone should watch this movie without knowing the following: this movie makes no sense.

Bela Lugosi stars as a wealthy estate owner who misses his wife and thinks she is dead. But she's not dead -- the gardener keeps her in a shed in the backyard. And sometimes she escapes in a bathrobe to steal a piece of chicken from the kitchen, only to be spotted through the window by Lugosi who thinks it's a ghost. This causes him to enter a trance and kill some random person. Even after several murders (maybe dozens) in the same house, the police never suspect Lugosi.

On one occasion, they arrest the boyfriend of Lugosi's daughter and execute him. A minute later in the next scene his twin brother shows up.

If you like Lugosi, this film is decent and quite fun. But seriously, don't try to figure out why the wife is in a shed or what causes him to go into a trance or why the police are so stupid. Because you will never make sense of this preposterous film.

The One Redeeming Feature of This Piece of Tripe

[joelbklyn · 2/10 · 21 April 2011]

What a pathetic, degrading waste of talent on the part of actor Bela Lugosi, cast ludicrously in what comes close to equaling such bottom-of-the-barrel schlock as BRIDE OF THE MONSTER. And yet...and yet...

...if you love Lugosi's mellifluous, Hungarian-accented intonations (as I do), just sit back and ignore (or "enjoy") the film's imbecilic dialogue, implausible plot, stilted acting, and utterly hilarious direction, and allow yourself to be carried away by the erstwhile treasured voice that gave Bela Lugosi the fame and stature he so rightfully deserved back in the 30s from such memorable films as THE RAVEN, THE BLACK CAT, THE INVISIBLE RAY, SON OF FRANKENSTEIN and, of course, Dracula.

Negligible plot, wonderfully murky atmosphere

[oliverkneale · 31 May 2000]

The best way to see this film is to catch an aged, scratched up print with bad sound on late night television. It seems to almost be made for that kind of antique, romantic creakiness.

Bela Lugosi plays a husband who murders his house guests overnight at the command of his hypnotist wife. The story isn't very well executed and is pretty ridiculous, actually, BUT what redeems the film and makes it very worthy of seeing is it's bizarre, ghostly atmosphere. The film is not about suspense, it's about mood. It's all about white figures moving around shadowy black backgrounds. It's about the interiors of the house looking like furnished crypts or like secret rooms not shown on the board of a Clue game.

This whole film is texture. It's very dream-like.

Poor, poor Bela....He means so well!

[Coventry · 5/10 · 4 June 2005]

Mildly entertaining 40's chiller that gives Bela Lugosi yet another chance to play a severely tormented character. He stars as Mr. Kessler, a sinister yet sophisticated and eminent gentleman who lives in a large villa with his daughter and a bunch of household staff. Whenever Mr. Kessler sees the appearance of his supposedly dead wife (long story....), he gets into some sort of trance and murders people. Other persons are wrongly sentenced to death for these crimes while Kessler himself doesn't really realize what he's doing. I'm not exactly sure what the film tries to accomplish by focusing on the "whodunit"-element so much while the story practically opens with Lugosi committing murder. It's like playing a game of 'Clue' when you already know it was Colonel Mustard! Oh well, I guess the mystery automatically vanishes when Lugosi stars in the film: he always did it! Don't expect logic neither as the whole dead-wife situation doesn't make the least bit of sense. Still, "Invisible Ghosts" has some atmospheric moments and occasionally offers a modest scare. The acting is above average with Lugosi in one of his best post-Dracula roles. The sequences in which he's 'tranced' reminded me a little of Dracula, as Bela's grimaces and gestures are very similar. This is an okay movie, good to waste an hour of your life with.

Murder So Strange

[zardoz-13 · 7/10 · 19 February 2012]

"Invisible Ghost" casts iconic horror actor Bela Lugosi as a deranged man who has been separated from his wife and has turned unwittingly into a homicidal somnambulist. The fact that he can recall nothing about the murders that he has committed imbues an air of mystery to this bizarre, sometimes surreal Monogram Pictures' release. Mind you, the outlandish story and screenplay by Helen and Al Martin seems to take a lot for granted, especially the short-sightedness of the local authorities who have put their best brains on the case and remain baffled by the shortage of clues. Horror filmmakers rely on our fear of the unknown to scare us, and so much of what "Invisible Ghost" consists of is so preposterous that it acquires a creepy, provocative quality. The Martins even insert a pair of look-alike brothers to shake up the characters. Nevertheless, despite the lack of cohesion in the plot, "Gun Crazy" director Joseph H. Lewis makes this brisk, 65-minute, low-budget murder-mystery look better than it has any right. He uses pans, tilts, and interesting camera set-ups, including shooting over the flames in the fireplace to give "Invisible Ghost" a hypnotic look. The crisp black & white photography of co-lensers Harvey Gould and Marcel Le Picard adds a luster to this routine Sam Katzman production.

Silly and Messy Story

[claudio_carvalho · 5/10 · 29 July 2020]

The prominent Dr. Charles Kessler (Bela Lugosi) lives in a house with his daughter Virginia Kessler (Polly Ann Young) and his servants and misses his wife (Betty Compson) that left him. When there is a murder in his house, Virginia's fiancée Ralph Dickson (John McGuire) is accused of the killing and sentenced to death penalty in the electric chair. Soon his twin brother Paul comes to Dr. Kessler's house, who invites him to stay in his house. Meanwhile, Mrs. Kessler is alive with neurological disorder after a car accident and hidden in the gardener's house that is secretly treating her. When she sneaks out of the house and sees Dr. Kessler in the window, he goes into a trance and turns into a killer. Will Dr. Kessler be stopped?

"Invisible Ghost" is a 1941 B-movie with Bela Lugosi with a silly and messy story. The black and white cinematography and Bela Lugosi are great but the plot is terrible. However, it is funny and entertaining despite the unbelievable situations. My vote is five.

Title (Brazil): "O Fantasma Invisível" ("The Invisible Ghost")

Abort common sense

[Spondonman · 7/10 · 21 March 2004]

To begin - so many previous comments for a Monogram cheapie! And I agree with all of 'em, especially concerning the merits of the wonderfully eerie atmosphere of this strange film. The print I watched (@ 65 mins) was surprisingly good and non creaky so it didn't lessen this aspect and make me concentrate more on the plot ... shortcomings and generally hokey acting.

In this film as the real world and the Ghost are Invisible we naturally don't see them.

Although thankfully Muse's part was not a Manton type role nevertheless he was still earning his crust in the usual Hollywood position of servitude and not as some kind of equal. Did he ever play a doctor etc?

With Lugosi's mad dead wife locked up by the gardeners wandering about freely at night and hypnotising her live husband into strangling people it kept reminding me of Plan 9's crazy story. If it had been made in the 50's with their even lower production values it could probably have been a contender for Worst Ever.

Does anyone know approximately how many times Monogram used that set of the hall and stairs in filming? I feel that I've been up and down those stairs more times than my own.

All in all one of my favourite Monograms, together with some of the Toler Chan films.

Hypnosis: Murder

[lugonian · 3/10 · 11 November 2018]

THE INVISIBLE GHOST (Monogram, 1941), a Banner production directed by Joseph H. Lewis, is basically a title that has no bearing to the plot. Though starring Bela Lugosi, with a photo-play that could have had something to do with a scientist who invents a serum of invisibility and uses it on a corpse, thus haunted by a spirit of that person in his laboratory, might have proved more favorable. For a change in this one hour production, Lugosi doesn't play a crazed scientist of backfired experiments, but a loving husband and father whose surrounding area of residence is pitted by a series of cleverly unsolved murders that keep the police baffled.

Following the opening of a portrait of a woman who happens to be the subject matter, the story revolves around Charles Kessler (Bela Lugosi) living in a mansion with his daughter, Virginia (Polly Ann Young), and servant, Evans (Clarence Muse). After watching Kessler at the dinner table talking to an empty chair where his wife used to sit (something he does once a year on his wedding anniversary), it is later explained that years ago, Kessler's wife had left him for his best friend, and is believed killed along with her lover in an automobile accident. Unknown to Charles, Mrs. Kessler (Betty Compson) is very much alive in an bewildered mental state, being cared for secretly nearby his residence by his gardener, Jules Mason (Ernie Adams) in the basement of his tool shed. However, by night, Mrs. Kessler leaves her security by heading to her home, where her presence immediately places Charles in an hypnotic state, committing murders, with no recollection of these occurrences once out of his trance. The latest murder turns out to be Cecile Mannix (Terry Walker), a new housekeeper who happens to be Ralph's former but possessive girlfriend who refuses to have him marry Virginia. Because of their argument leads the police to have their motive on Ralph. they place him under arrest. Found guilty by the jury, he is later executed for a crime for which he is innocent. Later, Ralph's identical twin brother, Paul (John McGuire) arrives from South America to help solve these ghastly murders, unaware that his life may be in danger as well. Also in the cast are Ottola Nesmith (Marie Mason); George Pembroke (Williams); and Fred Kelsey (Ryan).

Unlike the Bela Lugosi classic fright films he performed at Universal, his debut performance for Monogram Studios is very much a cheaply made production, borrowing the same type of underscoring in spots used for his previous poverty-row horror flick, THE DEVIL BAT (1940) for PRC (Producers Releasing Corporation) Studio. With the viewers knowing he circumstances from the beginning of the story as opposed to guessing the identity of the killer near the end, it's a matter of time as to how the least likely suspect gets himself caught and what his wife has to do with it. Blonde Betty Compson, often dressed in white, comes close to resembling a ghost during the night-time sequences, but nothing else to provoke fright and movie title name. Often dull and dreary, only the then aging Lugosi somehow manages to make this one watchable, but don't expect to be frightened by the circumstances involved.

Formerly available on video cassette and later DVD, INVISIBLE GHOST (a public domain title) has played on various cable channels such as USA in the 1990s, as well as on Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: February 22, 1996) where the station has shown this from a latter 1940s reissue print distribution from Astor Pictures rather than the original Monogram Studios logo. (**)

Diverting and well-acted

[kd-white · 6/10 · 18 December 2005]

Invisible Ghost is an above-average low-budget horror/suspense movie, mainly thanks to the solid acting and excellent camera work. Bela Lugosi is Bela Lugosi (as always) and plays his part with consummate professionalism and more restraint than one would have guessed. The roles of the butler and Kessler's daughter are well-acted as well, with only John McGuire occasionally seeming ill-at-ease in his role. While the explanation for Kessler's psychotic episodes remains elusive even after the movie is over, the plot itself isn't as terrible as many have portrayed. It just doesn't feel whole, that's all. If any of the persons involved in this movie would have just shot 5 additional minutes explaining and further justifying Kesser/Bela's actions and the reason for Ms. Kessler being locked up in the basement to begin with, I would have given this an 8. As it is, this is still an excellent way to waste an hour plus.

Hitchcock-lite

[Brax0r · 4/10 · 16 January 2005]

The "Invisible Ghost" isn't exactly terrible or B-quality camp, but it isn't great, either. As said by other reviewers, the film moves very slowly, even at the points of suspense and climax. The story doesn't seem to reach a level of intensity in which would put the viewer at the edge of his seat... and the story is a little absurd. A lot goes unexplained (or seems unnoticed, in this case).

(MILD SPOILER in this paragraph.) I think the story would have been a lot better if the entire story kept the fact that Lugosi's character was the murderer a mystery, because not even he knew who was the culprit. However, the viewer does, as it all plays out in front of our eyes.

But, as usual, like any other Lugosi vehicle, he gives it his all. In this picture, his character is a tad more mellow and not as out there and intense as he is in other pictures. And it's a little nice to see him play just a regular guy for a change. So he's not type-casted TOO bad in this one.

If you're a big Lugosi fan, this is one to put on the bottom of the must see list. If you're not a fan of Lugosi, this movie might not do much for you. Like I said before, it's not campy or, on the other end of the spectrum, it's not a "Citizen Kane" or "Godfather", either.

I don't think there are any good quality reproductions of this movie on DVD anywhere. I got a copy on DVD from a local grocery store on DVD for $2.00 and it's a little less than average (especially on the audio front). So, good luck finding a copy if you REALLY need it.

4/10.

Bela Lugosi at his most... unusual

[binapiraeus · 8/10 · 4 February 2014]

Not only is "Invisible Ghost" one of the most unusual crime dramas I've ever seen - it would certainly puzzle even the most experienced psychiatrist, and the average crime movie fan sooner or later starts to doubt his own sanity - but it's also one of Bela Lugosis best and unusual performances. Although it gets far too little attention today, this film goes deep into the analysis of psychology, love and hatred, and crime; and NO one could have played such a rare case of schizophrenia caused by the fact that his beloved wife ran away with another man like Bela Lugosi did.

A most gentle, sweet, caring man with a deep sorrow in his heart - that's how he is when he is 'himself'. BUT at night, his wife's 'ghost' turns up in the garden below, and as soon as he sees her figure from the window, he turns into a somnambulist murderer... A very tragic film (with the hint, by the way, that the American 'Justice' DOES makes mistakes: they send an innocent man to the electric chair for one of the murders!) that weighs heavily on the audience (another example for Monogram's ability to produce films way beyond the usual 'Poverty Row' level) - but it gives Bela a GREAT opportunity to show ALL his immense repertoire of emotions; and in the end it makes us feel more sympathy for his tragical character as ever. A really high-class, serious movie that makes one think - something that by far not every product of Hollywood's 'dream factory' achieves...

The master carries this movie

[manicgecko · 7/10 · 26 October 2005]

If you want to see great Lugosi, this is your movie. Unfortunately the entire movie was based on him. As Mr. Kessler, Bela got to perfect the eccentric tortured soul whodunit movie lover's come to expect. We even got a few "Good Evening"s thrown in - just in case somebody doesn't know who he is. I only wished that there was some other way Mr. Kessler could walk when he was in his trance.

This movie would be awesome as a silent, the picture quality, lighting, and backdrop was as expertly done as anything in that time. The dialog just did not add anything to the plot, other to indicate Ralph is now Paul. I actually watched it in mute and felt it was much better that way.

Nothing creepy, nothing ghostly, but a good ol' tortured soul in a classic old movie. Just remember to turn off the sound.

Watchable, but not really good except for Clarence Muse.

[Dunstan · 5/10 · 31 January 2022]

It's not a good film. Lugosi's character is kind of cartoonish. But, I must say, the servants in this movie are portrayed with a quiet dignity unusual for the 30's and 40's. The butler, as portrayed by Clarence Muse, is especially good.