Murder! Boxing! Comedy!
Abbott and Costello Meet The Invisible Man finds the popular comedic duo facing off with a man on the run for a murder that he didn’t commit. Released in 1951, the film is my personal favorite of all of the Abbott and Costello Meet…. films released by Universal.
The film stars Bud Abbott and Lou Costello as two recent graduates of detective school that take on a case to find Tommy Nelson, a boxer wanted for the murder of his manager. Luckily for them, Nelson walks into their office and demands their assistance. Costello reluctantly agrees to help him and Abbott tries unsuccessfully to turn Nelson in to the police. Abbott would repeatedly do this throughout the film.
With the help of his fiancee Helen Gray (Nancy Guild) and her uncle, Dr. Philip Gray (Gavin Muir), Nelson is made invisible in order to avoid the police until he can prove his innocence. In a direct reference to the first The Invisible Man film, a photo of Claude Rains as Dr. John Griffin is shown in Gray’s office. The film also brings back the potential for going mad if one stays invisible for too long.
Abbott and Costello help Nelson find the true murderers and set up a scheme to catch them in the act. Costello poses as a boxer while Tommy Nelson actually does the fighting in the ring. To stop them, promoter Morgan (Sheldon Leonard), sends in Boots Marsden (Adele Jergens) to convince Costello to lose the fight.
The film comes to a head whenever Costello battles Rocky Hanlon (John Daheim). Does Lou win the fight? Does Abbott survive posing as the manager in the scheme? You’ll have to watch Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man to find out!
The film features a number of classic Abbott and Costello gags. At one point in the film, the duo are paid $500 to throw the fight. Abbott goes to put the cash in his pocket, but Lou tricks him into putting it into his pocket. The pair go back and forth swapping the money as Costello breaks the fourth wall with a dozen smirks and eye rolls. Costello breaks the fourth wall multiple times in the film. The film also uses invisibility in a number of the gags as well.
Of all of the Abbott and Costello Meets… films, this one seems to have the best balance of plot, comedy, and action. It’s a very fun film that had me laughing out loud at times. There’s no real horror element to the movie despite Nelson exhibiting a few manic attributes as he stays invisible. The plot is also very similar to The Invisible Man Returns (1940) featuring Vincent Price, who portrays a character that is framed for murder as well.
Thanks for reading my post. I have ONE MORE POST left for my Thirty-One Days O’Horror marathon. See you tomorrow!
Ken's Alternate Universe! 