The Invisible Man Returns (1940)

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You only get to see his face in the film’s final moments, but Vincent Price otherwise stars as this sequel’s titular character. The film has loose narrative ties to James Whale’s 1933 classic, and is as much a remake as a sequel in its execution. Both films center around a man whose taken an invisibility potion that gradually drives him insane. Whale’s take is far more stylish and macabre, whereas this film (directed by Joe May) is decidedly more serious and straight-forward.

The first half of the movie struggles to differentiate itself from the first film, but it starts to take off in the second half, focusing on Price’s lover (Nan Grey) and a doctor friend (John Sutton) who have to save Price from his loosening grip on reality. The fact that he’s also been sentenced to hang for the murder of his brother (the first film’s main character) adds an extra layer to the drama.

It may lack Whale’s panache and whimsy, but this comparatively straight-laced sequel is fairly enjoyable in its own right. There are a couple of good set-piece sequences in which the Invisible Man avoids capture by the police, including a nice and unexpected moment involving cigar smoke. The special effects are an area where the film actually exceeds its predecessor and the climactic coal plant showdown proves to be a bit of a nail biter.

With Cedric Hardwicke.

Oscar Nominee: Best Effects (Special Effects)