Invisible Ghost (1941)

[SMOOT]

"Invisible Ghost" is the first of 9 low budget films starring Bela Lugosi that were released by 'poverty row' studio Monogram Pictures between 1941 and 1944.
Strange film that contains some haunting and inspired moments but other moments are sometimes comical seemingly without that intention.

For nearly the first 20 minutes and again for over 3 minutes
(from the 47-to-50+ minute mark),
the image quality on the “Invisible Ghost” Kino Blu-ray (released March 2017)
is nearly the reference-quality film transfer for a 1940’s Poverty Row motion picture.

It is unfortunate that lesser film elements had to be used for the majority of the film. Still, the only time the lesser elements are distracting and really bad is at the two moments when they kick in
(The first is just before the 20 minute mark and the second time is a few seconds after the 50 minute mark) –
A minute or so after (each of the abrupt jumps to lesser quality) the image picks back up enough to be much better than we are used to seeing in previous television, internet, and DVD copies.

Tom Weaver’s commentary track on “Invisible Ghost” is excellent:
I really like having four or more “guests commentators” pop up throughout the presentation.

The final minutes of the Commentary are rather dramatic:
Dr. Robert J. Kiss lists the successful releases and the continuing distribution of “Invisible Ghost” which leads to Weaver giving an inspired accentuation of Lugosi’s final moment in the movie.

This is likely the best final moment in any Film Commentary to date.

[InGen]

Just got it and liked the commentary too. I know they had a lot more they wanted to say, the movie's just so short. At $13 right now it's a great deal.

[The Great Owl]

Last night, I watched my Kino Lorber Blu-ray of Invisible Ghost.



The legendary Bela Lugosi (Dracula, White Zombie) plays Kessler, a kind-hearted doctor who becomes mentally unbalanced and goes on mysterious murder rampages after having supposed visions of his estranged wife, who left him for another man years ago. After an innocent man is accused and executed for one of the murders, the walls start to close in around the doctor, but not before more lives are lost.

Invisible Ghost, even with its short 64-minute run time, is a rather nonsensical story with plot developments that crumble under the slightest scrutiny. Why is Lugosi's Kessler driven to kill each time he sees his wife though the window? Why do the police never suspect Kessler or his daughter of murder, although a maid, a gardener, a chauffeur, and other employees of the household turn up dead at frequent intervals? Why is the identity of a hidden person not discovered sooner?

Despite its many flaws, however, Invisible Ghost ultimately triumphs thanks to Lugosi himself and to some fascinating camera work that belies the film's low budget. As with many horror movies of the era, this film is not scary in the slightest, but it does provide quite a few genuinely unsettling images. Lugosi's intense stares are quite unnerving, and I love the scenes where he is looking out the window at ghastly night images of his wife. Lugosi brilliantly conveys the notion that, underneath his upstanding citizen exterior, lies an "invisible ghost" that murders at will. On a subtext level, Invisible Ghost succeeds well at depicting the mental and emotional consequences of heartbreak.

The Blu-ray presentation is quite impressive, considering this film's history in public domain, and, despite a few inherent source material flaws due to the variety of prints, I enthusiastically applaud the extent to which this film has been saved for future generations. Many moments, including the most eerie Lugosi close-ups, look close to perfect in high definition.

Tom Weaver, along with Gary D. Rhodes, Robert J. Kiss, and a few others, gives us a highly entertaining commentary track that is just as engaging and fun as the movie itself. They do not have a lot of mercy for this film's flaws, and I appreciate the humorous angle, even when they are being reverent of Lugosi and old-school horror.

[dallywhitty]

I didn't even realise this had been released on Blu-ray! Decent film from what I remember, though. I used to watch these public domain B&W horror titles all the time as a kid.

[harleyman]

Just order it today.

[TheConstantBleeder]

What an odd experience this disc is! (In a good way.)

I've seen this movie several times on television and it's always looked beaten to death, even by 1940s B-movie standards. So the clean picture quality here is a real surprise. It improves the movie. Plus, the commentary is entertaining.

I never would have figured that a film like this would get this kind of treatment. That's kind of wonderful.

[babybreese]

I never saw it until Monster Channel ran it last year ( wish they'd get it together and get back on line ). Did not even remember until the wife at the window scene!

This looks so much better than what I watched in 2016, and as mentioned the commentary si a A+++ affair ( despite Mr. Weaver sounding like he was recorded with a tin can and a string, it's perfectly listenable but low quality ).

A nice little treat for fans of this type of schlock.