Synopsis: Fresh out of detective school, Abbott and Costello help an accused killer who turns invisible, leading to a hilarious boxing showdown.
Stars:Bud Abbott, Lou Costello, Nancy Guild, Arthur Franz, Adele Jergens, Sheldon Leonard
Director: Charles Lamont
Rated: NR
Running Length: 82 minutes
Disc Review in Brief: Trading horror for film noir, this follow-up to Meet Frankenstein is entertaining but predictable. Kino Lorber’s flawless 4K transfer and two new commentaries make it worth revisiting.
Review:
The ending of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein teased none other than Vincent Price as the Invisible Man. That tantalizing possibility was enough to make any fan’s imagination run wild. Instead, the follow-up pivoted hard into film noir territory. Mad scientists were swapped for mobsters, and Claude Rains’ iconic menace gave way to Arthur Franz as a prizefighter on the run. It’s not the sequel fans might have wanted, but it works well enough on its own terms.
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello play freshly graduated private detectives — though calling them that feels generous given their bumbling incompetence — who stumble into a case involving Tommy Nelson (Franz). Nelson is a boxer accused of murdering his manager. When he injects himself with an invisibility serum to evade the cops, the stage is set for a boxing comedy with a horror twist. Lou will have to fight in the ring while the invisible Tommy throws the actual punches. Gangsters, fixed fights, and plenty of invisible man gags ensue.
Director Charles Lamont keeps things moving efficiently. However, after the smart genre-blending of Meet Frankenstein, this feels like a step down in narrative. The noir setting suits Abbott and Costello’s comedy style well enough. There are even inspired moments — particularly a hypnotism gag where everyone around Costello falls under the spell while he remains unaffected. But the lack of genuine horror elements makes it feel more like a standard comedy with an odd gimmick. A photograph of Claude Rains as the original Invisible Man appears as a nice Easter egg. Unfortunately, it only reminds you of what might have been had the same creative energy that went into the previous film been carried forward.
On the technical front, Kino Lorber’s 4K presentation is another stunner. Scanned from the original camera negative with HDR and Dolby Vision, the image is razor-sharp throughout. The primarily nighttime setting benefits enormously from the Dolby Vision encoding. It helps to further define the ominous atmosphere Lamont and cinematographer George Robinson frequently create. Not a scratch or defect mars the frames and the sound is nicely balanced. For a 1951 production, it looks and sounds remarkably fresh.
Two new commentary tracks headline the extras. Joe Ramoni explores the film’s scaled-back production—a stark contrast to Meet Frankenstein, which had been a massive hit for the studio. He also touches on Abbott and Costello’s transition into television and the growing rivalry with Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis. Meanwhile, film historians Paul Anthony Nelson and Lee Zachariah provide sharp context on the “Meet the Monsters” series, including Arthur Franz’s unusual role as a leading man who spends much of the film unseen. Both tracks offer plenty for fans to dig into.
While Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man may not be the dream sequel fans imagined, it remains a solid sophomore entry in the duo’s monster mash-ups—now restored and presented with first-class care by Kino.
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