Invisible Agent **½ (1942, Jon Hall, Ilona Massey, Cedric Hardwicke, Peter Lorre, J Edward Bromberg) – Classic Movie Review 4903

Director Edwin L Marin’s daft but engaging 1942 Sci-Fi thriller stars Jon Hall as the original Invisible Man’s grandson Frank Raymond, who uses his secret formula and is injected with a chemical that makes him transparent so he can spy on Nazi Germany for the Americans and get information on a planned air attack on New York.

Ilona Massey also stars as Maria Sorenson, a co-spy and someone to comfort Hall. But is is hooray for [Sir] Cedric Hardwicke as Conrad Stauffer, Peter Lorre as Baron Ikito and J Edward Bromberg as Karl Heiser, playing the movie’s stylish bad guys, who have the film’s best time, of course.

There are surprisingly mediocre turns from the two normally reliable stars, but the entertainment kicked up by the support players easily makes up both for them and the transparent script.

It runs 80 minutes, and was made and released by Universal Pictures, written by Curt [Curtis] Siodmak, shot in black and white by Lester [Les] White, produced by Frank Lloyd and George Waggner, scored by Hans J Salter and designed by Jack Otterson, with photographic special effects by John P Fulton.

Also in the cast is Albert Bassermann as Arnold Schmidt, John Litel, Holmes Herbert, Keye Luke, Philip Van Zandt, Matt Willis and John Holland.

It was Oscar nominated for Best Special Effects for John P Fulton (photographic) and Bernard B Brown (sound).

© Derek Winnert 2017 Classic Movie Review 4903

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