Now You See Him, Now You Don’t ** (1972, Kurt Russell, Cesar Romero, Joe Flynn) – Classic Movie Review 11,341

See the invisible kid Kurt Russell do a fast fade and turn a campus caper into a SIGHT UN-SEEN in Now You See Him, Now You Don’t (1972).

Director Robert Butler’s 1972 youth comedy film Now You See Him, Now You Don’t follows The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes (1969) as the second in the Dexter Riley trilogy starring Kurt Russell, Cesar Romero and Joe Flynn

It is an Invisible Man-style caper, in which a spray substance concocted in his science lab makes chemistry student Dexter Riley (Russell) able to vanish, so that he can apprehend the bad guy, A J Arno (Romero), who plans to steal it, and then save his bankrupt college.

This typical, good-natured 70s Disney sci-fi comedy adventure is a bit slack and easy-going, but it is helped by the young Russell’s appealing performance, the studio trickery wizards and an invisible car chase finale. Old-timers Romero, Flynn as the dean, Dean Higgins, Jim Backus, William Windom and Edward Andrews are also assets. The simple special effects astounded kids back in 1972.

It is followed by Vincent McEveety’s 1975 The Strongest Man in the World, with Kurt Russell back for the third (and last) time as college kid Dexter Riley.

Also in the cast are Michael McGreevey, Richard Bakalyan, Joyce Menges, Alan Hewitt, Kelly Thordsen, Neil Russell, George O’Hanlon, John Myhers, Pat Delaney, Robert Rothwell, Frank Aletter, Dave Willock, Jack Bender, Frank Welker, Mike Evans, Ed Begley Jr, Paul L Smith, Billy Casper, Dave Hill, John Aniston, Richard Kiel and Frank Metter.

© Derek Winnert 2021 Classic Movie Review 11,341

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