Stephan Hammond
It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,
Cissy Évelyne
It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.
Scarlet
The film never slows down or bores, plunging from one harrowing sequence to the next.
BA_Harrison
There's no ghost in Invisible Ghost, invisible or otherwise. This creaky poverty row potboiler stars Bela Lugosi as Charles Kessler (not a ghost), who laments the loss of his wife (not a ghost), who deserted him for another man a couple of years earlier.Unbeknownst to Mr. Kessler, his wife is actually living in the home of his gardener Jules (not a ghost), who has been looking after the woman, who hasn't been quite right in the head since the car wreck that claimed the life of her lover (dead, but not a ghost). Occasionally, Mrs. Kessler goes on night-time strolls, peering in through the windows of her old home, catching the gaze of her husband. And for some reason, seeing his wife sends Charles into a homicidal trance.Ralph Dickson (not a ghost), fiancé of Charles' daughter Virginia (not a ghost), is wrongly found guilty of Charles' murders and sentenced to death. Following the execution, Ralph's identical brother Paul (not a ghost) arrives at the house searching for answers and is surprised when the killings continue.Not much makes sense about this film, particularly why seeing his wife would cause the otherwise affable Charles to kill, but if you just go with the flow, the film is actually surprisingly watchable. Lugosi puts in an enjoyable turn, and is especially entertaining when he slips into murder mode. Also rather fun are Clarence Muse as butler Evans (not a ghost), who successfully manages to avoid the black stereotype of the era, and George Pembroke who does the opposite, his cigar chomping police detective (not a ghost) about as clichéd as it gets.The Invisible Ghost mightn't be all that memorable, but for Lugosi fans, it's still worth a go (and certainly more enjoyable than the last film I saw of his, the highly over-rated White Zombie).4.5 out of 10, rounded up to 5 for IMDb.
utgard14
Bela Lugosi plays a sad sack whose wife left him years ago for another man. Unknown to Bela, the wife is back but a little nuts. So every night she wanders out and finds her way to her old house, where Bela sees her at a distance. This causes him to snap and strangle whoever he can get his hands on.The first of nine movies Bela Lugosi made for poverty row studio Monogram in the 1940s. This one is fun enough to overlook its cheap trappings. Bela is in fine form, hammy in the best way. Performances like his are what make seeing cheapies like this worthwhile. Final film appearance of lovely Polly Ann Young, older sister of Loretta. She plays Bela's daughter and does a fine job. Clarence Muse is good as Bela's trusted butler. Unfortunately, the least interesting actor in the cast, John McGuire, gets to play two parts. It's an enjoyable B movie. The title doesn't make a lot of sense but it's just a title. Worth a look for any Lugosi fan and anyone who can enjoy these old B movies without nitpicking too much.
Scott LeBrun
Lightweight, forgettable, but agreeable feature is light on horror but easy enough to watch for just over an hour. It was the first of nine pictures that horror star Bela Lugosi and producer Sam Katzman made for Monogram Pictures, and is considered by some to be the best of the lot. Lugosi plays Charles Kessler, physician and prominent citizen in an American burg. He's still grieving in his own way for the break-up of his marriage. (His wife (Betty Compson) had run off with another man, then supposedly perished in a car crash.) Murders begin to plague the estate where Kessler, his daughter Virginia (Polly Ann Young), and assorted staff reside.Either you shake your head, laugh, and go with the silliness of the plot, or you don't. The cast is certainly worth watching, in any event. Lugosi gets to play a sort of tragic antagonist, rather than a true villain. He's charismatic as usual, and the supporting cast (also including John McGuire as lookalike brothers, Terry Walker as a conniving maid, Ernie Adams as a gardener, and George Pembroke as a police lieutenant who always has a cigar jutting out of his mouth) keeps things watchable. Best of all is Clarence Muse, a prominent black actor of the time who is actually allowed to play his butler character with some dignity. The direction is by Joseph H. Lewis, a talented B filmmaker who went on to make such well respected classics as "The Big Combo" and "My Name is Julia Ross". The screenplay by Helen and Al Martin is allowed to have some humor about itself, which is appreciated.Decent atmosphere, a good pace, and some fine visuals add up to an okay time for lovers of genre cinema from this era.Six out of 10.
kai ringler
not to bad for a "b" movie, Bela Lugosi plays an invisible ghost stalking people in his house and murdering them. He is the twin brother of the main character who died.. we are not sure in the picture if Bela's wife is dead or alive,, all we know for sure is that people just seem to keep dying around him. The local police seem very clueless,, o wow look another murder,, wander who could have possibly done that,, they seem very clueless. Apparently his "dead" wife lives on the property somewhere and seems to come and go as she pleases, we are not sure if Bela's character is a Somnobulist or what,, although I think that he is. not a bad picture to watch,, just takes a little time to understand exactly what is going on in the picture.
