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The Amazing Transparent Man

 
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The Amazing Transparent Man

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The Amazing Transparent Man
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  • Director: Edgar G. Ulmer
  • AMG Rating: star
  • Genre: Science Fiction
  • Movie Type: Action Thriller
  • Themes: Invisible People
  • Main Cast: Marguerite Chapman, Douglas Kennedy
  • Release Year: 1960
  • Country: US
  • Run Time: 58 minutes

Plot

This appallingly bad sci-fi film about an invisible bank-robber (Douglas Kennedy) was shot back-to-back with Beyond the Time Barrier on the grounds of the Texas State Fair in Dallas. The usual cackling and crime is included, most of which was done better in The Invisible Man. Marguerite Chapman is the film's one bright spot as Kennedy's lowlife girlfriend, but the rest of the characters are annoying and unsympathetic. Unpleasant, downbeat, and badly produced, it is hard to see the appeal of this one, even for genre completists. ~ Robert Firsching, All Movie Guide

Review

Even diehard fans of low-budget master Edgar G. Ulmer have to confess that The Amazing Transparent Man is a rotten picture. Shot in 11 days concurrently with another picture, Transparent is clearly not a film that Ulmer had any great personal connection to, and there's practically nothing here to recommend it. Those who truly wish to study every Ulmer film for his trademarks will find a few superficial ones here (such as his fondness for repeating motifs in architecture, demonstrated here in the rows of identical teller windows in the bank) -- but the reward for searching these out is pitiful indeed. Ulmer's direction is singularly unimaginative, due partially to budget and time constraints but also largely due to the horrible script, which boasts cringe-inducing dialogue, plot points that make no sense and characterizations that are strictly grade Z. The special effects are tacky in the extreme, with obvious wires in at least one scene. About the only things that survive this mess are Darrell Calker's score, which is not great but more than adequate, and Marguerite Chapman's performance. The actress can't really make sense of the mess she's asked to play, but she exudes a sexiness and assurance that go a long way under the circumstances. ~ Craig Butler, All Movie Guide

Cast

Marguerite Chapman - Laura Matson; James Griffith - Major Paul Krenner; Douglas Kennedy - Joey Faust; Boyd "Red" Morgan - Julian; Ivan Triesault - Dr. Peter Ulof; Kevin Kelly - Woman; Norman Smith - Security Guard; Carmel Daniel - Maria Ulof; Patrick Cranshaw - Security Guard; Dennis Adams - State Police; Jonathan Ledford - Smith

Credit

Jack Masters - Costume Designer, Edgar G. Ulmer - Director, Jack Ruggiero - Editor, John Miller - Executive Producer, Darrell Calker - Composer (Music Score), Jack Pierce - Makeup, Jack McCoskey - Camera Operator, Ernst Fegte - Production Designer, Meredith Nicholson - Cinematographer, Lester D. Guthrie - Producer, Louise Caldwell - Set Designer, Roger George - Special Effects, Dr. Jack Lewis - Screenwriter

Similar Movies

The Invisible Man; Hollow Man; Memoirs of an Invisible Man; The Invisible Man's Revenge; Gemini Man; The Invisible Dr. Mabuse; The Invisible Terror
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Wikipedia: The Amazing Transparent Man
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The Amazing Transparent Man

A promotional lobby card for "The Amazing Transparent Man."
Directed by Edgar G. Ulmer
Produced by Lester D. Guthrie
Robert L. Madden
John Miller
Written by Jack Lewis
Starring Marguerite Chapman
Douglas Kennedy
James Griffith
Ivan Triesault
Music by Darrell Calker
Cinematography Meredith M. Nicholson
Editing by Jack Ruggiero
Distributed by American International Pictures
Release date(s) July 1960
Running time 57 min
Country
Language English

The Amazing Transparent Man is a 1960 science fiction film starring Marguerite Chapman. Based on the 1956 novel The Shrinking Man by Richard Matheson, it is an American B-movie which follows the story of an insane ex U. S. Army major who uses an escaped criminal to steal materials to improve the invisibility machine his scientist prisoner made.[1] It was one of two sci-fi films shot back to back by director Edgar G. Ulmer (the other being Beyond the Time Barrier).[2] The combined filming schedule for both films was only two weeks. The film was later featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

The film has received very poor reviews and suffered in popularity as a result of its low budget. Leading science fiction author David Wingrove commented in his Science Fiction Source Book that "Its cheap-budget origins show throughout. Amazing claims too much for what is essentially a thriller involving an escaped criminal..."

Contents

Plot

Former U. S. Army major, Paul Krenner (James Griffith), plans to conquer the world with an army of invisible soldiers and will do anything to achieve that goal. With the help of his hired muscle, Julian (Red Morgan), Krenner forces Dr. Peter Ulof (Ivan Trisault) to perfect the invisibility machine Ulof invented. He keeps Ulof’s daughter, Maria (Carmel Daniel) imprisoned to keep Ulof in line.

The nuclear materials Ulof needs to better his invisibility machine are extremely rare and kept under guard in government facilities. Krenner arranges the prison break of notorious safecracker, Joey Faust (Douglas Kennedy), to steal the materials he needs. Of course Faust will do the jobs invisible. Krenner offers Faust money for the jobs and Faust expresses his grievances against working for him. Faust tells him that he’ll sing like a canary if he’s returned to prison. Krenner tells Faust that he’s wanted alive or dead. Faust reluctantly complies. However, when he meets Faust’s woman, Laura Matson (Marguerite Chapman), he slowly charms her into a double cross.

Faust continues attempting to escape and tries to get one over on Krenner. It looks like he may have the edge on Krenner when Faust attacks Krenner while invisible. However, Dr. Ulof’s guinea pig dies and, during the second time he’s invisible, Faust uncontrollably reverts from invisible to visible and back again. Despite these drawbacks Faust forges ahead intent on breaking free from Krenner’s control.

Cast

Actor Role
Marguerite Chapman Laura Matson
Douglas Kennedy Joey Faust
James Griffith Maj. Paul Krenner
Ivan Triesault Dr. Peter Ulof
Boyd 'Red' Morgan Julian
Carmel Daniel Maria Ulof
Edward Erwin Drake
Jonathan Ledford Smith
Norman Smith Security guard
Patrick Cranshaw Security guard
Kevin Kelly Woman
Dennis Adams State Police officer
Stacy Morgan State Police officer

See also

References

  1. ^ Booker, M. Keith (2001). Monsters, mushroom clouds, and the Cold War: American science fiction and the roots of postmodernism, 1946-1964. Greenwood Publishing Group. pp. 154–156. ISBN 0313318735. 
  2. ^ Weaver, Tom (2002). Science fiction confidential: interviews with 23 monster stars and film makers. McFarland. p. 300. ISBN 0786411759. 

Bibliography

  • Wingrove, David. Science Fiction Film Source Book (Longman Group Limited, 1985)

External links


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