6 months ago

182

The Amazing Transparent Man
1960
Sci-Fi, invisibile, crime, atom, stock footage, MST3K
An ex-major breaks a safe-cracker out of jail to use as a guinea pig for an invisibility ray with hopes of eventually building an invisible army. Things go awry though when the safe-cracker develops his own plans. This movie was featured on Mystery Science Theater 3000 ep. 623. You can find out more about this movie on its IMDB page.

The Amazing Transparent Man is a 1960 science fiction film starring Marguerite Chapman. It is an United States 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.<></> It was one of two sci-fi films shot back-to-back in Dallas, Texas by director Edgar G. Ulmer (the other being Beyond the Time Barrier, also released in that same year).<></> 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..."
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 while 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
{| class="wikitable"
! 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 (actor) || Woman
|-
| Dennis Adams || State Police officer
|-
| Stacy Morgan || State Police officer
|-
| Lon Chaney, Jr. || The Butcher
|}
Production
The film was made by Miller Consolidated Pictures who gave it a brief release in 1960. It was then picked up by AIP and released the following year.
See also
List of films in the public domain

=Bibliography=
Wingrove, David. Science Fiction Film Source Book (Longman Group Limited, 1985)
Online Trailer] at at

Category:1960 films
Category:American films
Category:English-language films
Category:Mad scientist films
Category:1960s science fiction films
Category:American independent films
Category:Black-and-white films
Category:American International Pictures films
Category:Invisibility in fiction
Category:Films featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes
Category:Films directed by Edgar G. Ulmer