Although H.G. Wells is mentioned in the credits, 1940's "The Invisible Woman" is the only Universal entry in which a machine is responsible for making someone transparent, the creation of harmless crackpot Professor Gibbs (John Barrymore), who has spent countless thousands of dollars under the sponsorship of millionaire playboy Dick Russell (John Howard). Now that Russell's latest heartache has left him flat broke Gibbs is forced to provide a suitable subject at short notice to convince his benefactor that millions are available for evidence of an invisible man. What the professor does not expect is Kitty Carroll (Virginia Bruce), a beautiful young model whose primary interest in becoming invisible is to avenge herself on bad tempered employer Growley (Charles Lane) for all the agony he puts his girls through. After that she's only too willing to accompany Gibbs on a fishing trip to not show Russell what he tried to avoid, as gangsters working for European exile Blackie Cole (Oscar Homolka) decide to steal the machine so he can return to his homeland. It may seem like a huge comedown from the first sequel but it too was conceived by director Joe May and screenwriter Curt Siodmak, and the script is credited to Robert Lees and Frederic I. Rinaldo, their best work producing "Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein" in 1948. Plenty of dependable laugh getters among the cast: Margaret Hamilton, fresh off "The Wizard of Oz" and "My Little Chickadee," as the long suffering housekeeper for Professor Gibbs, Charlie Ruggles as Russell's eternally exasperated butler, Edward Brophy and Shemp Howard a good match as dimwitted sidekicks (Anne Nagel and Maria Montez are seen as models). Legendary John Barrymore was now accepting any job that came along, no longer the masterful thespian who mesmerized as "Svengali" in 1931, and less than 2 years away from his premature death at age 60. By this time he had to read his lines from cue cards just out of camera range, yet still delivers a naturally amusing performance worthy of the 'Great Profile.' John Howard had concluded his run as Bulldog Drummond (reunited with Barrymore from the first three), certainly as handsome as his role requires if the battle of the sexes proves a bit too cliched for the time, he in denial that this invisible woman could possibly be as beautiful as she says, she anxious for the process to wear off so she can put him in his place. Top billed Virginia Bruce was winding down her career (deputizing for Margaret Sullavan), her fabulous features necessarily disappearing all too soon, but ably conveying her presence by tone and infectious giggle, adding greater sex appeal in again assuring that the subject must be completely nude before the treatment, making for some intriguingly awkward moments. It looks as though everyone had a great time and that carries over to the viewing audience, the next entry "Invisible Agent" a more serious outing despite Siodmak's often buffoonish treatment of the Nazis.
Review of The Invisible Woman
