It's no definitive masterpiece but it's damn close.

If you don't like this, we can't be friends.

Highly Overrated But Still Good

Absolutely the worst movie.

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.

Well, the title doesn't make any sense. Aren't all ghosts invisible? Either way, there are no ghosts in this movie, transparent or otherwise. The film is about Charles Kessler (Bela Lugosi) who unknowingly commits a series of murders after his wife seemingly dies in a car accident. This is a fine effort for a cheap Sam Katzman production. Most of the performances are good, and Clarence Muse steals the show as Mr. Kessler's butler, Evans, who gets a decent amount of screen time, lines, and isn't too stereotypical. Muse doesn't portray Evans as the typical "Oh Lawdy" scared black servant that was popular in old dark house horror movies at the time. Something in his facial expressions and delivery gives him a sarcastic and humorous edge. Unfortunately, this isn't one of Lugosi's best performances. He is so expressionless throughout, it's hard to tell when he is or isn't in a trance. However, he still has that certain something that always makes him fun to watch.The story also leaves something to be desired. Unless I missed something, I don't think it ever explains why he killed anyone. I must say though, it does have some artful cinematography and lighting. The scenes where Kessler sees his "dead" wife through the window are expertly shot. Overall, I have to say this is fun rainy day entertainment. If you have a tolerance for low budget 40s horror movies, you just might have a good time watching this one. Also, watch for the scene in which Lugosi has his butler serve him and an empty place for his wife at the dinner table. Definitely the eeriest scene in the film.

Invisible Ghost is yet another example of how Bela Lugosi felt it was necessary to keep working no matter what he was asked to appear in. This one is from Sam Katzman at Monogram Pictures and it definitely shows all the Katzman touches from incoherent story, zero production values, and pedestrian acting.Bela Lugosi is a man who lives with his daughter Pollyanna Young and a staff of various servants. Several years ago his wife Betty Compson ran off with another guy and this unhinged Bela. He believes Compson dead along with her paramour in an automobile accident.Only Compson is still alive unhinged herself and being taken care of by the estate gardener Ernie Adams. Only every now and then she gets out and appears at Bela's window trying to get back in.This is where Lugosi goes off his rocker. One sight of her turns him into homicidal strangler and since he can't reach her he strangles whoever is available. No one catches on, they even arrest John McGuire and send him to the chair for Terry Walker's murder.All I can say is that this is such utter nonsense even Lugosi's most nondiscriminating fans will either laugh or be bored.Not quite Ed Wood, but Invisible Ghost comes close.

Picking up a parcel from the local collection office,I was shocked to discover that an extremely kind IMDb'er had sent me a Mill Creek boxset,jam packed with a number of great sounding titles.With the "Horror Challenge" being held on the IMDb Horror board in a few days time,I decided to take a closer look at the titles contained in the set.Being in the mood of taking a look at another movie of Bela Lugosi's pre-Ed Wood low-budget era due to having found Lugosi's Ape Man to be a wild,wacky title,I was delighted to discover a more serious sounding Lugosi title contained in the boxset.The plot:Keeping hold of the things that he held dear to his wife,despite her having recently left him for a younger man,Mr.Kessler celebrates their wedding anniversary all on his own, as a mark of respect for how deep the vows that he made to his wife are contained within his heart.Distressed over seeing Kessler's waiting for his wife's return to have no end in sight,and also seeing Kessler's daughter become desperate to pull her dad out of this dark trance,loyal servant Jules begins to seriously wonder if he should tell Kessler that instead of being away with her boyfriend,his wife is actually hidden in a darken corner of the house,after being pulled from a car crash that has left her permanently brain damaged.Fearing that Kessler's and his wife's reaction to each other might make things worse than they already are,Jules decides to stay quiet,and keep the secret all to himself.Getting ready for bed,Kessler suddenly hears a strange tapping noise coming from outside a window in the living room.Entering the living room,Kessler discovers that the tapping sound is being made by the "ghost" of his wife.Shocked at what he is seeing,Kessler finds himself unable to deal with the supernatural sight in front of him,which leads to Kessler's sweet nature being left in ruins,when "the image" causes Kessler to have a strong desire to go on a killing spree.View on the film:After having been disappointed by the flat directing style of past titles that I have seen in the public domain,I was happily caught by surprise,thanks to director Joseph H.Lewis showing a keen eye in creating a wonderful Gothic chill.Keeping 95% of the movies setting limited to the Kessler house,Lewis uses tracking shots to show the shadow that is being cast around the darkest corners of the Kessler's lives,and also expertly covers the movie in rain,so as to create a wonderful atmosphere of there being no where for the character's to run away from Kessler's murderous urges.Whilst the screenplay sadly avoids trying to look at the psychological reasons behind Kessler's changing personality,the screenplay by Al and Helen Martin takes things into an unexpected,sharp proto-Slasher direction,with the Martin's making sure to keep the viewers on their toes by making Kessler attack and kill some of the main character's early on,in scenes,which impressively still have a real edge around them.Showing both sides of Kessler's conflicting personality,Bela Lugosi gives a terrific performance which carefully balances Kessler's warm hearted,wholesome image with the monster that becomes unleashed when the "ghost" of his wife appears.Along with Lugosi,the very pretty Polly Ann Young gives a good performance as the Kessler's daughter Virgina,with Young showing Virgina being unable to stop the "invisible ghost" from taking over her dad's life.