Helped to break out of prison, Joey Faust (Douglas Kennedy) is taken to a rural location, where he is introduced to the man responsible for his release. Faust's new benefactor is a criminal mastermind , named Maj. Paul Krenner (James Griffith). Krenner has big plans for Faust, involving radiation, invisibility, and world domination. Of course, there's a mad scientist doddering about the premises, waxing melodramatic at every opportunity! Fairly predictable, w/ the prerequisite double cross, THE AMAZING TRANSPARENT MAN is just fun enough to offset its silliness. At less than an hour in length, it's also too short to become a total nuisance! FULL DISCLOSURE: The real reason I watch this movie is due to the fact that it has the beautiful Marguerite Chapman (FLIGHT TO MARS) in its cast. Playing the role of Laura Matson, Ms. Chapman makes me feel glad to be alive! One raised eyebrow from her, and I... Well, never mind! Anyway, the rest is typical, 50's / early 60's sci-fi cheeeze...

Plot—a mad scientist frees a safecracker from prison to help him put together an army of invisible men, which he can then sell for big money!So what's in a title. Apparently, a lot since the "Amazing Transparent Man" lowers expectations to near empty. Sounds like a teenage drive-in special where kids didn't care what's on screen as long as there's a dark place to park. But then there's the Incredible Shrinking Man (1957) whose goofy title may have consigned it to the teenage circuit, yet also turned out to be not just suspenseful but surprisingly sublime. So I guess you can't always tell the book by its cover.Anyway, looks to me like this horror flick was aiming at Shrinking Man type transcendence, but doesn't get it; and that's despite Dr. Ulof's philosophical ponderings. Unfortunately, the script just never gels into anything suspenseful. Mostly it meanders around the laboratory- mansion, instead. Director Ulmer does keep things moving, so at least the pace doesn't drag. Still, the narrative is too loose to build anything like tension or suspense. Then too, the production is pretty shoddy at points that other reviewers have ably detailed. On the other hand, movie vets Kennedy and Chapman are energetic enough. At least, they don't appear to treat this as just an easy payday. Plus, I did enjoy seeing Ivan Triesault (Dr.Ulof) as something other than the Nazi stereotype that he was usually consigned to. Still, I'm afraid this movie is an instance where-- all in all-- the book is told by its cover.

Fans of the cult director Edgar G. Ulmer may consider this routine, forgettable, but adequately entertaining sci-fi feature to be one of his lesser efforts. Still, one could do worse. It's decently acted, features very amusing visual effects, and is thin enough on story to clock in at a very short 58 minutes. It also leads to a pretty entertaining resolution; as one would say, things end with a bang.Tough guy actor Douglas Kennedy stars as Joey Faust (!), a criminal busted out of jail by nefarious Major Krenner (James Griffith) and his associates. Krenner has forced unhappy scientist Peter Ulof (Ivan Triesault) to perfect a method of turning a man invisible, and Krenner wants to use this method on Faust so that the hood can commit acts of espionage for him. Faust, not surprisingly, has other ideas: he'd rather rob banks.The scenes with the invisible Faust are the most entertaining in this thing, such as when Griffith has to mime being strangled, or the development late in the tale when Fausts' body begins to appear and disappear. The music by Darrell Calker is good, maybe too good for something like this. Kennedy is a hoot as the swaggering Faust, and Griffith is an okay villain. Triesault is pitiable as Ulof, who's had a very hard life. Marguerite Chapman ("Flight to Mars"), in her last feature film, is reasonably engaging as Laura, who finds Fausts' offer of proceeds from potential bank robberies to be too hard to resist. Buffs may be interested to note that veteran character actor Patrick Cranshaw, who achieved fame late in his life and career as Blue in "Old School", plays a security guard here.Certainly the denouement is priceless, as Triesault ends up addressing us directly, hoping that we find the idea of an "invisible army" as appalling as some of the characters in this thing do.Five out of 10.

Bitter and crazed ex-military officer Paul Krenner (an excellent performance by James Griffith) forces kindly scientist Peter Ulof (a sturdy turn by Ivan Triesault) to create an invisibility process using radiation. They proceed to break volatile safe cracker Joey Faust (robustly played with venomous aplomb by Douglas Kennedy) out of jail so he can steal more radium, but things don't go according to plan. Director Edgar G. Ulmer, working from an engrossing script by Jack Lewis, relates the compelling story at a steady pace and maintains an appropriately serious tone throughout. Margueritte Chapman does well as greedy and treacherous moll Laura Matson. The bank robbery set piece is a lot of fun (Faust turns visible again in the middle of the gig!) and the thrilling conclusion ends with a literal explosive bang. Both Meredith M. Nicholson's sharp black and white cinematography and Darrell Calker's moody score give this picture a cool film noir-style atmosphere. The special effects are admittedly rough, but overall decent and acceptable. The tight 57 minute running time ensures that the movie never becomes dull or overstays its welcome. A neat little flick.