Virginia Bruce is "The Invisible Woman" in this 1940 comedy that has nothing to do with the classic "The Invisible Man." The sad part for me is seeing John Barrymore, one of the greatest actors who ever lived, in a character role in this B+ film (budgeted at a whopping $300,000, a great deal more than usual B movies), even though he was excellent and the film is very enjoyable.
Bruce plays Kitty Carroll, a department store model. She and the other models at the store are badly treated by their boss (Charles Lane) -- if they come in two minutes late, they're docked an hour, if they're sick, they're fired - he's a beast.
John Barrymore is Professor Gibbs, a scientist who has invented a machine that will render people invisible. His patron, the wealthy Robert Russell (John Howard) is now broke thanks to all the lawsuits he's lost to girlfriends, and tells Gibbs that he can no longer support him. Gibbs desperately needs to make a human person invisible so he can patent his machine and both he and Russell can make some money. He advertises and gets Kitty, who has a particular agenda in mind.
The Bruce role was intended for Margaret Sullavan, who refused to do it. Bruce is delightful, but with her in the lead, one thinks this was intended as a B movie when it wasn't at all. There are some wonderful characters on board, some of whom play gangsters trying to get their hands on this all-important machine: Oskar Homolka, Charles Ruggles, Shemp Howard, and Maria Montez. Margaret Hamilton is on hand as the Russell maid.
What can I say about John Barrymore, except the man was adept at both drama and comedy and adds a great deal to this movie.
Entertaining.
Bruce plays Kitty Carroll, a department store model. She and the other models at the store are badly treated by their boss (Charles Lane) -- if they come in two minutes late, they're docked an hour, if they're sick, they're fired - he's a beast.
John Barrymore is Professor Gibbs, a scientist who has invented a machine that will render people invisible. His patron, the wealthy Robert Russell (John Howard) is now broke thanks to all the lawsuits he's lost to girlfriends, and tells Gibbs that he can no longer support him. Gibbs desperately needs to make a human person invisible so he can patent his machine and both he and Russell can make some money. He advertises and gets Kitty, who has a particular agenda in mind.
The Bruce role was intended for Margaret Sullavan, who refused to do it. Bruce is delightful, but with her in the lead, one thinks this was intended as a B movie when it wasn't at all. There are some wonderful characters on board, some of whom play gangsters trying to get their hands on this all-important machine: Oskar Homolka, Charles Ruggles, Shemp Howard, and Maria Montez. Margaret Hamilton is on hand as the Russell maid.
What can I say about John Barrymore, except the man was adept at both drama and comedy and adds a great deal to this movie.
Entertaining.