The Amazing Transparent Man

Infobox Film
name = The Amazing Transparent Man


caption = A promotional lobby card for "The Amazing Transparent Man."
director = Edgar G. Ulmer
producer = Lester D. Guthrie
Robert L. Madden
John Miller
writer = Jack Lewis
starring = Marguerite Chapman
Douglas Kennedy
James Griffith
Ivan Triesault
music = Darrell Calker
cinematography =Meredith M. Nicholson
editing = Jack Ruggiero
distributor = American International Pictures
released = July 1960
runtime = 57 min
country =
awards =
language = English
budget =
preceded_by =
followed_by =
amg_id =
imdb_id = 0053593

"The Amazing Transparent Man" is a 1960 science fiction film starring Marguerite Chapman. It is an American 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 by director Edgar G. Ulmer (the other being Beyond the Time Barrier). 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 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

References

Bibliography

* Wingrove, David. Science Fiction Film Source Book (Longman Group Limited, 1985)

External links

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*google video|-6406228040079667584|The Amazing Transparent Man
* [http://www.archive.org/details/amazing_transparent_man Online Trailer] at Internet Archive
* [http://www.archive.org/details/The_Amazing_Transparent_Man The complete film] to download or watch at Internet Archive