Prior to the 1950’s there was a handful of tiny movie studios that cranked out super low budget cheapies by the truck load for the movie hungry public. These studios were known as the “poverty row” studios. One of the most prolific of these was Monogram Pictures, which was responsible for many a b-movie, but what interests me was their horror output from the 40’s. These movies were stinkers, but many of them featured horror stars such as Bela Lugosi and George Zuco, assuring their place in classic horror history.
Since it’s Monogram Week, let’s take some time to remember some of those classic films from the little studio that could. Well, the monster movies at least.
Day One –
The Invisible Ghost (1941)
Let’s make one thing clear right off the bat – there is no invisible ghost in this movie. There’s also no ghost, nor does anyone turn invisible. So why the heck is it called the Invisible Ghost? Who knows! The title is just as confusing as the films convoluted, non-sensible plot which is as follows.Bela Lugosi plays a kindly old man with a strange quirk; once a year he has his house staff (the guy must be pretty will off financially) prepare a dinner for both himself and his wife. Nothing strange about that except some years before poor Bela’s wife ran off with another guy and was killed in a car crash yet he still talks to her like she was there. But so what, everyone knows that mental illness is ok as long as the suffering person is happy so his daughter and her boy friend don’t worry about it much.
What Lugosi doesn’t know is that his wife is still alive, kept hidden in a shack by his grounds keeper because he couldn’t bear to have Bela see her in poor condition. This does not make sense, but it’s the movies fault and not mine, so don’t blame me. Late at night his wife wanders out from the shack and stands in front of a window for some reason.
When Bela spots her he goes into a strange trance and murders his maid in her room by strangling her to death with his robe. The image of Bela Lugosi approaching the camera which cheery music blares from the maid’s radio and removing his robe while smiling wickedly is both creepy and funny at the same time. The next morning Bela is his old charming self again and he has no idea that he committed the murder the night before.
The body is discovered and Bela’s daughter’s boyfriend is implicated, as it turns out that they had a previous relationship. (Go figure.) Despite having no evidence against him the boyfriend is sentenced to death and even Bela pleading with the governor can’t save the guy. Just after the radio reports that the guy was just gassed or fried or whatever there’s a knock at the door and it’s the boyfriend back from the dead! Well, no, it’s not! It’s his twin brother who was doing something somewhere in South America and has returned upon hearing of his brothers plight!
Yes, this is what really happens and it does not make sense.
So his daughter, her new boyfriend the twin brother of her dead boyfriend are trying to figure out who the murder is and Bela’s wife keeps appearing at the window and Bela keeps zoning out and strangling people. Why is Bela Lugosi strangling people you may ask? Does Bela’s wife hypnotize him? When he see’s her does he just flip out and get homicidal on his house staff? Was the script writer on drugs? Who knows?! Sometimes things just happen and we have to learn to accept them. Like hurricanes and the Jonas Brothers movie.
The Invisible Ghost is an incoherent mess but I wouldn’t have it any other way. Bela Lugosi is always a hoot and it’s cool to see him play a role where he’s not a vampire or mad scientist for once. If it wasn’t for him the movie would have been a drag. The absurdity of the story and ridicules dialogue adds a fun comedic element to the films proceedings and some decent shots and camera angles keep the visuals fresh. (Well, for a poverty row film anyway.)
Let’s see how this movie measures up on the Poverty Row Scale!
Is it a horror movie? - +1
Does it have a monster in it? - +1 (Bela counts as a monster imo.)
Is Bela Lugosi in it? - +1
Does it feature a ridicules plot? - +1
Does the film have moments where it’s actually effective? - +1
Hay! A perfect five out of five. I highly recommend this bizarre little film, if you’re into that sort of thing.