Jewel thieves become interested in an invisibility formula invented by Professor Nakazato and want to use his invention to acquire a diamond necklace called the “Tears of Amour.”
In the tradition of the 1933 version of “The Invisible Man” starring Claude Rains, comes a loosely-adapted 1949 remake entitled “The Invisible Man Appears,” representing the earliest surviving science fiction film from Japan. Though competently produced and directed, the latter version doesn’t quite have the same level of urgency and terror as the original. Perhaps nothing can compare to Rains and his high-pitched, gleefully maniacal laugh. Eyes grow wide as he tosses away his fake nose, eyeglasses, and face bandages, eventually sending the shocked townspeople fleeing for the exits.
In this Japanese rendering, Professor Nakazato (Chizuru Kitagawa) invents a serum that makes humans or animals invisible. Lying dormant on the shelf for ten years due to lack of a willing guinea pig, a group of thieves sees the potential for ill-gotten gains. They kidnap the professor along with his invention, setting in motion a series of unexpected events.
Gangsters covet the Tears of Amour, a fabulous diamond necklace. In an attempt to help the hostage Nakazato, one of his assistants, Kurokawa (Kanji Koshiba) agrees to take the potion and steal the priceless Tears of Amour.
The plot proceeds with some sleight of hand regarding someone pretending to be the invisible man and a fake necklace designed to throw the bad guys off the trail. Ultimately and unfortunately for Kurokawa, there is no antidote for his invisibility, which injects the recurring note of tragedy inevitably associated with virtually all versions of Wells’ story. As a recipe for mischief, the invisible man finds himself with so much unbridled power it drives him as mad as a hatter, just as the Rains’ incarnation went over the edge in the original.
Part of the fun of any film version of “The Invisible Man” centers on the special effects – in this case, furnished by Elji Tsuburaya who went on to greater fame for his techniques used in “Godzilla” five years later. Watching sunglasses or bandages come off a body revealing the emptiness beneath chills not only the other characters witnessing the spectacle but also audiences as well.
Written and directed by Nobuo Adachi, “The Invisible Man Appears” is now available for the first time outside Japan in Blu-ray format as a double feature that also includes “The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly,” both with English subtitles. Capturing a bit of previously unseen film history, this morality play about the appropriate use of scientific advances provides enough plot twists and deceptions to make the ride very worthwhile.
Available on a Special Edition Blu-ray March 16th from Arrow Video
