Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man (4K UHD Review)
Director
Charles LamontRelease Date(s)
1951 (November 25, 2025)Studio(s)
Universal-International (Kino Lorber Studio Classics)- Film/Program Grade: B-
- Video Grade: A-
- Audio Grade: A-
- Extras Grade: C
Review
After the success of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, it was only natural that Bud and Lou would return for another comedic romp with the next Universal monster, the Invisible Man, who made a cameo appearance at the end of Meet Frankenstein, but voiced by Vincent Price. However, they would make four more films before getting back to that little tease at the end of that film (which was meant to be nothing more than a gag for the audience to go out on). Mexican Hayride, Africa Screams, Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff, and Abbott and Costello in the Foreign Legion were all produced between 1948 and 1950 before Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man would reach theaters in March of 1951.
Bud and Lou have just graduated from detective school, subsequently opening their own agency. They’re confronted by Tommy Nelson (Arthur Franz), a former boxer escaped from jail and on the run from the police. Declaring himself to be innocent of the murder of his former manager, he convinces them to take him to see his fiancée Helen (Nancy Guild) and her uncle Dr. Gray (Gavin Muir). Tommy attempts to persuade Dr. Gray to inject him with his highly experimental invisibility serum, but he refuses, fearing for Tommy’s sanity. When the police arrive, headed by Detective Roberts (William Frawley), Tommy does it himself out of desperation. And with the aid of Bud and Lou, he endeavors to find out who set him up. Also among the cast are Sheldon Leonard, Adele Jergens, John Daheim, and Paul Maxey.
Unfortunately, Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man can’t hold a candle (even a sliding one) to many of its predecessors, Meet Frankenstein included. The largest problem is that Bud and Lou take somewhat of a backseat to the main narrative. They’re a part of it, but the story is really about Tommy and what happens to him, more so than in Meet Frankenstein when both Bud and Lou come under threat of the monsters directly, particularly Lou. The other thing holding the film back is that Arthur Franz is no Claude Rains, and therefore Tommy Nelson is no Jack Griffin. Tommy Nelson is a man on the run from the police from the very beginning and takes the invisibility serum out of despair. Griffin, a scientist, does it as an experiment on himself, one that goes horribly wrong as it drives him to eventual mania.
That all said, we’re not necessarily here for the plot, which should be laid out just enough for Bud and Lou to hang their routines on. They’re definitely here for it and they do bring some of their patented funny, but it’s not quite as sharp as it has been in the past. Lou Costello is still a charm factory while Bud Abbott is doing his typical browbeating and insulting of Lou, constantly embarrassed or angered at his actions. Obviously that’s a part of their act, but it feels more tired here. Lou also seems to be breaking the fourth wall more often than not in every scene he’s in, almost as if he’s on television and looking directly at the studio audience, which is odd since they were on the verge of having their own television show the following year.
Despite their funniest bits and some classic Universal invisible man effects and gags, Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man gets lost in its own threadbare plot with a purportedly much lower budget than the previous films, which does show. On the other hand, it’s always great to see Bud and Lou, and even if this isn’t necessarily one of their best vehicles, it’s still enjoyable.
Cinematographer George Robinson shot Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man on 35mm black-and-white film with spherical lenses, the results of which were processed photochemically, and presented theatrically in the aspect ratio of 1:37:1. Kino Lorber Studio Classics debuts the film on Ultra HD with a new 4K scan of the original camera negative, which has been graded for High Dynamic Range in HDR10 and Dolby Vision, and encoded to a dual-layered BD-66 disc. It’s another beautiful presentation with a light layer of photochemical grain and a bitrate that sits at or around 75Mbps, give or take. Like the 4K transfer of Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein, interpositives were definitely used for opticals, but also in a few other places, possibly where the original negative was damaged. Some mild speckling is visible from time to time, but nothing dramatic. Detail is high, tighter and more refined than in previous incarnations. The HDR grades really boost the detail in the shadows, allowing for very deep blacks, excellent grayscale, and terrific contrast. The image is stable throughout, as well.
Audio is included in English 2.0 mono DTS-HD Master Audio with optional subtitles in English SDH. It’s a satisfying split channel track that offers Joseph Gershenson’s score plenty of support, but also clean dialogue and sharp sound effects. Outside of a mild hiss, it’s solid.
The Kino Lorber Studio Classics 4K Ultra HD release of Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man sits in a black Amaray case with an inner sleeve and a slipcover featuring artwork from the original theatrical release poster. The following extras are included on the disc:
- Audio Commentary by Joe Ramoni
- Audio Commentary by Paul Anthony Nelson and Lee Zachariah
- Theatrical Trailer (Upscaled SD – 2:13)
Hats Off Entertainment’s Joe Ramoni provides a new audio commentary for the film. Himself a documentarian as evidenced by his many terrific projects that are currently available on Youtube, he offers a fine critical overview and overall analysis of the film, sprinkled with background information about its cast and crew, as well as its creation. He has an irregular speaking style and his track dips in and out of the film’s soundtrack, but he nonetheless tackles the subject matter with precision. Next is an audio commentary by film historians and filmmakers Paul Anthony Nelson and Lee Zachariah whose approach is much more from a fan perspective, but they nonetheless provide an entertaining examination of the film, highlighting some of their favorite moments, while also delving into various aspects of the production, its cast, and its crew. It’s certainly the more energetic of the two tracks, but perhaps less detail-oriented. Last is the film’s theatrical trailer.
Not included from previous releases is the classic DVD documentary Abbott and Costello Meet the Monsters, an image gallery, production notes, and an alternate text-less trailer.
While the additional commentaries are appreciated, there’s much, much more you could do with an extras package for Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man. The film itself is not one of the best in the Bud and Lou/Universal monster team-ups, but it’s harmless enough that long-time fans mostly give it a pass. Yet even without lavish treatment, this 4K release features a terrific presentation of the film that will be the preferred viewing option for many for quite some time. Caveats aside, it’s an easily recommendable disc.
- Tim Salmons
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