Frank Raymond (likeable Jon Hall), who's the grandson of the invisible man, uses his grandfather's invisibility formula so he can sneak into Germany as an undercover spy in order to thwart the Nazis and romance beautiful female double agent Maria Sorenson (the charming and elegant Ilona Massey).
Although director Edward L. Marin relates the inane, but still enjoyable story at a snappy pace and maintains an amiable lighthearted tone, he alas overdoes the goofy slapstick humor, with the portrayal of the Nazis as bumbling buffoons coming across as both annoying and embarrassing. The special effects are strictly hit or miss: The invisibility stuff holds up pretty well while the painfully obvious miniature planes leave a lot to be desired. Fortunately, there's a trio of excellent villains who ensure that this movie remains watchable: Peter Lorre as oily Japanese weasel Baron Ikito, Cedric Hardwicke as the smoothly sinister Conrad Stauffer, and J. Edward Bromberg as the smarmy Karl Heiser. A pleasant diversion.
Although director Edward L. Marin relates the inane, but still enjoyable story at a snappy pace and maintains an amiable lighthearted tone, he alas overdoes the goofy slapstick humor, with the portrayal of the Nazis as bumbling buffoons coming across as both annoying and embarrassing. The special effects are strictly hit or miss: The invisibility stuff holds up pretty well while the painfully obvious miniature planes leave a lot to be desired. Fortunately, there's a trio of excellent villains who ensure that this movie remains watchable: Peter Lorre as oily Japanese weasel Baron Ikito, Cedric Hardwicke as the smoothly sinister Conrad Stauffer, and J. Edward Bromberg as the smarmy Karl Heiser. A pleasant diversion.