Product Details

• Actors: Richard Webb, Aline Towne, Lane Bradford, Stanley Price, John Crawford
• Format: Black & White, NTSC
• Rated: NR (Not Rated)
• Number of tapes: 2
• Studio: Republic Pictures
• VHS Release Date: May 30, 1995
• Run Time: 167 minutes
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• ASIN: 6302213290
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #266,850 in Movies & TV (See Top 100 in Movies & TV)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars "Invisible Monster" (1950) ... Fred C. Brannon ... A Republic 12 Chapter Serial", January 21, 2007

By 

J. Lovins "Mr. Jim" (Missouri-USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Invisible Monster [VHS] (VHS Tape)

Republic Pictures present "INVISIBLE MONSTER" (1950) (167 mins/B&W) (Dolby digitally remastered) --- is a 12-Chapter Republic Movie Serial starring Richard Webb, Aline Towne, Stanley Price, Lane Bradford & John Crawford, relive those thrilling days week after week venue brought you to the theater, as you were mesmerized in your seat waiting for the final chapter ... exciting action within 12 episodes from the Republic Serials department, released in June 8, 1950, the plot line has Insurance Investigator Lane Carson (Richard Webb) vows to hunt down the "Phantom Ruler" (Stanley Price), a master criminal who has discovered the secret of invisibility and will stop at nothing in organizing an invisible army capable of dominating the world, one of the best of the later Republic cliffhangers ... the once fabulous Republic Studio serial machine turned out true masterpieces of action during the late 30s and early 40s ... remember this serial from the Saturday double features at our neighborhood theater ... 12 breathtaking chapters come across with all the gusto Republic Studios has to offer.

Under Fred C. Brannon (Director), Franklin Adreon (Associate Producer), Ronald Davidson (Screenwriter), Stanley Wilson (Original Score), Ellis W. Carter (Cinematographer), Cliff Bell Sr.(Editor), Sam Starr (Editor) ------ the cast includes Richard Webb (Lane Carson), Aline Towne (Carol Richards), Lane Bradford (Burton), Stanley Price (The Phantom Ruler), John Crawford (Harris), George Meeker (Harry Long), Keith Richards (Doctor), Dale Van Sickel (Otto Wagner, alias 'Frank Martin'), Tom Steele (Bill 'Mack' Haines, thug), Marshall Reed (Roadblock Cop), Eddie Parker (Stoner, barn thug), Bud Wolfe (Harding, a thug),
Carey Loftin (Dirk, dynamite thug), David Sharpe (Garage Watchman/Armored Car Guard), Duke Taylor (Second Roadblock Cop), Guy Teague (Decoy & Dumptruck Thug), Ken Terrell (Kern, office thug) ... great stunt work by the Republic stunt personnel Tom Steele (stunt double: Richard Webb ), Dale Van Sickel (stunt double: George Meeker & Roy Gordon) --- don't leave the theater until the final chapter ... another winner from the vaults of Republic Serials --- this is a must watch for the serial buffs in all of us.

BIOS:
1. Richard Webb
Date of birth: 9 September 1915 - Bloomington, Illinois
Date of death: 10 June 1993 - Van Nuys, California

Special footnote, Richard Webb was a film, television and radio actor, he appeared in
over 50 films including many westerns and films noir including "Out of the Past" (1947),
"Night Has a Thousand Eyes" (1948), "I Was a Communist for the FBI" (1951) and
"Carson City" (1952). Today, he may be best remembered as the star of the 1950s
TV series "Captain Midnight", based on the long-running radio program of the same name.
In the 1970s Webb became a writer, publishing four books on psychic phenomena.

2. Fred C. Brannon (Director) ("The Black Widow" (1947)/Serial)
Date of birth: 26 April 1901 - Louisiana, USA
Date of death: 6 April 1953 - Los Angeles, California

Second special footnote, "King of the Rocket Men" has a truly amazing mid-air chase in one of its early
chapters, ending with a startlingly realistic piece of stunt work as the rocket man flies in pursuit of
a plane, Brannon also directed episodes of the "Commando Cody" (1953) television series.

If you're into vintage serials as I am, why not pick up a copy of the following titles from VCI Home Video:
VCI CLIFFHANGER TRAILERS:
1. Adventures of Red Ryder (Don "Red" Barry)
2. Adventures of the Flying Cadets (Bobby Jordan)
3. Buck Rogers (Buster Crabbe)
4. Captain Midnight (Dave O'Brien)
5. Captain Video: Master of the Stratosphere (Judd Holdren & I. Stanford Jolley)
6. Dick Tracy's G-Men (Ralph Byrd)
7. Don Winslow of the Navy (Don Terry)
8. Don Winslow of the Coast Guard (Don Terry)
9. Drums of Fu Manchu (Henry Brandon)
10.Fighting Kit Carson (Johnny Mack Brown)
11.Flash Gordon Conquers the Universe (Buster Crabbe)
12.The Green Archer (Victory Jory)
13.Jungle Girl (Frances Gifford)
14.Jungle Jim (Grant Withers & Raymond Hatton)
15.The Lost City (Kane Richmond, William Stage Boyd & George Gabby Hayes)
16.Lost City of the Jungle (Russell Hayden & Keye Luke)
17.Mandrake the Magician (Warren Hull & Dick Curtis)
18.Miracle Rider (Tom Mix & Tony Jr)
19.The Painted Stallion (Ray "Crash" Corrigan)
20.The Phantom (Tom Tyler)
21.The Return of Chandu (Bela Lugosi)
22.Riders of Death Valley (Dick Foran, Leo Carrillo & Buck Jones)
23.Secret Agent X-9 (1937) (Scott Kolk & Henry Brandon)
24.Secret Agent X-9 (1945) (Lloyd Bridges & Keye Luke)
25.Sky Raiders (Donald Woods & Billy Halop)
26.Undersea Kingdom (Ray "Crash" Corrigan)
27.Winners of the West (Dick Foran, Harry Woods, Roy Barcroft & Charles Stevens)
28.Zane Greys "King of the Royal Mounted" (Allan "Rocky" Lane)
29.Zorro's Cliffhanger Collection (Reed Hadley, John Carroll & Linda Stirling)

Hats off and thanks to Les Adams (collector/guideslines for character identification), Chuck Anderson (Webmaster: The Old Corral/B-Westerns.Com), Boyd Magers (Western Clippings), Bobby J. Copeland (author: Trail Talk) and Bob Nareau (author: The Real Bob Steele) as they have rekindled my interest once again for B-Westerns and Serials --- looking forward to more high quality releases from the vintage serial era of the '20s, '30s & '40s and B-Westerns ... order your copy now from Amazon where there are plenty of copies available on VHS, stay tuned once again for top notch action mixed with deadly adventure --- if you enjoyed this title, why not check out VCI Entertainment where they are experts in releasing B-Westerns and Serials --- all my heroes have been cowboys!

Total Time: 167 mins on VHS ~ Republic Video ~ (5/30/1995)

8 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Not A Monster!, December 21, 2009

By 

Magnifying Glass - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Invisible Monster , A Classic Sci-Fi Serial (DVD)

If you are the Phantom, then you probably never give a thought to the fact that some may call you a monster; you are, after all, just a man. One whose ultimate plan - with the help of your secret invention - is to be ruler of the entire country.

There are two components: a spotlight that emits a unique, ultrahigh frequency light and a chemical compound with transformative optical properties. You have no problem obtaining the spotlights, but there is a problem getting the chemicals - the compound is only manufactured overseas. To make matters worse, the government bans its import; luckily you have contacts that can ship it to you for a pricey sum.

You are going to need money - lots of money - to build and equip your invisible army. So you, your henchmen, and a mix of shanghaied foreigners, set out to do a little robbery and extortion. The best part is that you get some practical experience using the invisibility invention.

The first step is to don the chemically treated cloak. Then, one of your henchmen shines the spotlight on you; you vanish. The henchman slowly steers the light to where you want to go, and as long as you stay within its beam, you are invisible!

Unfortunately, you rob a bank that was insured by the APEX Insurance Company. Those pesky Insurance Company Investigators, Lane and Carol, get involved, and they don't care how many cars get wrecked; they are going to get their invisible man.

Almost every episode has lots of fisticuffs, gunfire, explosions, and predictable escapes from danger. The best scene is a car crashing through the side of a tall building.

Picture: fair to good, with a very thin distortion band at the bottom. No cropping, except in the cartoon extras. Sound: good. Volume: high.

4.0 out of 5 stars Very good serial, December 15, 2011

By 

I Love This Stuff - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Invisible Monster , A Classic Sci-Fi Serial (DVD)

A megalomaniac out to "ensure my invisible army can guarantee me, their ruler, untold power and wealth."
Yep, more bad guys raising heck and good guys trying to stop them. Another great serial.