Classic Horror films of Bela Lugosi: Invisable Ghost

So I am back once again talking about another Bela LKugosi film, this one is called Invisable Ghost. Ok so I want to go off on a slight tangent right now and just make a few quick comments that kind of apply to all of these old black and white horror films and in fact some of the colour ones even up to and including the Hammer ones. A lot of these films have what I would call very quick resolutions or put another way endings which dont hang around to give you any extra details or prologs. For example in the monster type movie the monster dies the hero turns to walk away and the words the end flash up on screen, you dont get to find out what anyone does after or how the death of this creature effects the world around it you just get to know its dead and thats your lot. Is this a good or a bad thing? I am really not sure I guess it just feels very strange watching something like this after watching something more modern which seems to slowly end wrapping up thread after thread trying to leave you without much to ask or think about. Also some of these older films like these Lugosi ones well there quiet brief with run time being just a little over an hour but I guess it gives them a certain sense of tightness, there is less filler but then it has downsides your less invested in side characters.

Charles Kessler Bela Lugosi's character is a man whoise wife left him, she left him for someone else and its believed she is dead and yet he sits down to dinner with his wife on their wedding anniversary, shes not there of couse but he acts as if she is and his butler humours him and tries to act as if the wife is there. His daughter Virginia's boyfriend arrives and witness some of what is going on leaveing her having to explain everythign to him.

You soon learn that the wife is not dead she is an amnesiac being taken care of by the gardner, she is being kept in his basment buit occasionally she goes for a bit of a walk, usally ending up around outside her former home, look through the windows, loooking at her husband Charles Kessler. What you are met with in this film is lots of death, person after person being killed, now in most films you wouldnt know who is responsible but this film actually tells you straight out who has done it, well worse than that you see the murders and yet you have to sit around and watch as person after person ponders who is responsible for the killings. I really cant help but think that the film would have worked much better if it had been filmed more as a ''who dunnit'' A lot of the characters feel kinda empty and cookie cutter like with a few notable exceptions one of them being Lugosi who gives a charming performance the other would be the butler who I find to be a incredably likeable character who is well acted and who often acts in the way I think most people wish they would. I could go into more detail but other than setting the rough scene I would rather let people read this post and get a feel for if theyd like to watch the film or not rather than spoil the whole thing by talking about the begining middle and end.

The film is no Dracula and I feel like it could have been a lot better but if you want to find a good way to spend a little over an hour its not a bad watch at all. Apparently a lot of the copies of it on DVD are in pretty poor condition mostly due to the fact that the film has found itself in the public domain meaning any company can pretty much throw it onto a disc and sell it. The copy I have is not exactly the greatest print but it doesnt matter the film is from the 30's and I find the little bits of degredation and frame skipping almost charming, I much prefer it to the idea of an artificially cleaned up film. I would recomend that you watch this film but go in to it with moderate expectations.