Vincent Price's First Horror Role: A Shockingly Good sequel!
Vincent Price: Horror Icon's Humble Beginnings in a Classic Sequel
Vincent Price? A name synonymous with horror! But his iconic career started surprisingly early. His very first horror movie? It was actually a sequel to a legendary horror film and is one of those truly surprisingly brilliant early works, really showcasing how unexpected this specific creative decision truly was! And you should absolutely know about this.
Price starred in tons of horror classics later on such as House of Wax, The Fly, and The Masque of the Red Death. Yet this totally unexpected moment was The Invisible Man Returns (1940), released right when he started taking off in his career.
Most people think of Price in those amazing films from the late 1950s-1970s. Before all that fame? He primarily appeared in dramas; in supporting roles for movies like Laura and Leave Her to Heaven. It's almost completely bizarre when considering these came after he appeared in a horror movie as the leading man, and just how important that first step really was. A totally unexpected and incredibly notable early career choice!
The Invisible Man Returns: A New Take on a Classic Tale
Universal Studios made this sequel to the insanely popular The Invisible Man (1933). Yet this new take on that plot involves a whole new protagonist and does not focus entirely on that previous film’s star character. This original film saw Claude Rains’ Dr. Jack Griffin inventing a serum turning him invisible which quickly goes terribly wrong as his experimentation results in him completely losing his mind and a massive killing spree occurs. Yet instead, The Invisible Man Returns creates a new invisible man through Vincent Price’s Geoffrey Radcliffe — a death row inmate who didn't actually kill his brother!
His friend, Dr. Frank Griffin (brother of the original Invisible Man), creates an elaborate plan to help free Radcliffe, using the very same invisibility serum! It becomes an effort for Radcliffe to find justice— clearing his name while keeping that horrible descent into madness that affected the original protagonist at bay. The incredible effort required for such dramatic shifts truly highlights just how good the early special effects from 1940 were. We discover later the effects are truly noteworthy even for the early parts of the Golden Age for cinema; showcasing that creative decision truly did help increase its chances for awards and appreciation.
A Surprisingly Successful Horror Sequel
The Invisible Man Returns was actually a shrewd financial choice– one among Universal’s many efforts at creating successful sequels from its hits! Many of these early horror-related ventures however ended as massive flops. And while this isn’t exactly a major exception, its uniqueness involved avoiding just copying what happened earlier in the original Invisible Man movie– something other films failed miserably at doing. The creative team didn't simply redo Rains’ character, making it a different experience altogether. It gets even better– the creative approach got an Academy Award nomination for Best Effects!
Even its release did not prevent its immense popularity from continuing through even modern times: it received critical acclaim; with Rotten Tomatoes providing a very favorable rating of 83%. And viewers love this; the character is completely different from Griffin’s villainous original and delivers on a completely different yet enjoyable tone.
Vincent Price's Invisible Minute of Fame!
The Invisible Man Returns is unique due to it being Price's first horror outing! Even though Price stars as the main character; his total screen time? Around a minute! That is wild! It actually completely makes sense–because he is literally invisible in the movie, except when wounded or wrapped in bandages; adding another unique layer that many other films might just simply ignore! This makes his supporting character roles more obvious because Price’s voice acts as the most recognizable aspects in this horror film and is perfectly suited and incredibly effective for such situations.
The unique aspects were actually perfectly aligned: he didn’t really need more screentime, his voice remained clearly noticeable, providing his vocal talent which already hinted towards those uniquely dramatic moments which become later trademarks that ultimately led to his iconic fame. The success for Price; and this choice perfectly aligns with his character, adding those unexpected benefits. Despite having little visual appearance; he gets second billing (behind Cedrick Hardwicke)! This highlights those elements emphasized from this article, further reiterating his position as being crucial for this storyline.
Conclusion: An Underrated Horror Classic
The Invisible Man Returns is truly important! This was an unexpectedly brilliant movie that helped launch an extremely successful career. It showcases that originality, strong storytelling decisions, and creative brilliance never really get entirely ignored by fans. And while we recognize those limited efforts behind some of those early horror productions; this shows even the simplest and sometimes questionable creative decisions regarding these plots could yield amazing results; an unexpectedly amazing story for Vincent Price's amazing and long career as that classic horror icon, creating another uniquely remarkable movie that helped solidify his reputation. Go check it out!
