THE INVISIBLE WOMAN

New Zealand Listener, Volume 4, Issue 97, 2 May 1941, Page 17

THE INVISIBLE WOMAN

(Universal)

wondered, when I saw the stills of The Invisible Woman outside the theatre, if Mr. Hays had fallen asleep on the job — for. if they were anv vcuide. Vir-

ginia, Bruce would be prancing through the film clad in nothing more than an outline of neon lighting, or perhaps I should say strip-lighting. But if I was to be disappointed in this-it was evidently just a kind of poetic licence — there were other compensations, viz., an amusing story, with good smooth direction by A. Edward Sutherland, a

gang of téugh citizens practically straight from Damon Runyon, and, above all, one J. Barrymore, Esq. Barrymoré plays the part of the professor who makes Virginia Bruce invisible (perhaps "clowns the part" would be more accurate). Anyway, he thoroughly enjoys himself and his enjoyment is so infectious that you laugh with as well as at him. He isn’t one eccentric professor, he’s all the eccentric professors he’s ever heard funny stories about. And not all rolled into one, but one after the other until" your head spins trying to take it all in, But it’s a delightful piece of hyperbole, and I could almost hear the director telling the camera--man,."Don’t shoot till you see the whites of his eyes," Oscar Homolka hasn’t much to do as the homesick gangster. He weeps beautifully, but, in spite of his eyebrows, as "de boss," he lacks: the punch of Cagney or the ‘poisonality of Edward G. Robinson Edward Brophy and Co. make good toughs, and Charlie Ruggles provides most of the slapstick. The film obviously didn’t cost much to make, and I think it should show Universal quite’a good return, | 4