Product: Invisible Ghost (UK PAL Region 0)
Rating: 4.0
A TORMENTED PERFORMANCE BY BELA
Bela is Charles Kessler, whose wife ran off and left him several years earlier. On their anniversary, he still has the butler set a place for her at the dinner table, even having him serve the empty spot. Unknown to him, his wife was actually in a car accident and has been hidden away and cared for by Kessler's Gardener Jules and his wife. But Mrs. Kessler, now an amnesiac, sneaks out at night and stares up at the window of her husband's study. Kessler immediatelt seems to know when she is down there and goes to stare back at her. Then something happens...Kessler becomes hypnotized and immediately sets off to commit murder. Beeing entranced, Kessler isn't even aware what he is doing.Several murders have already taken place at the estate and as the film opens, He ventures forth and murders the new maid in her bed. The fiancee of Kessler's daughter, one Ralph Dickson is accused of the crime since he and the maid had once been lovers. Dickson is found guilty on the most circumstantial evidence and is executed. Soon after, Dickson's twin brother Paul shows up at the Kessler estate to try and find out what happened to his brother and learns about the mysterious deaths. When he asks why they don't leave the house he's told that Kessler is waiting for his wife to return.Invisible Ghost was a mere hook for a title as Kessler's wife is no ghost and not remotely invisible...dead or otherwise. But remember this was 1941 and truth in advertising was not order of the day. Lugosi plays a more tragic role here, not the menacing evil of other films like Dracula or White Zombie. He seems to be truly in love with his or maybe obsessed is a better word. His deliberate stalking of his victims, creeping up from behind or as they sleep is just fun to watch.There doesn't seem to have been any reason for Paul Dickson to be an exact twin of Ralph's, as nothing was made of this fact outside of the initial reaction of Kessler's daughter, Virgina.A good Role for Bela, one where he was the real murderer as opposed the red herring he would play in many other films.