The Amazing Transparent Man (Sci-Fi Thriller, 1960)

The Amazing Transparent Man centers on a safecracker turned invisible man, manipulated into committing crimes in a Cold War-era sci-fi setting. Here’s a detailed summary based on the search results and standard descriptions:
Premise: Joey Faust (Douglas Kennedy), a convicted safecracker, escapes from prison with the help of Laura Matson (Marguerite Chapman), a mysterious woman working for Major Paul Krenner (James Griffith), a rogue ex-military officer with sinister ambitions. Krenner has a secret hideout where he’s holding Dr. Peter Ulof (Ivan Triesault), a scientist, and his daughter hostage, forcing Ulof to perfect a machine that can turn people invisible using radioactive materials.

The Experiment: Krenner coerces Faust into becoming a test subject for Ulof’s invisibility machine, which renders him completely transparent (except for brief moments when the effect wears off). Krenner’s plan is to use Faust’s invisibility to steal nuclear materials from a heavily guarded facility, aiming to create an army of invisible soldiers for global domination—a nod to Cold War anxieties.

Conflict and Twists: Faust, a self-serving criminal, initially agrees to the heist for personal gain but grows suspicious of Krenner’s motives. Tensions rise as Laura, Krenner’s reluctant accomplice, develops conflicted feelings, and Ulof reveals the deadly side effects of the invisibility process: the radiation is killing Faust. The film explores themes of greed, betrayal, and moral redemption as Faust grapples with his fate.

Climax: Faust rebels against Krenner, leading to a chaotic showdown. During the heist, the invisibility machine’s instability causes problems, and Faust’s condition worsens. In a redemptive act, Faust triggers an explosion that destroys the hideout, the machine, and the nuclear materials, thwarting Krenner’s plans but sacrificing himself. The film ends on a philosophical note, with Ulof questioning whether humanity can handle such dangerous technology.

Style and Execution: The plot is straightforward but packed with B-movie tropes: mad scientists, femme fatales, and antiheroes. The invisibility effects are rudimentary (e.g., floating objects, partial transparency), reflecting the film’s low budget, but Ulmer’s direction infuses it with noirish tension and a bleak moral undertone.

Cast
The cast features B-movie veterans delivering melodramatic performances suited to the film’s pulpy tone. Key players include:
Douglas Kennedy as Joey Faust: The gruff, cynical safecracker who becomes the invisible man. Kennedy, a character actor, appeared in numerous Westerns and sci-fi films like The Alligator People (1959).

Marguerite Chapman as Laura Matson: The femme fatale with a conflicted conscience, torn between Krenner’s schemes and sympathy for Faust. Chapman was a 1940s leading lady who transitioned to B-roles, known for The Seven Year Itch (1955) in a minor part.

James Griffith as Major Paul Krenner: The villainous mastermind with megalomaniacal ambitions. Griffith, a prolific character actor, often played sinister types in films like Spartacus (1960).

Ivan Triesault as Dr. Peter Ulof: The reluctant scientist forced to conduct dangerous experiments. Triesault, a German-born actor, specialized in intellectual roles in films like Notorious (1946).

Supporting Roles: Minor characters, like Ulof’s daughter and a farmer (Boyd “Red” Morgan), add texture but have limited screen time.

Fun Facts
Here are some engaging tidbits about The Amazing Transparent Man, drawn from the search results and broader context:
Shot on a Shoestring Budget:
The film was made for under $100,000 (some estimate as low as $40,000) and shot in two weeks in Dallas, Texas, alongside another Ulmer B-movie, Beyond the Time Barrier. When funds ran out, Ulmer reportedly used his own money to complete production.

To cut costs, the same sets and actors (e.g., Kennedy, Griffith) were used for both films, and the invisibility effects were minimal, relying on simple tricks like wire work and editing.

Double Feature Origins:
Produced by Miller-Consolidated Pictures (MCP), the film flopped initially due to MCP’s bankruptcy. American International Pictures (AIP) acquired it for lab costs and released it in 1961 as a double feature with Beyond the Time Barrier, a common B-movie distribution strategy.

The AIP version added logos and a prologue, but many public domain prints lack these, suggesting they’re sourced from MCP’s original, unrestored negatives.

Edgar G. Ulmer’s B-Movie Legacy:
Ulmer, dubbed the “King of B-movies,” was known for crafting compelling films under tight constraints. The Amazing Transparent Man reflects his knack for infusing low-budget fare with noirish style and existential themes, though it’s considered lesser than his masterpiece Detour.

Ulmer’s daughter, Arianne, later became a film editor, and his work has a cult following among B-movie fans.

Mystery Science Theater 3000 Fame:
The film gained renewed attention in 1995 when featured in Mystery Science Theater 3000 (MST3K) episode #623. The MST3K crew riffed on its cheap effects, stilted dialogue, and plot holes, making it a beloved entry for fans. This exposure helped cement its cult status.

MST3K’s use of the film supports its public domain status, as the show often selected such works to avoid licensing fees.

Invisibility Tropes and Influences:
The film draws loosely on H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man (1897), adapting the concept of invisibility for a crime thriller. Unlike Universal’s 1933 adaptation, it emphasizes Cold War fears (e.g., nuclear radiation, global domination) over horror.

The invisibility machine’s radioactive basis reflects 1950s sci-fi anxieties about atomic power, seen in films like The Incredible Shrinking Man (1957).