Moustroll Good movie but grossly overrated

Salubfoto It's an amazing and heartbreaking story.

Aubrey Hackett While it is a pity that the story wasn't told with more visual finesse, this is trivial compared to our real-world problems. It takes a good movie to put that into perspective.

Calum Hutton It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...

Scott LeBrun Lightweight, forgettable, but agreeable feature is light on horror but easy enough to watch for just over an hour. It was the first of nine pictures that horror star Bela Lugosi and producer Sam Katzman made for Monogram Pictures, and is considered by some to be the best of the lot. Lugosi plays Charles Kessler, physician and prominent citizen in an American burg. He's still grieving in his own way for the break-up of his marriage. (His wife (Betty Compson) had run off with another man, then supposedly perished in a car crash.) Murders begin to plague the estate where Kessler, his daughter Virginia (Polly Ann Young), and assorted staff reside.Either you shake your head, laugh, and go with the silliness of the plot, or you don't. The cast is certainly worth watching, in any event. Lugosi gets to play a sort of tragic antagonist, rather than a true villain. He's charismatic as usual, and the supporting cast (also including John McGuire as lookalike brothers, Terry Walker as a conniving maid, Ernie Adams as a gardener, and George Pembroke as a police lieutenant who always has a cigar jutting out of his mouth) keeps things watchable. Best of all is Clarence Muse, a prominent black actor of the time who is actually allowed to play his butler character with some dignity. The direction is by Joseph H. Lewis, a talented B filmmaker who went on to make such well respected classics as "The Big Combo" and "My Name is Julia Ross". The screenplay by Helen and Al Martin is allowed to have some humor about itself, which is appreciated.Decent atmosphere, a good pace, and some fine visuals add up to an okay time for lovers of genre cinema from this era.Six out of 10.

Mark Honhorst Well, the title doesn't make any sense. Aren't all ghosts invisible? Either way, there are no ghosts in this movie, transparent or otherwise. The film is about Charles Kessler (Bela Lugosi) who unknowingly commits a series of murders after his wife seemingly dies in a car accident. This is a fine effort for a cheap Sam Katzman production. Most of the performances are good, and Clarence Muse steals the show as Mr. Kessler's butler, Evans, who gets a decent amount of screen time, lines, and isn't too stereotypical. Muse doesn't portray Evans as the typical "Oh Lawdy" scared black servant that was popular in old dark house horror movies at the time. Something in his facial expressions and delivery gives him a sarcastic and humorous edge. Unfortunately, this isn't one of Lugosi's best performances. He is so expressionless throughout, it's hard to tell when he is or isn't in a trance. However, he still has that certain something that always makes him fun to watch.The story also leaves something to be desired. Unless I missed something, I don't think it ever explains why he killed anyone. I must say though, it does have some artful cinematography and lighting. The scenes where Kessler sees his "dead" wife through the window are expertly shot. Overall, I have to say this is fun rainy day entertainment. If you have a tolerance for low budget 40s horror movies, you just might have a good time watching this one. Also, watch for the scene in which Lugosi has his butler serve him and an empty place for his wife at the dinner table. Definitely the eeriest scene in the film.

Rainey Dawn LOVED this film. It's a crime-thriller with an air of mystery. This is not a typical ghost film. This film is a "ghost from the past" type of film (like seeing someone you thought you'd never see again after years of being away from each other).Lugosi is Mr. Kessler, a rich well-respected man, who has 'snapped' after his wife's disappearance (or so he and almost everyone else thinks she's gone). Kessler sees his wife in the windows (as if seeing a ghost) then 'snaps' into a murderous rage. Mrs. Kessler (Betty Compson) reveals why she has left her husband during the course of the film.I love the cast in this movie - well performed by all. In particular, I enjoyed Betty Compson's performance as Mrs. Kessler - very mysterious.9.5/10

mikeg994 Back in the day, horror just didn't get the respect that it would today, kind of relegated to the back of the bus with all the other social reprobates. However this one is a gem, if not in the story line then certainly in the acting. Bela Lugosi is excellent as Mr. Kessler, the urbane and courtly widower somewhat befuddled by the recent loss of his wife in a tragic accident. Clarence Muse is excellent too as the butler, who in the role of black servant is not played mainly for comic effect, although he does have one funny line. At one point says "Do I look pale? I feel pale", when he sees Paul Dickson, who is the image of his dead brother Ralph.As with most horror mysteries, there is a lot of darkness and strange occurrences. Never mind that much of it isn't adequately explained, it keeps the viewer going. The police are clueless and seem always to be the dumbest ones in the room. The rest are either insane or hapless witnesses and victims. Considering the frequency of murder taking place in this house, the occupants seem strangely unconcerned and Mr. Kessler has no problem hiring new domestic servants to replace those who have been murdered.What is unexplained (and here be the spoiler) is why his gardener, Jules is providing shelter and allowing Mr. Kessler's wife {supposedly dead), who is also not quite right apparently, to hide somewhere nearby. Also why does she prowl the night and look in windows, in all weather, and what DSM-IV classification could possible exist to explain why this triggers in Mr. Kessler his slow trance-like stalking of victims in his house late at night? Mr. Kessler and his wife seem to be made for each other, since both are crazy as loons. All I can say is, it is probably a good thing that would-be son in law Ralph never gets a chance to reproduce with Kessler's daughter. The genetic consequences would not have been pretty.