Mister Superinvisible

(aka INAFFERRABILE INVINCIBILE MR. INVISIBILE,
L', EL HOMBRE INVISIBLE, EL INVENCIBLE HOMBRE INVISIBLE,
MISTER UNSICHTBAR, MR. INVISIBLE, MR. SUPERINVISIBLE)
(1973 Italy / Monaco / Spain / West Germany) color
98 / 95 / 91 / 84 minutes
Dia Films / Edo Cinematografica / Peter Carsten Productions /
Producciónes Cinematográficas D.I.A. [es]
K-Tel International / Danton Films / As Films, S.A.
Story: Maria Laura Rocca (as “Mary Eller”) (from her novel)
Screenplay: Luis Marquina ( as "Oscar Saul"),
Maria Laura Rocca (as "Mary Eller")
Music: Carlo Savina
Editing: Otello Colangeli, Christopher Mankiewcz
Cinematography: Alejandro Ulloa
Produced by Peter Carsten
Directed by Antonio Margheriti (as "Anthony M. Dawson")

With: Dean Jones (Dr. Peter Denwell), Gastone Moschin, Ingeborg Schoener (Irene Scott), Rafael Alonso, Roberto Camardiel, Alan Collins, Peter Carsten (Pomeranz)

***

Plot Outline by Kevin S. Butler: Dr. Danwell (Dean Jones) is an American scientist and chemist working with a think tank in Rome, which is about to exhibit a collection of viral germs to the public via TV. Danwell’s appearance on TV is not revered by one of the lab's obnoxious supporters, also a romantic rival for the hand of one of lab's beautiful chemists, Irene. Soon, Danwell receives a bottle from his friend, a scientist in India, which contains a strange fluid. He wants Danwell to test it. What Danwell doesn't know is that the bottle contains an invisibility serum, which has made the Hindi scientist transparent. Meanwhile, the case containing the deadly viral germs has been stolen, and poor Danwell has been framed for the theft. Danwell is fired by the lab's executive board, and is held under suspicion by the police. While he packs up his lab and he prepares to take a shower, Danwell drinks a cup of coffee which has been spiked by the invisibility fluid by Ringo, the lab chimp. Before you know it, Danwell and Ringo are invisible! The undaunted and resourceful Danwell uses his invisibility to find out who is really responsible for the theft of the germs. He finds out that his enemy on the lab board is really a member of the Mafia! With the aid of his gang, he has stolen the germs for the purpose of world domination. However, with the aid of the invisibility fluid and a fellow scientist's exploding eggs, Danwell captures the crooks, returns the germs to the lab, clears his good name and finally, steals a kiss from Irene!

***

Disney perennial Dean Jones stars in this European sci-fi spoof which was co-produced with U.S. telemarketing giants K-Tel., an attempt to duplicate Disney's successful family comedy format in a most decidedly slapdash manner. K-Tel obviously thought by placing the beloved and familiar Jones in the starring role of a fantasy with sci-fi elements, a hit was a sure thing.

And K-Tel, not known for being subtle, promoted the hell out of this thing, including sweepstakes involving trips to Disneyland (!), and free stuffed animals of doggie character Dillon, and presumably at least made back their investment. On the other hand, as their other Kiddie Matinee offerings were total flops, such as Ron Merk’s great PINOCCHIO’S BIRTHDAY PARTY, maybe they never did get the rough art of the Kiddie Matinee down after all.

Sadly for the poor kids lured into the theatre, MISTER SUPERINVISIBLE is a lethargic and sketchy Euro-comedy, poorly shot, terribly dubbed, and woefully overacted. In fact, the entire style of SUEPRINVIVIBLSE is reminiscent of 1960’s Italian sex comedies, involving dialogue rife with double-entendre, long-winded and pointless chase scenes, and violent yet impotent physical slapstick.

In fact, this adult-film heritage is seen most vividly in an odd and wholly gratuitous nude scene: at one point, Jones runs naked down a hallway, bare-assed. As one observer has noted, SUPERINVISIBLE is almost “painfully Italian”, with its swinging music, mod sets, bumbling gangsters, and “small automobiles”.

MISTER SUPERINVISIBLE was directed by Italian workhorse director Antonio Margheriti, under his familiar Anglicized pseudonym. Margheriti has a long and impressive resume, including such cult faves as CASTLE OF TERROR, WILD, WILD PLANET and YOR, THE HUNTER FROM THE FUTURE. (In fact, in some areas, MISTER SUPERINVISIBLE was sent out on a double bill with Margheriti’s excellent WAR BETWEEN THE PLANETS.) Producer Peter Carsten also stars as Denwell's pal Pomeranz.

According to Kevin S. Butler, one of the actors who played a villain in MR. SUPERINVISIBLE, looking and sounding like Peter Lorre, also appeared as Lorre in a series of TV commercials for Rhinegold Beer in the late 1970's. This gentleman, whose name we can’t identify, did the commercials with another actor, who impersonated actor Humphrey Bogart.

Video/DVD availability: VHS (Goodtimes, Simitar, oop)

Two unusual posters for MISTER SUPERINVISIBLE. Left: a dynamic Turkish poster seems to market the film as a spy thriller. Right: a "Style B" poster for the U.S. release promotes a sweepstakes for a trip to Disneyland! Could the attempted faux-Disney connection to this sad import be any more blatant? One also wonders whether this poster was sent out to far more Kiddie Matinnes than "Style A" (see top of page), due to its odd depiction of male nudity.