The Invisible Man Returns arrived in American cinemas in January 1940. It was directed by Joe May and leaned less on terror and more on tension, building a slow-burning thriller. Before this film, the King of Horror himself Vincent Price was not remotely known for horror at all; this was his kingmaker, and yet, despite how defining it was to his career, he’s barely visible.
The change happened quickly. Despite spending most of the film off-screen or hidden under layers of bandages and sunglasses, he turned what could have been a flat sci-fi role into something layered and intense. The Invisible Man Returns became a major hit, earning triple its budget and proving that horror didn’t need gore to succeed.
What was Vincent Price’s role in the movie?
Vincent Price played Geoffrey Radcliffe, a man wrongfully convicted of murdering his brother and sentenced to death. Just hours before his execution, Dr. Frank Griffin visits Radcliffe in prison with a dangerous solution: an invisibility serum. It works, and Radcliffe escapes, but the serum has a cost; it slowly breaks the mind.
From that moment, the film becomes a race against time. Radcliffe must uncover the truth behind his brother’s death before the madness overtakes him. The murder mystery element gave the film a sharp, noir-like edge, which was already gaining popularity in American cinemas. The movie’s suspense rests on Radcliffe’s desperation and the risk that he’ll become something worse than a fugitive; he could lose himself entirely.
Vincent Price’s role as the invisible man was significant to the movie
Though Price’s face rarely appears, his voice and movement carry the film. His character hides behind glasses and gauze, or disappears entirely, yet his fear remains clear. In one scene, he asks his fiancée to turn around before he undresses, even though she can’t see him.
In another, he stares into a mirror and sees nothing. These small, human moments are what make Radcliffe feel real, despite the impossible premise. The film’s special effects, impressive for the time, might feel dated now, but Price’s performance still holds. Even without a visible face, Vincent Price left his mark.