The Invisible Dr. Mabuse (1962) We're starting to lose count of how many Mabuse films we've watched and reviewed. Mostly mixed reactions (good and not so good stuff in each one).
At last, we came across one we kind of liked all the way through.
For those who aren't caught up on Mabuse-ery, a quick overview:
Doc M. popped up in a 1921 novel and 3 classic films by director Fritz Lang. In German pop culture lore, he's a combo of Professor Moriarity, Ernst Blofeld, Fu Manchu and a shape shifting Svengali. He's chock full of evil plans for world domination and usually commands a dark army of mesmerized minions.
Long story short: He's a really, really, really bad guy.
And now he snagged himself a scientist who can make people invisible via radio frequencies......or something like that.
Even worse, he's lusting after a luscious stage diva (the always strikingly beautiful Karin Dor). Karin's big act involves literally losing her head every night as a guillotined Marie Antoinette.
(This is where Chekov's famous 'rule of the loaded gun' comes in. If you see a guillotine in Act I, you can bet your neck that by Act III, someone's going to use it for real......)
Mabuse's creepy minions also hang out in Karin's theater, including a decidedly sinister fat clown. (a surprise reveal at the end). And the poor girl's being driven over the edge when she sees a chair in her dressing room squish down after Mabusy's plopped his invisible ass on it.
To the rescue comes visiting FBI Agent Joe Como played by ex Tarzan and international movie star Lex Barker. Quite the massive physical specimen in the Schwarzenegger mold, we just knew Lex would punch the crap out of Mabuse's minions, given half a chance.
And by the end of the film he's given more than half a chance.
Also showing up, as we knew they would.....those familiar war movie Nazis, Werner Peters and Wolfgang Preiss (who once again takes the titular role of Mabuse.)
We did have fun with this one, because we'd never pass up a chance to gaze upon Karin Dor's enormous, expressive eyes (we thought of her as the Germanic Barbara Steele). And we swear the film's explanation of invisibility almost sounds plausible......
For those into Mabuse, it's a 3 star (***) must watch. Be advised though, for culture vulture cineastes - we're talkin' pulp cinema here so you either roll with the nonsense or give it a hard pass.
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