Vincent Price discussed the impressive special effects process used in The Invisible Man Returns (1940)
Price also revealed that he made a few friends during his time filming the horror sequel.
Though the success of the 1933 film The Invisible Man was impressive enough to warrant a sequel, that didn’t mean that filming the anticipated project, The Invisible Man Returns (1940), went off without a hitch.
According to one of the film’s stars, Vincent Price, Joe May, the sequel’s Austrian-born director, ran into problems when communicating with the cast.
“May was difficult to understand, as he spoke no English,” said Price, according to Universal Horrors: The Studio’s Classic Films by Tom Weaver, Michael Brunas and John Brunas. “I had something of a rapport with him because of my knowledge of German.”
Price’s friendship with May was much needed; the actor took on quite a prominent role in the 1940 sequel.
“All of the effect scenes were done with my involvement,” said Price. “It was terribly tedious as I had to be dressed from top to toe in black velvet and I had to work against a set draped in black velvet. John Fulton, whose ingenuity contrived it all, was the leading special effects man at that time. I enjoyed it. The tedium was ultimately more than worthwhile, and I love special effects”
In addition to May, Price also became fond of his co-star, Sir Cedric Hardwicke, who played Richard Cobb.
“Sir Cedric Hardwicke was a delightful man,” said Price. “He ended up being one of my best friends. He didn’t like doing this film; he was facing home problems at the time. We became very close.”
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