The Invisible Avenger
| Tomei Ningen | |
|---|---|
 1954 Japanese film poster | |
| Directed by | Motoyoshi Oda |
| Screenplay by | Shigeaki Hidaka[1] |
| Based on | The Invisible Man suggested by 1897 novel by H. G. Wells |
| Produced by | Takeo Kita[1] |
| Starring |
|
| Cinematography | Eiji Tsuburaya[1] |
| Edited by | Shuichi Orihara[1] |
| Music by | Kyosuke Kami[1] |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Toho |
Release date |
|
Running time | 70 minutes[1] |
| Country | Japan |
| Language | Japanese |
The Invisible Avenger (透明人間, Tomei Ningen, lit. Invisible Man) is a 1954 Japanese
Plot
In
Soon, there are robberies across Tokyo from a gang calling themselves the Invisible Men. Meanwhile Nanjo, a clown who works at the
Soon after, Komatsu, who has been following Nanjo, finds himself alone in a room with him and discovers that Nanjo is, in fact, the other invisible man. He dresses as a clown with face makeup, gloves and so on so as to appear visible and lead a relatively normal life. Nanjo and Komatsu decide to work together to investigate and reveal the identity of the gang that is terrorizing the town and who murdered Mariko's grandfather, while also trying to save Michiyo, a singer who is stuck within the gang and cannot escape. They discover that the gang is led by the same people who own Kurofune, and in an ensuing battle and chase, Nanjo, using his invisibility to his advantage, saves Michiyo and kills Yajima, the gang boss. However, he is also fatally wounded in the fight and becomes visible again. He asks Michiyo to take good care of Mariko in his last breath.
Cast
- Seizaburo Kawazu as Takemitsu Nanjo, the clown/Invisible Man
- Miki Sanjo as Michiyo, the singer
- Minoru Takada as Yajima, the leader of the "Invisible Gang"
- Yoshio Tsuchiya as Komatsu, the reporter
- Keiko Kondo as Mariko, the blind girl
- Kenjiro Uemura as Ken
- Kamatari Fujiwara as Mari's grandfather
- Sonosuke Sawamura as Nomura, Deitman
- Seijiro Onda as Chief of Police
- Shoichi Hirose as Policeman
- Takuzo Kumagai as Otsuka
- Shin Otomo as Detective
- Noriko Shigeyama as Nightclub Dancer
- Haruo Suzuki as Men at Nightclub
- Akira Sera as Man at street stand
- Yutaka Oka as Announcer
- Yasuhisa Tsutsumi as Jewelry Shop Manager
- Jiro Kumagai as Otsuka
- Minoru Ito as Man in car (traffic accident)
- Keiko Mori as Woman in car (traffic accident)
- Haruo Nakajima as Invisible Man Akita[1]
Production
Filming
Tomei Ningen was shot in black-and-white at
Special effects
The scene where Nanjo scrubs off his clown makeup, revealing his invisibility was achieved with Kawazu gradually covering his face with black greasepaint; when combined with a separately photographed background, the dark shades became see-through, and the actor seemed to wipe away his very being.
For scenes where Nanjo throws things or moves the around, piano wire was used to simulate the invisible man holding these objects.
Release
Tomei Ningen was released in Japan by Toho on December 29, 1954.[1] Any release of the film in the United States is undetermined. No evidence exists that it was ever dubbed in English.[1]
Daiei Film produced two similar films featuring invisibility, The Invisible Man Appears in 1949, and The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly in 1957.[4]
References
Footnotes
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Galbraith IV 2008, p. 107.
- ^ Galbraith IV 1994, p. 373.
- ^ Kalat 1997, p. 37.
- ^ Galbraith IV 1994, p. 312.
Sources
- ISBN 0-89950-853-7.
- Ryfle, Steve (1998). Japan's Favorite Mon-Star: The Unauthorized Biography of the Big G. ECW Press. ISBN 1550223488.
- Galbraith IV, Stuart (2008). The Toho Studios Story: A History and Complete Filmography. ISBN 978-1461673743. Retrieved October 29, 2013.
- Kalat, David (1997). A Critical History and Filmography of Toho's Godzilla Series. McFarland. ISBN 0786403004.
External links
- The Invisible Avenger at IMDb
 | This article related to a Japanese film of the 1950s is a stub. You can help Wikipedia by expanding it. |