The Amazing Transparent Man

The Amazing Transparent Man
Lobby card
Directed by	Edgar G. Ulmer
Produced by	Lester D. Guthrie Robert L. Madden John Miller
Written by	Jack Lewis
Starring	Marguerite Chapman Douglas Kennedy James Griffith Ivan Triesault
Music by	Darrell Calker
Cinematography	Meredith M. Nicholson
Edited by	Jack Ruggiero
Production company	MCP Pictures
Distributed by	MCP Pictures (July 1960) American International Pictures (1961) Troma Entertainment
Release date	July 1960
Running time	57 min
Country	United States
Language	English
Budget	$100,000 (estimated)

The Amazing Transparent Man is a 1960 science fiction film starring Marguerite Chapman. It is an American B-movie which follows the story of an insane ex–U.S. Army major who uses an escaped criminal to steal materials to improve the invisibility machine his scientist prisoner made. It was one of two sci-fi films shot back-to-back in Dallas, Texas by director Edgar G. Ulmer (the other being Beyond the Time Barrier, also released in that same year). The combined filming schedule for both films was only two weeks. The film was later featured in an episode of Mystery Science Theater 3000.

The film received poor reviews and suffered in popularity as a result of its low budget. Science fiction author David Wingrove commented in his Science Fiction Source Book that "Its cheap-budget origins show throughout. Amazing claims too much for what is essentially a thriller involving an escaped criminal..."

Former U.S. Army major Paul Krenner (James Griffith) plans to conquer the world with an army of invisible soldiers and will do anything to achieve that goal. With the help of his hired muscle, Julian (Red Morgan), Krenner forces Dr. Peter Ulof (Ivan Trisault) to perfect the invisibility machine Ulof invented. He keeps Ulof's daughter, Maria (Carmel Daniel), imprisoned to keep Ulof in line.

The nuclear materials Ulof needs to better his invisibility machine are extremely rare and kept under guard in government facilities. Krenner arranges the prison break of notorious a safecracker, Joey Faust (Douglas Kennedy), to steal the materials he needs. Of course Faust will do the jobs while invisible. Krenner offers Faust money for the jobs and Faust expresses his grievances against working for him. Faust tells him that he will sing like a canary if he is returned to prison, but Krenner informs Faust that he is wanted dead or alive, so Faust reluctantly complies. However, when he meets Faust’s woman, Laura Matson (Marguerite Chapman), he slowly charms her into a double cross.

Faust continues attempting to escape and tries to get one over on Krenner. It looks as if he may have the edge on Krenner when Faust attacks Krenner while invisible. However, Dr. Ulof’s guinea pig dies and, during the second time he is invisible, Faust uncontrollably reverts from invisible to visible and back again. Despite these drawbacks Faust forges ahead, intent on breaking free from Krenner's control.