Now You See Him, Now You Don’t (1972): Cast & Plot
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t is a 1972 sci-fi comedy directed by Robert Butler, starring Kurt Russell as Dexter Reilly, Cesar Romero and Michael McGreevey. It runs 1 hour 28 minutes.
- Released
- Runtime
- 1h 28m (88 min)
- Director
- Robert Butler
- Original language
-
English - Studio
- Walt Disney Productions
- After the credits
- No No extra scene
What Is Now You See Him, Now You Don’t About?
The premise of Now You See Him, Now You Don’t without spoilers. The whole story is in the plot summary further down.
After a lab accident, science student Dexter Riley at Medfield College creates a liquid that makes objects and people invisible. When his friends Debbie and Richard discover the formula, greedy businessman A.J. Arno plots to steal it for a bank robbery. Dexter and his pals scramble to stop Arno, sparking a series of slapstick mishaps as they race to keep the invisibility spray out of criminal hands.
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t Themes & Keywords
· 50 tags- bumblebee
- allergic to bee sting
- experiment
- hole in one
- golf
- golfer
- bank robbery
- chase
- fire hydrant
- fire hose
- showering with clothes on
- mortgage
+38 more Show fewer
- chauffeur
- gangster
- car in a swimming pool
- invisible car
- competition
- prize money
- reference to thomas edison
- sneakers
- snooping
- janitor
- man wears eyeglasses
- psychotronic film
- slimehouse
- caddie
- 1970s
- student
- chemistry student
- runway
- being followed
- uncle nephew relationship
- airport
- invisibility formula
- invisibility spray
- television broadcast
- golf ball
- playing golf
- golf course
- crooked businessman
- model town
- dune buggy
- pistol
- camera
- office
- kicked in the shin
- security guard
- washing hands
- handshake
- vase of flowers
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t Cast & Characters
Kurt Russell leads the cast as Dexter Reilly, with Cesar Romero as A.J. Arno and Michael McGreevey as Richard Schuyler. Directed by Robert Butler; 29 actors are credited in all.
- Director Robert Butler
-
Kurt Russell as Dexter Reilly -
Cesar Romero as A.J. Arno - Michael McGreevey as Richard Schuyler
- Joyce Menges as Debbie Dawson
Also Starring in Now You See Him, Now You Don’t
· 25 more- Joe Flynn Dean Eugene (E.J.) Higgins
- Alan Hewitt Dean Collingsgood
- William Windom Professor Lufkin
- Larry Gelman Professor (uncredited)
- Ed Begley Jr. Druffle
- Jim Backus Timothy Forsythe
- Richard Bakalyan Cookie
- Frank Welker Myles
- Kenner G. Kemp Reporter (uncredited)
- Jeffrey Sayre Budget Meeting Attendee (uncredited)
- Dave Willock Mr. Burns
- George O'Hanlon Ted
- Benny Rubin Golfer (uncredited)
- Edward Andrews Mr. Sampson
- Eddie Quillan Charlie, School Custodian (uncredited)
- Bing Russell Alfred
Show all 29 cast members Show fewer cast members
- Alvin Hammer Elwood (uncredited)
- Burt Mustin Mr. Reed (uncredited)
- Jack Bender Slither Roth
- Kelly Thordsen Sgt. Cassidy
- Paul Smith Road Block Officer
- Edward Faulkner Mike Bank Guard (uncredited)
- Robert Rothwell Driver
- Mike Evans Henry Fathington
- Frank Aletter TV Announcer
More from Robert Butler
More films directed by Robert Butler, best-rated first: The Computer Wore Tennis Shoes, The Barefoot Executive, Turbulence and White Mile.
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t Plot Summary
What happens in Now You See Him, Now You Don’t from start to finish, spoilers included, with a timeline of 14 key events. The opening is below; the full summary is a 4-minute read.
Spoilers ahead
At Medfield College, Dexter Riley, Kurt Russell, is a passionate young scientist who dreams big. He teams up with his friends Richard Schuyler, Michael McGreevey, and Debbie Dawson, Joyce Menges, to explore the possibilities of science beyond the classroom. Their enthusiasm catches the attention of the weary Dean Higgins, Joe Flynn, who worries aloud about the college’s shaky finances and real future. In the shadows of the same corridor, Professor Lufkin, William Windom, guides Higgins through the messy, cluttered science lab where Dexter is secretly toiling away on an invisibility experiment. The lab’s hum is drowned out by the thunderstorm that roars outside, and a strike of lightning tears through the building, damaging a good portion of Dexter’s delicate equipment.
Full summary
The whole story of Now You See Him, Now You Don’t, scene by scene
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t Videos
The clip of Now You See Him, Now You Don’t.
How Well Do You Know Now You See Him, Now You Don’t?
9 questions about the story, each with a hint if you get stuck. Pick an answer to see whether you were right.
Question 1 of 9
- Question 1: not answered
- Question 2: not answered
- Question 3: not answered
- Question 4: not answered
- Question 5: not answered
- Question 6: not answered
- Question 7: not answered
- Question 8: not answered
- Question 9: not answered
What is the name of the young scientist who creates the invisibility formula?
Cars in Now You See Him, Now You Don’t
84 cars on screen, including the Custom Made Dune Buggy and the 1966 Chevrolet El Camino.
-
Custom Made Dune Buggy Main role -
1966 Chevrolet El Camino Important role -
1970 Ford Custom Important role -
1951 Hudson Hornet Important role
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t Also Known As
19 alternative titles, including “Spruzza” and “Sparisci e Spara”.
- Also known as
-
- Spruzza
- Sparisci e Spara
- Loucuras Invisíveis
- Nu Zie Je Hem
- Nu Niet Meer
- Látod? Nem látod? Na látod!
- 隐形喷雾
- Spruzza, sparisci e spara
- Te veo y no te veo
- Es kracht, es zischt, zu seh'n ist nischt
- Itt a fiú, hol a fiú?
- בא ונעלם
+7 more Show fewer
- Pas vu, pas pris
- Den usynlige bande
- 隐身神童
- 나우 유 시 힘
- 나우 유 돈트
- Acum îl vezi, acum nu
- Osynliga ligan slår till
Seen Now You See Him, Now You Don’t?
Movies Like Now You See Him, Now You Don’t
Films with a similar story, tone or audience, including Invisible: The Chronicles of Benjamin Knight, Now You See Me: Now You Don't and The Absent Minded Professor.
-
Invisible: The Chronicles of Benjamin Knight 1993 -
Now You See Me: Now You Don't 2025 -
The Absent Minded Professor 1961 -
Invisible Mom 1996 -
Invisible Dad 1998 -
The Invisible Man Returns 1940 -
The Invisible Man Appears 1949 -
The Invisible Boy 1957 -
The Invisible Children 2001 -
Honey, We Shrunk Ourselves 1997 -
The Invisible Monster 1950 -
Invisible Man 1954
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t FAQ: Cast & Runtime
Runtime, release date, director, cast and post-credit scenes of Now You See Him, Now You Don’t, each answered in a sentence.
How long is Now You See Him, Now You Don’t?
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t runs 1 hour 28 minutes (88 minutes).
When was Now You See Him, Now You Don’t released?
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t was released on July 12, 1972.
Who directed Now You See Him, Now You Don’t?
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t was directed by Robert Butler.
More films by Robert Butler Who is in the cast of Now You See Him, Now You Don’t?
Now You See Him, Now You Don’t stars Kurt Russell as Dexter Reilly, Cesar Romero as A.J. Arno and Michael McGreevey as Richard Schuyler, among 29 credited actors.
Does Now You See Him, Now You Don’t have a post-credit scene?
No. Now You See Him, Now You Don’t has no extra scene during or after the credits.
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