The Invisible Monster 1950

A would-be dictator and scientist, The Phantom Ruler, has devised a startling invisibility formula. When sprayed on a solid object and exposed to rays from a tailored lamp, the object and everything it holds vanish from sight. Clad from head to toe in formula-treated cloth, he moves unseen as he plots to accumulate enough money and components of the formula to assemble an army of invisible followers. He relies on two loyal henchmen, Tom Steele as Bill ‘Mack’ Haines and Carey Loftin as Dirk, and a cadre of illegal aliens smuggled into the United States to slip into sites as invisible operatives for possible future heists. His bold plan begins with a bank vault robbery that attracts attention from authorities and insurers alike.

An insurer’s investigator teams up with a capable detective to explain why the money appears to have vanished. The investigation centers around Carol Richards, Aline Towne, a resourceful officer who partners with the investigator to chase clues and disrupt the thief’s secondary attempts. They dig deeper, realizing the case is more than a simple crime ring and that science lies at the heart of the crimes. The trail leads to the hidden lab where the invisibility fluid and lamp are kept, and the pair understand they are up against a danger that requires more than luck to defeat. As the net tightens, they close in on the Phantom Ruler’s operation and prepare to confront the unseen menace.

Ultimately, as authorities close in, the Phantom Ruler meets a fatal end when he trips over an exposed high-voltage cable he laid to thwart pursuit, bringing his experiment in invisibility to a dramatic end.