Invisible Avenger (a.k.a. Bourbon Street Shadows) is a 1958 Film Noir crime film directed by James Wong Howe, Ben Parker and John Sledge. The film is a Compilation Movie made from two episodes of a 1957 Republic Pictures television pilot for The Shadow.
When Pablo Ramirez, the exiled ruler the Caribbean nation of Santa Cruz now living in New Orleans, becomes a target of a kidnapping, Lamont Cranston and his mentor, a mystic named Joegendra, team up and put their mind-altering skills to work to help the man.
Re-released in 1962 with additional, 'more adult,' footage added, as Bourbon Street Shadows.
Tropes:
- Banana Republic: The plot centres around Pablo Ramirez, the exiled ruler of the Caribbean nation of Santa Cruz, who was ousted by the dictator known as the Generalissimo. Ramirez is organizing a rebellion against the Generalissimo while the Generalissimo's secret police scour New Orleans for him.
- The Big Easy: The film is set in, and was shot on location in, New Orleans.
- Bodybag Trick: The Generalissimo's men attempt to smuggle Pablo Ramirez out of New Orleans in a coffin inside a hearse: knowing that the police will not stop a funeral procession.
- Car Fu: The Generalissimo's secret police attempt to run Cranston down, by he is warned by a psychic warning from his mentor Joegendra.
- Compilation Movie: The film is compiled from episodes that were shot for a The Shadow television series that never reached the air.
- Covers Always Lie: See that scene on the poster? The woman on a staircase being threatened by a madman with a knife? Does not occur anywhere in the movie.
- Dead Man's Chest: The Shadow finds Tony's body stuffed into an upright piano in a back room of Tara's club.
- Disconnected by Death: In the midst of a telephone call to Cranston, Tony Alcade is murdered by the secret police.
- Failed Pilot Episode: This film was originally intended as a pilot for a The Shadow TV series. However, it was turned into a movie instead.
- Faking the Dead: The Generalissimo stages a fake execution of Pablo's twin brother Victor in order to lure Pablo out of hiding.
- Friend or Foe?: After the Shadow turns invisible on the yacht, Victor panic fires when he sees movement and hits his ally the Colonel instead. The Colonel assumes this is a deliberate act of betrayal and delivers a Last Breath Bullet to Victor.
- The Ghost: The Generalissimo is mentioned throughout the film, and is the driving force behind the events, but he never actually appears, and is mentioned as having been killed in the off-screen revolution at the end.
- Hypnotic Eyes: Cranston and Joegendra are able to hypontise people simply by staring into their eyes intently: no words need be spoken.
- Invisibility: Unsurprisingly, the Shadow's main ability is invisibility. Here it is a form of hypnosis that causes people not to see him, but causes his shadow to still be visible.
- Jedi Mind Trick: The Shadow uses his psychic powers to cause others to be unable to see him. His shadow remains visible.
- Last Breath Bullet: After Victor shoots the Colonel after mistaking him for the Shadow, the Colonel uses his dying strength to shoot and kill Victor.
- No Name Given: The Colonel, who is one of the major villains, is never referred to by anything other than his rank.
- Perception Filter: The Shadow uses his psychic powers to cause others to be unable to see him. His shadow remains visible.
- Pistol-Whipping: Victor knocks out his niece Felecia by rapping her one the back of the head with his pistol.
- Public Execution: The Generalissimo broadcasts the execution of Pablo's twin brother that is shown on television in the United States in a scheme to draw Pablo into the open.
- Shot at Dawn: The Generalissimo releases a newsreel of Pablo's twin brother Victor being executed by firing squad to lure Pablo out of hiding.
- Tap on the Head: Victor knocks out his niece Felecia by rapping her one the back of the head with his pistol.
