A mysterious stranger, wrapped in bandages and wearing dark glasses, arrives in the town of Iping and rents a room in the inn. He expects complete secrecy and spends most of his time working. When he falls behind on rent, the innkeepers (Forrester Harvey and Una O'Connor) plan to evict him... and discover their tenant is invisible.
The invisible man is revealed to be Dr. Jack Griffin (Rains), a brilliant scientist who has been missing for months. Griffin had been assisting Dr. Cranley (Travers), but became obsessed with own research. Griffin found the secret to invisibility, and forces his co-worker Dr. Kemp (Harrington) to help find the cure. The drug that caused the invisibility has also lead to Griffin's deteriorating mental state. Kemp reluctantly agrees, while calling Cranley, his daughter / Griffin's fiance Flora (Stuart), and the police. Will the research be successful in time, or will Griffin begin his reign of terror?
After successfully adapting Mary Shelley's "Frankenstein" novel to film (Frankenstein), director James Whale turned his attention to H.G. Wells' "The Invisible Man" novel. Once again Whale was met with success and solidified his status as a legendary horror director (he would go on to direct The Bride of Frankenstein two years later). The film used ground-breaking special effects to achieve the illusion of invisibility. When he was completely invisible, wires were used to move items. When he was clothed or removing clothes, Claude Rains (or his double) wore a black suit (also covering the face) and was shot before a black screen... which is similar to the use of green screens in modern films.
Whale made the interesting choice to begin the film during the action. While other monster films setup the characters and legends first, this film opens after Griffin is invisible. There is no flashback to his discovery or his transformation, forcing the audience to imagine it. The beginning also forces the viewer to figure out what is happening, as the scene jumps from the chaos at the inn, back to Cranley's lab where they discuss Griffin's disappearance. Also, the audience is forced to identify with a character they cannot see and that is going crazy. Do you cheer for him, or for the people who are trying to stop him?
Apparently Universal Studios wanted to re-team Whale with his monster, making Boris Karloff the invisible man. Karloff ultimately turned down the role, where he would only be seen for a few minutes. This allowed Whale to use his first choice, the unknown Rains, who had the perfect voice for the role. This part launched Rains successful Hollywood career. This film also marked the first pairing of Whale and Una O'Connor, who played the innkeeper's hysterical wife. O'Connor worked with Whale again in The Bride of Frankenstein. In each film she has a small, but memorably comic performance.
The film keeps most of the characters and action from the novel. The main change is the temperament of Griffin, making him psychotic.
A classic monster movie, still entertaining after all these years.
The Invisible Man (1933) minutes
Director: James Whale
Starring: Claude Rains as Dr. Jack Griffith
Gloria Stuart as Flora Cranley
William Harrington as Dr. Arthur Kemp
Henry Travers as Dr. Cranley
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