The Invisible Man (1933)

Director:

James Whale

Writers:

H.G. Wells (novel)
R.C. Sherriff (screenplay)
(more)

Release Date:

13 November 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Tagline:

Catch me if you can!

Plot:

A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Test Tube | Chemist | Invisibility | Radio Broadcast

Awards:

2 wins

Cast

Claude Rains	...	The Invisible Man
Gloria Stuart	...	Flora Cranley
William Harrigan	...	Dr. Arthur Kemp
Henry Travers	...	Dr. Cranley
Una O'Connor	...	Jenny Hall
Forrester Harvey	...	Herbert Hall
Holmes Herbert	...	Chief of Police
E.E. Clive	...	Const. Jaffers
Dudley Digges	...	Chief Detective
Harry Stubbs	...	Inspector Bird
Donald Stuart	...	Inspector Lane
Merle Tottenham	...	Millie
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Robert Adair	...	Detective Thompson (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Villager Playing Darts (uncredited)
Walter Brennan	...	Bicycle Owner (uncredited)
Robert Brower	...	Farmer (uncredited)
John Carradine	...	Villager Suggesting Ink (uncredited)
D'Arcy Corrigan	...	Villager (uncredited)
Dwight Frye	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Screaming Woman (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Townswoman at Pub (uncredited)
Violet Kemble Cooper	...	Woman (uncredited)
Crauford Kent	...	Doctor (uncredited)
John Merivale	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Monte Montague	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Bob Reeves	...	Detective Hogan (uncredited)
Jack Richardson	...	Official (uncredited)
Tom Ricketts	...	Old Farmer with Barn (uncredited)
Kathryn Sheldon	...	Orphanage Worker (uncredited)
Emma Tansey	...	Old Woman Listening to the Radio (uncredited)
Jameson Thomas	...	Hospital Physician (uncredited)
Leo White	...	Man Calling Police (uncredited)
Bert Young	...	Railroad Switchman (uncredited)

Directed by
James Whale

Writing credits
H.G. Wells		(novel)
R.C. Sherriff		(screenplay)
Preston Sturges		contributing writer (uncredited)
Philip Wylie		uncredited

Produced by
Carl Laemmle Jr.	....	producer

Original Music by
Heinz Roemheld		(uncredited)

Cinematography by
Arthur Edeson		(camera)

Film Editing by
Ted J. Kent		(film editor) (as Ted Kent)

Art Direction by
Charles D. Hall

Makeup Department
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Joseph A. McDonough	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Wally Kirkpatrick	....	chief props (uncredited)

Sound Department
William Hedgcock	....	sound recording engineer (uncredited)
John Kemp	....	assistant recording engineer (uncredited)
Gilbert Kurland	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)

Special Effects by
John P. Fulton	....	special effects

Visual Effects by
Bill Heckler	....	photographic effects assistant (uncredited)
Roswell A. Hoffmann	....	optical cinematography (uncredited)
John J. Mescall	....	miniature photographer (uncredited)
Frank D. Williams	....	visual effects supervisor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Abriss	....	chief grip (uncredited)
Jack Eagan	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Arthur Edeson	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Roman Freulich	....	still photographer (uncredited)
King D. Gray	....	camera operator (uncredited)
John J. Mescall	....	director of photography: additional photography (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Maurice Pivar	....	editorial supervision (uncredited)

Music Department
W. Franke Harling	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Gilbert Kurland	....	music supervisor (uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld	....	conductor (uncredited)
William Schiller	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Carl Laemmle	....	presents
Carl Laemmle	....	president: Universal Pictures Corp.

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1933) (USA) (theatrical)
• Croeze en Bosman (1934) (Netherlands) (theatrical)
• Realart Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• M.P.E.A. (1951) (Austria) (theatrical)
• Screen Gems (1957) (USA) (TV)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2004) (UK) (TV) (BBC2)
• Net5 (2004) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Suomi-Filmi (1935) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Continental Home Vídeo (19??) (Brazil) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (19??) (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (19??) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)
• Universal Pictures Finland Oy (2002) (2004) (Finland) (DVD)
• Yleisradio (YLE) (2004) (Finland) (TV)

Also Known As:

Runtime:

71 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System)

Certification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (certificate not issued at release) | Spain:13 | West Germany:16 | USA:Approved (PCA #3131-R: 17 February 1937 for re-release) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Portugal:M/12 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Germany:16 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Part of the original SHOCK THEATER package of 52 Universal titles released to television in 1957, followed a year later with SON OF SHOCK, which added 21 more features.

Goofs:

Continuity: When the Invisible Man looks out of the bedroom window to see the approaching police as they surround the house, a pair of net-curtains appears on the window between shots.

Quotes:

[first lines]
Man in Pub:Did you hear about Mrs. Mason's little Willy? Sent him to school and found him buried ten-foot deep in a snow drift.
Man in Pub # 2:How did they get him out?
Man in Pub:Brought the fire engine 'round. Put the hose pipe in, pumped it backwards and sucked him out.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "M*A*S*H: Out of Sight, Out of Mind (#5.3)" (1976)

Soundtrack:

La Rosita

Visibly stunning!!!

James Whale is, for good reason, most famous for his Frankenstein films. However, better than both (albeit marginally) is this film - The Invisible Man. When I first saw this, I couldn't believe that it's over seventy years old and upon a second viewing; the film just gets better and better. Considering the time in which it was made, The Invisible Man is one of the most amazing films of all time. The special effects are what really make the film. CGI has pretty much spoilt this sort of reaction to a movie. The Invisible Man really has that 'how did they do it?' feel, which movie audiences of yesteryear so often enjoyed, and it's done such a good job with it that I'm still wondering today. The plot gives way to lots of trickery and visual magic as it follows a mad scientist who has turned himself invisible. However, things aren't so simple because one of the drugs he used has properties that can turn a man insane; and this side of the drug has had a huge effect on our man. Believing he can take over the world, he recruits the help of one of his fellow scientists and sets about a reign of invisible terror.

You would think that it would be hard to convince an audience that one of your characters is invisible; but Whale makes it look easy! Claude Rains spends much of the film either under the cover of bandages or not even in it, but it doesn't matter because it's not him but his voice that makes the performance. The fiendishness of his voice is compelling and pure evil, and I don't believe that there is a better man in existence for this role. There isn't a lot of physical acting for him to do, but this is made up for with a dazzling array of special effects. We get to see a shirt move on it's own, things fly around rooms and havoc is caused. It really shows Whale's genius to pull this off. Whale is best known as a horror director, but it's obvious that he has a great respect for comedy also as his Frankenstein films were very tongue-in-cheek, and so is this film. The scenes that see the invisible man causing mayhem are hilarious, and will delight anyone who sees the film. Whale's ability to entertain is absolute, and that is why the films he made for the studio were always the biggest successes. The Invisible Man is one of the greatest achievements in cinema history, and anyone who tells you otherwise is wrong!