The Invisible Man (1933)

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

Director:

James Whale

Writers:

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

Stars:

Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan

3 wins & 2 nominations.

Cast

Complete credited cast:
Claude Rains	...	Dr. Jack Griffin aka 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	...	Constable Jaffers
Dudley Digges	...	Chief Detective
Harry Stubbs	...	Inspector Bird
Donald Stuart	...	Inspector Lane
Merle Tottenham	...	Millie

Storyline

Working in Dr. Cranley's laboratory, scientist Jack Griffin was always given the latitude to conduct some of his own experiments. His sudden departure, however, has Cranley's daughter Flora worried about him. Griffin has taken a room at the nearby Lion's Head Inn, hoping to reverse an experiment he conducted on himself that made him invisible. Unfortunately, the drug he used has also warped his mind, making him aggressive and dangerous. He's prepared to do whatever it takes to restore his appearance, and several will die in the process.

---

Plot Keywords:

scientist | invisibility | world domination | mad scientist | bandaged face | 

---

Taglines:

H.G. Wells' Fantastic Sensation

---

Genres:

Horror | Sci-Fi

---

Certificate:

Not Rated

Details

Official Sites:

Official Facebook

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

13 November 1933 (USA)

Also Known As:

Der Unsichtbare

Filming Locations:

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

Box Office

Cumulative Worldwide Gross:

$26,744

Company Credits

Production Co:

Universal Pictures

Technical Specs

Runtime:

71 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System)

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

The poster on the brick wall outside the police station, around 1:01:37, is advertising "THE ROYAL MAIL LINE TO SOUTH AMERICA" and features RMS Asturias.

---

Goofs

The pub in Iping has an American-style dartboard instead of the more elaborate British-style dartboard.

---

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.

---

Crazy Credits

Claude Rains is the only actor in the film whose character is identified in the credits. We are not told which roles the other actors play, even though the cast is listed twice: at the beginning and at the end. Rains is billed as "The Invisible One" in the opening credits and as "The Invisible Man" in the closing credits.

---

Alternate Versions

When the film was released to home video, Universal Studios replaced a snippet of music heard on the radio when Dr. Kemp is reading a newspaper in his house, and the Invisible Man enters through a set of French doors. Universal was unable to secur the rights for the original music and replaced it, covering the original sound effects (the sound of the newspaper and the door latch) in the process.

---

Connections

Referenced in Dig Two Graves (2013)

---

Soundtracks

Pop Goes the Weasel
(1853) (uncredited)
Music anonymous
Arranged by Charles Twiggs (1859)
Sung a cappella by Claude Rains

User Reviews

Transparency is not all that bad, is it?

Talented direction from James Whale. Mildly chilling tale based on the imagination of H.G. Wells. Introduction to a versatile star, Claude Rains. Short movie in length, but the mixture of thrills, chills and humor help make this a real classic. The special effects of the 30's seem so unsophisticated, but very enjoyable to this day. Rain's starring debut is 99.98 percent vocal and very memorable. The changes in his voice from glee to madness gives certain character to his invisible role.

A brilliant chemist/scientist(Rains) discovers how to make himself invisible. He wrecks havoc in a small British country village as pranks turn to murder. Memorable are the scenes of the invisible man smoking and riding a bicycle; and of course unwrapping.

Also in the cast are:William Harrigan, Gloria Stuart, E.E. Clive and Una O'Connor. At a certain point you wish that O'Connor's funny, but obnoxious character was shorter lived. Dated or not, this is a classic that still demands watching. Creepy and fun for all.