Our ongoing series reviewing the greatest Science Fiction, Fantasy, and Horror movies. Note that these reviews may contain spoilers.
Directed By: James Whale
Produced By: Carl Laemmle, Jr.
Written By: R.C. Sherriff, H.G. Wells (novel), Preston Sturges (uncredited), Philip Wylie (uncredited)
Starring: Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, Henry Travers
Original Release: 1933
Reviewed By: Aaron Hammonds
Rating: 5 out of 5 Stars (Highest Rating)
Synopsis: This is the story of Dr. Jack Griffin (Claude Rains), a brilliant research scientist looking for a quick way to fame and fortune to keep his fiance Flora (Gloria Stuart) in the life to which she has become accustomed with her father (and Jack’s boss) Dr. Cranley (Henry Travers). Jack stumbles upon a chemical compound that can make any living thing invisible; the only thing he doesn’t know is that the primary ingredient, a drug called monocaine, has been found in past experiments with animals to cause madness. Of course, this being a horror movie, the same thing happens to Jack. After being invisible long enough, Jack becomes a megalomaniacal fiend obsessed with the idea that there is no limit to what he can do in his new state. As Jack puts it, “An invisible man can rule the world…He can rob and rape and kill!” Jack’s friends and family try to find a way to reverse the process and save Jack from the authorities, who intend to kill him at the first opportunity…
Review/Commentary: In 1933, Universal Pictures had cornered the market on horror films; in the previous two years, they had released Dracula, Frankenstein, The Mummy, Murders in the Rue Morgue, and The Old Dark House, making stars out of Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff and solidifying their place among the bigger studios such as Warner Bros. and MGM. Their string of good fortune with thrillers continued with James Whale’s excellent The Invisible Man.
Director James Whale, the genius who gave us Frankenstein, The Old Dark House, and later Bride of Frankenstein, often said this was his favorite of all his films. Whale usually preferred to inject some amount of humor into his horror films, thinking of them more as sardonic black comedies than straight-up terror pictures. The Invisible Man is a perfect example of just that, with many characters serving as comic relief: Una O’Connor as the screeching inn-keeper’s wife, E.E. Clive as Constable Jaffers (“How can I handcuff a bloomin’ shirt?!”). Griffin himself is a deliciously black-humored villain, especially when calmly, almost casually, describing to Kemp (William Harrigan), his former research partner and now chosen accomplice, how they will begin their reign of terror: “First we’ll start with a few murders; murders of big men, murders of little men, just to show we make no distinction…”
The casting of the lead was in itself a stroke of luck. The studio originally intended for the film to be a vehicle for their leading horror star Karloff, but didn’t want to have to pay him his contractually obligated salary. Universal then began considering other actors, such as Colin Clive (Henry from Frankenstein), Chester Morris, and Paul Lukas. The movie itself was temporarily shelved until Whale was assigned to direct and began lobbying for Claude Rains, who Whale felt had just the right “intellectual” sound for Griffin, since Griffin would primarily be what is known today as a voice-over part.
No discussion of The Invisible Man would be complete without mention of the special effects. Considering this film was made nearly 80 years ago, when the word “digital” didn’t even exist yet, even if the story absolutely sucked, the film would still be hailed as a monumental technical achievement because of the seamlessness with which Griffin’s invisibility is accomplished. Camera/special effects wizards John P. Fulton, John J. Mescall, and Frank D. Williams were often credited by Whale for the success of the film.
The Invisible Man left quite a legacy, both short- and long-term; The New York Times picked it as one of the ten best movies of the year. James Whale received a Special Recommendation from the 1934 Venice Film Festival due to his work on the film. Claude Rains enjoyed a long and illustrious career in Hollywood, appearing in such films as Mr. Smith Goes to Washington, The Wolf-Man, Casablanca, and Notorious, receiving several Academy Award nominations. More importantly, The Invisible Man founded the age of optical effects as we know them today; cinematic visual effects can be directly traced back to the work of Fulton, Mescall, and Williams.
The Invisible Man is one of my favorite films from Universal’s classic monster days. It still holds up, even after nearly 80 years. If you’ve never seen it, do so as soon as you can…
Check out Aaron Hammonds’ blog Aaron’s Movie Madness where he reviews his favorite movies.
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