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The Invisible Man (1933)

Director(s) James Whale
Producer(s) Carl Laemmle Jr.
Top Genres Drama, Film Adaptation, Horror, Science Fiction, Thriller/Suspense
Top Topics Book-Based, Mad Scientists
More Films Directed by James Whale More Films Produced by Carl Laemmle Jr. More Films from 1933 More Films from the 1930s Top Classic Movies of the 1930s Top Book-Based Films

The Invisible Man Overview:

The Invisible Man (1933) was a Drama - Horror Film directed by James Whale and produced by Carl Laemmle Jr..

SYNOPSIS

In this classic Universal horror film based on the H.G. Wells novella, Rains (in his debut, a role that monster master Boris Karloff turned down) plays a mad scientist whose formula for invisibility wreaks havoc on his mind, and he begins to lust for power. Directed by one of Hollywood's most distinctive stylists, Whale (Frankenstein), it costars Stuart long before her Academy Award-nominated role in Titanic.

(Source: available at Amazon AMC Classic Movie Companion).

The Invisible Man was inducted into the National Film Registry in 2008.

The Invisible Man BlogHub Articles:

James Whale: The Old Dark House (1932) and The Invisible Man (1933)

By 4 Star Film Fan on Jun 15, 2023 From 4 Star Films

The Old Dark House has a disarming levity that broadsided me at first. James Whale, the man who famously gave us Frankenstein, has all of his notable features with the tinges of horror on hand for another ghastly delight, and then he goes and pokes fun at the whole setup. Raymond Massey is instantly... Read full article

Short Take: The Invisible Man vs. The Human Fly

By Barry P. on Jan 8, 2023 From Cinematic Catharsis

(1957) Directed by Mitsuo Murayama; Written by Hajime Takaiwa; Starring: Ryûji Shinagawa, Yoshirô Kitahara, Junko Kanô, Yoshihiro Hamaguchi, Ikuko Môri, Ichirô Izawa and Shizuo Chûjô; Available on Blu-ray Rating: *** “Light has a fixed wavelength. The human eye is the same. The huma... Read full article

Silver Screen Standards: The Invisible Man (1933)

By Jennifer Garlen on Aug 11, 2020 From Classic Movie Hub Blog

Silver Screen Standards: The Invisible Man (1933) With a new film inspired by the H.G. Wells story having arrived earlier this year, it seems like a great time to revisit the original movie adaptation of The Invisible Man, which made its first appearance back in 1933 and helped to build the horro... Read full article

DOUBLE BILL #19: The Invisible Man (1933) and The Wolfman (1941)

By Carol Martinheira on Oct 9, 2018 From The Old Hollywood Garden

DOUBLE BILL #19: The Invisible Man (1933) and The Wolfman (1941) On October 9, 2018October 9, 2018 By CarolIn Uncategorized Horror is fascinating. Horror characters are fascinating. Whether they’re human, or monsters in the classic sense, the many complexities th... Read full article

The Invisible Man (1933)

on Oct 10, 2016 From Journeys in Classic Film

Originally published April 17th, 2012 I am shocked and astounded at the recent spike in readers this blog has found.  For the last three days we’ve consistently cracked 100 hits which is a bit feat for me (watch the numbers plunge as soon as I hit “publish”).  Today’s revie... Read full article

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The Invisible Man Quotes:

The Invisible Man: I meddled in things that man must leave alone.
The Invisible Man: [his last words] I knew you'd come for me, Flora. I wanted to come back to you... my darling. I failed. I meddled in things that man must leave alone.
[dies]
The Invisible Man: All right, you fools. You've brought it on yourselves! Everything would have come right if you'd only left me alone. You've driven me near madness with your peering through the keyholes and gaping through the curtains. And now you'll suffer for it! You're crazy to know who I am, aren't you? All right! I'll show you! Here's one for you, and one for you. I'll show you who I am and what I am.
The Invisible Man: [to Kemp] I shall kill you even if you hide in the deepest cave of the Earth. At ten o'clock tomorrow night, I will kill you!
The Invisible Man: [in an oily, menacing voice] There is no need to be afraid, Kemp. We are partners.
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The Invisible Man Facts
Boris Karloff had been the studio's original choice for the role of the Invisible Man. He turned down the role because he would not be seen on screen until the end. Director James Whale wanted someone with more of an "intellectual" voice than Karloff. He selected Claude Rains after accidentally hearing Rains's screen test being played in another room. (Until this film, Rains had primarily been a stage actor. Although he had appeared in one silent movie in 1920, this was his first sound film.)
Although the actor under the bandages was usually Claude Rains, particularly in the sequence set at the inn, often it was a double. You can tell him apart from the real Claude Rains because he is taller and has aquiline features, with a nose so prominent that it is visible even through the bandages. Rains's dialogue was all pre- or post-recorded and dubbed onto the soundtrack.
In order to achieve the effect that Claude Rains wasn't there when his character took off the bandages, the director had Rains dressed completely in black velvet and filmed him in front of a black velvet background.
Although he has the lead in the film and his character is onscreen for 95% of the film, Claude Rains never actually "appears" onscreen until the very last moment.
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.
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