The Invisible Man (1933)

I seem to go through phases when it comes to horror films. Back in High School, I remember inviting friends over and trying to find the scariest and goriest flick we could. Although that was fun at the time, the recent "torture porn" slasher films just doesn't interest me much. Over the last few years I've been making my way through the Hammer collection and the original Universal Monster film series. My travels have taken me from Dracula's castle in Transylvania, through Frankenstein's laboratory, the gypsy camps of the Wolfman, to Egypt's Mummy, the Black Lagoon of the Creature, and finally to the Invisible Man.

The story is taken from the 1897 H.G. Wells novel of the same name, and has a similar theme as Frankenstein; a cautionary tale of science going terribly wrong. The film opens with a mysterious man trying to make it through a raging snowstorm by foot. He happens upon an inn and as he asks for a room we see that his head is covered in bandages and dark glasses (we assume to stay warm.) The townsfolk become suspicious since the man never leaves his room and orders to be left alone. He sets up a laboratory and begins strange experiments. The landlord's semi-hysterical wife accidentally finds him partially unbandaged and we discover he is invisible.

The man is the scientist, Dr. Jack Griffin and he is working to find a cure which will bring him back to the visual world. The experiments revolve around the new (fictious) drug called "monocane" which supposedly has bleaching properities. Experiments had been done in Germany, on dogs turning them dead white and driving them mad, a side effect the doctor knows nothing about. This fictious drug would become a Hollywood favorite and appear in other films and on T.V. crime shows such as Perry Mason and Matlock. It would also spawn some hybrids including "duocaine" found in the later Invisible Man films and "iocaine" used in "The Princess Bride". The Invisible Man eventually returns to the laboratory of his mentor, Dr. Cranley (Henry Travers, best known as the angel Clarence from "It's a Wonderful Life"), and reveals his secret to his fiancee Flora Cranley and his one-time partner Dr. Kemp. Insanity quickly sets in on Dr. Griffin, people are killed and the police become involved. The remaining third of the movie becomes an elaborate chase as the authorities try to capture a person they can't see.

The film was directed by James Whale, the same director who had brought Frankenstein to the screen two years earlier. It was to star Boris Karloff, the actor who created the iconic Frankenstein Monster under Whale, but ended up withdrawing after the producer Carl Laemmle Jr. tried to cut his salary too many times. It was Whale who than requested Claude Rains, making his first American screen appearance. This would catapult Rains career and help him become a major character actor starring in such classics as The Adventures of Robin Hood (1938), Mr. Smith Goes to Washington (1939), Casablanca (1942), and Hitchcock's Notorious (1946). Ironically, Claude Rains face would only appear in the movie for a few seconds at the end of the film, remaining under bandages or just as a voice when he was "invisible".

The costumes worn by the "invisible man" although simple, would become as iconic as the rest of the Universal monsters. Especially the image of Dr. Griffin in his bandaged face, dark glasses with nose, and bathrobe. But it's the groundbreaking special effects that would help in its success. When Griffen was "invisible" it was simply the use of wires to knock things down, but when he was partially clothed, that was acheived through a matte process. Rains would be completed covered in a black velvet suit against a black velvet background. A shot of the location was than added on top to create the illusion. It still holds up pretty well.

The New York Times would name it as one of the top 10 films of 1933. The original author, H. G. Wells, said of the film, at a dinner in its honor, that "while he liked the picture he had one grave fault to find with it. It had taken his brilliant scientist and changed him into a lunatic, a liberty he could not condone." James Whale replied that the film was addressed to the "rationally minded motion picture audience," because "in the minds of rational people only a lunatic would want to make himself invisible anyway." I must admit, I'd have to side with the author on this and would beg to differ on Whales' comment. I think most people would enjoy being invisible for a day or two. In fact, out of all of the Universal Horror films of the 30's, this is the one that might connect the most with the viewing audience. The monster isn't some strange creature that seems to come from a dream, but ourselves, searching for something to help us out, only to have it lead to a dead end. But out of all of the original Universal Horror films, this one seemed to effect me the least. The story seemed to be just a little too simple. I know it has been done as a stage play and and most of the time that is how it felt to me. It has moments or scenes that shined, but just not enough of them. I guess it's not a surprise that the story has been remade in multiple variations. Unlike many "classics" that seem to be untouchable as far as their iconic stature, this film could easily be updated.