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Of the many classic gems in Universal Studios' catalog of monster films, none is as impactful or as memorable to me as the one based on the equally classic H.G. Wells novel, The Invisible Man. Released in 1933 and directed by James Whale, who also helmed Frankenstein two years prior, The Invisible Man is one of the many essential films I grew up watching, and has remained a staple watch for Halloween ever since. While aspects of it may seem a bit dated (to put it mildly), and some artistic choices may seem somewhat unusual, there is no denying that The Invisible Man remains a must-watch for horror enthusiasts and cinephiles alike. And if you have a moment, I will gladly explain why.
The story follows a mysterious man with a bandaged head who barges into a local Inn during a massive snowstorm. The man is later identified as Jack Griffin (Claude Rains), a scientist on the run who is trying to reverse a previous experiment on himself. After a failed attempt to conduct his work at the Inn, and after enough curious eyes force his frustrations, Jack finally reveals to the onlookers what is under his bandages, which is revealed to be... absolutely nothing!
The man has turned himself invisible; unseeable to the naked eye. After revealing his secret to the town and staging a successful escape from the authorities, Jack makes his way to an old friend's house, Dr. Arthur Kemp (William Harrigan), taking him hostage and "recruiting" him for his new plans. If Jack cannot be left alone to restore his visibility, then he will use his new power to conduct a reign of terror and establish dominance over the world.
The main ingredient of the movie is the talented and gifted actor who portrays The Invisible Man, Claude Rains. During his time, he was one of those actors you could watch on stage reading the phone book and still be substantially entertained. With his commanding presence and dominating voice, Rains siezes your attention for every second he's on screen, even when he technically isn't. Like so many famous actors who portrayed iconic characters then and now, it's challenging to see anyone else playing the role. While others have offered various interpretations of the character over the decades (some good, some less so), Claude Rains will forever remain the definitive Invisible Man.
Of course, as crucial as Claude Rains was in bringing the character to life, his performance would only really work if the special effects could deliver. This was a point of concern for the studio back then, as successfully conveying an invisible person was unusually challenging, to put it mildly. Fortunately, the studio had the right man for the job.
Special effects artist John P. Fulton, a.k.a. "The Doctor," crafted the technique for creating an invisible man, which he called the traveling matte. Essentially, it was a form of double exposure layered on top of each other. Rather than try to explain it here, I will provide a link to a YouTube video that demonstrates the technique far better than I ever could. You may find the video link at the end of this review.
If you're looking for an absolute classic to put on the TV for this Halloween, you must add this movie to your list. Few films have ever captured the essence and terror of H.G. Wells's immortal story as well as this one. And while this isn't the only story of his to receive the silver screen treatment, it remains one of the best.
In fact, to properly convey just how fantastic this film is, we should compare it to another adaptation of H.G. Wells' works. One that had too many problems in too many places, resulting in one of the worst productions ever put to celluloid.
Prepare yourselves, my beautiful readers; class is about to be back in session!
Ladies & gentlemen, I am TheNorm; thank you all for reading.
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