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The Invisible Man (1933) - James Whale


The Invisible Man from 1933 is a heavyweight horror movie. James Whale and Carl Laemmle Jr. team up once again to bring you a story written by H.G. Wells. If that line-up isn't enough to get you running out to see the movie then maybe the special effects will. This movie is not scary, however it does have a mad scientist


James Whale is definitely one of the pioneers of early Horror cinema. Like Tod Browning before him, Whale can really bring the goods. Whale has directed movies like Frankenstein and The Old Dark House, but this has got to be his crowning achievement. He is definitely one of the greatest horror directors of all time.

The movie is about a scientist that has gone off his rocker, played by Claude Raines, who designs a potion that can make him invisible. Of course this potion drives him right out of his mind and makes him incredibly power hungry, uttering the phrase "The world will grovel at my feet."

The movie was incredibly successful upon its initial release and is noted for its numerous special effects and cameos from other horror actors including Dwight Frye. There is one particularly memorable performance from Una O'Connor whose shrill voice can be heard in such movies as The Informers and Bride of Frankenstein, which is also directed by James Whale.

This movie is a testament to all of Universal horror franchises. I had never seen the movie before today and I am very happy that i have seen it now. The movie almost takes top honors on the 1001 horror movie list. The only thing holding it back is the ending and the lack of good scares.

"...and Claude Raines as the invisible man."
  • The beginning of the movie supports the NRA, it has a weird NRA title card. 
  • There is a lyric in "Science Fiction/Double Feature" from Rocky Horror Picture Show that references this movie. 
  • Claude Raines took his daughter to see the movie. When he bought the tickets at the booth it was a very cold and windy night. He was dressed in a fedora and long jacket, he covered most of his face. When he ordered the tickets the attendant recognized his voice and offered to let him into the theater for free. Claude Raines demanded to pay full price. 

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Anonymous said…
Sweet review! I'll have to give this film a good review come October. Maybe not as good as yours, but still!
August 28, 2010 at 6:10 PM
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