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.

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: Ry?ji Shinagawa, Yoshir? Kitahara, Junko Kan?, Yoshihiro Hamaguchi, Ikuko M?ri, Ichir? Izawa and Shizuo Ch?j?; Available on Blu-ray Rating: *** “Light has a fixed wavelength. The human eye is the same. The human eye c... 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 review ... Read full article


See all The Invisible Man articles

Quotes from

The Invisible Man: We'll begin with a reign of terror, a few murders here and there, murders of great men, murders of little men, just to show we make no distinction.


The Invisible Man: The drugs I took seemed to light up my brain. Suddenly I realized the power I held, the power to rule, to make the world grovel at my feet.


The Invisible Man: [in an oily, menacing voice] There is no need to be afraid, Kemp. We are partners.


read more quotes from The Invisible Man...

Facts about

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.)
According to information given on TCM before the movie is shown, Claude Rains was also chosen for the role because he spoke with such clarity and could be easily understood. This was important since he was 'invisible' or his face was covered for almost the entire film.
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.
read more facts about The Invisible Man...
Share this page:
Visit the Classic Movie Hub Blog CMH
National Film Registry

The Invisible Man

Released 1933
Inducted 2008
(Sound)




See All Films in National Registry >>
Also directed by James Whale




More about James Whale >>
Also produced by Carl Laemmle Jr.




More about Carl Laemmle Jr. >>
Related Lists
Create a list



See All Related Lists >>
Also released in 1933




See All 1933 films >>
More "Mad Scientists" films



See All "Mad Scientists" films >>
More "Book-Based" films



See All "Book-Based" films >>