The Invisible Man (1933)
The idea might go back to H.G. Wells, who wrote the book for this story in 1893, but director James Whale makes it a fast, chilling, and comical romp. I can see why Wells didn't particularly like it, but it has lost any literary pretensions and fits into the Universal horror film era that was rocketing the studio to success. Indeed, Whales had just already made Frankenstein, and there are some light echoes from that first film here--a scientist doing experiments that are not sane, a fiancée worried about his being away so long, and the townspeople gathering their bumbling wits together to get the creature.
The creature in this case is just a man, but his invisibility is his invincibility, and he goes on a reign of terror both funny (things fly and men and kicked in the behind) and terrible (lots of murder). Unlike Frankenstein, there is no greater pathos at work. We never really feel anything for the invisible man, played by Claude Rains (in a role that kicked off his career, which must have struck everyone with some irony, since we never really see him). The plot, and the reactions of all the characters from friends to scores of policemen, is simply how to get this guy, how to make him visible enough to see.
The effects are justly famous. The pace is fast, the acting good if a little campy at times, and the dilemma, without overtones, is still great fun, even almost eighty years later.
The idea might go back to H.G. Wells, who wrote the book for this story in 1893, but director James Whale makes it a fast, chilling, and comical romp. I can see why Wells didn't particularly like it, but it has lost any literary pretensions and fits into the Universal horror film era that was rocketing the studio to success. Indeed, Whales had just already made Frankenstein, and there are some light echoes from that first film here--a scientist doing experiments that are not sane, a fiancée worried about his being away so long, and the townspeople gathering their bumbling wits together to get the creature.
The creature in this case is just a man, but his invisibility is his invincibility, and he goes on a reign of terror both funny (things fly and men and kicked in the behind) and terrible (lots of murder). Unlike Frankenstein, there is no greater pathos at work. We never really feel anything for the invisible man, played by Claude Rains (in a role that kicked off his career, which must have struck everyone with some irony, since we never really see him). The plot, and the reactions of all the characters from friends to scores of policemen, is simply how to get this guy, how to make him visible enough to see.
The effects are justly famous. The pace is fast, the acting good if a little campy at times, and the dilemma, without overtones, is still great fun, even almost eighty years later.