- Actors: Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, Henry Travers, Una O'Connor
- Directors: James Whale
- Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD-Video, NTSC
- Language English
- Region: Region 1 (US and Canada DVD formats.)
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3 - 1.33:1
- Number of discs: 1
- Classification: Unrated (US MPAA rating. See details.)
- Studio: Universal Studios
- DVD Release Date: 29 Aug 2000
- Run Time: 71 minutes
- Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
- ASIN: 0783240961
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 158,942 in Film & TV (See Top 100 in Film & TV)
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Reviews
Amazon.co.uk Review
Claude Rains practically owns his film debut in The Invisible Man, despite the fact that his face (let alone his body) is seen only for seconds in the final moments. As the brilliant scientist who discovers the secret of invisibility, Rains steps into the film wrapped up like a mummy behind a layer of bandages and blanketed in heavy clothes. When he removes his garments, there's nothing underneath, a simple but effective bit of 1930s movie magic that, apart from a few glitches, works as well today as it did in 1933. Like Frankenstein, another cautionary tale of science gone horribly wrong, the consequences of the doctor's experiments are dire: the chemicals drive him insane. Director James Whale infuses the film with plenty of humour, much of it arising from the quaint quirks of the local villagers, but it turns to black comedy as the doctor transforms from an impish prankster upsetting bicycles and taunting tavern patrons to a megalomaniac bent on world domination. It's slow going even at 71 minutes, but full of delightful touches and boasts a terrific performance by the all but unseen Rains, whose rich, cultured voice envelopes the picture in a kind of omnipresent fog. Vincent Price took up the role in the sequel, The Invisible Man Returns. --Sean Axmaker
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
The Invisible Man is one of the most impressive Universal "monster" films of the 1930s, a motion picture masterpiece still as vibrant and engaging now as it was in 1933. It is also a representative of the rarest of movies - one which succeeds much better than the novel upon which it was based. Don't get me wrong - H.G. Wells was a brilliant writer, one of the two founding fathers of science fiction, but The Invisible Man left me as cold as the invisible man must have felt running around naked in the bitterly cold countryside. The invisible man is thoroughly unlikable in the novel, much more so than he is here. A running time of just 71 minutes and a brilliant tour de force of a film debut by Claude Raines make Jack Griffin a fascinating albeit quite mad character who never completely turns the viewer off with his misguided antics. Of course, the sword cuts both ways. In the novel, one gets a much deeper appreciation of the pain and struggle the man faces trying to restore himself to visibility. In the movie, the transition to raving megalomaniac occurs much more quickly, with several palliative dashes of humor thrown into the mix early on.
There isn't that much to the story, really. A man wrapped in bandages and clothed in a long overcoat, glasses, and hat suddenly enters the Lion's Head pub and inn one snowy night demanding a room. He makes it very clear that he wants privacy and soon begins performing chemical experiments. The fellow is a scientist named Jack Griffin (Claude Rains), a young chap who, after five years of private work, discovered the secret of invisibility; unfortunately for him, he has yet to figure out an antidote, as becomes evident when he begins to shed his clothes and bandages - yep, the title was right, he really is the invisible man. Now most fellows, were they to become invisible, would probably run right out and try to see the girl next door in her birthday suit, but Griffin is different. That special ingredient in the potion tends to make a person just a little bit insane, and Griffin has already begun forming plans to get filthy rich and make the world grovel at his invisible feet. His surly attitude and just plain weirdness soon get him evicted, and soon his secret is out. He has a jolly good time playing pranks on local villagers, but his pranks soon turn to mass murder. The police dragnet is fun to watch (it isn't easy to catch an invisible man), but the movie takes a continually darker tone as the inevitable conclusion approaches. I am of the belief that the story of The Invisible Man really doesn't teach any sort of lesson with it, although others are certainly free to voice their own interpretations of the story. Griffin is just too disagreeable to teach me anything (apart from the ubiquitous "don't meddle in God's domain" thing).
The special effects in the film are actually quite amazing. Many of them are rather simple but well-done, and the central bits featuring clothes walking around on their own serve the story very well indeed. There is one scene featuring a pair of pants skipping down the road accompanied by Griffin singing the kind of ditty a madman might be prone to sing that is absolutely priceless. Alongside Dracula and Frankenstein, The Invisible Man completes the threesome of truly must-see 1930s Universal "monster" films, even though we all know it's really pure science fiction and not horror.
12 of 12 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
This film is a superb example of all that was best about Universal studios in their heyday. Featuring a superb performance from Claude Rains in the title role, it is a well crafted tale of one man`s descent into madness following an experiment gone wrong. The opening scenes and credits are wonderful and there is plenty of light humour too, but just in thr right places and it never detracts from the overall storyline. All in all a classic - what more is there to say ... other than if you havn`t seen this film - GET IT NOW!
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful
Format:DVD
I don't want to go on, because I know that a lot of people don't read long reviews. But if you like special effects, it might be 70 years old, but in the Invisible Man, the effects you see are incredibly better than some you can see now even so many years later! And that's even before you consider just how good Claude Rains is! Buy it, buy it, buy it!
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
A true classic
Wow, what do you say about such a classic film?
Usually Universal horror flicks always had that 30 min build up, which was great, but with The Invisible Man, the viewer is... Read more
Usually Universal horror flicks always had that 30 min build up, which was great, but with The Invisible Man, the viewer is... Read more
Published 1 month ago by Colonel Decker
One of Universal's finest achievements
The film begins with a heavily-bandaged stranger arriving at a remote inn and demanding a room. He insists that he is to be left alone, only for the nosy innkeeper to keep... Read more
Published 11 months ago by TGillespie
It alters you, changes you.
There's a snow storm blowing ferociously, a man trundles towards a signpost that reads Iping. He enters a hostelry called The Lions Head, the patrons of the bar fall silent for the... Read more
Published 13 months ago by Spike Owen
The invisible man attacks!
Among classic horror movies, "The Invisible Man" has never really loomed as large as Dracula, Frankenstein or the Wolf-Man. However, this classic adaptation of H.G. Read more
Published 13 months ago by E. A Solinas
'Even the moon is frightened of me. Frightened to death!'
The classic cycle of Horror films by Universal in the early 1930s was the golden age of horror. And yet, whilst people wax lyrical about Dracula and Frankenstein, they rarely... Read more
Published 21 months ago by Mr. A. E. Hall
Invisible Classic - See it now!
I remember seeing the invisible man (no pun intended)years ago and it is as fresh and exciting as ever! Read more
Published 21 months ago by Welshandrew
Excellent effects and quality
The 1933 DVD is excellent and the bonus material is very thorough and tells you so much about the whole film. Read more
Published 21 months ago by Vicky
Scary Movie or what !...
Prior to purchase, I'd never seen this movie... Wow !
Is this Violent or what !
This movie probably SHOULD come with a warning. Read more
Is this Violent or what !
This movie probably SHOULD come with a warning. Read more
Published on 22 April 2010 by Mr. S. Carrier
Favourite Moments In Move History #2 and #3
Sitting on an armchair in a smoking jacket with his legs crossed, The Invisible Man calmly states to his former friend he'd better not try and double cross him: "I'm strong, and... Read more
Published on 30 July 2009 by Magnum Valentino
Not seeing is believing!
This marvellous treatment of H.G.Wells classic novel has aged extremely well. When you are watching it, you find it scarcely credible that this film was made 70 years ago. Read more
Published on 11 May 2003 by David Pearce
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