Post by Chicago Jake on Jun 25, 2011 23:41:46 GMT -6
Tonight, Svengoolie screened the 1933 Universal Horror Classic, James Whale's "The Invisible Man." Not to be confused with all the cheesy sequels and rip-offs, this was the original, based on the H.G. Wells novel, and very well done, especially for its time. The effects would be trivial to do with today's technology, but to watch them and know that they were done in the early thirties was quite a marvel.
The star was Claude Rains, but interestingly, you never see his face until the very last scene. When the movie starts, he is already invisible; a scientist who has found the secret to invisibility, but at a price: It has turned him into an asshole! He terrorizes his old friends and colleagues, and innocent bystanders alike, in a bid to rule the world. The story revolves around his friends, and the police, trying to track him down.
The invisible man spends most of the movie wrapped in bandages to give himself visibility, or else naked, to enable himself to move about unseen. Since it is set in England in the winter, he must have been cold!
His former boss was played by Henry Travers. Does that name sound familiar? It should. He was Clarence the wingless-angel in "It's A Wonderful Life." Here, he plays a wonderful scientist. His girlfriend, and daughter of his former boss, was played by Gloria Stuart. Does that name sound familiar? She played the old lady (the aged Rose) in Titanic. I have no idea what she did in the 64 years in between!
There are also brief cameos by Walter Brennan and John Carradine, but you have to watch closely to catch them! I could have sworn I saw Wally Cox in one scene, but IMDb disagrees with me.
Anyway, it was a great example of a top-notch horror movie, with state-of-the-art special effects, a true human element, and of course the glorious black-and-white cinematography of the era. I strongly recommend it to fans of the genre........Jake
The star was Claude Rains, but interestingly, you never see his face until the very last scene. When the movie starts, he is already invisible; a scientist who has found the secret to invisibility, but at a price: It has turned him into an asshole! He terrorizes his old friends and colleagues, and innocent bystanders alike, in a bid to rule the world. The story revolves around his friends, and the police, trying to track him down.
The invisible man spends most of the movie wrapped in bandages to give himself visibility, or else naked, to enable himself to move about unseen. Since it is set in England in the winter, he must have been cold!
His former boss was played by Henry Travers. Does that name sound familiar? It should. He was Clarence the wingless-angel in "It's A Wonderful Life." Here, he plays a wonderful scientist. His girlfriend, and daughter of his former boss, was played by Gloria Stuart. Does that name sound familiar? She played the old lady (the aged Rose) in Titanic. I have no idea what she did in the 64 years in between!
There are also brief cameos by Walter Brennan and John Carradine, but you have to watch closely to catch them! I could have sworn I saw Wally Cox in one scene, but IMDb disagrees with me.
Anyway, it was a great example of a top-notch horror movie, with state-of-the-art special effects, a true human element, and of course the glorious black-and-white cinematography of the era. I strongly recommend it to fans of the genre........Jake
