Seven Days of Scares 2020: Day One

The Invisible Man (1933)

Directed by James Whale. Starring Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, Henry Travers, Forrester Harvey, Holmes Herbert, E.E. Clive, and Una O'Connor.

Based on the novel by H.G. Wells, scientist Dr Jack Griffin manages to turn himself invisible, but while he tries to reverse the process he also starts to lose his mind. His sweetheart Flora tries to convince her father to help Griffin, his former assistant.

Both Colin Clive and Boris Karloff, who had previously played Frankenstein and the monster respectively in Whale’s Frankenstein (1931), were considered for the role of Griffin. Karloff though had fallen out with Whale, severing both their personal and professional relationship. Although they did re-team two years later for Bride of Frankenstein (1935). Clive however just wanted to go on holiday.

The first time Raines’ daughter saw her father in a movie was he took her to a re-showing of The Invisible Man, according to his daughter it was bitterly cold that day. When Raines went to buy the tickets he was wearing a hat and scarf around his face, the ticket-seller recognised his voice and wanted to let him in for free. Raines refused, insisting he paid full price. While the film was playing, Rains was telling his daughter all about how it was made. The other theatre patrons stopped watching the movie and instead listened to Rains' anecdotes.

Due to the success of the movie a sequel, The Invisible Man Returns, was made in 1940 starring Vincent Price starring as a different Invisible Man, but with John Sutton playing Dr Griffin’s brother.