The Invisible Man |  | Director: James Whale
Actors: Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, Henry Travers, Una O'Connor
Studio: Universal Studios
Category: DVD
List Price: $14.98
Buy New: $7.71
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Rating:  59 reviews
Format: Black & White, Closed-captioned, DVD, NTSC
Language: English (Original Language)
Rating: Unrated
Region: 1
Aspect Ratio: 1.33:1
Picture Format: Academy Ratio
Number Of Discs: 1
Running Time: 71 Minutes
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1
Dimensions (in): 7.1 x 5.4 x 0.6
MPN: 61020766
ISBN: 0783240961
UPC: 025192076626
EAN: 9780783240961
Theatrical Release Date: November 13, 1933
Release Date: August 29, 2000
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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Amazon.com essential video
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 humor, 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
Description
Claude Rains delivers a remarkable performance in his screen debut as a mysterious doctor who discovers a serum that makes him invisible. Covered by bandages and dark glasses, Rains arrives at a small English village and attempts to hide his amazing discover. But the same drug which rends him invisible slowly drives him to commit acts of unspeakable terror. Based on H.G. Well' classic novel and direct by the master of macabre James Whale, The Invisible Man no only fueled a host of sequels but features some special effects that are still imitated today.
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 59
 Seeing Is Believing in this Claude Rains' Debut! October 25, 2009
James "Scotman" April (Bakersfield, CA)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
The Universal Pictures horror film that put Universal Pictures back in black during the worse years of the Great Depression.
The comedy was fun without being slapstick silly (as in later sequels); the characters actors were great in conveying mood; and the megalomaniac vocal abilities of Claude Rains was fantastic. I picked up the Classic Monster Collection (1990) and it kept much of the original film's dusty, poppy stuff that you usually see in old Black & White films.
The DVD goes over the whole effects process of making a man invisible, expertly done by James Fulton.
James Whale, the man who directed Frankenstein and Dracula, took the H.G. Wells novel and its adaptation was near perfect, even approved by Wells himself.
The opening scene at the bar, the mad scientist who has achieved invisibility needs to find a place of quiet, working on an antidote. And as he works on it, he gets the idea that the chemicals have cleared his brain to where he can cause panic in the streets, kill a few people, great or small, cause a train wreck or so, and have the world grovel at his feet. Ya Ha Ha Ha Ha!! Oops!
As in Frankenstein, Whale has the worried fiance, the secluded mad scientist, the "other guy" who wants the fiance for himself and a desire to be famous.
After much police hyjinx, a bit of it slapstick and silly, the burning of a barn and a well-placed bullet puts an end to the mad scientist's invisibility and his formula.
John Carradine makes a brief appearance talking to police on a telephone. Henry Travers as the father of the fiance, who was later seen as Clarence the Angel in Its' a Wonderful Life. Gloria Stuart is the well-made-up fiance, Flora. Interestingly she gave up acting only to pick it up again in the 1980s. She was the old woman who was the last survivor in Cameron's Titanic.
So many facts and figures, great "making of" and a bit of a drawn-out commentary track by film historian Rudy Behlmer.
Great DVD, though I'm sure the newest Universal Legacy edition recently out is much better.
Invisible Man Classic Monsters Collection October 20, 2009
A. Pierre (Somewheres)
The Invisible Man is an excellent movie with great speical effects. Do not buy The Classic Monsters Collection version rather spring an extra few bucks for The Universal Legacy Collection. Why? I just bought a big screen tv and this dvd looks horrible on it. Alot of crackles and lines going down the film. The Universal Legacy collection is cleaned up and has an extra 5 movies dealing with Invisible theme.
You get a neat little card in these Classic Monsters Collection card with these dvds as well, at least I did. Your have to go to a website and hold the card up and you may win some cool prizes. However, in very very tiny print at the very bottom of the card says the card expired almost ten years ago! I dont know why they still have them in there.
 the invisible man August 16, 2009
maxwell a. smart
this was one of my favorite horror movies as a kid.
it still holds up well. it is a great addition to
any classic horror collection. the performance by
Claude Rains is chilling and there is great humor in the
movie. for its time, the special effects are amazing.
nice quality on DVD too.
3 stars out of 4 June 10, 2009
One-Line Film Reviews (Easton, MD)
The Bottom Line:
The best Universal horror picture, for my money, after Bride of Frankenstein, The Invisible Man benefits from special effects whose seams still aren't showing, a wickedly sinister performance by Rains in the lead (even if we hardly ever see him) and an intelligence to the screenplay missing in many contemporary horror films; you'll probably like it even if this type of film usually isn't your cup of tea.
Being Invisible Has Driven Him Completely Mad! May 30, 2009
Lynn Ellingwood (Webster, NY United States)
This movie is a great way of having a monster good time. Claude Rains is spectacular in his first big movie role and it is his voice we hear most often. He doesn't appear until the end. Great clever special effects and one really good one of an invisible man sitting in a rocking chair, smoking a cigarette. James Whale is the great director and has done a good job with this one. Have fun!
Showing reviews 1-5 of 59
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