The Invisible Man (1933) Movie Review

Starring: Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, William Harrigan, Harry Travers

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"The Invisible Man (1933)"
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Review Summaries

"One night a mysterious stranger wrapped in coat, hat, dark glasses and -- it turns out -- bandages, takes a room in a small country inn. But his reclusive behavior, periodic rages at the hosts, and damage to the premises (he's doing chemistry experiments in his room), eventually cause the innkeeper and his wife to demand his exit. Their guest turns out to be Jack Griffin, a scientist who discovered how to make himself invisible -- but lacks the formula to become his visible self again, and the process has also made him power-hungry and homicidal. As the terrified populace and police hunt him down, Jack's colleagues and fiancee try to get to him first and save him. Directed by classic British horror filmmaker James Whale, from a script partially doctored by Preston Sturges and Philip Wylie (uncredited) and based on an H.G. Wells novel, this early classic is decently scripted, beautifully photographed, and features surprisingly effective special effects for its time -- and of course the marvelous voice acting of Rains in his screen debut. For trivia lovers, Jack's boss Dr. Cranley is played by Harry Travers (best known as the angel Clarence Oddbody in "It's a Wonderful Life"), fiancee Flora Cranley is enacted by Gloria Stuart (who would play an old lady who drops a necklace in the ocean 54 years later in "Titanic"), and uncredited walk-on performers include Walter Brennan (bicycle owner) and John Carradine (man who suggests using ink to catch the killer). This film inspired four sequels, at least as many later versions of its story, and several dozen tributes in future films, from "The Rocky Horror Picture Show" to "Face/Off" and "Fight Club.""
David Loftus, Resident Scholar

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Overall Review

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Ratings are on a 1-10 scale (Low to High)
Plot

Composition of Movie
Actual chase scenes or violence - 30%
Planning/preparing, gather info, debate puzzle - 40%
Feelings, relationships, character bio/development - 30%

**Fantasy or Science Fiction?** - science fiction story
Technology/$$$$/Info hunt Yes
Stealing/recovering/destroying - secret of invisibility
Character operated on/altered? Yes
Kind of alteration: - Given added abilities

Main Character
Identity: - Male
Profession/status: - scientist
Age: - 20's-30's
Eccentric: Yes - obsessed - mentally ill
Is this an ordinary person caught up in events? Yes
Hair color? - brunette (Black)
Hair type - (man) short/medium straight
Body type - average (man)
Events of movie makes character more... - irritated
Ethnicity/Nationality - English/British
How sensitive is this character? - mean, arrogant
Sense of humor? - Mostly serious with occasional humor
Intelligence - Smarter than most other characters
Physique - average physique

Secondary Main Character
Identity: - Male
Hair color - brunette (Brown)
Hair style - (man) short/standard straight
Body type - average build (man)
How much in movie? - 60%
Ethnicity/Nationality - British

Setting
Earth setting: - 20th Century (1900-1950)
Takes place on Earth? Yes
Misc settings - bar/restaurant
Small town? Yes

Style
Accounts of torture and death? - generic/vague references to death/punishment
Tone of movie - fearful
Check here if B&W Yes
Non-American film? Yes
What language? - English
Subtitles? - No
Any profanity? - None
Is this movie based on a - book

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