The Invisible Man (1933)

Note des utilisateurs:

7.8/10   

Réalisateur:

James Whale

Writers:

H.G. Wells (novel) and
R.C. Sherriff (screenplay)
(suite)

Release Date:

13 novembre 1933 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi | Thriller

Accroche:

Catch me if you can!

Plot:

A scientist finds a way of becoming invisible, but in doing so, he becomes murderously insane.

Plot Keywords:

Scientist | Chemist | Radio Broadcast | Pub | Beaker

Awards:

2 wins

Avis des utilisateurs:

Works Very Well

Ensemble

Claude Rains	...	The Invisible Man
Gloria Stuart	...	Flora Cranley
William Harrigan	...	Dr. Arthur Kemp
Henry Travers	...	Dr. Cranley
Una O'Connor	...	Jenny Hall
Forrester Harvey	...	Herbert Hall
Holmes Herbert	...	Chief of Police
E.E. Clive	...	Const. Jaffers
Dudley Digges	...	Chief detective
Harry Stubbs	...	Insp. Bird
Donald Stuart	...	Insp. Lane
Merle Tottenham	...	Millie
reste de la distribution par ordre alphabétique:
Robert Adair	...	Detective Thompson (uncredited)
Ted Billings	...	Villager Playing Darts (uncredited)
Walter Brennan	...	Bicycle Owner (uncredited)
Robert Brower	...	Farmer (uncredited)
John Carradine	...	Villager Suggesting Ink (uncredited)
D'Arcy Corrigan	...	Villager (uncredited)
Dwight Frye	...	Reporter (uncredited)
Mary Gordon	...	Screaming Woman (uncredited)
Tiny Jones	...	Townswoman at Pub (uncredited)
Violet Kemble Cooper	...	Woman (uncredited)
Crauford Kent	...	Doctor (uncredited)
John Merivale	...	Newsboy (uncredited)
Monte Montague	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Bob Reeves	...	Detective Hogan (uncredited)
Jack Richardson	...	Official (uncredited)
Tom Ricketts	...	Old Farmer with Barn (uncredited)
Kathryn Sheldon	...	Orphanage Worker (uncredited)
Emma Tansey	...	Old Woman Listening to the Radio (uncredited)
Jameson Thomas	...	Hospital Physician (uncredited)
Bert Young	...	Railroad Switchman (uncredited)

Réalisé par
James Whale

Scénaristes
H.G. Wells		(novel)
R.C. Sherriff		screenplay
Preston Sturges		uncredited
Philip Wylie		uncredited

Produit par
Carl Laemmle Jr.	....	producer

Musique originale
Heinz Roemheld		(uncredited)

Image
Arthur Edeson

Montage
Ted J. Kent		(as Ted Kent)

Direction artistique
Charles D. Hall

Maquillage
Jack P. Pierce	....	makeup artist (uncredited)

Assistant réalisateur
Joseph A. McDonough	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Wally Kirkpatrick	....	property master (uncredited)

Technicien du son
William Hedgcock	....	sound recordist (uncredited)
John Kemp	....	assistant sound recording engineer (uncredited)
Gilbert Kurland	....	sound supervisor (uncredited)

Effets spéciaux
John P. Fulton	....	special effects

Visual Effects
John J. Mescall	....	miniature photographer (uncredited)
Frank D. Williams	....	visual effects supervisor (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Peter Abriss	....	chief grip (uncredited)
Jack Eagan	....	assistant camera (uncredited)
Arthur Edeson	....	camera operator (uncredited)
Roman Freulich	....	still photographer (uncredited)
King D. Gray	....	camera operator (uncredited)
John J. Mescall	....	director of photography: additional photography (uncredited)

Editorial Department
Maurice Pivar	....	supervising editor (uncredited)

Music Department
W. Franke Harling	....	composer: stock music (uncredited)
Heinz Roemheld	....	conductor (uncredited)
William Schiller	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Divers
Carl Laemmle	....	presenter
Carl Laemmle	....	president: Universal Pictures

Production Companies

• Universal Pictures

Distributors

• Universal Pictures (1933) (USA) (theatrical)
• Realart Pictures (1947) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Screen Gems (1957) (USA) (TV)
• British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) (2004) (UK) (TV) (BBC2)
• Continental Home Vídeo (Brazil) (video)
• M.P.E.A. (1951) (Austria) (theatrical)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (VHS)
• MCA/Universal Home Video (USA) (laserdisc)
• Net5 (2004) (Netherlands) (TV)
• Universal Home Entertainment (USA) (DVD)

Autre(s) titre(s):

L'homme invisible (France) [fr]

Durée:

71 min

Pays:

USA

Langue:

Anglais

Couleur:

Noir et Blanc

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Son:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording Sound System)

Classification:

Finland:K-16 | USA:Approved (certificate not issued at release) | Spain:13 | West Germany:16 | Australia:M (DVD rating) | Australia:PG (original rating) | Germany:16 | UK:PG | USA:Unrated

Emplacements De Pelliculage:

Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Anecdotes:

Although the actor under the bandages was usually Claude Rains, particularly in the sequence set at the inn, often it was a double. You can tell him apart from the real Claude Rains because he is taller and has aquiline features, with a nose so prominent that it is visible even through the bandages. Rains's dialogue was all pre- or post-recorded and dubbed onto the soundtrack.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When the Invisible Man is riding away on the stolen bicycle, a practice mark and/or track can be clearly seen on the ground in front of the bike; the tires of the bicycle follow it perfectly.

Guillemet:

[first lines]
Man in Pub: Did you hear about Mrs. Mason's little Willy? Sent him to school and found him buried ten-foot deep in a snow drift.
Man in Pub # 2: How did they get him out?
Man in Pub: Brought the fire engine 'round. Put the hose pipe in, pumped it backwards and sucked him out.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in The Prodigy (2005)

Soundtrack:

Hearts and Flowers

Works Very Well

This film version of the H.G. Wells science fiction classic works very well. It has a number of strengths, but it benefits most of all from James Whale's direction, creativity, and technical excellence. Both the flashier aspects of the movie (such as the "invisibility" effects) and also most of the basic elements are done with skill.

The story is for the most part based on the one main idea of "The Invisible Man" who combines his scientific genius with a generous supply of madness. The story is interesting enough in itself, and of course it provides all kinds of opportunities for visual tricks. Whale hits just the right balance in making good use of these opportunities without over-indulging himself.

The visual effects themselves are of excellent quality, and they are far better than all but the very best of the present-day computer imagery. While it is usually rather easy to spot which parts of a movie are computer-generated, Whale's effects are all but seamless, with the exception of a handful of brief moments. They are often quite impressive, without resorting to tired devices, such as explosions and the like, in order to impress those with shorter attention spans.

Claude Rains does quite well for having such limitations on what he could do. The rest of the cast is solid, if mostly unspectacular, letting the story do the work. Una O'Connor somewhat overdoes it with the screaming this time, but otherwise the characters are believable. The acting may seem slightly quaint to those who are accustomed to the pretentious styles of the present generation of performers, but it's certainly better than the grating, self-important performances in some of the recent movies of the same genre.

While the story does not have the thematic depth or the suggestive imagery of horror classics like "Frankenstein" or "Dracula", this adaptation gets everything it can out of the material, telling the story in an entertaining fashion and with technical skill.