“Power, I said! Power to walk into the gold vaults of the nations, into the secrets of kings, into the holy of holies, power to make multitudes run, squealing in terror, at the touch of my little invisible finger. Even the moon’s frightened of me, frightened to death. The whole world’s frightened to death” – Claude Rains, The Invisible Man (1933)
Watching another late January snowstorm out my living room window reminded me of one of my favorite wintry horror films: The Invisible Man (1933). Directed by the legendary James Whale (Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein), The Invisible Man is based on a novel of the same title by H.G. Wells and is included among the Universal Monsters classic horror films. Like many, I am sure, I first became aware of this film through the song “Science Fiction / Double Feature” from The Rocky Horror Picture Show (1975). I never expected to be so enamored with a horror film so heavy with science fiction, which has never really been my thing.
The movie begins with a scientist named Dr. Jack Griffin (Claude Rains) walking through a countryside snowstorm and carrying a single suitcase. In addition to his coat, gloves, and hat, he also wears bandages around his entire head, a fake nose, and dark goggles over his eyes. He arrives at an inn called The Lion’s Head in the village of Iping (West Sussex, England). The crowd inside merrily enjoying music, games, and drinks falls silent when Dr. Griffin bursts through the front door.
He approaches the counter and requests a room and a fire. He is accommodated by Jenny Hall (Una O’Connor), the innkeeper’s wife. The other guests speculate that he’s a criminal on the run and must be watched carefully. Jenny later reenters his room to bring up the mustard that had been forgotten with his meal. She opens the door without knocking and meets an unexpected sight. The guest is seated at the table with the bottom half of his bandages removed. It appears there is nothing between the top of the stranger’s head and his shoulders. Dr. Griffin grabs a napkin to cover the bottom half of his face and angrily reminds her that he wants to he left alone. Jenny goes back downstairs to report he has bandages all around his head and ears. She presumes his condition is the result of an accident, and the men are even more convinced he is an escaped criminal.
Meanwhile, Flora Cranley (Gloria Stuart) asks her father, Dr. Cranley (Henry Travers) if he has heard anything from Griffin. Flora is Griffin’s fiancée. He had left a note stating he may be gone for a while; at this point, he has been away for almost a month with no contact. Flora and Griffin’s colleagues knew he was working on his own private experiment, but all evidence had been destroyed before his departure. Flora said Griffin had acted strange a few days before leaving and would not tell her anything.
Tensions at The Lion’s Head escalate when Griffin falls a week behind on his bill and disturbs everyone with his behavior. He has set up an array of chemistry equipment in his room and becomes enraged when he is disturbed. Jenny has enough and sends her husband Herbert (Forrester Harvey) upstairs to kick Griffin out. In his anger toward the situation and Mr. Hall touching the lab equipment, Griffin ends up throwing the innkeeper down the stairs. When police arrive, Griffin finally snaps and removes his bandages. The officers and other locals watch in horror as Griffin removes his disguise and clothing to become more invisible. Once he is completely invisible, Griffin violently exits the inn and charges through the group gathered outside. His acts of violence and deception in the village are just the beginning of his reign of terror as he escapes into the larger world.
The Invisible Man is truly an undervalued film among the Universal Monsters lineup. While it is, in my opinion, the most humorous of the group, The Invisible Man still holds that dark, romantic charm that makes the James Whale/Universal Monsters films so unique. Dr. Jack Griffin may not carry as much commercial popularity as his reanimated or monstrous counterparts, but I hope he and The Invisible Man (as well as its several sequels*) gain more attention from modern-day horror fanatics.
*The Invisible Man Returns (1940) stars one of my favorite human beings to ever exist: Vincent Price.
Until next time,
Jordan
By Night 