The Invisible Man (1933)
91%RT Audience Score: 85%
Awards & Nominations: 43 wins & 84 nominations
James Whale’s classic The Invisible Man features still-sharp special effects, loads of tension, a goofy sense of humor, and a memorable debut from Claude Rains.
The Invisible Man is a classic horror film that will leave you on the edge of your seat. While some critics may argue that the humor falls flat, I found myself chuckling at the absurdity of an invisible man causing chaos. Claude Rains delivers a chilling performance, even when he’s not on screen. The special effects are impressive for its time and still hold up today. Overall, The Invisible Man is a must-watch for horror fans and anyone who wants to see a man wrapped in bandages terrorize a small town.
Production Company(ies)
HBO Documentary Films, Jigsaw Productions, Sky Atlantic
Distributor
Realart Pictures Inc., Universal Pictures, Screen Gems, Universal Home Entertainment, MCA/Universal Pictures [us]
Release Type
Filming Location(s)
Headland House, Gerringong, New South Wales, Australia
MPAA / Certificate
Rated R for some strong bloody violence, and language.
Year of Release
1933
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Color:Color
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Sound mix:Dolby Atmos 12-Track Digital Sound
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Aspect ratio:2.39 : 1
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Runtime:1h 11m
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Language(s):English
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Country of origin:United States
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Release date:Release Date (Theaters): Nov 13, 1933 Original
Release Date (Streaming): Aug 29, 2000
Genre(s)
Sci-fi
Keyword(s)
starring Claude Rains, Gloria Stuart, Henry Travers, William Harrigan, Una O’Connor, Forrester Harvey, directed by James Whale, written by R.C Sherriff, Preston Sturges, H.G Wells, Philip Wylie, sci-fi, box office performance, budget, reviewed by Times (UK) Staff, SMH Staff, Age Staff, Kim Newman, TIME Staff, Roy Chartier, Peter Fleming, Shadow Stage, Candida, James T Hamada, P.S Harrison, produced by Carl Laemmle Jr., MPAA rating, Realart Pictures Inc., Universal Pictures, Screen Gems, Universal Home Entertainment, MCA/Universal Pictures [us], Mono, Flat (1.37:1), Dr Jack Griffin, potion, invisible, insanity, violent rampage, police, mentor, former partner, special effects, tension, goofy sense of humor, memorable debut
Worldwide gross: $143,151,000
Worldwide gross (inflation-adjusted): $163,358,971
Worldwide gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 799
Worldwide tickets sold (est.): 17,814,501
US/Canada gross: $70,410,000
US/Canada gross (inflation-adjusted): $80,349,457
US/Canada gross ranking (inflation-adjusted): 858
US/Canada opening weekend: $28,205,665
US/Canada opening weekend (inflation-adjusted): $32,187,330
US/Canada opening weekend ranking (inflation-adjusted): 413
Budget and Earnings Details
Production budget (est.): $7,000,000
Production budget (inflation-adjusted): $7,988,158
Production budget ranking: 1,752
Marketing and distribution budget (inflation-adjusted est.): $4,301,623
Box office net earnings to date (inflation-adjusted est.): $151,069,190
ROI to date (est.): 1,229%
ROI ranking: 98
– Gloria Stuart as Flora Cranley
– Henry Travers as Dr. Cranley
– William Harrigan as Dr. Arthur Kemp
– Una O’Connor as Jenny Hall
– Forrester Harvey as Herbert Hall
Director(s)
James Whale
Writer(s)
R.C. Sherriff, Preston Sturges, H.G. Wells, Philip Wylie
Producer(s)
Carl Laemmle Jr.
Film Festivals
Awards & Nominations
43 wins & 84 nominations
Academy Awards
All Critics (51) | Top Critics (12) | Fresh (48) | Rotten (3)
Mr. Wells’s original idea had the element of humour as well as stark terror in it; in the film the humour misses all its glorious opportunities and the terror is robbed.
October 8, 2020
Times (UK) Staff
Times (UK)
TOP CRITIC
Under the supervision of James Whale, the director of “Frankenstein” and “The Old Dark House” the doings of the Invisible Man have been set forth with extraordinary realism.
October 8, 2020
SMH Staff
Sydney Morning Herald
TOP CRITIC
A marvel of film technique.
October 8, 2020
Age Staff
The Age (Australia)
TOP CRITIC
Rains, whose expressive gestures are also vital to his performance, recognised it as a career-making opportunity, a whole film that builds up to the revelation of his face.
October 14, 2011 | Rating: 5/5
Kim Newman
Empire Magazine
TOP CRITIC
In his first cinema role, which must have been easy for him to play since it amounts to very little more than an offstage noise, Claude Rains gives an alarming performance, almost as frightening when he is present as when he is not.
October 21, 2010
TIME Staff
TIME Magazine
TOP CRITIC
The strangest character yet created by the screen roams through The Invisible Man.
November 6, 2008
Roy Chartier
Variety
TOP CRITIC
The whole production is rather crudely devised, with American accents allowed to intrude disturbingly on the English setting… On the other hand, Hollywood must take full credit for the film’s technical ingenuity, which is indeed remarkable.
October 8, 2020
Peter Fleming
The Spectator
Good for some shivers… hardly as effective on the screen as in on print.
October 8, 2020
Shadow Stage
Photoplay
The Invisible Man is not on the whole as terrifying as the rest of the hobgoblin genre… But it is considerably more entertaining at least from the point of view of those of us who can get only a limited pleasure out of being scared to death.
October 8, 2020
Candida
Maclean’s Magazine
James Whale’s direction is excellent.
October 8, 2020
James T. Hamada
The Nippu Jiji (Honolulu)
What makes this good entertainment is the fact that the tension is relieved by much comedy.
October 8, 2020
P.S. Harrison
Harrison’s Reports
It must be confessed that it serves its purpose as an eerie and horrifying melodrama.
October 8, 2020
Martin Dickstein
Brooklyn Daily Eagle…
Plot
The film follows Cecilia, who receives the news of her abusive ex-boyfriend’s suicide. She begins to re-build her life for the better. However, her sense of reality is put into question when she begins to suspect her deceased lover is not actually dead.
Trivia
Goofs / Tidbits
The Invisible Man features a memorable debut from Claude Rains.
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