The Invisible Man
H.G. Wells’ fantastic, out-of-this-world show!
Country
Production
Genre
Budget
$328 000
Revenue
$26 744
Director
Actors
Scenario
Producer
Carl Laemmle Jr.
Operator
Composer
Artist
Audition
Editing
Ted J. Kent
All team (31)
All team (31)
Short description
After experimenting on himself and becoming invisible, scientist Jack Griffin, now aggressive due to the drug's effects, seeks a way to reverse the experiment at any cost.
What's left behind the scenes
- The film is based on the eponymous novella by H.G. Wells.
- Boris Karloff could have gotten the role of the Invisible Man.
- In 2008, the film was added to the U.S. National Film Registry.
- To achieve the effect of Claude Rains' invisibility, when his character removes the bandages, director James Whale instructed him to dress in a black velvet suit, and he was filmed against a similar background.
- Initially, “Universal Pictures” intended to cast Boris Karloff in the role of the Invisible Man. Rumor has it that the actor himself refused the role because he wouldn't be visible in it. In reality, however, it was due to his quarrel with director James Whale, who decided he needed someone else for the role. In the next room, Claude Rains was auditioning; Whale listened to him and decided he was suitable for the part. Producer Carl Laemmle Jr. doubted this, as Rains was practically unknown to audiences and had never acted in a sound film. In fact, his filmography at that time consisted of only one silent film (“Build Your Own House” from 1920 by Fred Goodwin). Laemmle Jr. suggested Whale take Colin Clive for the role. He approached Clive, but pleaded with him to refuse. The actor obliged, and during the filming of “The Invisible Man” went on vacation.
- Gloria Stuart disliked working with Claude Rains. She stated that he took up all the space in front of the camera during joint scenes, forcing her to step aside. Wayle even had to have a conversation with Rains about this.
- When R.S. Sherriff arrived in Hollywood to work on the screenplay, he asked staff at "Universal Pictures" for a copy of the Wells novel, but they didn’t have one. They only had 14 different script versions, including one set in Tsarist Russia and another taking place on Mars. Sherriff found the novel in a second-hand bookstore, read it, and decided it could be filmed as is, without further adaptation. As a result, he wrote a screenplay that – unlike the films "Dracula" (Tod Browning and Karl Freund, 1931) and "Frankenstein" (James Whale, 1931) – was quite close to the literary source, which was good because Wells had specifically stipulated his right to review and approve the plot of any future adaptation when selling the film rights.
- To achieve the invisibility effect for Claude Rains when his character removes the bandages, director James Whale had him dress in a black velvet costume and filmed him against an identical background.
- Universal Pictures originally intended to cast Boris Karloff as the Invisible Man. Rumors suggest that the actor turned down the role because he wouldn't be seen in it. In reality, it was due to a quarrel with director James Whale, which led Whale to decide that someone else was needed for the part. In the next room, Claude Rains was auditioning; Whale listened to him and decided he was right for the role. Producer Carl Lemly Jr. had doubts, as Rains was virtually unknown to audiences and had never appeared in a sound film. In fact, his filmography at the time consisted of only one silent film (Fred Goodwin's 1920 'Build Your Own Home'). Lemly Jr. suggested that Whale cast Colin Clive instead. Whale approached Clive, but the latter begged him to let him pass on the role. The actor complied and went on vacation during the filming of 'The Invisible Man'.
- When R.S. Sherriff arrived in Hollywood to work on the screenplay, he asked Universal Pictures employees for a copy of Wells' novel, but they didn't have one. They only had 14 different versions of the script, including one set in Tsarist Russia and another taking place on Mars. Sherriff found the novel in a secondhand bookstore, read it, and decided that the novel could be adapted as it was, without further processing. As a result, he wrote a screenplay that—unlike the films 'Dracula' (Tod Browning and Carl Freund, 1931) and 'Frankenstein' (James Whale, 1931)—was quite close to the literary source. This was fortunate, as Wells had specifically reserved the right to review and approve the plot of the future adaptation when selling the film rights.
- Gloria Stuart did not enjoy working with Claude Rains. She claimed that he took up all the space in front of the camera during their joint scenes, forcing her to step aside. Whale even had to have a conversation with Rains about this issue.
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Auditions in India
Casting calls in USA
Castingi w Polsce
Кастинги в Україні
