The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1933-11-30
Invisible Man Is
A Thriller

Vampires. Frankenstein mon
sters and all the rest Of the
movies boyle men can now stink
back to their artificial aeries and
bite their fingernails in chagrin.
They've been topped, out-dis-
tanced and completely out
classed by THE Invisible Man"
Compared to the central char
acter in the current sensation at
the Rialto Theater, King Kong
comes to mind as a cream-puff
menace.
"The Invisible Man" is grand
entertainment. It is at the same
time intensely frightening and
hugely amusing.
Blessed with the most imagina-
tive idea yet captured by the
screen mystery melodrama, the
picture has been directed with
such skill by James Whale that
an Utterly fantastic and incredi-
BILE story is made to seem appal-
ingly and thrillingly real.
The idea, adapted from the
novel by H. G. Wells, is one
that most Of us have at one time
or another toyed with in our
thoughtS-the wish to make our
selves invisible for some reason
or other. Here the story concerns
itself with a scientist who sue
cesSfully injects himself with a
drug that makes him invisible.
But, wishing tc return to normal.
he is unable to concoct a formula
that will bring MIN back to visi-
bllity. And so, doomed to roam
the world unseen, he becomes
mad.
Voice In Space
The film opens with a shot Of a
man entering a village pub in Eng
land on a stormy winter evening
What can be seen Of his face be
tween his hat and overcoat is
muffled with bandages and hid
den with dark goggles. He takes a
room where he conducts chemical
experiments and demands to be
left alone. But when the curious
villagers disturb his privacy, the
figure with the bandaged head
flies into a rage and slowly un
winds the gauze. AS the bandages
drop off, the onlookers are con
fronted by a headless body. When
he takes off his gloves, there are
no hands. He continues to dis.
robe, and as he sheds the various
articles Of clothing, there is moth
ing left but a voice that comes
from space.
Doors open and shut, and a con
stable is murdered by an assail
ant he couldn't see. Scotland
Yard is called into the case, but
the police confess themselves BAT
fled. The invisible man listens to
their conferences and mocks them
as they grope helplesSly at the
air. He goes to the home Of q for
mer scientific colleague and talks
to the girl to whom he had once
been engaged. But when the for
mer friend notifies the police, the
invisible man skips through the
Gordon surrounding the house
and commits crime after crime
until he is finally trapped in q
manner that does credit to Scot
land Yards land Mr.. H. G.. WELSH
ingenuity.
Excellent Cast
To Mr.. Claudio Rains falls the
distinction of being the first actor
to make his screen debut without
being seen. It is only at the very
end Of the film that Mr.. Rains
features are revealed to the gasp.
ing audience, but up until then his
voice conveys a strength and force
that make his role an outstanding
one.
The supporting cast is excellent
with Forester Harvey, as the
owner of the pub; Una O'Connor
as his cockney wife; Gloria Stuart
as the. invisible mans fiancee;
William Harrigan. as the police.
informing friend, and Dudley
Digs. as a Scotland Yard inspec
tor. >