DVD...

Skin...

1933
Directed by: James Whale
Written by: R.C. Sherriff, H.G. Wells (novel)
Produced by: Carl Laemmle Jr.
Studio: Universal Pictures

Starring:
Claude Rains .... The Invisible Man
Gloria Stuart .... Flora Cranley
William Harrigan .... Doctor Kemp
Henry Travers .... Doctor Cranley
Una O'Connor .... Jenny Hall, Innkeeper's Wife
Forrester Harvey .... Bill Hall, Innkeeper
Holmes Herbert .... Chief of Police
E.E. Clive .... Constable Jaffers
Dudley Digges .... Chief Detective
Harry Stubbs .... Inspector Bird
Donald Stuart .... Inspector Lane
Merle Tottenham .... Millie, Maid at Inn

This movie is usually categorized as a horror film, but it is more of a sci-fi film than horror. There are also a few good comic moments (intentional) that work in this film. Oh, and Claude Raines also gives the performance of his career in the title role. I recently watched the dvd released from Universal of this film and I must say that I was quite impressed. I had not seen the movie in probably twenty years and it was really good! A lot of old "classics" can be slow and boring, but this was entertaining and I never even thought about fast forwarding through any of it, like I would in say, a Jess Franco film.

The movie starts out with a bang when a mysterious man appears at an inn during a howling snowstorm. He is bundled up and and demands a room and food. After he is settled in his room, we see (or don't see) the first glimpses of the invisible man.

The name of the mysterious invisible man we find out is Dr. Jack Griffin. He has a fiancee, Flora Cranley (played by Gloria Stuart who was nominated for an Oscar for her performance as the old woman in the Titantic), and Flora and her father are very concerned for the missing invisible man, but his former partner, Dr. Kemp, sees this as a chance try and move in on Flora, but Kemp's advances are rebuffed.

Later on Kemp is visited by the invisible guy and under duress, offers cloths, food and a place to sleep for Griffin. This is when Claude Raines really gets to shine, telling Kemp about his megolimania like plans to control the world through criminal mischief. The rest of the story is somewhat of a moral tale that mixes suspense and humor.

The film was released in 1933 and was right in the middle of James Whale's wonderful run of great movies for Universal. He directed the smash hit Frankenstein that was released in 1931 and followed that up with The Old Dark House which also starred Boris Karloff. They teamed up again in 1935 for the Bride of Frankenstein which ended up being the directors last great horror film. He did manage to direct some future great horror actors in Vincent Price and Peter Cushing in the late 30's, but his career was pretty much over by 1939.

The dvd is part of Universal Studios Classic Horror Collection which means that it includes a great documentary and also a commentary by film historian Rudy Behlmer. The special effects in this movie are great, especially considering they are 70 years old. I really can't recommend this dvd highly enough for anyone who cares for early classic horror or sci-fi. I got it as part of the 8 dvd Classic Monster Collection which is still available at amazon.com, but the individual dvd is currently out of print.

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