The Universal Monsters Movies - Ranked From Worst To Best
2. The Invisible Man
Played by: Claude Rains (The Invisible Man), Vincent Price (The Invisible Man Returns, Abbott and Costello Meet Frankenstein), Virginia Bruce (The Invisible Woman), Jon Hall (The Invisible Agent, The Invisible Man's Revenge), Arthur Franz (Abbott and Costello Meet the Invisible Man) Who is he? Rather than follow a particular character, the Invisible Man series rather allows original invisible man Jack Griffin to stay dead and instead follows his invisibility serum in other stories involving other characters. The first film was based broadly on the H.G. Wells novel, although Wells himself had little involvement in the production and had mixed feelings about the finished product. Instead, the script was worked on by a series of talented writers including R.C. Sherriff and Preston Sturges. Director James Whale had wanted to cast his Frankenstein and Old Dark House star Boris Karloff as the eponymous see-through gent, but Karloff's salary demands proved a stumbling block. Claude Rains was cast instead and this proved a masterstroke. The imperious Rains gives what is probably the finest performance of his distinguished career as the increasingly unhinged invisible criminal looking to begin a reign of terror. In the capable hands of Whale, Universal's top monster director, the film is a more accomplished and memorable work than virtually all the other monster pictures (our Number 1 excluded), while the invisibility effect remains totally convincing. Despite the title, Rains did not return in The Invisible Man Returns, but was replaced by Vincent Price as a new character in a new story. In an almost entirely voice role, Price's rich, grandiose tones are perfect. One of his first horror roles, it helped launch a career as one of the genre's greatest stars. A strong entry into the monster cycle, it may not match up to the original, but The Invisible Man Returns is one of Universal's best sequels. The rest of the series is less good quality, but interestingly takes the conceit away from horror and through everything from screwball comedy to patriotic spy thriller. After the classic era: Universal have not returned to the invisible man since the original series. Given others' attempts with Memoirs of an Invisible Man and Hollow Man, that is probably a good thing. The Fox movie adaptation of The League of Extraordinary Gentleman, meanwhile, had to invent its own invisible man when unable to get the rights to the Wells character.
