The American horror film The Invisible Man (1933) was based on H.G. Wells’s science-fiction novel of the same name. The movie was noted for its groundbreaking visual effects and for featuring British actor Claude Rains in his first American screen role.
The Invisible Man features Rains as Dr. Jack Griffin, a British scientist who has discovered the secret of invisibility and has taken the drug responsible for the incredible feat. The drug, however, also drives the doctor mad. He ends up terrorizing a British village and eventually commits murder.
Rains’s impressive performance—in which he relied mainly on his vocal skills to express his character since he was either invisible or covered with bandages throughout most of the film—made him a star. Director James Whale also drew praise for his work. Although a horror film, The Invisible Man was noted for its humor.