Not Seeing is Believing! The Classic Original “Invisible Man” Tonight!

When we bring back shows from our Vintage Vault- we try to give viewers some of the films that they have asked for frequently. Some of the requsted titles come as a surprise to us, but some do not- especially the one for tonight's MeTV airing- the amazing original version of H.G. Well's "The Invisible Man"!

This 1933 classic begins with a scene that may be slightly more effective when we run this film in the dead of winter- a bundled-up stranger slogs his way through the snowy countryside of Iping, eventually making a dramatic entrance to the Lion's Head Inn that causes the whole place to freeze in stunned silence! He demands a room- and to be left alone. The innkeeper and his chatty wife end up bumping heads with this odd visitor, who keeps his face covered with bandages and his eyes covered with dark glasses. His odd behavior and demeanor are the talk of the Inn and the source of all variety of rumors- and his run-ins with the owners, including being late with his rent, finally force them to tell him he must go. This only infuriates the man further, and, after some violent reactions, the local constable is brought in to help move the stranger along. Furious, the man declares he will show them the truth- and proceeds to reveal that- he is invisible! The villagers flee in panic as he runs amok!

We learn that he is actually Jack Griffin- a scientist who has been experimenting with an odd mixture known as monocane- which was used in foreign lands to turn cloth white- but also destroyed the cloth in the process. His fiancee Flora and her father, Griffin's employer, have no idea where he might be- but, in searching his lab, fear the worst when they find a note mentioning monocane- Flora's dad knows that experiments with it on living things have ended in frightening madness and tragedy.

Another assistant to Flora's father, one Dr. Kemp, then finds himself with a surprise visitor one night- the invisible Griffin- who threatens Kemp, and forces him to help him retrieve his notebooks from the Inn- where he disrupts a police inquiry and kills an officer! Kemp tries to enlist Flora and her father to help reason with Griffin- but soon, betrayal and his increasing madness set Griffin on a mission of more murder- as he avoids any attempts to stop a deadly enemy who can't be seen!

Of course, the magnificent acting of the mostly unseen Claude Rains is what makes this film so special- along with the then- state of the art effects that make him invisible. We'll talk about that, and his co-stars, including a couple actors familiar from other classic films- and one, in particular, known for her role in a more recent blockbuster! Add in some Sven antics, and you've got a Vintage Vault offering you'll be happy that you saw- or, maybe "didn't see"...

"Invisible Man" airs tonight on MeTV at 10 pm eastern/pacific, 9 central, and check local listings- especially our friends in San Diego at the big Comic-Con! In our home city of Chicago, viewers get one more look at the land-locked "Creature Walks Among Us" at 11 am on WCIU, the U.

Big news on the appearance front- not only will I be making my usual Saturday signing/costume contest hosting visit to the Flashback Weekend horror convention in Rosemont, IL on August 8- but we've added a second event on Sunday the 9th, which has been dubbed "Monster Family Fun Day"- with me hosting a special screening of the Rankin-Bass stop motion monster mash-up that features the voice of the great Boris Karloff, "Mad Monster Party"- and I'll be appearing onstage, with some  audience participation  fun for the entire family! Your paid admission to Flashback Weekend on Sunday is all you need to attend the screening. You and a family member could end up taking part in a contest on stage with me! Check for more information under the "appearances" tab on our site!

Tonight, however, it's more a "family fright night"- with the man you've asked NOT to see again! ( Will I ever stop using that joke? ...I doubt it!)