Can you spot the invisible man in this photo? He’s there. Trust me…
Photo: Bogdan Stepniak via CC
It goes without saying that cars and movies go together like chocolate and peanut butter. There have been plenty of films that focus on vehicles and vehicle-related things over the decades. However, even films that don’t focus on cars often have memorable moments involving them. Such is the case for today’s subject: a classic film about science gone awry that just happens to have one of the most memorable death-by-car scenes in cinema history. Welcome to the sardonic world of 1933’s The Invisible Man.
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A look at ‘The Invisible Man’
In 1897, legendary science-fiction author H. G. Wells published his latest novel: a cautionary tale entitled The Invisible Man. In the story, a driven scientist named Griffin invents a chemical that — you guessed it — renders him invisible. Instead of despairing, Griffin instead decides to use his invisibility as a tool for violently subjecting his will upon humanity.
The book was a success, and more than three decades later, Universal Pictures would adapt it for the screen with Wells’ aid. The film version, released in 1933, was directed by one of Hollywood’s most talented storytellers of the decade: Frankenstein director James Whale. Whale was well known for injecting sardonic humor and dark comedy into his horror pictures, and The Invisible Man would be no exception. The script called for an added layer of deranged megalomania for Griffin, and saw the invisible scientist driven to acts of violence and murder in pursuit of ultimate power over humanity.
Although treated seriously in the film, there was a certain comedic flair that accompanied Griffin’s actions. Nowhere was this more evident than in the fate of one of the film’s unluckiest characters.
In both the book and the film, Griffin blackmails a former friend and colleague named Kemp into becoming his accomplice. Threatened with death, Kemp is forced to aid and abet Griffin’s reign of terror. Thankfully, he’s eventually able to escape and betray Griffin. In the book, Kemp is rewarded by being allowed to live. His cinematic counterpart wouldn’t be so lucky.
The infamous car scene
In keeping with his dark sense of humor, director James Whale saw to it that poor Kemp suffered the vengeful wrath of the invisible man. Assured of his safety by the police, Kemp is dressed in an officer’s uniform and secreted away from a massive operation designed to catch Griffin. As the operation commences, Kemp flees town in his motorcar. It seems to both him and the audience that he’s gotten away safely, but this couldn’t be further from the truth.
In one of the film’s most chilling moments, Griffin speaks from the back of Kemp’s car. He’d been in the rear seat the whole time, still as invisible as ever. After tying Kemp up, Griffin tells the poor man exactly how his life is going to end:
“I hope your car’s insured, Kemp. I’m afraid there’s going to be a nasty accident in a minute. A very nasty accident! Just sit where you are. I’ll get out and take the handbrake off and give you a little shove to help you on. You’ll run gently down and through the railings, then you’ll have a big thrill for a hundred yards or so till you hit a boulder, then you’ll do a somersault and probably break your arms, then a grand finish up with a broken neck! Well, goodbye, Kemp. I always said you were a dirty little coward. You’re a dirty sneaking little rat as well. Goodbye.”
With that, the car slides down the hill, taking poor Kemp for a ride that culminates in a fiery explosion.
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Thanks to its dark humor and memorable performances, The Invisible Man has remained a classic thriller for nearly 90 years. Fans of old-school horror — and exploding cars — would do well to give it a watch.
Daniel DiManna hails from little Sylvania, Ohio. A graduate of Lourdes University with a degree in Fine Arts (which has thus far proven about as useful as a wet paper towel), Daniel’s hobbies/passions include film history, reading, fiction/non-fiction writing, sculpting, gaining weight, and adding more toys, posters, books, model kits, DVD’s, screen-used props, and other ephemera to his already shamefully monumental collection of Godzilla/movie monster memorabilia. His life goals include a return trip to Japan, getting a podcast off the ground, finishing his novel, and yes, buying even more monster toys. See more articles by Daniel.
