|
-
News
- Features
- Events
Calendar
- Editorials
- Monthly
Zine
- Offworld
Report
- Our Daily
RSS Feed
- Movie/TV
Reviews
> Recent movies
> Movies by year
> Movies by title
- Book
Reviews
> Recent books
> Books by year
> Books by title
- Home
- Worlds
- Biography
- Bibliography
- Appearances
- Reviews
- Blog
- Community
- Press
- Links
Become
an Advertiser
- Web
Site Directory
- Search
the Net
- StephenHunt.net
- WoodenRocket.com
- Check
your E-mail
- Non Sci-Fi
News
|
The Invisible Man - Limited Edition (PG)
01/06/2007 . Source: Rod MacDonald 
Region 2 DVD: pub: Network 7952838. 4 DVDs 650 minutes 27 episodes (including unaired pilot) with extras. Price: £ 29.99(UK). Buy The Invisible Man - Limited Edition in the USA - or Buy The Invisible Man - Limited Edition in the UK  check out website: www.networkdvd.co.uk
My household didn't get a television set until about 1959 when I was seven years old and age in my development when I was having problems with Einstein's Relativity, the derivation of Schrödinger's wave equation and the Beano. I can remember the old 405 line transmission with only two channels available, 3 and 10, each requiring its own aerial.
One was in an H shape of other was a diagonal cross but which one received which, I do not recall. Regardless of technical details, along with 'Last Of The Mohicans', 'William Tell' and 'Robin Hood', the 'Invisible Man' was one of my favourites. I was therefore delighted when Uncle Geoff asked me to review a DVD compilation of the entire series of twenty six episodes.
In many respects, HG Wells invented 'The Invisible Man' over a century ago with his much acclaimed novel. This series, which was made in Britain by Incorporated Television Company (ITC) and released during September 1958, gives credit to HG Wells in the title but in essence, apart from the obvious appearance of an invisible man, there is little resemblance between the two. Wells' Man was more far more reflective and sombre, and of course ultimately tragic whereas the 1958 TV version Man is reasonably well-adjusted and able to cope with the invisibility which has been thrust upon him by fate.
There's been other permanently invisible men in the movies and television over the years, including an American TV series made in the Seventies starring David McCallum of 'Man From UNCLE' fame but for me, personally, this version has always been my favourite and I'm sure the DVD collection will have considerable appeal to others of a similar age or older. It was also a strange experience to watch a television series which I had not seen for the best part of forty years. It took me back to another world and another time which, just like 'The Invisible Man', has all but vanished. However, in spite of initial nostalgic attraction, the series was actually quite good and it is certainly worth watching again today.
Now to the details. The twenty-five minute episodes were made in black and white. Colour television in Britain was still a long way off. This was a standard length for drama episodes of the day, fitting in to a half hour slot with advertisements in the middle. While this duration allowed for the development of a plot with consequent actions, there was little time for sub-plots or lengthy dialogue and social reflection. Everything was sharp and fast: there was no hanging about in these days.
Dr Peter Brady isn't seen very much. In fact, before he becomes invisible during an accident in his laboratory, we see only the back of his head and little of his face but this takes us just five minutes into the first episode. Nobody knows the real appearance of the Invisible Man and the actors who play him during the series are not accredited. The voice of the Invisible Man is also not his own, so to speak! However, it's not long before he gets into action, allowing the viewers to marvel at the special effects and consequences of being invisible on television.
This was all new at the time and people were less exposed to special effects. I wouldn't say people in the fifties were more naive or simpler, it's just that they lived in a different time and in many respects they had a lot more bottle than many do today. Regardless of time differences, we would still be shocked and amazed to see a driverless sports car going along the road. Peter Brady had invisible clothes and often went about his work completely invisible but to make it easier for others, he also wore bandages around his face, overcoat and a hat.
For its time, the special effects were very good. Doors are opened and closed, cigarettes suspended in the air were lit and telephones were dialled and answered without any hands on the apparatus. While this would not be believable on today's high-definition television, in these days with relatively fuzzy 405, you could get away with it without too much trouble. Fortunately, the series did not rely on special effects alone and there was no way they could have made twenty-six episodes from just such a novelty.
The stories and characters were well written and were delivered with pace which kept the old square box watcher interested. From all accounts, the production schedule with ITC was very strenuous allowing little room for error and mistakes but it was all done with organisation and efficiency.
It's not long before Dr Peter Brady is working for the Foreign Office by sorting out despotic dictators in Middle East countries and also by saving a condemned man from hanging for a crime he did not commit. Tales of espionage and secret agents were just becoming popular, especially with the onset of the Cold War and what could be better than an Invisible Man in such circumstances? However, he was his own man, an individual, and not a pawn of officialdom.
The series is worth it on its own just to see how people lived and behaved in the 1950s. Everyone seemed to smoke cigarettes or tobacco of some form or another. Automobiles were several generations removed from today's Toyota Avensis and Ford Focus and motorways didn't exist. Just how did we manage? Country roads and London streets, they were different, quieter and saner. By looking at the series, you will see how much things have changed.
The twenty-six episodes were also a vehicle for actors, established and aspiring. You'll be surprised at how many familiar faces you see, including a blackened Peter Sallis as a friendly native and also Ernest Clark, before he became Professor Geoffrey Loftus in the 'Doctor' sit-coms of the 70s. The series evolved as well with Brady losing his secret status to become a generally well-known character. Oh, that's the Invisible Man, many would say on seeing him. He could travel about by plane and train without being an oddity.
A sort of sub-plot running through the entire series was his desire to become normal and visible again. This was the motive behind some of the episodes but, of course, he was never successful otherwise the reason for existence would disappear. It was fortunate that Brady was a fairly large man who could handle himself in a punch-up and there were many of those, but he also had a good sense of what was wrong and right. While TV in the 1950s was usually a matter of good and evil characters, with good always winning out in the end, the same was true with 'The Invisible Man' to some extent, except that there were also a few characters of ambiguous and dubious nature, usually confined to secret service personnel, politicians and scientific management.
Special features, which, except for the pilot episode, I couldn't find on the review DVDs, are listed as follows:
Brand new commentaries on 'Shadow Bomb', 'Picnic With Death' and 'Secret Experiment' with Lisa Daniely, Deborah Watling, Brian Clemens and Ray Austin; brand new transfers; unscreened and abandoned pilot version; Italian titles, Image Gallery and ATV Star Book PDFs.
If you are going to sneer and scoff at anything which is not contemporary, then this is not for you. However, if you want some good honest entertainment from another era and if you are prepared to make little allowances, then this is worth buying. Just because something is old doesn't mean to say it's no good. In fact, this version of 'The Invisible Man' is a damn sight better than a lot of rubbish put on television today.
Rod MacDonald
|
|
