Invisibility Themes in Silent Movies
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Chemistry Movies Blog by Mark Griep, sponsored by Oxford University Press and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation at tinyurl.com/chemmoviesblog Invisibility Themes in Silent Movies Image: Bersakov’s bust from Now You See Him, Now You Don’t (1972) still exists and is stored in the Disney Archives. It is the most recent movie to feature a paint or spray that confers invisibility to anything it covers. Note that Bersakov is the spitting image of Dmitri Mendeleev. Photo by Disney Archives Curator Dave Smith. Before you can study a movie theme, you need to create a list of movies with that theme. It is great when someone else has already created a list because you can use that as your starting point for verification. While creating my list of invisibility movies, I found that no one had yet created the so- called definitive list. Instead, I found many silent movies with the word “invisible” or “invisibility” in the title but with no accompanying information about their narratives. I had expected they would all be based on Herbert George Wells’s The Invisible Man novel of 1897 because the 1933 version by director James Whale was based upon that novel. When I found it difficult to determine whether the causative effect was chemical, physical, or otherwise, I decided to keep track of all of them. Whenever I found a synopsis with enough detail to make the determination, I noted it in my list. My list of 18 silent invisibility movies, serials, and cartoons (see list below) was pieced together from lists of other types of movies prepared by other researchers (Lahue 1968 Bound and Gagged: The History of the Silent Serial Cranberry, NJ: A. S. Barnes; Hardy 1986 The Encyclopedia of Science Fiction Movies London: Octopus Books; Internet Movie Database at www.imdb.com; The Silent Era Website at www.silentera.com). At the steady pace of more than one invisibility movie a year between 1906 and 1925, this theme was just as popular as Jekyll and Hyde but with even greater diversity of depictions. The Chemistry Movies Blog by Mark Griep, sponsored by Oxford University Press and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation at tinyurl.com/chemmoviesblog earliest silent invisibility movie was released in 1906, only nine years after H. G. Wells published his scientific romance, and two years before the first Jekyll and Hyde movie. After examining the narratives of each, I classified eight as “chemical invisibility”, three as “invisible ink”, one as “invisible paint”, and six as “physical invisibility” (see list below). The latter category involved wearing rings or suits, exposure to X-rays, or similar phenomena. It seems that invisibility was popular because it could generate humorous or unexpected situations and because it presented interesting opportunities for the cameraman and special effects crew. An examination of these narratives suggests that the 1933 version written by R. C. Sherriff, directed by James Whale and starring Claude Rains has very little relation to any of these prior versions. It was a work of singular genius. After creating the list, Mikasen and I sought to view as many silent invisibility films as possible but found that none were being sold on VHS or DVD. Instead, all or parts of 11 of them are available for viewing at various film archives around the world (see list below). In Spring 2008, we watched the Invisibility Movie #3 fragment at the British Film Institute in London and numbers 4, 15, and 17 at the UCLA Film Library. If you know the synopses for other silent invisibility movies, post it to this blog by sending me an email. Griep’s list of silent invisibility movies Invisibility Movie #1 Title and Year Les Invisibles (aka The Invisible Man) (1906) Production Company Pathé, Paris Length 656 ft; about 10 min Director Gaston Velle Actor Unknown Summary Unknown Invisibility Theme Formula? Early Published Review New York Clipper 14 April 1906, page 213 Status Copy in Deutsche Kinemathek, Berlin Copy in Danske Filminstitut, Copenhagen Invisibility Movie #2 Title and Year The Invisible Fluid (1908) Production Company Biograph, New York, NY Length 662 ft; about 10 min Director Wallace McCutcheon Actors Edward Dillon, DW Griffith Chemistry Movies Blog by Mark Griep, sponsored by Oxford University Press and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation at tinyurl.com/chemmoviesblog Summary Scientist invents invisibility spray, sends to brother, messenger steals atomizer and uses it Invisibility Theme Paint Early Published Synopsis The Moving Picture World, 20 June 1908, page 531. Early Published Review New York Clipper, 20 June 1908, pages 472 and 479 Status Unknown Invisibility Movie #3 Title and Year Invisibility (1909) Production Company Hepworth, London Length 650 ft; about 10 min Actor Lewin Fitzhamon Directors Lewin Fitzhamon and Cecil Hepworth Summary A man purchases an invisibility powder from another man he meets walking down the street; at home his wife scolds him so he swallows some powder, his body disappears but his clothes remain visible Invisibility Theme Formula Early Published Synopsis The Bioscope, vol. 137, page 33; Hepwix section; 27 May 1909 Status British Film Institute, London, has 2-minute fragment (where we viewed it) Invisibility Movie #4 Title and Year The Invisible Thief (aka L'Homme Invisible) (1909) Production Company Pathé, Paris Length 377 ft; about 6 min Director Ferdinand Zecca Actor unknown Summary Young man mixes potion while reading novel by GH Wells [sic], drinks it to become invisible, undresses, robs house, robs people, and harasses police Invisibility Theme Formula Early Published Synopsis The Moving Picture World, 10 July 1909, page 65 Early Published Review The Moving Picture World, 24 July 1909, page 124 Status British Film Institute, London UCLA Film and Television Archive (where we viewed it) Invisibility Movie #5 Title and Year The Invisible (1912) Production Company Lubin, Philadelphia, PA Length 905 ft; about 14 min Director unknown Actor unknown Chemistry Movies Blog by Mark Griep, sponsored by Oxford University Press and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation at tinyurl.com/chemmoviesblog Summary Lubin buys an invisibility powder at the Carnival so he can visit Collette without being seen. It doesn’t work even though Lubin believes it does. Collette’s father sees Lubin and drives him away. In despair, Lubin is about to drown himself when his friends communicate his savings to the father who then encourages their marriage Invisibility Theme Formula, Snake oil Early Published Synopsis The Bioscope, Supplement to vol. 16, page xv; Éclair section; 8 August 1912 Status Unknown. A spontaneous nitrocellulose explosion at the Lubin Film Manufacturing Company in Philadelphia on June 13, 1914, destroyed their vault and its contents and is the reason that so few Lubin films exist today. Invisibility Movie #6 Title and Year Winky's Invisible Ink (1914) Production Company Bamforth, Yorkshire Cine Co. Ltd. Length 760 ft; about 12 min Director Cecil Birch Actor Reggie Switz Summary Girl's father will give consent if her suitor can contrive to get a letter to her. Invisibility Theme Ink Early Published Synopsis The Bioscope, Supplement to vol. 25, page xi, 10 December 1914 says “ The gradual appearance of the real message before a hot fire is neatly and amusingly shown.” [Note from Griep: an invisible message was also heated to reveal the message neatly and amusingly in Formula 51 (2001)]. Status Unknown Invisibility Movie #7 Title and Year The Shielding Shadow (1916) Distribution Company Pathé, New York, NY Length Serial with 15 chapters Directors Louis Gasnier and McKenzie Actors Grace Darmond and Ralph Kellard Summary Jerry Carson's invisibility pellets are stolen and he attempts to recover them Invisibility Theme Formula Early Published Synopsis None identified yet Status UCLA Film and Television Archive has the first episode Invisibility Movie #8 Title and Year The Fatal Ring (1917) Distribution Company Pathé, New York, NY Length Serial with 20 chapters Chemistry Movies Blog by Mark Griep, sponsored by Oxford University Press and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation at tinyurl.com/chemmoviesblog Director George B. Seitz Actors Pearl White and Warner Oland Summary Pearl Standish and Nicholas Knox fight to retain purple diamond ring that makes wearer invisible Invisibility Theme Physical Early Published Synopsis None identified yet Status UCLA Film and Television Archive has the first episode Invisibility Movie #9 Title and Year Help Wanted (1917) Distribution Company Pathé, New York, NY Length 4 min? Director Bud Fisher Actors Animated Mutt and Jeff Summary Animation: Mutt uses invisibility formula to trick Jeff Invisibility Theme Formula Early Published Synopsis None identified yet Status Library of Congress, Washington, DC Invisibility Movie #10 Title and Year Sacrifice (1917) Production Company Jesse L. Lasky Feature Play Company, Hollywood, CA Length 5 reels, about 50 min Director Frank Reicher Actors Margaret Illington and Jack Holt Summary Mary Stephan falls in love with soldier Paul Ekald but war causes break up. The plans are written in invisible ink. Invisibility Theme Ink Early Published Synopsis None identified yet Status Reel 5 is in the Library of Congress, Washington DC Invisibility Movie #11 Title and Year The Carter Case (1919) Production Company Oliver Films, New England Length Serial with 15 chapters Director William F. Haddock and Donald Mackenzie Actors Herbert Rawlinson and Marguerite Marsh Summary Craig Kennedy helps Anita Carter whose father was killed for his invisibility formula Invisibility Theme Formula Early Published Synopsis None identified yet Chemistry Movies Blog by Mark Griep, sponsored by Oxford University Press and the Alfred P. Sloan Foundation at tinyurl.com/chemmoviesblog Status Lost Invisibility Movie #12 Title and Year The Great Radium Mystery (1919) Production Company Universal Pictures, Universal City, CA Length Serial with 18 chapters Director Robert Broadwell and Robert F. Hill Actors Cleo Madison, Eileen Sedgwick, and Bob Reeves Summary Heir to fortune Countess Nada disappears and Gloria Marston contends with invisible vehicle.