Now You See Me; Now you Don't Trivia Quiz

Answer: H.G. Wells

H.G. Wells himself saw the adaptation of his novel and was not pleased. His central character, Jack Griffin, (played by Rains), Wells considered a scientific genius, not the lunatic portrayed in the film.

However, it proved to a career launching film for Rains who went to gather four Academy Award nominations for Best Supporting Actor in "Mr. Smith Goes to Washington" (1939), "Casablanca" (1942), "Mr. Skeffington" (1944), and "Notorious" (1946).

The female lead was played by Gloria Stuart who returned to the screen in dramatic fashion in "Titanic" (1997). Looking at the film closely you might see Walter Brennan and John Carradine in minor roles.

Answer: Vincent Price

This proved to be Vincent Price's first venture into the horror genre. It interesting to note that Price appears physically in only one minute of the eighty-one minute film, the rest were his voice and special effects.

Surprisingly, the Rotten Tomatoes site, one of the harshest film critics, gave "The Invisible Man Returns" a glowing 89%. Price had a number of dramatic roles such as "Song of Bernadette" (1943), "Keys to the Kingdom" (1944) and "The Ten Commandments" (1956), he will always be best remembered as the master of the horror film.

Answer: John Barrymore

Barrymore uses Virginia Bruce as his guinea pig and makes her invisible. This makes it possible for her to get revenge on an old employer who fired her. Gangsters realizing the potential of the machine, steal it but can not make it work. Shemp Howard of Three Stooges fame plays one of the gang. In some quarters the film was considered risqué as even though she is not seen, the audience knows that she is nude.

John Barrymore, along with his sister Ethel and brother Lionel, constitute a distinguished theater family. His health and his alcoholism contributed to his death. In this later appearances he was often a parody of himself such as this one.

Answer: Abbot and Costello

H.G. Wells had signed a contract with Universal to use adaptations of his invisible man in films. Wells did not live to see this slapstick production. Abbot and Costello play private detectives looking for an invisible man who has injected himself with an invisibility serum.

The invisible man this time was portrayed by Walter Franz but some advertising had the image of Claude Rains, the original invisible man. Because Tommy Nelson (the invisible man) was a boxer, Lou Costello finds himself in a boxing match with the invisible Nelson as his second.

Answer: Chevy Chase

The problem with the film was the behind scenes debate whether it should be a serious film about the loneliness and despair of being invisible or whether it should just go for laughs. The laughs won out because it was a Chevy Chase film but the film lacks definition and mostly it lacked real laughs. John Carpenter, who has a reputation for horror films, was the director but his talent shows through only slightly through special effects.

The contrived invisibility is due to coffee being spilled on a computer. It had a successful opening weekend but quickly died as word-of-mouth and critical reviews poured it. Rotten Tomatoes gives it a 26% rating. Some unique special effects were chewing gum and an outline via raindrops.

Answer: Harvey

Critics will generally agree that "Harvey" is one of the most successful of all films with a theme of invisibility. Josephine Hull won Best Supporting Actress for her portrayal of Elwood P. Dowd's sister who in the film has to both believe and not believe in Harvey at the same time. James Stewart also had a nomination for Best Actor.

In the end even Dowd's doctor accepts the existence of Harvey just as the bartender serves a martini to Harvey without blinking an eye. "Harvey" ranks high on occasional surveys as one of the best films of all time.

Answer: Hollow Man

Again, H.G. Wells is given credit for the source material. Bacon plays a scientist who flirts with the concept of invisibility. As in the original, the drug proves to have psychotic effects. Learning of a romance between Shue's and Brolin's characters, pushes him over the edge.

The film changes course from a science fiction tale to one more like a 'slasher' genre. Rotten Tomatoes give it a 27%. "The Hollow Man 2" rolled out in 2006 with Christian Slater. It went straight to video.

Answer: Thorne Smith

"Topper Takes a Trip" (1938) carries on the further adventures with much the same cast but Cary Grant is seen only briefly. "Topper Returns" (1940) changed directions and had Joan Blondell as a murdered ghost seeking revenge.

During the 1953-1955 television seasons "Topper" was a weekly sit-com. Leo G. Carroll inherited the Cosmo Topper role while Anne Jeffreys and Robert Sterling recreated the Kirbys from the original film. The series was sponsored by Camel cigarettes hence the characters are seen always to be smoking.

Thorne Smith died at 42 in 1934, three years before "Topper" was filmed. He was one of the most popular writers of his time. His novels are filled with a love for life and living and making each moment of life exciting. Most of his work is out-of-print but check out your local used bookstore. You will be delighted.

Answer: The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen

Tony Curran plays Rodney Skinner, a government agent, who is searching for an antidote to the serum he took to become invisible. Legal clearance could not be obtained to use the Giffin name from copyright holders. Other characters in the film are Allan Quatermain, Captain Nemo, Dorian Gray, Tom Sawyer, Dr.

Henry Jekyl/Edward Hyde, and Professor James Moriarty. They work together to save England from evil forces.

Answer: Jon Hall

H.G.Wells gets some credit for this film also. The script was written by two anti-Nazis who had escaped Germany. One deleted scene had Jon Hall kicking the backside of Adolf Hitler. This was one of the propaganda films at the time to stir patriotism and unity against the Axis powers. The cast included Sir Cedric Hardwicke, who was about as British as they come, playing a Nazi leader, aided by the ever sinister Peter Lorre.

Jon Hall's breakthrough role was opposite Dorothy Lamour in 1937's "The Hurricane" This was followed by "Aloma of the South Seas" (1941),
"The Tuttles of Tahiti" (1942), and "White Savage" (1943)