The Invisible Man (1958 TV series)

Infobox Television
show_name = The Invisible Man


caption =
show name2 =
genre = Science fiction/Adventure/Espionage
creator = Ralph Smart
writer =
director =
creat_director =
developer =
presenter =
starring = Lisa Daniely
Deborah Watling
Ernest Clark
voices = Tim Turner (uncredited)
narrated =
theme_music_composer =
opentheme =
endtheme =
composer =
country = UK
language = English
num_seasons = 2
num_episodes = 26
list_episodes =
executive_producer =
co_exec =
producer = Ralph Smart
sup_producer =
asst_producer =
cons_producer =
co-producer =
editor =
story_editor =
location =
cinematography =
camera =
runtime = 25 minutes
channel = ATV
picture_format = b/w
audio_format = mono
first_run =
first-aired = 14 September 1958
last_aired = 5 July 1959
preceded_by =
followed_by =
related =
website =
production_website =
imdb_id = 0051285
tv_com_id = 9332

"The Invisible Man" was a 1958 ITC Entertainment series for Associated TeleVision. The series was networked on CBS in the United States. It ran for 26 half-hour monochrome episodes across two seasons and was nominally based on the novel by H.G. Wells, one of four such television series.

The series follows the adventures of Doctor Peter Brady, a British scientist who, while attempting to achieve invisibility with light refraction (a completely different technique than the protagonist of the novel utilized), has an accident which turns him permanently invisible. He is initially declared a state secret and locked up, but eventually convinces the UK government, represented by Sir Charles Anderson, to allow him to return to his laboratory and search for an antidote ('Secret Experiment'). Almost immediately, British intelligence recruits him for an assignment ('Crisis in the Desert'), but soon security is breached ('Behind the Mask') and he becomes a celebrity ('Picnic with Death'), consequently also using his invisibility to help people in trouble, as well as solve crimes and defeat spies for his country.

Main cast

* Deborah Watling as Sally Brady
* Lisa Daniely as Diane Brady
* Ernest Clark as Sir Charles Anderson

In the unaired pilot episode, Canadian actor Robert Beatty provided the voice for the Invisible Man. After Ralph Smart (1908-2001), the creator, saw the pilot, he realised that he could not use it. The bandaged hero could be seen bumping into doors and scenery and the strings which animated moving objects could be seen in a number of scenes. This pilot was never transmitted but plot elements from it were used in 'Secret Experiment,' 'Picnic With Death' and 'Bank Raid' (it is included in its entirety on the Network DVD release of the series).

A second pilot episode was made featuring Doctor Peter Brady (whose face you do not see) who is unwittingly subjected to radiation and turns invisible. While Brady searches for a cure, he also acts as an agent for the British intelligence services. In the earlier episodes, the public does not know that Brady is invisible, and he wears bandages when he appears in public but the episode 'Behind the Mask' had a foreign industrialist with influence discover the truth, and Brady's foiling his attempted assassination of his country's new ruler caused the scientist to act invisibly at a public function. Subsequently, in 'Picnic with Death,' a motoring accident fully exposed him, to the point that he was besieged by the Press. These same bandages Brady uses when out in public helped fugitive convict Joe Green (played by Dermot Walsh, in the episode 'Jailbreak') to escape the police when they thought he was Brady.

The invisible man himself was uncredited, but Johnny Scripps played Dr. Brady without the bandages but otherwise dressed. A midget, he was able to see through button holes in Brady's coat. Tim Turner provided his voice, although the actor who would be covered from head to toe by bandages and clothing remains unknown. Turner himself appeared visibly in the 'Man In Disguise' episode, though on this occasion he played a villain with a foreign accent. Among the writers recruited for the show were Ian Stuart Black, Michael Pertwee and Tony O'Grady who was better known as Brian Clemens when he later wrote for "The Avengers", "The Protectors" and "The Baron" TV series. Puppeteer Jack Whitehead (who had earlier worked on "Muffin the Mule") was called in to provide the brilliant special effects of the show, like cigarettes smoking while hanging in the air, wine being drunk by an invisible drinker and such.

Stuntmen risked their lives hiding in the bottom of cars, steering the car while looking from a slightly open door or in the steering a motorbike from a sidecar (once causing members of the public to try and stop what they thought was a runaway vehicle). In the second series, the camera often took on Brady's perspective which meant that the need for special effects could be cut down.

Guest stars included Peter Sallis, Leslie Phillips, Irene Handl, Honor Blackman, Patrick Troughton, Dennis Price, Dermot Walsh, Willoughby Goddard and Ian Hendry and many other stalwarts of the time.

Episode list

This list is based on the ATV transmission order, which appears to be the same as the CBS order.

eason one

# Secret Experiment
# Crisis in the Desert
# Behind the Mask
# The Locked Room
# Picnic With Death
# Play to Kill
# Shadow on the Screen
# The Mink Coat
# Blind Justice
# Jailbreak
# Bank Raid
# Odds Against Death
# Strange Partners

eason two

# Point of Destruction
# Death Cell
# The Vanishing Evidence
# The Prize
# Flight into Darkness
# The Decoy
# The Gun Runners
# The White Rabbit
# Man in Disguise
# Man in Power
# The Rocket
# Shadow Bomb
# The Big Plot

There was also the un-aired pilot episode.

DVD Releases

MPI Home Video has released the entire series on DVD in North America. The discs are in NTSC format and carry no region encoding. They are available in two double-disc sets, or as a complete, four-disc set.

Network Video has released the entire series in the UK as a four-disc set. The discs are in PAL format and are encoded for Region 2.

ources

* Fulton, Roger, "The Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction", Boxtree, Ltd., 1997 (Revised edition), pp. 199-204.

External links

* [http://mondo-esoterica.net/Invisible%20Man%20TV.html Mondo-Esoterica.net review of Season 1 and the Network DVD release]
* [http://www.eofftv.com/i/inv/invisible_man_1958_main.htm The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television]
* [http://epguides.com/InvisibleMan%5F1958/ epguides.com]
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