The Invisible Man (1958 TV series)
Encyclopedia
The Invisible Man was a 1958 ITP (Incorporated Television Programme Company Ltd) Production/Official Films Inc. presentation 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 Dr. Peter Brady, a scientist who is attempting to achieve invisibility with light refraction – a completely different technique than the protagonist of the novel utilized. However, the experiment goes wrong and 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.
* This is how the character is credited on the rear sleeve of the Network DVD release. Billed in on-screen closing credits as simply The Invisible Man, with no actor's name listed.
** In the unaired pilot episode The Invisible Man, the character's first name was Jane, but this was changed to Diane – or "Dee", as Brady himself usually refers to her – for the series.
provided the voice of Peter Brady. 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, the strings which animated moving objects could be seen in a number of scenes. Although 'The Invisible Man' was never transmitted, plot elements and footage from it were reused in 'Secret Experiment', 'Picnic with Death' and 'Bank Raid'. 'The Invisible Man' is included in its entirety on the Network DVD release of the series.
A second pilot episode titled 'Secret Experiment' was made, and was used as the opening instalment of the series. This featured Dr. Peter Brady (who is only ever seen obliquely), who is unwittingly subjected to radiation and turns invisible. While Brady searches for a cure to restore himself to normal, he also acts as an agent for the British Intelligence services. The original ITC
press book states that 'Secret Experiment', the second episode 'The Locked Room', the fourth episode 'Crisis in the Desert' and the fifth episode 'Picnic with Death' should be shown first by any TV company; however, this directive was ignored by UK and US broadcasters leading to episodes in which Brady's invisibility is known about by the public, such as 'Behind the Mask', being screened before its reveal in the episode 'Picnic with Death'. In these earlier episodes, the public does not know that Brady is invisible, and he wears bandages and sunglasses (as well as gloves) when he appears in public, but the episode 'Behind the Mask' has a foreign industrialist with influence who tricks Brady into making him invisible too in an attempt to assassinate his country's new ruler. Subsequently, in 'Picnic with Death', a motoring accident fully exposes Brady's invisibility, to the point that he is besieged by the Press. The same bandages Brady uses when out in public help fugitive convict Joe Green (played by Dermot Walsh) in the episode 'Jailbreak' to escape the police when they thought he was Brady.
As a publicity gimmick, the actor playing the Invisible Man himself was never credited, either on-screen or in TVTimes, but Johnny Scripps played Brady without the bandages, i.e. apparently headless but otherwise dressed. Being a midget, he was able to see through the buttonholes in Brady's coat. Tim Turner
provided Brady's voice, also without on-screen credit, using a transatlantic accent in order to help ITC sell the series to the United States.
The various "actors" playing Brady's body remain unknown to this day, apart from Tim Turner whose identity was revealed in 1965 (the series was still being repeated regularly up until 1966). Tim Turner played Brady in person in the later episodes, as press cast list handouts from 1959 clearly show. A number of different "actors" portrayed Brady throughout the earlier episodes, particularly noticeable in the episode 'Play to Kill' where a slim Brady changes into a stocky version in exterior scenes. Although according to Lisa Daniely: "I can't remember his name, and he wasn't really a very good actor. And they used somebody else's voice; that was the final insult – poor man. He was quite a nice looking bloke, but not a very dynamic personality."
Tim Turner himself appeared visibly in the 'Man in Disguise' episode, though on this occasion he played Nick, a foreign-accented villain who impersonates Brady. Among the writers recruited for the show were Ian Stuart Black
, Michael Pertwee
and Brian Clemens
under the pseudonym Tony O'Grady. Puppeteer Jack Whitehead, who had earlier worked on Muffin the Mule
, was called in to provide the brilliant special effects of the show – such as cigarettes smoking while hanging in the air and wine being drunk by an invisible drinker. (The pilot episode credits "Trick Photography" by Victor Margutti.)
Stuntmen risked their lives hiding in the bottom of cars, driving the vehicle while looking from a slightly open door, or in the steering of a motorbike from a sidecar, which caused members of the public to try and stop what they thought was a runaway vehicle; they didn't realise there was actually a stuntman concealed in the sidecar, steering the motorbike with duplicate controls.
On another occasion, a motorist was surprised to see a car without a driver pull up at traffic lights alongside him. A man then rushed across to the apparently empty car, pulled open the door, and then recoiled from an invisible blow. The motorist didn't know that there was a film unit present, and the man thrown back from the driverless car was actually an actor. Fortunately, the motorist was felt not to have spoilt the take, but rather had helped it – his look of astonishment at what he had witnessed was so well displayed that he was kept in the finished scene.
In the second series, the camera often took on Brady's point of view, i.e. showing whoever and/or whatever the character himself was seeing at the time, which meant that the need for special effects could be cut down.
It has since come to light that two other actors played the voice of Peter Brady after Robert Beatty and before Tim Turner. Because Beatty's Canadian accent in 'The Invisible Man' was considered too harsh, 'Secret Experiment' featured the softer American tones of Lee Patterson
. Unfortunately, when the series was commissioned and went into production, Patterson was found to be committed workwise and so his place was taken by Paul Carpenter
, a former band singer and B-feature leading man. However, Carpenter appeared to have a reputation for being unreliable as, from 'Picnic with Death' onwards, Brady was voiced by Tim Turner.
The first series was script edited by Victor Wolfson
, for the second series Ian Stuart Black
took over, having written scripts for the first series. The music for the pilot was composed by Sydney John Kay, and he is credited as the musical director for series one. Assistant directors on series one were Jack Drury (2 episodes), Peter Crowhurst (2 episodes) and David Tomblin
, who also worked on all series two episodes and the pilot. Casting director Harry Fine and sound supervisor Fred Turtle also worked on both series
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.
regions varied airdates and transmission order.
The actors who provided the Voice of Peter Brady are listed only once until they change.
Associated TeleVision
Associated Television, often referred to as ATV, was a British television company, holder of various licences to broadcast on the ITV network from 24 September 1955 until 00:34 on 1 January 1982...
. The series was networked on CBS
CBS
CBS Broadcasting Inc. is a major US commercial broadcasting television network, which started as a radio network. The name is derived from the initials of the network's former name, Columbia Broadcasting System. The network is sometimes referred to as the "Eye Network" in reference to the shape of...
in the United States. It ran for 26 half-hour monochrome episodes across two seasons and was nominally based on the novel
The Invisible Man
The Invisible Man is a science fiction novella by H.G. Wells published in 1897. Wells' novel was originally serialised in Pearson's Weekly in 1897, and published as a novel the same year...
by H.G. Wells, one of four such television series
The Invisible Man (TV series)
The Invisible Man may refer to the following TV series:*The Invisible Man , a 1958 UK series*The Invisible Man , a 1975 NBC series starring David McCallum...
.
The series follows the adventures of Dr. Peter Brady, a scientist who is attempting to achieve invisibility with light refraction – a completely different technique than the protagonist of the novel utilized. However, the experiment goes wrong and 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
Espionage
Espionage or spying involves an individual obtaining information that is considered secret or confidential without the permission of the holder of the information. Espionage is inherently clandestine, lest the legitimate holder of the information change plans or take other countermeasures once it...
for his country.
Cast and characters
- The Invisible Man as Himself (voice: Robert BeattyRobert BeattyRobert Beatty was a Canadian actor who worked in film, television and radio for most of his career and was especially known in the UK.-Career:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Beatty began his acting career in Britain in 1939....
(pilot episode), uncredited; Tim TurnerTim TurnerNot to be confused with the TV character Timmy Turner of The Fairly OddParents.Tim Turner , was a British actor who performed in the 1950s and 1960s....
(series), uncredited)* - Lisa DanielyLisa DanielyLisa Daniely is a British actress on TV and occasional films.She made her debut in the 1950 film Lilli Marlene in the title role, which also featured Stanley Baker in one of his earliest film parts. She later appeared in several films...
as Jane Brady Wilson (pilot episode) / Diane Brady Wilson (series) (Brady's widowed sister)** - Deborah WatlingDeborah WatlingDeborah Watling is a British actress best known for her role as Victoria Waterfield, a companion of the Second Doctor in the BBC television series Doctor Who....
as Sally Wilson (Diane's daughter) - Ernest ClarkErnest ClarkErnest Clark was a British actor of stage, television and film.-Early life:Clark was the son of a master builder in Maida Vale, and was educated nearby at St Marylebone Grammar School. After leaving school he became a reporter on a local newspaper in Croydon...
as Sir Charles Anderson (series 1 only) / Colonel Ward (series 2 only)
* This is how the character is credited on the rear sleeve of the Network DVD release. Billed in on-screen closing credits as simply The Invisible Man, with no actor's name listed.
** In the unaired pilot episode The Invisible Man, the character's first name was Jane, but this was changed to Diane – or "Dee", as Brady himself usually refers to her – for the series.
Production notes
In the unaired pilot episode, which bears the on-screen episode title 'The Invisible Man' (but is often wrongly referred to as 'Secret Experiment'), Canadian actor Robert BeattyRobert Beatty
Robert Beatty was a Canadian actor who worked in film, television and radio for most of his career and was especially known in the UK.-Career:Born in Hamilton, Ontario, Beatty began his acting career in Britain in 1939....
provided the voice of Peter Brady. After Ralph Smart
Ralph Smart
Ralph Smart was a film and television producer, director, and writer, born in England to Australian parents in 1908. He found work in Britain with Anthony Asquith and later alongside the film director Michael Powell, whom he assisted with "Quota quickies": low-budget B-pictures to fill production...
(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, the strings which animated moving objects could be seen in a number of scenes. Although 'The Invisible Man' was never transmitted, plot elements and footage from it were reused in 'Secret Experiment', 'Picnic with Death' and 'Bank Raid'. 'The Invisible Man' is included in its entirety on the Network DVD release of the series.
A second pilot episode titled 'Secret Experiment' was made, and was used as the opening instalment of the series. This featured Dr. Peter Brady (who is only ever seen obliquely), who is unwittingly subjected to radiation and turns invisible. While Brady searches for a cure to restore himself to normal, he also acts as an agent for the British Intelligence services. The original ITC
ITC Entertainment
The Incorporated Television Company was a British television company largely involved in production and distribution. It was founded by Lew Grade.-History:...
press book states that 'Secret Experiment', the second episode 'The Locked Room', the fourth episode 'Crisis in the Desert' and the fifth episode 'Picnic with Death' should be shown first by any TV company; however, this directive was ignored by UK and US broadcasters leading to episodes in which Brady's invisibility is known about by the public, such as 'Behind the Mask', being screened before its reveal in the episode 'Picnic with Death'. In these earlier episodes, the public does not know that Brady is invisible, and he wears bandages and sunglasses (as well as gloves) when he appears in public, but the episode 'Behind the Mask' has a foreign industrialist with influence who tricks Brady into making him invisible too in an attempt to assassinate his country's new ruler. Subsequently, in 'Picnic with Death', a motoring accident fully exposes Brady's invisibility, to the point that he is besieged by the Press. The same bandages Brady uses when out in public help fugitive convict Joe Green (played by Dermot Walsh) in the episode 'Jailbreak' to escape the police when they thought he was Brady.
As a publicity gimmick, the actor playing the Invisible Man himself was never credited, either on-screen or in TVTimes, but Johnny Scripps played Brady without the bandages, i.e. apparently headless but otherwise dressed. Being a midget, he was able to see through the buttonholes in Brady's coat. Tim Turner
Tim Turner
Not to be confused with the TV character Timmy Turner of The Fairly OddParents.Tim Turner , was a British actor who performed in the 1950s and 1960s....
provided Brady's voice, also without on-screen credit, using a transatlantic accent in order to help ITC sell the series to the United States.
The various "actors" playing Brady's body remain unknown to this day, apart from Tim Turner whose identity was revealed in 1965 (the series was still being repeated regularly up until 1966). Tim Turner played Brady in person in the later episodes, as press cast list handouts from 1959 clearly show. A number of different "actors" portrayed Brady throughout the earlier episodes, particularly noticeable in the episode 'Play to Kill' where a slim Brady changes into a stocky version in exterior scenes. Although according to Lisa Daniely: "I can't remember his name, and he wasn't really a very good actor. And they used somebody else's voice; that was the final insult – poor man. He was quite a nice looking bloke, but not a very dynamic personality."
Tim Turner himself appeared visibly in the 'Man in Disguise' episode, though on this occasion he played Nick, a foreign-accented villain who impersonates Brady. Among the writers recruited for the show were Ian Stuart Black
Ian Stuart Black
Ian Stuart Black was a novelist, playwright and screenwriter. Both his 1959 novel In the Wake of a Stranger and his 1962 novel about the Cyprus emergency The High Bright Sun were made into films, Black writing the screenplays in each case.He also wrote scripts for several British television...
, Michael Pertwee
Michael Pertwee
Michael Pertwee was a British playwright and screenwriter. Among his credits were episodes of The Saint, Danger Man, Alfred Hitchcock Presents, B-And-B, Ladies Who Do, and many other films and TV series....
and Brian Clemens
Brian Clemens
Brian Horace Clemens OBE is a British screenwriter and television producer, possibly best known for his work on The Avengers and The Professionals...
under the pseudonym Tony O'Grady. Puppeteer Jack Whitehead, who had earlier worked on Muffin the Mule
Muffin the Mule
Muffin the Mule is a puppet character in British television programmes for children. The original programmes featuring the character were presented by Annette Mills, sister of John Mills, & aunt to Hayley Mills, and broadcast live by the BBC from their studios at Alexandra Palace from 1946 to 1952...
, was called in to provide the brilliant special effects of the show – such as cigarettes smoking while hanging in the air and wine being drunk by an invisible drinker. (The pilot episode credits "Trick Photography" by Victor Margutti.)
Stuntmen risked their lives hiding in the bottom of cars, driving the vehicle while looking from a slightly open door, or in the steering of a motorbike from a sidecar, which caused members of the public to try and stop what they thought was a runaway vehicle; they didn't realise there was actually a stuntman concealed in the sidecar, steering the motorbike with duplicate controls.
On another occasion, a motorist was surprised to see a car without a driver pull up at traffic lights alongside him. A man then rushed across to the apparently empty car, pulled open the door, and then recoiled from an invisible blow. The motorist didn't know that there was a film unit present, and the man thrown back from the driverless car was actually an actor. Fortunately, the motorist was felt not to have spoilt the take, but rather had helped it – his look of astonishment at what he had witnessed was so well displayed that he was kept in the finished scene.
In the second series, the camera often took on Brady's point of view, i.e. showing whoever and/or whatever the character himself was seeing at the time, which meant that the need for special effects could be cut down.
It has since come to light that two other actors played the voice of Peter Brady after Robert Beatty and before Tim Turner. Because Beatty's Canadian accent in 'The Invisible Man' was considered too harsh, 'Secret Experiment' featured the softer American tones of Lee Patterson
Lee Patterson
Lee Patterson was a Canadian film and television actor.After attending Ontario College of Art, Patterson moved to England, where he specialized in playing virile American types in British films...
. Unfortunately, when the series was commissioned and went into production, Patterson was found to be committed workwise and so his place was taken by Paul Carpenter
Paul Carpenter (actor)
Paul Carpenter was an Canadian actor and singer.He sang with Ted Heath and His Music in the 1940s.-Selected filmography :* Landfall * Albert R.N. * The House Across the Lake...
, a former band singer and B-feature leading man. However, Carpenter appeared to have a reputation for being unreliable as, from 'Picnic with Death' onwards, Brady was voiced by Tim Turner.
The first series was script edited by Victor Wolfson
Victor Wolfson
Victor Wolfson was a dramatist, director, writer, producer and actor. Wolfson began his professional career organizing acting clubs for striking coal miners in West Virginia. He soon found his passion for writing and he wrote numerous plays for Broadway, dramas for television and many novels...
, for the second series Ian Stuart Black
Ian Stuart Black
Ian Stuart Black was a novelist, playwright and screenwriter. Both his 1959 novel In the Wake of a Stranger and his 1962 novel about the Cyprus emergency The High Bright Sun were made into films, Black writing the screenplays in each case.He also wrote scripts for several British television...
took over, having written scripts for the first series. The music for the pilot was composed by Sydney John Kay, and he is credited as the musical director for series one. Assistant directors on series one were Jack Drury (2 episodes), Peter Crowhurst (2 episodes) and David Tomblin
David Tomblin
David Tomblin was a producer and assistant director born in Borehamwood, Hertfordshire, England. He was probably best known as the producer, director, and writer of The Prisoner .-Director:...
, who also worked on all series two episodes and the pilot. Casting director Harry Fine and sound supervisor Fred Turtle also worked on both series
Guest stars included Peter Sallis
Peter Sallis
Peter Sallis, OBE is an English actor and entertainer, well-known for his work on British television. Although he was born and brought up in London, his two most notable roles require him to adopt the accents and mannerisms of a Northerner.Sallis is best known for his role as the main character...
, Leslie Phillips
Leslie Phillips
Leslie Samuel Phillips, CBE is an English actor with a highly recognisable upper class accent. Originally known for his work as a comedy actor, Phillips subsequently made the transition to character roles.-Early life:...
, Irene Handl
Irene Handl
-Life:Irene Handl was born in Maida Vale, London, the daughter of an Austrian banker father and French mother. She took to acting at the relatively advanced age of 36, and studied at the acting school run by the sister of Dame Sybil Thorndike...
, Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman
Honor Blackman is an English actress, known for the roles of Cathy Gale in The Avengers and Bond girl Pussy Galore in Goldfinger .-Early life:...
, Patrick Troughton
Patrick Troughton
Patrick George Troughton was an English actor most widely known for his roles in fantasy, science fiction and horror films, particularly in his role as the second incarnation of the Doctor in the long-running British science-fiction television series Doctor Who, which he played from 1966 to 1969,...
, Dennis Price
Dennis Price
Dennis Price was an English actor, remembered for his suave screen roles, particularly Louis Mazzini in Kind Hearts and Coronets, and for his portrayal of the omniscient valet Jeeves in 1960s television adaptations of P. G...
, Dermot Walsh
Dermot Walsh
Dermot Walsh was an Irish stage, film and television actor, known for portraying Richard the Lionheart in the 1962 television series Richard the Lionheart.-Early life:...
, Willoughby Goddard
Willoughby Goddard
Willoughby Wittenham Rees Goddard was a British actor whose trademark rotund figure was well known on television and in films for over 40 years.Goddard was born in Bicester, Oxfordshire. He played Mr...
and Ian Hendry
Ian Hendry
Ian Hendry was an English film and television actor. He is best known for his work on several British TV series of the early 1960s such as The Avengers, and for his roles in 1970s films such as Get Carter .-Career:Hendry was born in Ipswich, Suffolk and educated at Culford School...
and many other stalwarts of the time.
Episode list
Airdates given here are for ATV London. Other ITVITV
ITV is the major commercial public service TV network in the United Kingdom. Launched in 1955 under the auspices of the Independent Television Authority to provide competition to the BBC, it is also the oldest commercial network in the UK...
regions varied airdates and transmission order.
The actors who provided the Voice of Peter Brady are listed only once until they change.
Pilot Episode
| Episode # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original airdate |
|---|
Series One
| Episode # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original airdate |} |
|---|
| Episode # | Title | Directed by | Written by | Original airdate |
|---|
First series episodes are copyright Incorporated Television Programme Co. Ltd, second series episodes are copyright Official Films Inc.
Apart from ATV London, other UK Networks – such as ABC Weekend Television – screened the series as one 26-episode run between 13 June 1959 and 19 December 1959., Tyne-Tees Television screened the series from its opening night on 15 January 1959.
DVD releases
MPI Home VideoMPI Home Video
MPI Home Video is a home entertainment company that produces and distributes popular documentaries, films and television series on DVD & Blu-ray for the home video market. MPI Home Video is a subsidiary of MPI Media Group which was founded in 1976 by brothers Malik & Waleed Ali...
has released the entire series on DVD in North America. The discs are in NTSC
NTSC
NTSC, named for the National Television System Committee, is the analog television system that is used in most of North America, most of South America , Burma, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan, the Philippines, and some Pacific island nations and territories .Most countries using the NTSC standard, as...
format and carry no region encoding. They are available in two double-disc sets, or as a complete, four-disc set.
| DVD Name | Ep# | Release Date |
|---|---|---|
| Season One | 13 | March 28, 2006 |
| Season Two | 13 | July 25, 2006 |
| The Complete Series | 26 | February 26, 2008 |
Network DVD
Network DVD
Network DVD is a DVD publishing company that specialises in classic British television. In particular, it has the rights to a number of well-known ITV programmes...
has released the entire series in the UK as a four-disc set using new prints made from the original negatives. The discs are in PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
format and are encoded for Region 2.
- Label: Network
- Release Date: 2008
- Catalogue N°: 7952963
- Availability: Out now
Special Features
- Brand new commentaries available on Secret Experiment, Picnic With Death featuring Lisa Daniely, Deborah Watling, and Shadow Bomb featuring Brian Clemens and Ray Austin
- The unscreened and abandoned pilot version
- Mute Italian Opening/closing titles
- Image Gallery
- ATV Star Book PDFs (DVD-Rom only. PC/Mac)
Sources
- Fulton, Roger, The Encyclopedia of TV Science Fiction, Boxtree, Ltd.Macmillan PublishersMacmillan Publishers Ltd, also known as The Macmillan Group, is a privately held international publishing company owned by Georg von Holtzbrinck Publishing Group. It has offices in 41 countries worldwide and operates in more than thirty others.-History:...
, 1997 (Revised edition), pp. 199–204.
- Andrew Pixley, Timescreen magazine number 13/Spring 1989, pages 15 – 23.
Other media
- In Alan Moore's The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black DossierThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black DossierThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen: Black Dossier is an original graphic novel in the comic book series The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen, written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill. It was the last volume of the series to be published by DC Comics. Although the third book to be...
, Peter Brady was one of the members of the failed 1950s League in the fictional The League of Extraordinary GentlemenThe League of Extraordinary GentlemenThe League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is a comic book series written by Alan Moore and illustrated by Kevin O'Neill, publication of which began in 1999. The series spans two six-issue limited series and a graphic novel from the America's Best Comics imprint of Wildstorm/DC, and a third miniseries...
universe. Brady recreated Hawley Griffin's original notebooks and successfully achieved invisibility, but was not very impressive as a spy due to smoking-related coughing fits, which revealed his invisible presence.
External links
- Mondo-Esoterica.net review of Season 1 and the Network DVD release
- The Encyclopedia of Fantastic Film and Television
- epguides.com
The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
