Monsters and Fools: Gay Suppression in James Whale's The Invisible Man
Faculty Mentor
Peter Porter
Presentation Type
Oral Presentation
Start Date
5-7-2024 5:00 PM
End Date
5-7-2024 5:20 PM
Location
RTV 123
Primary Discipline of Presentation
Film
Abstract
For my research paper, I will analyze whether James Whale’s The Invisible Man (1933) is symptomatic of gay suppression and the pressure to pass as straight in a hegemonic society. Whale was one of the most renowned directors to grace the golden age of Hollywood cinema, and his monster films have had an especially great impact on the American horror landscape, culminating in triumphs such as Frankenstein (1931), its sequel, Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and The Old Dark House (1932). He was also openly gay throughout his entire career, which is intrinsic to his cinematic oeuvre. He was well aware of his status as “The Queen of Hollywood,” and he was intentional in portraying his gay sensibility in his films.
His adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man (1897) portrays its lead character, Jack Griffin, as a victim of circumstance. His subsequent inability to be fully expressive to the outside world while invisible reflects the fears and frustrations of expressing homosexuality in 1930s America, a setting where systemic suppression and persecution of gay voices was an unfortunate reality. Understanding the queer coding of The Invisible Man (1933) is a significant study for film history because it may lead to a deeper understanding of how Universal’s monster films were symptomatic of gay stigmatization and the alienation queer people faced as a result.
Recommended Citation
Walters, Thomas E., "Monsters and Fools: Gay Suppression in James Whale's The Invisible Man" (2024). 2024 Symposium. 4.
https://dc.ewu.edu/srcw_2024/cw_2024/film_2024/4
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Monsters and Fools: Gay Suppression in James Whale's The Invisible Man
RTV 123
For my research paper, I will analyze whether James Whale’s The Invisible Man (1933) is symptomatic of gay suppression and the pressure to pass as straight in a hegemonic society. Whale was one of the most renowned directors to grace the golden age of Hollywood cinema, and his monster films have had an especially great impact on the American horror landscape, culminating in triumphs such as Frankenstein (1931), its sequel, Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and The Old Dark House (1932). He was also openly gay throughout his entire career, which is intrinsic to his cinematic oeuvre. He was well aware of his status as “The Queen of Hollywood,” and he was intentional in portraying his gay sensibility in his films.
His adaptation of H.G. Wells’ The Invisible Man (1897) portrays its lead character, Jack Griffin, as a victim of circumstance. His subsequent inability to be fully expressive to the outside world while invisible reflects the fears and frustrations of expressing homosexuality in 1930s America, a setting where systemic suppression and persecution of gay voices was an unfortunate reality. Understanding the queer coding of The Invisible Man (1933) is a significant study for film history because it may lead to a deeper understanding of how Universal’s monster films were symptomatic of gay stigmatization and the alienation queer people faced as a result.
