Boris Karloff had been the studio's original choice for the role of the Invisible Man, but James Whale wanted someone with more of an "intellectual" voice. Claude Rains was Whale's first and only choice. In order to achieve the effect that Claude Rains wasn't there when his character took off the bandages, the director had Rains dressed completely in black velvet and filmed him in front of a black velvet background. On the DVD short documentary, Claude Rains' daughter tells of a t ...[Read Story ]