The Invisible Man's Hollywood History Comes Out of Hiding (Ep. 126)

Jim Hill is back from Universal Orlando with firsthand reports from Wicked's Oztacular celebration at CityWalk and the after-hours Epic Universe Nights event. He and Eric Hersey discuss surprisingly short ride wait times, the magic of seeing Dark Universe after dark, and Earl the Squirrel's big Thanksgiving Day Parade debut. Then, inspired by a memorable encounter in Darkmoor, Jim pulls back the curtain on Universal's 1933 classic The Invisible Man, exploring director James Whale's complicated Hollywood career, Claude Rains' unforgettable performance, and the ingenious special effects that helped launch a monster movie franchise.

NEWS

• Wicked's Oztacular takes over Universal CityWalk with Glinda and Elphaba meet-and-greets, LEGO displays, and a few confusing signs.
• Epic Universe Nights delivers nighttime access, remarkably short attraction waits, complimentary snacks, and a spectacular Celestial Goodnight fountain show.
• Universal introduces Florida resident single-day Epic Universe tickets, with some surprising differences in pricing and availability compared to annual passholder offers.
• Earl the Squirrel prepares for his balloon debut in the 100th Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade before heading to Universal Studios Florida for the holidays.
• Jim checks out CityWalk's new Fat One's and Five Guys locations while Eric previews their new eight-part Patreon series exploring professional wrestling and theme park history.

FEATURE

• A nighttime encounter with the Invisible Man in Dark Universe leads to a look back at Universal's groundbreaking 1933 horror classic.
• How director James Whale went from Frankenstein and The Old Dark House to casting Claude Rains in The Invisible Man.
• The practical effects, elaborate camera tricks, and painstaking frame-by-frame work that made an invisible character believable nearly a century ago.
• How Universal reinvented the Invisible Man through sequels, comedies, wartime adventures, and Abbott and Costello crossovers.

HOSTS

• Jim Hill - X/Twitter and Instagram: @JimHillMedia | https://jimhillmedia.com
• Eric Hersey - X/Twitter and Instagram: @erichersey | https://strongmindedagency.com

FOLLOW

• Facebook: @JimHillMediaNews
• YouTube: @jimhillmedia
• TikTok: @jimhillmedia

SUPPORT

Support the show and access bonus episodes and additional content at https://www.patreon.com/jimhillmedia.

PRODUCTION CREDITS

Edited by Dave Grey

Produced by Eric Hersey - https://strongmindedagency.com

SPONSOR

Planning a Universal Orlando Resort vacation? Be Our Guest Vacations can help take the guesswork out of your getaway. Their travel professionals work with you one-on-one to find the right hotel, theme park tickets, and extras to fit your budget, priorities, and travel style. Visit BeOurGuestVacations.com and mention that the Epic Universal Podcast sent you.

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