The Man Who Wasn't There is a 2001 neo-noir film written and directed by Joel and Ethan Coen. Billy Bob Thornton stars in the title role. Also featured are James Gandolfini, Tony Shalhoub, Scarlett Johansson, and Coen regulars Frances McDormand, Michael Badalucco, and Jon Polito.
1949, Santa Rosa, California. A laconic, chain-smoking barber with fallen arches tells a story of a man trying to escape a humdrum life. It's a tale of suspected adultery, blackmail, foul play, death, Sacramento city slickers, racial slurs, invented war heroics, shaved legs, a gamine piano player, aliens, and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle. Ed Crane cuts hair in his in-law's shop; his wife drinks and may be having an affair with her boss, Big Dave, who has $10,000 to invest in a second department store. Ed gets wind of a chance to make money in dry cleaning. Blackmail and investment are his opportunity to be more than a man no one notices. Settle in the chair and listen. Written by
Steve Guttenberg's first leading role.
Members of Director Bruce Mulmuth's family have cameos in the film.
Most of the 3-D scenes were shot on both green and blue screens to go along with the actual stunts performed on the set during filming.
The "invisible" liquid featured in the little glass viels is actually Blueberry Kool Aid.
The film was intended to be a Cold War espionage remake of "The Invisible Man".
Lisa Langlois's first leading role.
Originally titled "The Man Who Wasn't There 3-D" during it's theatrical release in August 1983.
William Forsythe's film debut.
Steve Guttenberg did most of his own stunts for the film.
Parts of the film were shot suing camera lenses that utilized 3-D technology, but was mostly shot with Panavision lenses.
Manniquins were used in specific scenes in which Steve Guttenberg and Morgan Hart's characters are wearing clothes to simulate their invisible state. The manniquins were erased in post-production making the look of invisiblity more authenticity. In other scenes, Guttenberg and Hart were physically on the set acting "invisible" and then erased in post production.
In the scenes where Steve Guttenberg is invisible, he was physically on the set reading his lines to the actors featured in the specific scene.
