Doctor Arthur Kemp
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Dr. Kemp is a fictional character who appears in both the novel The Invisible Man by H.G. Wells, and the 1933 Universal film adaptation of the book. In the film, Kemp was given the first name 'Arthur' and was played by William Harrigan.
[edit] Kemp in the Novel
Kemp is a scientist living in the town of Port Burdock. He is an old friend of Griffin, who comes to Kemp's house to hide after his transformation into the "invisible man." Kemp had a hard time swallowing the fact that his friend, who he had not seen for years, suddenly appeared uninvited and invisible, but eventually he overcame his shock and sat down and talked with Griffin.
Narrative-wise, Kemp allowed Griffin to relate the story of how he began his experiments, and all that happened to him between his arrival on his old friend's doorstep and then. Kemp, realizing that Griffin was insane with power, was quick to summon Col. Adye of the Port Burdock police. Adye failed to apprehend Griffin, who escaped and branded Kemp a traitor, vowing to kill him.
Despite the death threat, Kemp was no coward, and actively assisted and advised Adye in quest to find and apprehend the Invisible Man while the police colonel served as his bodyguard. Eventually Griffin overpowered Adye and came after Kemp, who, rushing through the streets of Port Burdock, roused the townspeople into a mob that attacked the Invisible Man and brought his reign of terror to an end.
[edit] Kemp in the Movie
Kemp of the film is a much less likable character, and isn't as fortunate as his literary counterpart. Here, Arthur Kemp is a "friend" of Dr. Jack Griffin, who served as an assistant to Dr. Cranley. Unlike Griffin, Kemp was a thoroughly incompetent scientist, as well was an opportunistic coward. He continually criticized Griffin for his experiments with monocane, and secretly coveted Griffin's fiancé (and Dr. Cranley's daughter), Flora.
When Griffin disappeared and went to the remote village of Iping, Kemp attempted to report his colleague's questionable experiments to Dr. Cranley, and tried to woo Flora. Although he managed to convince Cranley that Griffin was up to no good, however, he failed to persuade Flora to forget about her beloved Jack. Shortly after this, Griffin, now made invisible as a result of his monocane experiments and hunted as a criminal by the police in Iping, turned up in Kemp's house seeking his old colleague's assistance.
Although Kemp initially went along with Griffin's plans, helping him retrieve his notebooks from the Lion's Head Inn (where, unbeknownst to Kemp, Griffin had murdered Inspector Bird), Kemp soon grew too afraid of Griffin to continue assisting him, and alerted Flora, Dr. Cranley, and the police to Griffin's whereabouts.
Kemp was marked for death by a furious Griffin, and despite intensive police protection and a daring plan by Inspector Lane to get Kemp safely out into the country disguised as a police officer, Griffin managed to make good on his threats: he tied Kemp up, put him into his car, and then sent the car over a cliff. Kemp perished in the crash.
[edit] Kemp in the BBC Serial
The character of Kemp also appeared in the BBC serialization of The Invisible Man screened in the UK in 1984. In this version he was played by David Gwillim and was given the first name 'Samuel'. Kemp was portrayed in this version almost identically to his portrayal the novel, even down to physical description. Although he enters the story at the halfway mark as in the book, he is introduced earlier on in the narrative when Griffin reads a paper on optical density written by Kemp when researching in the Coah & Horses Inn, and realizes he is the same person he once studied with. Griffin's subsequent intrusion into Kemp's house is therefore planned, rather than purely coincidental.
