The Invisible Ray (1936)

User Rating:

6.6/10   

Director:

Lambert Hillyer

Writers:

Howard Higgin (original story) &
Douglas Hodges (original story) ...

Release Date:

20 January 1936 (USA)

Genre:

Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

Delving into new, strange fields of mystery!

Plot:

Visionary scientist Janos Rukh convinces a group of scientists and supporters to mount an expedition...

Plot Keywords:

Expedition | Scientist | Antidote | Revenge | Meteor

Cast

Boris Karloff	...	Dr. Janos Rukh (as Karloff)
Bela Lugosi	...	Dr. Felix Benet
Frances Drake	...	Diane Rukh
Frank Lawton	...	Ronald Drake
Violet Kemble Cooper	...	Mother Rukh
Walter Kingsford	...	Sir Francis Stevens
Beulah Bondi	...	Lady Arabella Stevens
Frank Reicher	...	Professor Meiklejohn
Paul Weigel	...	Monsieur Noyer
Georges Renavent	...	Chief of the Surete (as Georges Renevant)

Runtime:

80 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English | French

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Noiseless Recording)

Certification:

USA:Approved (PCA #1746) | USA:TV-G (TV rating)

Filming Locations:

Backlot, Universal Studios - 100 Universal City Plaza, Universal City, California, USA

Company:

Universal Pictures

Trivia:

Boris Karloff, who was actually an Englishman (true name: William Henry Pratt), plays a Hungarian scientist. Bela Lugosi, who was actually a Hungarian plays a Frenchman.

Goofs:

Factual errors: The wedding scene between Frank Lawton and Frances Drake takes place in a Roman Catholic cathedral in France, but the text of the wedding service ("With all my worldly goods I thee endow") is taken from the Book of Common Prayer of the (Protestant) Church of England.

Quotes:

Dr. Felix Benet: We expected you.

Movie Connections:

Featured in "Son of Svengoolie: The Invisible Ray (1936) (#1.49)" (1980)

Soundtrack:

Bridal Chorus (Here Comes the Bride)

KARLOFF AND LUGOSI MAKE SPARKS FLY !

With a special telescope, Dr. Janos Rukh (Boris Karloff) successfully proves that years ago a meteorite landed in Africa containing an unknown, but extremely powerful element. Dr. Benet(Bela Lugosi) form an expedition led by Rukh to locate the element. Unexpectedly, Rukh discovers "Radium X,", even more powerful than radium and very radioactive and Karloff becomes contaminated and can kill anyone by just touching them. The sparks really fly between Lugosi and Karloff in this classic science-fiction film during the post-World War II era. Director Hillyer used a few standing sets from "FLASH GORDON" series which was being filmed at the same time and also inserted some footage of electrical machines from Frankenstein. Universal kept the public unaware of the special effects being used in this great classic film. Karloff and Lugosi were at their very best and they both enjoyed working together and will be enjoyed by future generations.