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:

The church in which Frank Lawton and Frances Drake get married, though called the "Church of the Six Saints" in the film, is actually the set of Notre-Dame Cathedral recycled from the 1923 Universal production "The Hunchback of Notre-Dame," starring Lon Chaney, Sr.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: The story is frequently advanced by the old "newspaper headline" gimmick. About 45 minutes in, one newspaper tells of the "Benet expedition," but in the small print the name is misspelled as "Bennet."

Quotes:

Diana Rukh: I can't let him down.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Lugosi: The Forgotten King (1985) (TV)

Soundtrack:

The Wedding March

There's Nothing Invisible About The High Quality Of This Film

This is just about in the same league as `The Black Cat', although I'd give this a 9 rather than a 9+. That's praise indeed for a film that has been so badly underrated that it is amazing!

`The Invisible Ray' is part horror, part drama and certainly part sci-fi. For a movie made in 1936 the sci-fi elements were a good deal ahead of their time. The mixture of horror, drama and sci-fi are a perfect blend, while the acting on the part of Lugosi and Karloff couldn't be better.

Director Lambert Hillyer captures a lot of elements that James Whale did so often. What I'm saying is that this film is eerie and well shot. The scene with the gargoyles outside of Lugosi's room is a perfect example of the mood. It's a standout moment in the film, which is so sadly missing in today's movies of the genre.

As with `The Black Cat' and `Island of Lost Souls', I can't understand why this film has yet to be released on DVD. When you consider some of the junk that's already been transferred to DVD it's that much more puzzling.

Anyway, watch this film if you get the chance. When it's released on DVD grab it fast and put it in an honored spot within your DVD library.