The Invisible Ray (1935) User Reviews (61)

"If your men fail to capture him at the gate..."

[the_mysteriousx · 7/10 · 9 April 2005]

Karloff and Lugosi - Together again! This is one of those films that casual fans will pass over and tend not to appreciate as much. It's not an all-out horror film like the duo's previous two hits, The Black Cat and The Raven. But, it is very worthy of both's talents and is a fun film when re-visited.

The Invisible Ray was directed by Lambert Hillyer, a director who mainly made westerns, but curiously in these final days of the Laemmles' reign at Universal, he found himself helming this and the Laemmles' final horror film, Dracula's Daughter. Both are crisp, clean-cut fantasies that are very light on horror content despite the fantastic elements.

Just as Lugosi went wild in The Raven, much needs to be said of Karloff's hamming in The Invisible Ray. The one aspect of the story that is particularly unsatisfying is that Karloff's character, Rukh, acts so madly before he is poisoned by Radium X, that there really isn't much of a change once he starts glowing. This is very similar to the complaint people have about Jack Nicholson in The Shining - He's basically a loony right from the start. There isn't any real transformation. Same here. Halfway through Karloff simply has an added purpose for revenge in his mind. I still enjoyed his performance, though, just as I did Lugosi's over-the-top antics in The Raven.

Meanwhile, Lugosi completely surprises you and gives a restrained, and thoughtful turn as Rukh's rival in science, Dr. Benet. Lugosi also has some of the best lines in the film, including a memorable warning to the police trying to catch Rukh, of which I am in alignment with horror film writer John Soister on - "And if he (Rukh) touches anyone?" the inspector inquires. Lugosi hesitatingly replies, in a way that only Lugosi could deliver, "They die". Just as Lugosi could be so off, he could also be more perfect than any actor. This is one of those moments.

Therefore, Karloff and Lugosi's interactions are all very good as we get the mad antics of Karloff pared off against the cool logic of Lugosi. Karloff would go on to play similar mad scientists many times, however, one wishes Lugosi would have gotten to play more straight roles like this one. He only had one more chance (Ninotchka).

The Invisible Ray is a fun film, and a real treat to the true Karloff and Lugosi fans. It is one of those films that improves on each viewing, not because it is a masterpiece, but because of the charisma and talent of its' stars and how this story complements the darker, more horrific pairings they had. The special effects, by the always innovative John Fulton, are terrific and the supporting actors are all adequate. Frances Drake looks as beautiful as she did in Mad Love and plays a strong woman, something seldom seen in classic horror films. The scene in the end when Karloff stalks her and she doesn't scream is one of the most haunting moments of the film. A terrific, fun film!

Another minor classic with Boris and Bela

[jluis1984 · 8/10 · 27 June 2007]

There is no doubt that during the decade of the 30s, the names of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi became a sure guarantee of excellent performances in high quality horror films. After being Universal's "first monster" in the seminal classic, "Dracula", Bela Lugosi became the quintessential horror villain thanks to his elegant style and his foreign accent (sadly, this last factor would also led him to be type-casted during the 40s). In the same way, Boris Karloff's performance in James Whale's "Frankenstein" transformed him into the man to look for when one wanted a good monster. Of course, it was only natural for these icons to end up sharing the screen, and the movie that united them was 1934's "The Black Cat". This formula would be repeated in several films through the decade, and director Lambert Hillyer's mix of horror and science fiction, "The Invisible Ray", is another of those minor classics they did in those years.

In "The Invisible Ray", Dr. Janos Rukh (Boris Karloff) is a brilliant scientist who has invented a device able to show scenes of our planet's past captured in rays of light coming from the galaxy of Andromeda. While showing his invention to his colleagues, Dr. Felix Benet (Bela Lugosi) and Sir Francis Stevens (Walter Kingsford), they discover that thousands of years ago, a meteor hit in what is now Nigeria. After this marvelous discovery, Dr. Rukh decides to join his colleagues in an expedition to Africa, looking for the landing place of the mysterious meteor. This expedition won't be any beneficial for Rukh, as during the expedition his wife Diane (Frances Drake) will fall in love with Ronald Drake (Frank Lawton), an expert hunter brought by the Stevens to aid them in their expedition. However, Rukh will lose more than his wife in that trip, as he'll be forever changed after being exposed to the invisible ray of the meteor.

Written by John Colton (who previously did the script for "Werewolf of London"), "The Invisible Ray" had its roots on an original sci-fi story by Howard Higgin and Douglas Hodges. Given that this was a movie with Karloff and Lugosi, Colton puts a lot of emphasis on the horror side of his story, playing in a very effective way with the mad scientist archetype and adding a good dose of melodrama to spice things up. One element that makes "The Invisible Ray" to stand out among other horror films of that era, is the way that Colton plays with morality through the story. That is, there aren't exactly heroes and villains in the classic style, but people who make decisions and later face the consequences of those choices. In many ways, "The Invisible Ray" is a modern tragedy about obsessions, guilt and revenge.

A seasoned director of low-budget B-movies, filmmaker Lambert Hillyer got the chance to make 3 films for Universal Pictures when the legendary studio was facing serious financial troubles. Thanks to his experience working with limited resources, Hillyer's films were always very good looking despite the budgetary constrains, and "The Invisible Ray" was not an exception. While nowhere near the stylish Gothic atmosphere of previous Universal horror films, Hillyer's movie effectively captures the essence of Colton's script, as he gives this movie a dark and morbid mood more in tone with pulp novels than with straightforward sci-fi. Finally, a word must be said about Hillyer's use of special effects: for an extremely low-budget film, they look a lot better than the ones in several A-movies of the era.

As usual in a movie with Lugosi and Karloff, the performances by this legends are of an extraordinary quality. As the film's protagonist, Boris Karloff is simply perfect in his portrayal of a man so blinded by the devotion to his work that fails to see the evil he unleashes. As his colleague, Dr. Benet, Bela Luogis is simply a joy to watch, stealing every scene he is in and showing what an underrated actor he was. As Rukh's wife, Frances Drake is extremely effective, truly helping her character to become more than a damsel in distress. Still, two of the movie highlights are the performances of Kemble Cooper as Mother Rukh, and Beulah Bondi as Lady Arabella, as the two actresses make the most of their limited screen time, making unforgettable their supporting roles. Frank Lawton is also good in his role, but nothing surprising when compared to the rest of the cast.

If one judges this movie under today's standards, it's very easy to dismiss it as another cheap science fiction film with bad special effects and carelessly jumbled pseudoscience. However, that would be a mistake, as despite its low-budget, it is remarkably well done for its time. On the top of that, considering that the movie was made when the nuclear era was about to begin and radioactivity was still a relatively new concept, it's ideas about the dangers of radioactivity are frighteningly accurate. One final thing worthy to point out is the interesting way the script handles the relationships between characters, specially the friendship and rivalry that exists between the obsessive Dr. Rukh and the cold Dr. Benet, as this allows great scenes between the two iconic actors.

While nowhere near the Gothic expressionism of the "Frankenstein" movies, nor the elegant suspense of "The Black Cat", Lambert Hillyer's "The Invisible Ray" is definitely a minor classic amongst Universal Pictures' catalog of horror films. With one of the most interesting screenplays of 30s horror, this mixture of suspense, horror and science fiction is one severely underrated gem that even now delivers a good dose of entertainment courtesy of two of the most amazing actors the horror genre ever had: Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. 8/10

The Touch of Death

[lugonian · 7/10 · 8 February 2002]

THE INVISIBLE RAY (Universal, 1935, released January 1936), directed by Lambert Hillyer, is the third screen teaming of two horror greats, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, with KARLOFF (as he is billed in the casting credits with all capital letters), supporting a mustache and curly dark hair, this time dominating the storyline. Not quite as memorable or as successful as their previous efforts, THE BLACK CAT (1934) and THE RAVEN (1935), both suggested on Edgar Allan Poe, in which the horror relies on their characters of good versus evil, THE INVISIBLE RAY, often classified as a horror film because of Karloff and Lugosi, is actually a science fiction story with three separate chapters. And of the three, only the African expedition described below in Part II, is the slowest as well as its longest.

PART I: Set in an isolated castle somewhere in the mountains as the thunderstorm rages, Doctor Janos Rukh (Karloff) is a middle-aged but brilliant scientist with a young wife, Diana (Frances Drake), and an elderly mother (Violet Kemble-Cooper), who is not only wise, but blind. Rukh prepares to reveal his latest discovery to a group of scholars: Doctor Felix Benet (Bela Lugosi), Sir Francis Stevens (Walter Kingsford), along with handsome young Ronald Drake (Frank Lawton) and Lady Arabelle Stevens (Beulah Bondi) as spectators. Rukh demonstrates his discovery of "the invisible ray" being a beam of light which he could follow back in time and space in order to see what has happened in the past. He then provides visual proof that a giant meteor struck the Earth in Africa many millions of years ago, and that this meteor is composed of an unknown element that may have substance more powerful than radium. After this demonstration, Rukh and the scholars prepare to go on timely expedition to darkest Africa. PART II: While in Africa, Rukh separates himself from his expedition, especially his wife, and discovers the ancient element called Radium X, intending to use it for the purposes of atomic medicine. He is soon contaminated by Radium X, and realizes that not only does he glow in the dark, but brings death to whatever he touches, with the first victim being his dog. With the help of Benet, an antidote is prepared for Ruhk in which he must take regularly. In the meantime, Diane, feeling neglected by her husband, finds comfort with that Ronald Drake, who now loves her. PART III: Rukh's discovery of Radium X proves successful, in which the ray used by the scholars cures blindness. Rukh uses this experiment to cure his mother from her eternal blindness, and upon getting her vision back, she doesn't like what she sees in her son. With the radiation becoming too powerful, Rukh's mind soon becomes effected, becoming less rational. He then accuses Benet and the others of "theft," even though Benet assures him that he he will get full credit for his work. Rukh is even more upset when he learns that Diane now loves Drake, thus, as in Agatha Christie's acclaimed mystery novel, "And Then There Were None," Rukh prepares to kill off those he felt betrayed him one by one, and with each death comes the destruction of statues that stand on the side of a London church.

THE INVISIBLE RAY is very much a production that predates the science fiction fantasies of the 1950s. Special effects here are first rate, compliments of John Fulton, with one particular standout scene in Africa where Rukh's machine focuses on a giant boulder, and with the strength of the invisible ray, the boulder disintegrates into powder. With Karloff's know-how into holding his viewer's interest throughout the film's 81 minutes, this production presents itself on a more elaborate scale than THE RAVEN for example. It also features a soothing but memorable music score by Franz Waxman. Although Bela Lugosi, as a European scientist supporting a little beard around his mouth, has little to do, his role is essential to the story. On the lighter side is character actress, May Beatty, in her humorous characterization as the nosy, gossipy cockney landlady.

It seems interesting to note, however, that with this third installment of Karloff-Lugosi films that Universal didn't attempt to team these two masters of horror to fulfill the trilogy in having them paired in another Edgar Allan Poe based thriller, something like "The Tell-Tale Heart" for example, but as with the aforementioned predecessors, it would have been more Hollywood than Poe. THE INVISIBLE RAY, however, is in a class by itself, but hardly gets the recognition it deserves.

THE INVISIBLE RAY, once a frequent late show or Chiller Theater replay on commercial television decades ago, played sporadically on the Sci-Fi Cable Channel in the 1990s during the late night hours where vampires and ghouls were its only viewers. It was revived again thanks to Turner Classic Movies (TCM premiere: April 5, 2006). It was also available on video cassette and later DVD, compliments of MCA Universal. (**)

The Curse of Radium X!

[cdauten · 17 August 2002]

THE INVISIBLE RAY (1936) Starring Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Frances Drake, Frank Lawton, Walter Kingsford Directed by Lambert Hillyer

Universal's third pairing of Lugosi and Karloff strays in to the realm of science fiction while retaining many of the elements of horror for which the studio was famous.

Janos Rukh (Karloff) is a brilliant, workaholic scientist who lives with his beautiful wife (Drake) and mother in a sprawling gothic castle/laboratory/observatory in the storm-swept Carpathian Mountains (where else?).

Sir Francis Stevens (Kingsford) and wife, accompanied by the skeptical Dr. Felix Benet (Lugosi), arrive to see Rukh's latest discovery. By following a ray of light that left the Andromeda galaxy millions of years ago back to its source, he can see back in time. What he is able to show them is a giant meteor striking the surface of the Earth, on the African continent "thousands of millions" of years ago. With this proof that such a catastrophe occurred, he is able to embark on an expedition to Africa. The meteor is found and Rukh is able to harness a strange power that emanates from it...Radium X. Unfortunately, this mysterious element also causes Rukh to glow in the dark. And, as if that weren't bad enough, everyone who touches him dies. Dr. Benet comes up with a counteractive which will not cure Rukh, but will at least make him tolerable to have around. As with all such things, there is a price...Benet cannot promise what effects the counteractive will have on Rukh's mind.

For a film released in 1936, THE INVISIBLE RAY has some pretty good special effects. The image of the meteor sailing toward the Earth is impressive, though the actual impact is less than spectacular. The scene where Rukh launches his invisible ray at a rock formation and reduces it to nothing is also good, even by today's standards. The scenes at Rukh's home are what give THE INVISIBLE RAY its creepy atmosphere. As in other Universal horror productions, the set is made of almost exclusively vertical elements, casting long shadows. The doorways are so tall the tops of them disappear somewhere beyond the top of the screen. A middle segment that takes place in Africa is less eerie, but it does provide a nice setting for us to first see Rukh's glowing face and hands.

THE INVISIBLE RAY is a fun movie to watch despite (or because of?) a few flaws, like the fact that all of the Paris newspapers seem to be printed in English. Not as fun is the film's racist depiction of the African porters. Even allowing for the attitude of the time in which the film was made, these scenes will still make most modern viewers cringe.

Early sci-fi horror film with good performances from Karloff and Lugosi...

[Doylenf · 6/10 · 31 October 2007]

THE INVISIBLE RAY is a highly enjoyable horror film that seems way ahead of its time, coming as it does in 1936 and making use of meteors and Radium X in its plot design. BORIS KARLOFF is the scientist whose ideas are "stolen", or so he believes, by others and goes about seeking an unusual method of revenge, killing off his intended victims one by one.

FRANK LAWTON and FRANCES DRAKE are the romantic leads with BEULAH BONDI playing an aristocratic Lady Arabella who is one of the victims. But the film is mainly a showcase for BORIS KARLOFF as the mad scientist, with BELA LUGOSI doing extremely well (and underplaying effectively) the role of a colleague among those on the "victim" list.

Universal obviously planned this as a low-budget feature, but the sets are impressive, all the technical credits are more than adequate, and the story is well-paced and effective throughout.

Well worth viewing and certainly one of the better Karloff/Lugosi joint ventures.

Delightfully Silly and Naive Sci-Fi

[claudio_carvalho · 6/10 · 20 November 2007]

The scientist Janos Rukh (Boris Karloff) has been expelled from the scientific community due to the lack of credibility in his researches. Living isolated in a castle with his blind mother (Violet Kemble Cooper) and his wife Diane (Frances Drake), he makes a private presentation of the recently discovered invisible ray to his colleague Dr. Felix Benet (Bela Lugosi), and succeeds in being sponsored by Sir Francis Stevens (Walter Kingsford) and his wife Lady Arabella Stevens (Beulah Bondi) in an expedition to Nigeria, where he believe he could find a meteor with Radium X. Once in Africa, Janos leaves the expedition alone and finds the meteor, but is exposed to its radiation, acquiring a deadly touch that immediately kills anyone who is touched by him. Meanwhile, Diane falls in love for the son of Lady Arabella, Ronald Drake (Frank Lawton). Dr. Benet finds an antidote to control the effects of the radiation in Janos to be daily injected, but advises that the side effect could bring madness to him. Dr. Benet returns to Paris and steals the findings of Janos, exposing and using Janos's researches to the scientific community, while the deranged Janos seeks revenge against those that have betrayed him.

"The Invisible Ray" is a delightfully silly and naive sci-fi visibly inspired in H.G. Well's "The Invisible Man" of 1933. This minor film is a great opportunity to see Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi acting together. The story is entertaining but with questionable ethical and moral behaviors of the lead characters. Dr. Felix Benet steals the research of his colleague that needed to recover the esteem together with the scientific community for self-profit and self- promotion. Diane Rukh has an affair with Ronald Drake in the absence of her husband in Africa. Mother Rukh breaks the only chance of survival of her only son that loved her and recovered and healed her vision. And Janos Rukh does not tell his wife that is sick and kills innocent people to reach his personal vendetta. In the end, all the characters are unpleasant. My vote is six.

Title (Brazil): "O Raio Invisível" ("The Invisible Ray")

Karloff and Lugosi: Great Combination!!!!

[MStillrage · 7/10 · 18 December 2000]

Boris and Bela do well together in this film,whether they are against each other, or paddling the same boat.I saw this one in 1972, and just purchased it from Borders this year. This time watching it with my children,I took note of 2 things: It held the attention of a 3, 4 and 5 year old; and I caught a few things I hadn't when I first watched it.Very swift story with an unpredictable end. A must for movie buffs!!!

Another solid outing for two horror icons.

[Hey_Sweden · 7/10 · 26 April 2020]

The great Boris Karloff is aces as a scientist named Janos Rukh, who takes part in an expedition to Africa. There, he discovers a new element that gets dubbed Radium X. In tapping its potential, he becomes seriously contaminated. Now, he has a tendency to glow in the dark, and his touch has become fatal. He becomes vengeful and insane in record time, determined to strike back at those whom he believes have done him wrong. Among them is his peer, Dr. Felix Benet (Bela Lugosi), and his own hot young wife, Diana (Frances Drake).

Admittedly, "The Invisible Ray" is slow to get started, as we go through the motions of various scientific discoveries, but it starts cooking as soon as Janos is "poisoned". As this viewer already said, it does NOT take long for our angry antagonist to entertain thoughts of revenge. He does have a point in that Benet and others are quick to capitalize on his discovery. Most importantly, blind characters like Janos' mother (Violet Kemble Cooper) get their sight restored.

It's just way too much fun once this movie kicks into gear. It's not the best that the Boris & Bela team have to offer ("The Black Cat", "The Raven", "The Body Snatcher"), but it's capably directed by Lambert Hillyer, a man who usually made B Westerns. However, Hillyer occasionally brought his touch to the horror genre, having also made "Dracula's Daughter". "The Invisible Ray" is not exactly bursting with atmosphere, and is light on horror elements, but Janos does build up a fair body count.

Both Boris & Bela played their fair share of mad scientists, and Boris is a delight as always. They're well supported by players such as the lovely Drake, Frank Lawton as the young man enamoured with her, Walter Kingsford as the cranky Sir Francis Stevens, Beulah Bondi as his wife, May Beatty as a landlady, and the briefly seen Frank Reicher as a scientist named Meiklejohn.

"The Invisible Ray" is good entertainment for genre fans, if very much a movie of its era, with unflattering depictions of various African characters.

Seven out of 10.

Sci Fi Caviar

[franzfelix · 10/10 · 6 April 2006]

One doesn't get to enjoy this gem, the 1936 Invisible Ray, often. But no can forget it. The story is elegant. Karloff, austere and embittered in his Carpathian mountain retreat, is Janos Rukh, genius science who reads ancient beams of light to ascertain events in the great geological past…particularly the crash of a potent radioactive meteor in Africa. Joining him is the ever-elegant Lugosi (as a rare hero), who studies "astro-chemistry." Frances Drake is the lovely, underused young wife; Frank Lawton the romantic temptation; and the divine Violet Kemble Cooper is Mother Rukh, in a performance worthy of Maria Ospenskya.

The story moves swiftly in bold episodes, with special effects that are still handsome. It also contains some wonderful lines. One Rukh restores his mother's sight, he asks, "Mother, can you see, can you see?" "Yes, I can see…more clearly than ever. And what I see frightens me." Even better when mother Rukh says, "He broke the first law of science." I am not alone among my acquaintance in having puzzled for many many years exactly what this first law of science is.

This movie is definitely desert island material.

Make it a 7.5!

[AlsExGal · 7/10 · 6 October 2018]

This is a better than average Universal sci-fi movie, somewhat dressed up to be like a horror film, but it is not. Also this was the first of the Karloff-Lugosi collaboration features in which it was clearly Karloff in the lead with Bela in support.Karloff is scientist Janos Rukh, who lives in a castle in the Carpathian Mountains with his wife Diane (Frances Drake) and blind mother (Kemble Cooper). He has invited a team of scientists, including Dr. Felix Benet (Lugosi) to witness a re-enactment of "past vibrations" from the "nebula of Andromeda". He successfully recreates a vision of a meteor hitting the continent of Africa. The scientists subsequently invite Rukh to join their planned expedition to Africa to look for the meteor and the powerful elements of it that Rukh calls "Radium X". Things go dreadfully wrong, of course.

Karloff is excellent as the misunderstood scientist who goes too far. Lugosi contributes one of his most restrained performances as one of the good guys. Drake is effective as the damsel in distress. Kemble Cooper is very good as The Voice of Doom. Maria Ouspenskaya must have watched this movie before making "The Wolf Man" (1941).

Franz Waxman contributed an underrated musical score. The castle sets that dwarf everyone aren't credited on TCM's webpage, but they are creepily effective. If my eyes didn't deceive me, some of the laboratory equipment that was prominently featured in "Frankenstein" (1931) and "Bride of Frankenstein" (1935) was reused in the Planetarium sequences.

There are some flaws. The native laborers in Africa all sound like they come from the American South, and Janos' name is pronounced "Yanosh" or "Yanush", depending on who is talking. But overall, this is an underrated horror film and worth your time.

"I believe that this city is at the mercy of a madman..."

[classicsoncall · 5/10 · 3 February 2019]

Delightfully wooden acting, pseudo-scientific gobbledy-gook and the presence of two iconic horror masters - what's not to love about "The Invisible Ray"? I get the biggest kick out of pictures like this, and this one's a beaut. Boris Karloff is Doctor Janos Rukh, working in virtual isolation in the Carpathian Mountains attempting to capture an invisible ray from the nebula of Andromeda, some seven hundred fifty million miles away from Earth. By doing so, he may get a hint of life that existed eons before the appearance of Man, and perhaps gain some insight into an unknown element from a far distant galaxy. You know the film makers and actors were doing things pretty much on the fly when Bela Lugosi's character is referenced more than once by the name of both 'Ben-et' and Be-nay'; obviously they couldn't determine which version was correct so they tried both on for size. I also got a chuckle out of Doctor Rukh's insistence that his invisible ray had a velocity faster than the speed of light! Obviously, his knowledge of science came from an undetermined source.

Well, Rukh demonstrates his invisible ray to a team led by Dr. Felix Benet, and their look back into the past reveals a giant meteor that descended to Earth millions of years ago, landing in Africa. An expedition is formed, and Rukh discovers the ancient rock emitting a dangerous radiation that he labels Radium X. Exposed to the meteor, Rukh's touch becomes deadly to anyone he comes in contact with. Dr. Benet develops a counteractive agent to keep Rukh's newly acquired murderous tendencies in check, but Rukh's desire for revenge against the members of his party who try to horn in on his discovery eventually leads to the deaths of Sir Francis Stevens (Walter Kingsford) and his wife, Lady Arabella (Beulah Bondi). If you're quick enough to catch it, a newspaper article with the headline 'Titled Woman Dies In Curse' proceeds to state that the mysterious murders parallel the case of an alleged curse that followed the Tut-Ankh-Amen party, a clever reference to the 1932 Boris Karloff film, "The Mummy".

While Karloff and Lugosi are wonderfully wicked in their portrayals, the film is brought down a couple of notches with the presence of Rukh's wife Diane (Frances Drake), and the nephew of the Stevens couple, Ronald Drake (Frank Lawton). They fall in love somehow with virtually no chemistry between them, and their scenes and dialog together are the very definition of wooden. It's quite hilarious actually, so maybe they served an unintended purpose, but they really were terrible otherwise. Still, Karloff and Lugosi together is a combination that can't be beat, and this is one of eight films in which they appeared together. I wouldn't call it their best collaboration, but what the heck, they could just stand there and they'd be a blast!

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

[Der_Vampyr · 10/10 · 18 February 2002]

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.

Very entertaining film with Karloff and Lugosi on top form

[TheLittleSongbird · 7/10 · 9 April 2013]

Perhaps The Invisible Ray isn't a great film, but there is much to enjoy still. The story is a little predictable, while the supporting characters are underdeveloped and not very interesting and I'm not sure whether some of the scientific ideas, while innovative at the time, are as easy to grasp or as relevant now as it was. These are just personal preferences though, and The Invisible Ray was still enjoyable even with those personal reservations. It is a very nice-looking film, original at the time and holds up now, with a great Gothic atmosphere, beautifully constructed sets and nicely done special effects(even from a present-day perspective). The photography fits with the mood very well as well. The Invisible Ray is atmospherically scored, the script is literate and the film moves quickly with few pacing lulls. The directing from Lambert Hillyer is efficient and neatly set-up, I also detected a little bit of a James Whale influence which I liked. There are some actors who don't really distinguish themselves in roles that don't really allow for them to shine properly. Frances Drake and Violet Kemble-Cooper are good though, while the top-notch performances of genre masters Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi are the film's best asset. I do prefer their performances and chemistry in The Black Cat, but what really makes them worth watching here is how effortlessly charismatic they are and how they are in roles that actually suit them and their acting skills. In conclusion, very entertaining with great lead performances from Karloff and Lugosi. 7/10 Bethany Cox

A weak vehicle for Universal's horror stars.

[BA_Harrison · 3/10 · 26 March 2017]

On a stormy night, a group of people—Lady Stevens (Beulah Bondi), her husband Sir Francis (Walter Kingsford), their nephew Ronald (Frank Lawton) and Dr. Benet (Bela Lugosi)—arrive at a castle in the Carpathians to witness an experiment by Dr. Janos Rukh (Boris Karloff, sporting curly hair and 'tache), who believes that a ray from a nebula in the Andromeda system will reveal secrets about the earth's distant history. The guests are astounded when Rukh shows them a projection of a meteor hitting Africa, an event that occurred a few thousand million years in the past.

Convinced that the meteor has left deposits of a previously unknown element, Rukh and his visitors launch an expedition to the dark continent, joined on the venture by Rukh's beautiful wife Diane (Frances Drake); going on ahead of the others, Rukh locates the element—Radium X—but suffers from radiation poisoning in the process, which leaves him deadly to the touch and just a little unhinged.

When I was a kid, I had a model figure of Lugosi as Dracula that had glow-in-the-dark hands and face; in this film, it is Karloff who has the luminous head and hands, the result of exposure to the radioactive element with which he creates an all-purpose ray that can both kill and cure. As fun as the sight of a glowing Karloff is, if it wasn't for the teaming of the Frankenstein star with Lugosi, I imagine that this clunky sci-fi potboiler from Universal would have been all but forgotten by now, suffering as it does from a meandering pseudo-scientific plot that can't decide what it wants to be (sci-fi, jungle adventure, horror, or murder mystery), a rather leaden pace, and a dull illicit romance between Diane and Ronald.

3.5 out of 10, not rounded up to 4 because the ray doesn't actually make things invisible.

Karloff/Lugosi...Need I Say More

[BaronBl00d · 17 November 1999]

The Invisible Ray is an exciting story about an overworked scientist who works effortlessly in his Carpathian castle looking for secrets of the universe. Boris Karloff plays the scientist Janos Ruhk who travels with a band of other scientists to Africa for the spot where an unidentified element landed centuries ago. Karloff is very good as the scientist who accidentally poisons himself with this new radioactive element. Karloff is obsessed with the idea that his fellow travelers, amongst them the stately Lugosi as Dr. Benet, are after his honors and secrets of this new find. Because of this, Karloff goes on a maniacal murdering spree of his former friends. There are many good elements in this film, most dealing with the rather interesting story of science gone amok. Lugosi is good too, although his role is not very big. I must agree with many that this pairing of the horrific duo is a second to The Black Cat. Nonetheless this is a fine Universal science fiction/horror film.

The New & Improved Karloff; now with unique Glow-in-the-Dark Formula!

[Coventry · 7/10 · 10 February 2008]

Okay, note to the people that put together these horror acting legends DVD-collections: I truly am grateful and I hugely support the initiative, but … have you even watched the films before selecting them as part of the collection? When I purchased the Boris Karloff collection there were several films in which the star only played a supportive and unessential role ("Tower of London", "The Strange Door"). "The Invisible Ray", however, is part of the Bela Lugosi collection and here it's actually Boris Karloff who overshadows Bela! This actually would have been a great title for the Boris Karloff collection instead! Bela Lugosi's character is quite possibly the most good-natured and earnest one he ever portrayed in his entire career and good old Karloff actually plays the mad and dangerously obsessed scientist here. "The Invisible Ray" features three main chapters. The first one, set in Dr. Janos Rukh's Carpathian castle is pretty boring and demands quite a lot of the viewer's patience, but of course the character drawings and the subject matter discussed here are fundamental for the rest of the film. Dr. Rukh (Karloff) demonstrates to a couple of eminent colleagues (among them Bela Lugosi as Dr. Benet) how he managed to capture extraterrestrial rays inside a self-manufactured device. The scientists are sincerely impressed with his work and invite Rukh and his lovely wife Diane along for an expedition in the heart of Africa. There Dr. Rukh isolates himself from the group, discovers the essential element "Radium X" to complete his medical ray and goes completely bonkers after being overexposed to the meteorite himself. The third and final act is obviously the best and most horrific one, as it revolves on a good old fashioned killing spree with ingenious gimmicks (melting statues) and a surprising climax. Karloff glows in the dark and, convinced the others are out to steal his discovery and even his life, he intends to eliminate them using his deadly touch. The narrative structure of "The Invisible Ray" sounds rather complicated, but the film is easy to follow and entertaining. The story is rather far-fetched but nevertheless compelling and director Lambert Hillyer provides several moments of sheer suspense. Boris Karloff is truly fantastic and so is Lugosi, even though he deserved to have a little more screen time. Their scenes together are the highlights of the film, along with the funky images of the glowing Boris.

Radium X

[bkoganbing · 6/10 · 18 March 2012]

Universal Pictures teamed their two titans of terror once again in The Invisible Ray. Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi teamed many times, not always in the best of films. But this one is carried along on the strength of both men.

Karloff and Lugosi are a pair of scientists, Karloff regarded as a quack and Lugosi considered one of the best. Lugosi is one of several people invited to Karloff's home for a demonstration of the power of his new telescope which plots the origin of a meteor that originated in the Andromeda nebula. The meteor landed in Africa and Karloff wants in on an expedition that Walter Kingsford and Beulah Bondi are planning with Lugosi.

Of course Boris goes to Africa and discovers the fragments which he labels as Radium X, one hundred times more powerful than the stuff Marie Curie and her husband Pierre discovered. But what eventually killed them gets a hold of Boris and he becomes poisonous to the touch. Lugosi finds an AZT like antidote, which controls the symptoms. But the stuff eventually reaches Karloff's brains with some nasty results all around.

Karloff plays his usual well meaning scientist whose experiments go terribly awry, he did that in any number of films and the Citadel Film series book on his films says that this was the first time he essayed that type of character. But Lugosi was cast far more offbeat. He's the good guy in this, you could almost say he was a Van Helsing type character up against sinister evil.

The Invisible Ray shows both of the Universal stars to good advantage. Later on when they worked together or apart at poverty row studios the results were not as good as The Invisible Ray.

An Interesting Older Sci-Fi

[Rainey-Dawn · 7/10 · 13 December 2014]

A good and interesting older sci-fi film. I love the idea of finding a cure for blindness but this particular fictitious form of radium called Radium X also has it's dark side if it falls into the wrong hands (as we see in the film). This movie is a grim reminder that scientific discoveries in real life (as well as in the movies) can be used for good but it can be used for bad/evil if one uses that way.

Great film for fans of the science fiction genre. It tells the story of Dr. Janos Rukh (Karloff) who discovered the (fictitious) Radium X, is exposed to the poison and becomes a murderous maniac against the scientists and supporters of the expedition were the Radium X was found.

7.5/10

Starts off slow then begins to shine

[Norman_French · 7/10 · 11 February 2024]

This film starts off very slow (and lame). I couldn't watch it straight-through. The racist colonial attitude towards Africans is painful to watch, despite it being typical for the time. And then there's the sexism; women are so fragile that hard truths must be kept from them, no matter how much suffering it causes them. It's stupid and ridiculous.

I was pleasantly surprised by the second half. Bela Lugosi is GREAT playing a good guy; I couldn't get enough of his stylish performance. He even opens a clinic to heal the sick (well, blind people at least). That is SO noble -- seriously -- it's a soft spot for me. The plan to corral the murderous Dr. Janos Rukh (Boris Karloff) feels a bit like Phantom of the Opera, though it uses a lecture setting.

It was refreshing to see a character (Lugosi's Dr. Benet) actually put 2 and 2 together regarding what the killer was thinking and doing; in this respect the plot was rather intelligent. The vaguely pro-science attitude towards harnessing a dangerous element, bending it to a useful purpose, feels a little ahead of its time, although there was more of a "can-do" attitude in older generations.

One can question Janos' decision to kill his (perceived) enemies when he's a Nobel-prize-winning scientist, but he admits that Radium-X affected his brain.

The ending was classy, appropriate, and satisfying -- how many contemporary films can claim such?

This is a difficult film to rate, but here goes:

Seven stars, minus 3 stars for lameness/racism/sexism/pacing, with 1-star bonuses for Lugosi, healing the sick (yay!), and the ending. So that's seven (7) stars total.

A Hodgepodge Science Fiction - Horror Film That Works Well

[theowinthrop · 10/10 · 26 August 2006]

Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi made many films together, but on the whole (interestingly enough) Karloff usually is the better man of the two. The real exception is "The Black Cat" (1934) where Karloff is playing the evil head of a devil cult, and Lugosi is seeking revenge on him for destroying his life. But more usual is "Black Friday", where (whatever his motive) Karloff is trying to improve brain surgery while Lugosi is a murderous thug. In "The Raven" Lugosi is a sadistic surgeon, who blackmails Karloff to assist his evil plans until Karloff finally has had enough. Rarely are they both negative characters totally. In "The Body Snatcher", Karloff does kill Lugosi, but Lugosi is trying to blackmail him.

The one exception where they are both extremely sympathetic but at cross purposes to each other is this 1936 film, which I feel has rarely had the audience acceptance of some of the other movies I have mentioned. In it Karloff's Dr. Janos Rukh is a hard driven scientific genius who has been sneered at by the "official scientific community" for his theory that a rare form of Radium is in Nigeria on a meteorite that landed centuries ago. He has finally gotten the support of a well financed expedition led by Sir Francis Stevens and his wife Lady Arabella Stevens (Walter Kingsford and Beulah Bondi), and has another scientist, a Frenchman named Dr. Felix Benet (Lugosi), Rukh's young wife Diane (Frances Drake) and a friend and protégée of the Stevenses named Ronald Drake (Frank Lawton).

Before they leave, Rukh is warned by his mother (Violet Kemble Cooper) that he is possibly seeking wisdom that he shouldn't and it may end in tragedy. He tries to dismiss this, but he is worried by what she says, his scientific standing, and whether or not he is going to get his due credit.

What he gets is a disaster. He finds the substance, but is infected by it's remarkable radioactivity. He finds that he is slowly burning up, and if he tries to touch people or animals they die. He's actually built up a friendship or understanding with Benet, who figures out a type of radioactive fighting cocktail for Rukh to use to counter the danger. But there are two things that are unbeatable here. The antidote can only last for a certain amount of time, and has to be replenished. And the radioactivity has affected Rukh's brain. He is increasingly jealous of Diane's friendship with Ronald (encouraged, unfortunately by Sir Francis and Lady Arabella), and he is equally upset that (due to his having to pretend to have died - the effects of the radioactivity are like that) Benet and several others are collecting the kudos of the wonders that "Radium X" is giving to man. Soon Rukh is on a murderous rampage that destroys many lives, ending with his own.

The film certainly picked up on science to an extent. Madame Curie had died recently from cancer she got due to work with Radium. Few fully understood the dangers of radioactivity in 1936, but some idea of it was coming out. The wave of murders by Rukh cause the newspapers to talk about a "curse" on the expedition. Of course, with the idea of a "cursed" expedition (on the continent of Africa) for a hidden treasure buried centuries ago, financed by a titled Englishman, we have entered archeology not physics or geology (paging Howard Carter and Lord Carnaevon).

On the other hand, Benet tries to settle the cause of the string of deaths, and reverts to an idea that was actually demolished in 1888 in England. During the Whitechapel Murders, Sir Charles Warren ordered the retinas of several of the dead victims to be photographed to see if the last image on the retinas was Jack the Ripper. It turned out he only got the photographs of the retinas of dead prostitutes. But the idea did not die. Jules Verne used it in his novel "The Brothers Kip" in 1899, and here Dr. Benet uses it. As this is a science fiction story, he finds the image of Rukh on the the plate, but Benet drops the plate accidentally and it shatters.

The film is good on many grounds, the most interesting that for a change Karloff and Lugosi are not unsympathetic towards each other. There is a type of tragic fatalism in this story that is missing from their other films. The other performances are good as well, in particular Ms Kemble Cooper. She is best remembered as Basil Rathbone's frightening sister (Jane Murdstone) in "David Copperfield". Here her final act is the only way to bring this tragedy to an end, and who can say it did not hurt her more than her target.

For good or bad...how to deal with radiation.

[michaelRokeefe · 7/10 · 10 November 2007]

Really good horror flick featuring to of the greatest, Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. Dr. Janos Rukh(Karloff)is on an expedition in Africa trying to find an ancient meteorite. After finding it, Rukh is poisoned by the its radiation. All he touches dies and the dark side of Rukh makes him become an egotistic murderer. His friend, Dr. Felix Benet(Lugosi)finds a limited remedy to the problem and at the same time realizes the radiation could be used for the good of mankind by curing diseases. The two fiends will battle over the radiations possibilities. Pretty good special effects. Others in the cast: Frances Drake, Frank Lawton, Beulah Bondi and Frank Reicher.

A funny glowing man

[AAdaSC · 5/10 · 14 October 2010]

The invisible ray comes from Andromeda and allows Dr Rukh (Boris Karloff) to see a meteorite that hit Africa millions of years ago. He goes in search of evidence with a party that includes his wife Diane (Frances Drake), Dr Benet (Bela Lugosi), Sir Francis (Walter Kingsford), Lady Arabella (Beulah Bondi) and non-entity Ronald (Frank Lawton). He discovers Radium X and lets Dr Benet into his secret, but it has a fatal effect on him. He starts to glow and decides to exact his revenge on the party that "stole" his discovery. He's a madman!

It's a film that starts out spooky, then goes into science fiction, then switches to adventure in Africa before changing into a murder story. It contains quite a lot of shifting story lines but it never really settles into any. It's a bit of everything and comes across as quite dull in parts. The best thing about the film is the performance of Violet Kemble Cooper as "Mother Rukh". She is proper scary and her performance would still creep the hell out of audiences today. At the opposite end of the scale is the dreadful Frank Lawton who has no charisma, especially as a love interest for Diane. Lugosi is laughable at first because of his accent but then becomes very likable. I was convinced by his performance as a good scientist and quite surprised that he managed to pull it off.

Unfortunately, the film ends rather unimaginatively. My mind drifted in parts, Violet Kemble Cooper is good but the film is just OK.

KARLOFF AND LUGOSI MAKE SPARKS FLY !

[whpratt1 · 10/10 · 6 May 2003]

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.

Highly Entertaining Sci-Fi Horror With Karloff and Lugosi

[Witchfinder-General-666 · 7/10 · 15 December 2008]

Horror Gods Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi should be more than sufficient a reason for any Genre-lover to watch a film, and, even though the most convincing one they are not the only reason to watch this particular little Sci-Fi/Horror gem. While Lambert Hillyer's "The Invisible Ray" of 1936 does not nearly share the brilliance of other contemporary films starring Karloff ("Frankenstein, "Bride Of Frankenstein", "The Mummy",...) or Lugosi ("White Zombie", "Island Of The Lost Souls", "Dracula",...), or both ("The Black Cat", "The Raven",...), this is doubtlessly a highly entertaining film that no lover of cult cinema should consider missing. Compared to other Universal Horror pictures, the storyline seems a bit silly, but in a delightful manner. Karloff and Lugosi, of course, shine as always, and the film furthermore profits from great sceneries and an excellent photography. Karloff plays Dr. Janos Rukh, a brilliant scientist who has invented a technique to look into the past through a telescope, and finds out that a meteor has hit the earth thousands of years ago. Stunned by Rukh's invention, the celebrated French scientist Dr. Felix Benet (Bela Lugosi), invites him to join an expedition in to find the meteor. In Africa, Rukh makes a discovery that is capable of causing great beneficence and great destruction alike... It is somewhat odd that Karloff, who was in fact British, plays a Hungarian scientist here while Lugosi, who was Hungarian, plays a French Scientist, but they are both excellent as usual. As far as I am concerned, these two Horror Deities could have probably been filmed reading the telephone directory, and I am sure they would have made something out of it - either man is an icon of the Horror genre, and seeing them together is a treat for every fan of the genre. By the way, this is one of the few films, if not the only one, in which it is obvious that Lugosi was actually taller than Karloff. Frances Drake makes a very good female lead in her role of Dr Rukh's beautiful young wife. The rest of the performances are also good, if not particularly worth mentioning. Other than the casting of Karloff and Lugosi, the film's greatest qualities are probably the atmosphere due to great settings and photography, as well as the wonderfully cheesy and highly entertaining storyline. My main complaint is that I would have wished for more screen time for Lugosi, and for his role to have a bit more significance. He is fantastic as always, but his role could have been bigger, and more sinister. Otherwise, "The Invisible Ray" is a wonderfully entertaining film which should satisfy every lover of classic Horror/Sci-Fi cinema, and a must-see for all my fellow Lugosi/Karloff fans.

Largely uninspired and far fetched Sci-Fi

[DarthVoorhees · 5/10 · 4 November 2011]

Karloff and Lugosi together again? Sign me up. The problem here is that we get a very silly film for our titans to bring to life. We can tell that the Carl Laemmle horror cycle has run out of ideas. This plot plays like a really silly atomic horror film made twenty or so years too early. There just isn't much horror in this film and the characters aren't that interesting besides for Lugosi's Dr. Benet.

Karloff is probably playing the weakest character he got during the golden age of Universal horror. His motivations are really just super silly and without any sort of gravitas to them. He exists like one of the silliest James Bond mad scientists who wants to destroy and spread chaos because the plot dictates that he must. Karloff's performance also feels really phoned in. He doesn't seem to want to really delve into this character. There just seems to be a real lack of conviction which one doesn't expect from Karloff. Maybe if the stakes were raised I might care more. Much of the horror here is implied. Dr.Rukh's laser is just a macguffin and a rather boring one when we don't see what is there. Also, the film seems to suggest the radiation drives Rukh mad but Rukh just seems sinister and silly the entire film.

Lugosi is good as a hero. I kind of really like him in this role. He's a lot of fun as a hero and generally is really in tune with this world. Karloff just doesn't give him a lot in return. I think back to the 'Black Cat' and the 'The Raven' where there is genuine chemistry based on a hate for each other. Karloff doesn't give Lugosi anything and so the film just kind of drags when Lugosi isn't there and even when he is it is kind of anti-climactic.

I wish the film had gone much much darker. 'The Black Cat' and 'The Raven' were much better films because they were really dark and defied the Hollywood code. I was really hoping the kind of sexual subplot that was in those films would be relevant here but neither Karloff or Lugosi are interested in our leading lady who has possibly the worst male love interest in all of the Universal horrors. The idea of a radioactive charged rape is really twisted and rather brilliant, too bad they weren't smart enough to go into that.