The Invisible Ray

"Delving into new, strange fields of mystery!"

1936 1h 19m EN

😐

6.4

MID

★6.4TMDB · 63

Science FictionHorrorThriller

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Dr. Janos Rukh discovers a certain type of radium that has almost magical healing properties. But the element has a dangerous side, too, and it has already started affecting Rukh. Consumed by paranoia, he begins to suspect that his wife is having an affair. Wild for revenge, Rukh hatches a deadly plot...using his own poisoned body as a weapon to kill.

“Delving into new, strange fields of mystery!”

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Cast

Boris Karloff
Dr. Janos Rukh
Bela Lugosi
Dr. Felix Benet
Frank Lawton
Ronald Drake
Frances Drake
Diana Rukh
Violet Kemble Cooper
Mother Rukh
Beulah Bondi
Lady Arabella Stevens
Walter Kingsford
Sir Francis Stevens
Paul Weigel
Monsieur Noyer

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Lambert Hillyer
Writers: John Colton, Howard Higgin, Douglas Hodges
Languages: English, French
Countries: United States of America

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

RUNTIME

Did you know

Tight 79-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

ERA

Did you know

90 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

WORLD

Did you know

Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Lambert Hillyer, shot by George Robinson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Franz Waxman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Bernard W. Burton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi and Frank Lawton carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Delving into new, strange fields of mystery!".

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Lambert Hillyer directs. George Robinson behind the camera. Franz Waxman scores. Bernard W. Burton cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United States of America. Dialogue in English, French.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

1Tight 79-minute runtime — shorter than most television pilots.
290 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
3Dialogue crosses 2 languages: English, French.
4Directed by Lambert Hillyer, shot by George Robinson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
5Original score by Franz Waxman. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
6Editor Bernard W. Burton shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
7Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi and Frank Lawton carry the top of the cast.
8Marketing tagline: "Delving into new, strange fields of mystery!".
9IMDB entry: tt0027800 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
10Only 63 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.
11Classified under 14 themes, including "telescope", "paris, france", "love triangle", "africa".

The technical file

Cinematography: George Robinson
Original score: Franz Waxman
Editing: Bernard W. Burton
Makeup / hair: Jack Pierce
Runtime: 79 min · 1h 19m
Aspect ratio (typical): 1.37:1 (Academy)
Status: Released
Original language: EN
IMDB: The Invisible Ray (1936)

Also by

Lambert Hillyer

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Community reviews

What people are saying

Tourma2024-01-07
★ 9/10
Peak Classic Universal Horror A bunch of big stars with a well written story, for the time. Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff are both great and so is Francis Drake. CW: There are racist bits, typical portrayals of Africans for the time period. So watch out for that.

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