The Invisible Ray (1936 film)

The Invisible Ray
Theatrical release poster by Karoly Grosz[2]
Directed by	Lambert Hillyer
Screenplay by	John Colton[3]
Story by	Howard Higgin Douglas Hodges[3]
Produced by	Edmund Grainger[3]
Starring	Boris Karloff Bela Lugosi Frances Drake Frank Lawton
Cinematography	George Robinson[3]
Edited by	Bernard Burton[3]
Music by	Franz Waxman[3]
Production company	Universal Pictures
Distributed by	Universal Pictures
Release date	20 January 1936 (1936-01-20)
Running time	79 minutes[3]
Country	United States[1]
Language	English

The Invisible Ray is a 1936 American science-fiction horror film directed by Lambert Hillyer. It stars Boris Karloff as Dr. Janos Rukh, a scientist who comes in contact with a meteorite composed of an element known as "Radium X". After exposure to its rays begins to make him glow in the dark, his touch becomes deadly, and he begins to be slowly driven mad. Alongside Karloff, the film's cast includes Bela Lugosi, Frances Drake, Frank Lawton, Walter Kingsford, Beulah Bondi, Violet Kemble Cooper, and Nydia Westman.

Prior to production, Universal Pictures was originally developing the film Bluebeard for Karloff and Lugosi. When that production did not start, Universal wanted a release by the end of 1935 with Karloff and Lugosi, and hired director Stuart Walker and screenwriter John Colton to make the film The Invisible Ray. As Walker was dissatisfied with Colton's script, he requested a three-day delay before production was set to begin and after being denied this, he left the production and was replaced with Lambert Hillyer. Hillyer began and completed the film over-budget and over the originally set production time.