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.
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.