Pluskylang Great Film overall

LouHomey From my favorite movies..

Cooktopi The acting in this movie is really good.

Maleeha Vincent It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

Rainey Dawn 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

utgard14 Brilliant scientist Janos Rukh (Boris Karloff) discovers a rare element called Radium X that has unusual properties. Dr. Felix Benet (Bela Lugosi) encourages Rukh to hand over his work on Radium X because it could be used for the benefit of mankind. But Rukh refuses to do so until his research is complete. After discovering the exposure to the element has made him radioactive and lethal to touch, Rukh turns to Benet for help. Benet creates a temporary antidote for Rukh and then promptly steals his research and presents it to the scientific community, which praises Radium X's healing properties. Enraged by this and his wife (Frances Drake) leaving him for another man (Frank Lawton), Rukh fakes his own death and uses his lethal touch to seek revenge against those who have wronged him.Another good Karloff/Lugosi film. This one is an early foray into science fiction by Universal. Karloff is marvelous as always. Lugosi gives a fine, surprisingly restrained performance. More proof that he was a better actor than he's often said to be. It's also a credit to the script that his character doesn't go the clichéd route of becoming a full villain. Actually, that's one of the more intriguing things about this movie. There are no clear-cut black & white heroes. Though the narrative often portrays Karloff as the villain, the "good guys" consist of two adulterers, two thieves, and an obnoxious old crow. That's to say nothing of a mother who betrays her son even after he restored her sight! As to the rest of the cast, Frances Drake is gorgeous and does a good job with a somewhat difficult part. Her legendary braless bounciness early in the movie will brighten anyone's day. Poor Janos was making the wrong discoveries, sadly. Frank Lawton is as exciting as dishwater. To be fair, these types of parts are always a hard sell. At least he's no Lester Matthews in Werewolf of London. Beulah Bondi is best in small doses as the butch buttinsky Arabella. Exceptional turn by Violet Kemble Cooper as Karloff's mom. Walter Kingsford is funny as Arabella's husband.Great sets, decent effects, good cast, and a smart script with interesting ideas. Not the best of Universal's 1930s horror films or even the Karloff/Lugosi pairings, but a very good one nonetheless.

TheLittleSongbird 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

JoeB131 Universal tried to capitalize on the fame of Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi by putting them in a bunch of vehicles together.In this one, Boris plays the Mad Scientist and Bela plays the good one, who find an element in Africa called "Radium X" because they couldn't think of cool new names for elements back then. Boris is infected with Raidum X, becoming a killing machine that glows in the dark if he doesn't take his meds. He proceeds to lose his wife to another man and then his mind, and goes on a killing spree.The ironic thing was, Lugosi always saw himself as a leading man, and this was probably as close as he got. His accent got in the way, and he didn't quite work here, being dead for the last five minutes of the movie.Cringe-worthy, the portrayal of African characters.