Fellow Svengoolie Super SvenPals will be dancing and jumping for joy for his first 2024 big broadcast with a classic mammoth Universal Studios sci-fi/thriller feature film masterpiece.
A snippet from Lambert Hillyer‘s classic mammoth Universal Studios sci-fi/thriller masterpiece production of “The Invisible Ray” (1935) with horror legends Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi; prepared for the 2022 Eureka! Entertainment/Universal Boris Karloff Blu-Ray trilogy box set in Great Britain, “Karloff in Maniacal Mayhem;” sourced from Universal’s High-Definition restorations from original 35mm nitrate film elements.
“Destruction to all he touched or looked upon!” Latter Realart theatrical re-issue poster art for Lambert Hillyer’s classic mammoth 1936 Universal sci-fi/thriller masterpiece with Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi, “The Invisible Ray.”
The legendary and iconic Berwyn/Chicago-based classic mammoth sci-fi/thriller feature film masterpiece host will present his first 2024 coast-to-coast big broadcast of “The Invisible Ray” (1935), this Sat., Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. Eastern/7 p.m. Central on Me-TV.
The classic mammoth 1935 Universal sci-fi/thriller feature film masterpiece production was directed by veteran feature film director Lambert Hillyer. Three years before he directed “The Invisible Ray” (1935), Hillyer previously directed the classic mammoth Columbia Pictures western masterpiece; “Forbidden Trail” (1932) with Buck Jones, Barbara Weeks and George Cooper. One year after the filming of his classic mammoth Universal sci-fi/thriller masterpiece production of “The Invisible Ray,” Hillyer directed the official follow-up film in Universal’s classic mammoth “Dracula” vampire-monster masterpiece franchise with his classic mammoth Universal “Dracula” vampire-monster sequel masterpiece production of “Dracula’s Daughter” (1936) with Gloria Holden, Otto Kruger, Marguerite Churchill, Edward Van Sloan, Hedda Hopper (the noted Hollywood gossip columnist and real-life mother of William Hopper of TV’s “Perry Mason” fame), Irving Pichel, E.E. Clive, Edgar Norton and Halliwell Hobbes.
Hillyer later returned to Columbia Pictures, where he directed the very first live-action motion picture adaptation of Bill Finger and Bob Kane’s DC Comics superhero creation, the Columbia “Batman” (1943) theatrical serial series adaptation with Lewis Wilson (in the title role of Batman/Bruce Wayne) and Douglas Croft (as Robin/Dick Grayson). In the latter part of his directorial career, Hillyer later worked on numerous western feature films and for pioneering radio-TV producer/syndicator Frederic W. Ziv. One of Lambert Hillyer’s final productions was that he directed seven episodes of the syndicated classic mammoth Ziv crime drama masterpiece series with Broderick Crawford as Dan Matthews, “Highway Patrol” (1955-56).
“The Invisible Ray” (1935) was produced by veteran producer Edmund Grainger and veteran executive producer Fred S. Meyer. One year after co-producing the classic mammoth 1935 Lambert Hillyer/Universal sci-fi/thriller masterpiece, Grainger served in an uncredited role as the producer of Walter Lang‘s classic mammoth Universal romantic comedy masterpiece production of “Love Before Breakfast” (1936) with Carole Lombard, Preston Foster, young Cesar Romero, Joyce Compton, Betty Lawford and Universal horror veteran E.E. Clive.
Grainger later produced several classic mammoth action-adventure/wartime drama masterpieces for Herbert J. Yates‘ Republic Pictures with John Wayne, including “Flying Tigers” (1942) with Wayne, David Miller, Anna Lee, Chester Gan, Paul Kelly and Mae Clarke and Allan Dwan‘s “Sands of Iwo Jima” (1949) with Wayne, John Agar, Adele Mara, Forrest Tucker, Arthur Franz, Julie Bishop and young Martin Milner (later of William Castle‘s “13 Ghosts,” TV’s “Route 66” and TV’s “Adam-12” fame). Fred S. Meyer had a brief career in the motion picture industry. The same that he co-produced “The Invisible Ray” (1935), he also co-produced John M. Stahl‘s Universal romantic drama production of “Magnificent Obsession” (1935) with Irene Dunne, Robert Taylor, Ralph Morgan and Arthur Treacher. The film was later re-made by Universal 19 years later under the direction of Douglas Sirk and also under the title of “Magnificent Obsession” (1954) with Jane Wyman, Rock Hudson, Barbara Rush and Agnes Moorehead (of 1941’s “Citizen Kane” fame and later of TV’s “Bewitched” fame).
The original story treatment for Hillyer’s classic mammoth Universal sci-fi thriller masterpiece feature production of “The Invisible Ray” (1935) was written by Howard Higgin and Douglas Hodges. Higgin and Hodges’ original story concept was adapted into a screenplay by veteran screenwriter John Colton. Shortly after “The Invisible Ray,” Higgins served in an uncredited position for co-writing the screenplay for Victor Halperin‘s production of “Revolt of the Zombies” (1936); which featured Dorothy Stone, young Dean Jagger (later of 1949’s “Twelve O’clock High” fame and 1954’s “White Christmas” fame) and Roy D’Arcy. Higgin died in 1937. “The Invisible Ray” marked the only screenwriting/story concept credit for Douglas Hodges. The same year that he adapted Higgin and Hodges’ screenplay, John Colton served as the principal screenwriter of Stuart Walker‘s classic mammoth Universal werewolf monster masterpiece production of “Werewolf of London” (1935) with Henry Hull, Valerie Hobson, Warner Oland, Spring Byington, Lester Matthews, J.M. Kerrigan, Charlotte Granville, Zeffie Tilbury and Clark Williams.
This will mark Sven’s fifth big broadcast of “The Invisible Ray” (1935) on the airlanes of Me-TV. He previously showcased Hillyer’s classic mammoth 1935 Universal sci-fi/thriller masterpiece production back in June 2013 as a big coast-to-coast Me-TV broadcast premiere and as regular Me-TV big broadcasts back in Jan. 2014, May 2015 and Aug. 2017.
In Son of Sven/Sven/Rich Koz’s home area of Berwyn/Chicago, Illinois and during his WFLD/Marina City/Berwyn/Chicago days as the “Son of Svengoolie-” he previously showcased Lambert Hillyer’s classic mammoth Universal sci-fi/thriller masterpiece production of “The Invisible Ray” (1935) as a Berwyn/Chicago big broadcast premiere back in June 1980; according to IMDB.
Who was in Lambert Hillyer’s classic mammoth Universal sci-fi/thriller masterpiece production of “The Invisible Ray” (1935)?
The players who appeared in Lambert Hillyer’s classic mammoth Universal sci-fi/thriller masterpiece production of “The Invisible Ray” (1935) were Boris Karloff (as Dr. Janos Rukh), Bela Lugosi (as Dr. Felix Benet), Frances Drake (as Diana Rukh), Frank Lawton (as Ronald Drake), Violet Kemble Cooper (as Mother Rukh), Walter Kingsford (as Sir Francis Stevens), Beulah Bondi (as Lady Arabella Stevens), Frank Reicher (as Prof. Meiklejohn/Mendelssohn), Paul Weigel (as Monsieur Noyer) and Georges Renavent (as the Chief of the Surete).
Silver Screen Reflections 