Program Notes

The success of The Bride of Frankenstein and Werewolf of London in the spring of 1935 kept the idea mill for horror films churning at Universal Pictures. At various times such forthcoming titles had been announced such as Suicide Club, Bluebeard, Cabinet of Dr. Caligary, Cagliostro, and Hunchback of Notre Dame. Ultimately, only The Raven, The Invisible Ray and Dracula’s Daughter would be produced, the latter ending the first cycle of films at Universal. Although Waxman was signed to score both of the latter he left Universal for M.G.M and only scored The Invisible Ray and Suicide Club (aka Trouble for Two).

Filming commenced the week of September 21, 1935. Released in January 1936, The Invisible Ray was directed by Lambert Hillyer and starred Boris Karloff as a scientist who treks to Africa to discover a new element “Radium X.” Exposure to the element causes radiation poisoning: his body glows in the dark and it is instant death for anyone he touches. His mind unhinged, he pursues a campaign to kill all who accompanied him on the expedition, including his young wife (Francis Drake) and her lover (Frank Lawton). Bela Legosi, in a meager supporting role plays a benevolent scientist who helps Karloff control the poisoning but is marked for death when he exploits Karloff’s discovery.

The concert suite draws on memorable musical passages from the film. It begins with The Accident, a scene which was cut from the final release version of the film. Other material includes the love theme, storm scene (based on Lizst’s 14th piano rhapsody), and The Shining Face. Because no musical manuscript from this film survives, Steven R, Bernstein orchestrated completely by ear from the recordings from the films soundtrack and a few acetate discs available from the music tracks in the Franz Waxman Collection in the Belfer Audio Archives at Syracuse University New York.

This suite was recorded by Kenneth Alwyn, conducting the Westminster Philharmonic as part of The Bride of Frankenstein CD (Silva Screen).

– Richard H. Bush, July 1993