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French Grande (44.5" x 61")
Very Fine on Linen; Artist Boris Grinsson
Universal, 1936

The French Grande offered here presents a striking image of Karloff, complete with glowing hands and an expression of glowering menace against an atmospheric orange and black background, an image that is in every way superior to the American release imagery. Universal Monster paper has always been highly desirable, and the material from this title has proven exceptionally elusive. Boris Grinsson creates a spectacular image of Bris Karloff in his role as Dr. Janos Ruhk. This is the only example of this poster we are aware of selling in recent years.

Prior to restoration, this poster had only minor fold and cross-fold wear, pinholes in the borders, and some light paper splits within the image. There is a small dot on Karloff's nose that has been touched up, but otherwise, this is a very clean and desirable example of this poster.

In 1936, there were two undisputed Kings of Horror in Hollywood: Bela Lugosi, who had starred in Dracula (1931), and Boris Karloff, who played the Monster in Frankenstein (1931). It's not surprising, then, that Universal Pictures would eventually team these two cinematic titans. The Invisible Ray (1936), is about a scientist (Karloff) who finds a strange meteor made of an unknown element dubbed "Radium X," whose emanations cause him first to glow in the dark and then proceed to drive him slowly mad. The film is particularly notable for being the last of the Universal Monster films to be released under the studio's original regime, marking the end of an important era.

Estimate: $7,500 - 15,000
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