Prior to production, Universal Pictures was originally developing the film "Bluebeard" for Karloff and Lugosi. When that production did not start, Universal wanted a release by the end of 1935 with Karloff and Lugosi and hired director Stuart Walker and screenwriter John Colton to make the film "The Invisible Ray". As Walker was not happy with Colton's script, he requested a three-day delay before production was set to begin and after being denied this, he left the production and was replaced with Lambert Hillyer. Hillyer began and completed the film over-budget and over the originally set production time.