The Boris Karloff Appreciation Thread

[tv star collector]

He was Frankenstein's monster in three classic horror films, he hosted (and
occasionally starred in) the NBC anthology series THRILLER (1960-1962), and
--appropriately at this season--he narrated the animated TV special "How the
Grinch Stole Christmas." Movies, television, radio, the stage, recordings, he
did it all. His countenance was parodied in a myriad of comic books. The U.S.
Post Office saluted him with not one but two stamps in its Movie Monsters
series (the Frankenstein monster and the Mummy).

As Forrest Ackerman said (in 1969): "He meddled with things man was meant
to leave alone .. tampered in God's domain .. strangled people, blew them up,
threw them off things and into things---and yet millions cried when he died."

He was born William Henry Pratt, near London in 1887. Following a decade of
stage acting, he made his film debut (as an extra) in 1916. In between small
roles, he worked as a laborer and a truck driver. Then, after 15 years and
bit parts in over 40 films, he was cast as the Monster in "Frankenstein"
(1931). His sensitive portrayal typecast him as a menacing figure but also
made him an enduring star.

He continued to work even as his health began to fail. Crippling arthritis and
a respiratory ailment caught up with him, though, and he died in 1969. But
as writer Steve Dale aptly summed up: " ... the gentle voice and menacing
manner continue to chill and delight us."

Notable Karloff films include: "Frankenstein" (1931), "The Mummy" (1932),
"The Bride of Frankenstein" (1935), "The Raven" (1935), "The Son of
Frankenstein" (1939), "The Secret Life of Walter Mitty" (1947), "Dick Tracy
Meets Gruesome" (1947), and "Mad Monster Party" (1967). In the latter
film (produced by Rankin/Bass), Karloff voiced a puppet that looked a lot
like the master of horror.

Karloff also made several TV guest appearances on such diverse shows as
THIS IS YOUR LIFE, THE DINAH SHORE SHOW, SHIRLEY TEMPLE STORYBOOK
(in a production of "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow"), HALLMARK HALL OF FAME
("Arsenic & Old Lace"), THE WILD, WILD WEST, THE GIRL FROM U.N.C.L.E.,
I SPY, THE RED SKELTON SHOW, and THE NAME OF THE GAME.

The airwaves trembled when Karloff appeared on such radio programs as
LIGHTS OUT, THE THEARE GUILD ON THE AIR, and INNER SANCTUM. "He
was well suited for radio acting," writes Ackerman. "His voice, extremely
pliable, could either convey the plight of a sympathetic scientist or the
horror of a raving maniac."

In the silent era, Lon Chaney Sr. was hailed as "The Man of a Thousand
Faces." If that is true, then in the era of the talkies, Karloff was surely
"The King of the Eerie Places."

And to every Who down in Who-ville this Christmas season: remember who
saved Christmas and who carved the roast beast. It was the Grinch!

[AB]

I used to love watching his old movies when I was growing up.

[catlover79]

What a true legend. He and Bela Lugosi ROCKED!