Boris Karloff
Born: 1887-11-23 in Camberwell, London, England, UK
Died: 1969-02-02
Known For: Acting
Biography
William Henry Pratt (November 23, 1887 – February 2, 1969), better known as Boris Karloff, was an English-born actor who emigrated to Canada in 1909. Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and Son of Frankenstein (1939). His popularity following Frankenstein was such that for a brief time he was billed simply as "Karloff" or "Karloff the Uncanny". His best-known non-horror role is as the Grinch in the television special of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. Description above from the Wikipedia article Boris Karloff, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Filmography
2025
- Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies as Self - (archive footage)
2024
- The Last Repair Shop as The Monster (archive footage) (uncredited)
2022
- Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story as Self - Interviewee
2021
- Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists! as Self (archive footage)
- Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster as Self (archive footage)
2015
- Jack Pierce: The Man Who Made the Monsters as Self (archive footage)
2014
- Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film as Various roles (archive footage)
2013
- Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored as Self (archive footage)
- A Masque of Madness (Notes on Film 06-B, Monologue 02) as Self (archive footage)
2008
- He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce as Self (archive footage)
2007
- Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman as Self (archive footage)
- Ian Rankin Investigates: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde as Cabman John Gray (archive footage)
- Bela Lugosi: The Fallen Vampire as Himself (archive footage)
2006
- Karloff: The Gentle Monster as Self (archive footage)
- Lugosi: The Dark Prince as Self (archive footage)
- Terror in the Tropics as Mr. Wong (archive footage)
2003
- The Mesmerist as (archive footage)
2001
- Heroes of Horror as (archive footage)
2000
- The American Nightmare as Self
- The Many Faces of Dracula as The Monster (archive footage)
- Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed as Self (archive footage)
1999
- Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man' as Self (archive footage)
- The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster as Self (archive footage)
1998
- Universal Horror as (archive footage)
1996
- The Universal Story as Self (archive footage)
1994
- Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld as Self (archive footage)
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Special Edition as (voice - archive footage)
1991
- Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook as The Monster / Gustav Niemann / Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde / etc.
- Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook as Doctor Gustav Niemann (archive footage)
- Halloween Monster Bash as Baron Von Leppe (archive footage)
1990
- Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To as (archive footage)
- Abbott and Costello in the Movies as Archival
1989
- Transylvania Twist as Man in Room (archive footage)
1988
- Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies as (archive footage) (uncredited)
1987
- Creepy Classics as Dr. Scarabus - (archive footage)
1984
- Going Hollywood: The '30s as (archive footage)
1983
- The Horror of It All as Frankenstein / Cabman John Gray (archive footage)
1982
- Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers! as Self (archive footage)
1979
- The Horror Show as (archive footage)
1975
- Brother, Can You Spare a Dime? as Self (archive footage)
1974
- Madhouse as (archive footage)
- The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute as Self (archive footage)
1971
- Isle of the Snake People as Carl van Molder / Damballah
- Alien Terror as Prof. John Mayer
1970
- McCloud as Hjalmar Poelzig (archive footage) (uncredited)
- Hatchet for the Honeymoon as Gorca (archive footage)
1968
- The Name of the Game as Mikhail Orlov
- Targets as Byron Orlok
- The Movie Orgy as Self (archive footage)
- Curse of the Crimson Altar as Professor John Marsh
- Cauldron of Blood as Franz Badulescu
- Fear Chamber as Dr. Carl Mandel
- Macabre Serenade as Matthias Morteval
1967
- Mad Monster Party? as Baron Boris von Frankenstein (voice)
- The Sorcerers as Prof. Marcus Monserrat
1966
- The Girl from U.N.C.L.E. as Mother Muffin
- How the Grinch Stole Christmas! as Narrator / The Grinch (voice)
- The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini as The Corpse
- The Daydreamer as The Rat (voice)
- The Venetian Affair as Dr. Pierre Vaugiroud
- Doom of Dracula as The Madman (archive footage)
1965
- The Wild Wild West as Mr. Singh
- Die, Monster, Die! as Nahum Witley
1964
- Shindig! as Self - Guest Host / Singer
- The Comedy of Terrors as Amos Hinchley
- Bikini Beach as Art Dealer
- A Fool's World as Narrator
- Horror!!! as Self
- Today's Teens as Narrator
1963
- The Raven as Dr. Scarabus
- Black Sabbath as Gorca (segment "The Wurdalak")
- The Terror as Baron Victor Frederick Von Leppe
1962
- Out of This World as Host
- The Incredible Doktor Markesan as Dr. Konrad Markesan
- The Storm
- Arsenic & Old Lace as Jonathan Brewster
- Little Lost Robot as Host
- Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing
1961
- Days of Thrills and Laughter as Self (archive footage)
- The Grim Reaper as Self
1960
- Route 66
- Thriller as Clayton Mace
- The Fatal Impulse as Self
- Who Killed Chung Ling Soo? as Narrator
1958
- Shirley Temple's Storybook as Narrator (voice) / Father Knickerbocker
- The Veil
- Corridors of Blood as Dr. Thomas Bolton
- Frankenstein 1970 as Baron Viktor von Frankenstein
- Heart of Darkness as Mr. Kurtz
- Grip of the Strangler as James Rankin
- Destination Nightmare as Host / Ira Perry / Pete Wade Sr. / Professor Charles Goncourt / Morgan Debs
- Jack the Ripper as Host / Capt. John Elwood / Jonas Atterbury / Dr. Francis Mason
1957
- Suspicion as Judge Winthrop Gelsey
- DuPont Show of the Month
- The Lux Show as Self
- Voodoo Island as Phillip Knight
- The Lark as Bishop Cauchon
- The Juggler of Our Lady as Narrator (voice)
1956
- The Dinah Shore Chevy Show as Self
- Telephone Time
- Colonel March of Scotland Yard as Colonel March Of Scotland Yard
- The Rosemary Clooney Show as Self
- Rendezvous in Black as Ward Allen
1955
- This Is Your Life as Self
- Sabaka as General Pollegar
- A Connecticut Yankee as King Arthur
- Sting of Death as Mr. Mycroft
1954
- Climax! as Dr. Philip Nestri
- The George Gobel Show as Self
- The Island Monster as Don Gaetano
1953
- The United States Steel Hour as George Redford
- General Electric Theater as Mr. Blue Ocean
- Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde as Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
- Colonel March Investigates as Colonel March
1952
- The Black Castle as Dr. Meissen
1951
- The Red Skelton Show as Professor Townsend (Spy)
- Tales of Tomorrow
- Hallmark Hall of Fame as Cauchon
- Schlitz Playhouse of Stars as Charles Brandon
- Down You Go as Self
- The Strange Door as Voltan
1950
- Robert Montgomery Presents as Bennett Kimball
- What's My Line? as Self
- Lux Video Theatre as Sir Arthur Strangeways
1949
- Lights Out
- Suspense as Toff
- Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff as Swami Talpur
- The Emperor's Nightingale as Narrator (English version)
- Starring Boris Karloff
1948
- Studio One as Skaggs
- Tap Roots as Tishomingo
1947
- Unconquered as Guyasuta, Chief of the Senecas
- The Secret Life of Walter Mitty as Dr Hugo Hollingshead
- Lured as Charles van Druten
- Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome as Gruesome
1946
- Bedlam as George Sims
1945
- The Body Snatcher as John Gray
- Isle of the Dead as Gen. Nikolas Pherides
1944
- House of Frankenstein as Dr. Gustav Niemann
- The Mummy's Curse as Kharis in Flashback (archive footage / uncredited)
- The Climax as Dr. Friedrich Hohner
1942
- The Boogie Man Will Get You as Prof. Nathaniel Billings
- Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6 as Himself
1941
- The Devil Commands as Dr. Julian Blair
- Information Please: Series 2, No. 12 as Self
1940
- The Mummy's Hand as Kharis (archive footage / uncredited)
- Black Friday as Dr. Ernest Sovac
- Before I Hang as Dr. John Garth
- The Ape as Dr. Bernard Adrian
- The Fatal Hour as James Lee Wong
- The Man with Nine Lives as Dr. Leon Kravaal
- Doomed to Die as James Lee Wong
- You'll Find Out as Judge Spencer Mainwaring
1939
- Son of Frankenstein as The Monster
- Tower of London as Mord
- The Man They Could Not Hang as Dr. Henryk Savaard
- British Intelligence as Valdar
- Mr. Wong in Chinatown as Mr. James Lee Wong
- The Mystery of Mr. Wong as James Lee Wong
- Devil's Island as Dr. Charles Gaudet
1938
- Mr. Wong, Detective as James Lee Wong
- The Invisible Menace as Jevries
1937
- Night Key as David Mallory
- Cinema Circus as Himself
- Breakdowns of 1937 as Self
- West of Shanghai as "General" Wu Yen Fang
1936
- The Walking Dead as John Ellman
- The Invisible Ray as Dr. Janos Rukh
- The Man Who Changed His Mind as Dr. Laurence
- Charlie Chan at the Opera as Gravelle
- Juggernaut as Dr. Victor Sartorius
1935
- Bride of Frankenstein as The Monster
- The Black Room as Baron Gregor de Berghman / Anton de Berghman
- The Raven as Edmond Bateman
- Hollywood Hobbies as Himself
1934
- The Black Cat as Hjalmar Poelzig
- The Lost Patrol as Sanders
- The House of Rothschild as Count Ledrantz
- Gift of Gab as Himself
- Screen Snapshots No. 11 as Himself
1933
- The Ghoul as Prof. Morlant
1932
- Scarface as Gaffney
- The Mummy as Imhotep / Ardath Bey
- The Mask of Fu Manchu as Dr. Fu Manchu
- The Old Dark House as Morgan
- Skyscraper Souls as Man Approaching Ticket Counter
- Behind the Mask as Jim Henderson
- Night World as 'Happy' MacDonald
- The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood as Boris Karloff
- The Miracle Man as Nikko
- Boo as Frankenstein's Monster (edited from "Frankenstein")
- Business and Pleasure as Sheik Ali-Ben Joseph
1931
- Frankenstein as The Monster
- Smart Money as Sport Williams
- King of the Wild as Mustapha
- The Criminal Code as Ned Galloway
- Five Star Final as T. Vernon Isopod
- The Public Defender as The Professor
- Tonight or Never as Waiter
- Graft as Terry
- Young Donovan's Kid as Cokey Joe
- I Like Your Nerve as Luigi - Pacheco's Butler
- The Mad Genius as Fedor's Father (uncredited)
- The Vanishing Legion as The Voice (voice)
- The Yellow Ticket as Drunken Orderly
- Cracked Nuts as Boris - First Revolutionary
- The Guilty Generation as Tony Ricca
1930
- The Sea Bat as Corsican
- The Bad One as Monsieur Gaston
- The Utah Kid as Henchman Baxter
1929
- The Unholy Night as Abdul Mohammed Bey - the Hindu Lawyer (uncredited)
- Behind That Curtain as Beetham's Manservent
- The King of the Kongo as Scarface Macklin
- Burning the Wind as Pug Doran
- The Fatal Warning as Mullins
- The Devil's Chaplain as Boris
- The Phantom of the North as Jules Gregg
- Two Sisters as Cecil
- Anne Against the World
1928
- Sharp Shooters as Cafe Proprietor (uncredited)
- The Vanishing Rider as The Villain
- The Little Wild Girl as Maurice Kent
- Vultures of the Sea as Grouchy
1927
- Soft Cushions as The Chief Conspirator
- Let It Rain as Crook
- The Meddlin' Stranger as Al Meggs
- Two Arabian Knights as Purser
- Tarzan and the Golden Lion as Owaza
- The Love Mart as Fleming
- The Princess from Hoboken as Pavel
- The Phantom Buster as Ramon
1926
- Old Ironsides as Saracen Guard (uncredited)
- The Bells as The Mesmerist
- Her Honor, the Governor as Snipe Collins
- The Man in the Saddle as Robber (uncredited)
- The Eagle of the Sea as Pirate (uncredited)
- The Greater Glory as Scissors Grinder
- Flaming Fury as Gaspard
- The Nickel-Hopper as Dance Hall Masher
- Flames as Blackie Blanchette
- The Golden Web as Dave Sinclair
1925
- Never the Twain Shall Meet
- Without Mercy as Madame Gordon's 2nd Henchman (uncredited)
- The Prairie Wife as Diego
- Lady Robinhood as Cabraza
- Perils of the Wild
- Parisian Nights as Pierre
- Forbidden Cargo as Pietro Castillano
1924
- Riders of the Plains
- Dynamite Dan as Tony Garcia
- The White Panther as Shere Ali's Aide (as Karloff Boris)
- The Hellion as The Outlaw
1923
- The Prisoner as Prince Kapolski
1922
- Omar the Tentmaker as Imam Mowaffak
- The Altar Stairs as Hugo
- The Woman Conquers as Raoul Maris
- The Infidel as The Nabob
- The Man from Downing Street as Maharajah Jehan
- Nan of the North as Undetermined Role (uncredited)
1921
- Without Benefit of Clergy as Ahmed Khan
- The Hope Diamond Mystery as Priest of Kama-Sita / Dakar
- Cheated Hearts as Nei Hamid
- The Cave Girl as Baptiste
1920
- The Last of the Mohicans as Indian (uncredited)
- The Deadlier Sex as Jules Borney
- The Woman and the Puppet as (uncredited)
- The Courage of Marge O'Doone as Tavish
1919
- The Prince and Betty as Undetermined Role
- His Majesty, the American as Henchman in cloth cap
- The Lightning Raider