William Henry Pratt was born on November 23, 1887 In London, England, the son of a custom’s official, John Pratt, Jr, and his third wife, Eliza Sarah Millard. It was originally thought that he would pursue a diplomatic career, and he was educated in this field at London University. But he changed his mind and immigrated to Canada in 1909 to join a touring company in Ontario. It was here where both the actor and the stage name, Boris Karloff, was born.
Along with Lon Chaney, Vincent Price and Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff is considered one of the true icons of the horror cinema. His most famous role was as Frankenstein, based on the novel by Mary Shelley. He toured throughout the United States and in the early days of Hollywood, worked in silent films such as “The Deadlier Sex” (1920) and “Omar The Tentmaker” (1922). His big break came in 1931 when he was cast as “the monster” in the Universal production of “Frankenstein.” The director of the film, James Whale, cleverly added to the mystery of the “monster” by listing Karloff’s name in the credits simply as?
The film was a commercial success and Karloff was immediately established as a star. He was cast in other dark roles including “The Mummy” (1932) and “The Mask of Fu Manchu” (1932). He appeared as Frankenstein again in “The Bride of Frankenstein” with Elsa Lanchester (1935) and The Son of Frankenstein,”(1939). This image stayed with him, and although he was very warm-hearted and affectionate towards children, when he lived in the Dakota apartments back in the late 1930s in New York, none of the children in the building would ever trick or treat at his apartment. It bothered him, although he did know why.
He was a wonderful actor who left a legacy of many fine films. He passed away from emphysema on February 2, 1969 at the age of 82.
What are some of YOUR favorite Boris Karloff performances? Please share.