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Boris Karloff

Actor

Boris Karloff

Born November 23, 1887 in Camberwell, London, England, UKDied February 2, 1969178 films

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!.

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Frankenstein posterFirst watchFrankenstein19317.5as The MonsterHenry Frankenstein pieces together body parts in the hope of bringing a human-like creature to life. The mad scientist’s dreams are shattered by his monstrous creation awakening with rage…View film

Essential films

Ranked by acclaim and reach

Filmography

178 films as actor
  1. TBASuspense: A Night at an InnToff
  2. 2026The Orbit of Minor SatellitesRoger Ashley Norton
  3. 1980Monsters on the March (and a Pair of Marvels!)
  4. 1971Alien TerrorProf. John Mayer
  5. 1971Isle of the Snake PeopleCarl van Molder / Damballah
  6. 1968Curse of the Crimson AltarProfessor John Marsh
  7. 1968TargetsByron Orlok
  8. 1968Fear ChamberDr. Carl Mandel
  9. 1968Macabre SerenadeMatthias Morteval
  10. 1968Cauldron of BloodFranz Badulescu
  11. 1967The SorcerersProf. Marcus Monserrat
  12. 1967Mad Monster Party?Baron Boris von Frankenstein (voice)
  13. 1966How the Grinch Stole Christmas!Narrator / The Grinch (voice)
  14. 1966The Venetian AffairDr. Pierre Vaugiroud
  15. 1966The DaydreamerThe Rat (voice)
  16. 1966The Ghost in the Invisible BikiniThe Corpse
  17. 1965Die, Monster, Die!Nahum Witley
  18. 1964Bikini BeachArt Dealer
  19. 1964Today's TeensNarrator
  20. 1964The Comedy of TerrorsAmos Hinchley
  21. 1963Black SabbathGorca (segment "The Wurdalak")
  22. 1963The TerrorBaron Victor Frederick Von Leppe
  23. 1963The RavenDr. Scarabus
  24. 1962Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing
  25. 1962Little Lost RobotHost
  26. 1962The Incredible Doktor MarkesanDr. Konrad Markesan
  27. 1962Arsenic & Old LaceJonathan Brewster
  28. 1962The Storm
  29. 1958Corridors of BloodDr. Thomas Bolton
  30. 1958Heart of DarknessMr. Kurtz
  31. 1958Frankenstein 1970Baron Viktor von Frankenstein
  32. 1958Grip of the StranglerJames Rankin
  33. 1958Jack the RipperHost / Capt. John Elwood / Jonas Atterbury / Dr. Francis Mason
  34. 1958Destination NightmareHost / Ira Perry / Pete Wade Sr. / Professor Charles Goncourt / Morgan Debs
  35. 1957The Juggler of Our LadyNarrator (voice)
  36. 1957The LarkBishop Cauchon
  37. 1957Voodoo IslandPhillip Knight
  38. 1956Rendezvous in BlackWard Allen
  39. 1955A Connecticut YankeeKing Arthur
  40. 1955Sting of DeathMr. Mycroft
  41. 1955SabakaGeneral Pollegar
  42. 1954The Island MonsterDon Gaetano
  43. 1953Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeDr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
  44. 1953Colonel March InvestigatesColonel March
  45. 1952The Black CastleDr. Meissen
  46. 1951The Strange DoorVoltan
  47. 1949Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer, Boris KarloffSwami Talpur
  48. 1948Tap RootsTishomingo
  49. 1947UnconqueredGuyasuta, Chief of the Senecas
  50. 1947Dick Tracy Meets GruesomeGruesome
  51. 1947The Secret Life of Walter MittyDr. Hollingshead
  52. 1947LuredCharles van Druten
  53. 1946BedlamGeorge Sims
  54. 1945Isle of the DeadGen. Nikolas Pherides
  55. 1945The Body SnatcherJohn Gray
  56. 1944House of FrankensteinDr. Gustav Niemann
  57. 1944The ClimaxDr. Friedrich Hohner
  58. 1942The Boogie Man Will Get YouProf. Nathaniel Billings
  59. 1941The Devil CommandsDr. Julian Blair
  60. 1940You'll Find OutJudge Spencer Mainwaring
  61. 1940The ApeDr. Bernard Adrian
  62. 1940Before I HangDr. John Garth
  63. 1940Doomed to DieJames Lee Wong
  64. 1940The Man with Nine LivesDr. Leon Kravaal
  65. 1940Black FridayDr. Ernest Sovac
  66. 1940The Fatal HourJames Lee Wong
  67. 1939Tower of LondonMord
  68. 1939British IntelligenceValdar
  69. 1939The Man They Could Not HangDr. Henryk Savaard
  70. 1939Mr. Wong in ChinatownMr. James Lee Wong
  71. 1939The Mystery of Mr. WongJames Lee Wong
  72. 1939Son of FrankensteinThe Monster
  73. 1939Devil's IslandDr. Charles Gaudet
  74. 1938Mr. Wong, DetectiveJames Lee Wong
  75. 1938The Invisible MenaceJevries
  76. 1937West of Shanghai"General" Wu Yen Fang
  77. 1937Night KeyDavid Mallory
  78. 1936Charlie Chan at the OperaGravelle
  79. 1936The Man Who Changed His MindDr. Laurence
  80. 1936JuggernautDr. Victor Sartorius
  81. 1936The Walking DeadJohn Ellman
  82. 1936The Invisible RayDr. Janos Rukh
  83. 1935The Black RoomBaron Gregor de Berghman / Anton de Berghman
  84. 1935The RavenEdmond Bateman
  85. 1935Bride of FrankensteinThe Monster
  86. 1934The Black CatHjalmar Poelzig
  87. 1934The House of RothschildCount Ledrantz
  88. 1934The Lost PatrolSanders
  89. 1933The GhoulProf. Morlant
  90. 1932The MummyImhotep / Ardath Bey
  91. 1932BooFrankenstein's Monster (edited from "Frankenstein")
  92. 1932The Mask of Fu ManchuDr. Fu Manchu
  93. 1932The Old Dark HouseMorgan
  94. 1932Skyscraper SoulsMan Approaching Ticket Counter
  95. 1932Night World'Happy' MacDonald
  96. 1932ScarfaceGaffney
  97. 1932The Miracle ManNikko
  98. 1932The Cohens and Kellys in HollywoodBoris Karloff
  99. 1932Behind the MaskJim Henderson
  100. 1932Business and PleasureSheik Ali-Ben Joseph
  101. 1931FrankensteinThe Monster
  102. 1931The Guilty GenerationTony Ricca
  103. 1931The Yellow TicketDrunken Orderly
  104. 1931The Mad GeniusFedor's Father (uncredited)
  105. 1931Five Star FinalT. Vernon Isopod
  106. 1931GraftTerry
  107. 1931I Like Your NerveLuigi - Pacheco's Butler
  108. 1931The Public DefenderThe Professor
  109. 1931Smart MoneySport Williams
  110. 1931Young Donovan's KidCokey Joe
  111. 1931The Vanishing LegionThe Voice (voice)
  112. 1931Cracked NutsBoris - First Revolutionary
  113. 1931King of the WildMustapha
  114. 1931Tonight or NeverWaiter
  115. 1931The Criminal CodeNed Galloway
  116. 1930The Utah KidHenchman Baxter
  117. 1930The Sea BatCorsican
  118. 1930The Bad OneMonsieur Gaston
  119. 1929The Unholy NightAbdul Mohammed Bey - the Hindu Lawyer (uncredited)
  120. 1929The King of the KongoScarface Macklin