The outline of Boris Karloff in his full Frankenstein makeup remains to this day one of horror cinema’s most enduring images. An immensely versatile actor, he gave accomplished performances in many non-horror movies, but his astonishing performance as the monster in James Whale’s classic came to define his career; but whereas many other actors would have come to resent such a ubiquitous role, Karloff was always proud to be associated with the character, and cherished the acclaim and popularity it brought him.
Karloff, whose real name was William Henry Pratt, was born in Camberwell, London, on 23rd November 1887. Often asked about his exotic looks, he claimed to be of Russian extraction; however, this is more than likely a fabrication. In actual fact, he could claim East Indian ancestry, and the musical ‘The King and I’ was based on the experiences of his great aunt Anna. He was orphaned at an early age, and although his initial intention was to join the foreign legion, he emigrated to Canada in 1909 to work on a farm, where he was bitten by the acting bug. There, he changed his name to Boris Karloff in a bid to attract more attention.
Karloff then spent many years in America taking a variety of theatre roles, but success eluded him. In 1919 he began to get regular work as an extra at Universal Studios, eventually taking more sizeable parts in silent movies such as His Majesty the American. Although he worked prolifically, his breakthrough wasn’t to come until 1929’s The Criminal Code, as Columbia Film that established him as a character actor of note. He found himself on the shortlist to play the (mute) monster in a 1931 screen adaption of Mary Shelley’s novel Frankenstein. Although Bela Lugosi, fresh from his success as Dracula, was the studio’s preferred choice for the role, he won the part and the film was a runaway success. Karloff went on to do two other notable Universal horror movies – The Mummy (as the lovelorn ancient Egyptian pharaoh Imhotep) and much later Bride of Frankenstein, where he returned to his signature role. Although happy to reprise the part of the monster, Karloff had concerns as to whether letting him talk compromised the character. Nevertheless, it was another sensational performance in a film many consider to be the high point of the ‘Universal Monster’ series. Between these two films, he made a number of pictures in both Hollywood and the UK, including several pairings with Bela Lugos.
Karloff moved to the Broadway stage in 1941 with Arsenic and Old Lace, playing a man who is continually mistaken for Boris Karloff. He also played Captain Hook in Peter Pan, and his performance in The Lark won him a Tony Award nomination. With a couple of exceptions, however, the quality of his film work deteriorated rapidly; although he continued to give excellent performances, they were mainly for mediocre B-movies which diminished his Hollywood stock considerably. Throughout the 1950s he became a regular fixture on US television, and at one point he even had his own show. During the 1960s, he became firmly aligned with low-budget director Roger Corman. Suffering from emphysema, his final performance was in Peter Bogdanovich’s Targets (1969), in which he played an aging horror star. He died later that same year.
Carl says…
Like his onscreen rival Bela Lugosi, Boris Karloff towered over the horror genre from the 1930s right through to 1960s. To a certain generation of horror fans he was terror incarnate, with Frankenstein marking the beginning of a career which spanned some 30 years but which never escaped his landmark performance as The Monster. Unlike Lugosi in Dracula I’ve always been a little surprised that such a role could propel the actor filling it to the heights of stardom; that Frankenstein is a classic offering is beyond doubt, but the role of the Monster is a fairly uncomplicated (dare I even say easy?) one to pull off and I don’t think it gives any actor the chance to shine in the way that Count Dracula did for Lugosi. Lest this be thought of as a knock at Karloff though I quickly add that I think that his performance in the role demonstrates precisely why he established himself as a staple of horror films of the period – he’s an excellent actor who gave himself wholeheartedly to every role he was offered and his sincerity in doing this always enhanced the quality of any film he starred in.
Ironically, this is perhaps least observable in the film that made his name. Frankenstein was a quality film on every level, with Karloff’s adeptness merely enhancing the quality rather than producing it. This is also the case in his other big budget roles, like The Mummy or The Mask of Fu Manchu. You have to look beyond these movies to see just how commanding a presence Karloff was though, to films like The Ghoul, The Ape and (it brings tears to my eyes just to say it) The Terror; average to sub-standard films which Karloff totally dominates and infuses with a hint of respectability and quality just for being in them. This is a lot more difficult to pull off than it sounds, and there’s a lot more involved than casting a fine actor in a crap film – think of the turkeys Robert De Niro has been in recently. He was committed to the profession right up to his dying days, with Targets delivering plaudits in (unusually for Karloff) a rare non-horror role.
Phrases like workmanlike and diligent are often taken as veiled compliments, suggestive at first of the rewarding of effort rather than achievement. When they’re sincerely meant though nothing can be further than the truth. Boris Karloff personified these attributes; he loved acting for the sake of acting, and to this end he was prepared to accept roles which ‘serious’ actors might not have sniffed at. In doing so he gave horror fans some of the finest movie going experiences on offer, rightly deserving their devotion in return.
Matt says…
Watching Karloff’s performance in Frankenstein, it’s readily apparent that he learned how to ply his trade in silent movies. In Mary Shelley’s novel, the monster is eloquent and talkative, happy to elucidate on his inner pain and desires, and it’s probably true to say that the decision to keep the character mute in the film was motivated by the need to simplify the text and inject some traditional scares. Karloff’s doleful performance manages to reclaim some of the monster’s anguish that Shelley writes at such lengths about; his physical presence, his demeanour and most importantly his astonishingly expressive face lend him far more pathos than the ostensible ‘hero’ of the piece, Henry Frankenstein. As a performer, he instinctively understands that less is more, the monster’s awkwardness and rather apprehensive approach to new experiences give him a depth that runs far deeper than the (highly impressive make-up). His scene by the lake with the child manages to be comical, poignant and tragic all at once, and this is purely down the quality of acting involved.
Karloff did pretty much the same thing in The Mummy and Bride of Frankenstein, but this apparent lack of versatility is offset by both his blinding performances in many other films – good and bad – and the simple fact that he’s so much better at it than anyone else. Anyone doubting his capabilities as an actor should look to the series of films he made for Monogram in the 40s and 50s – they’re weak movies, but he towers above everything else on screen. It’s testament to his qualities as a performer that he always brought out the best from everything he did – no matter how ropey – and more than anything else he simply seemed to love acting. A great performer, then, but it’s his Universal work that secures him legendary status, for helping to redefine the emotional resonance that a horror movie can have. Frankenstein stands as a symbol of all that can be great about the genre, and Karloff’s at the centre of that success.
Black Lagoon key film
Obviously it’s going to be one of the Frankenstein films, and – for reasons outlined elsewhere on this site – we’re plumping for Frankenstein. But his performance in The Mummy is sensational, even if the film itself is not as tight as its predecessor, and Bride of Frankstein, although flawed, it worth checking out too.