Boris Karloff
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.
Known For
What's My Line?
1950
The Red Skelton Show
1951
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Robert Montgomery Presents
1950
Climax!
1954
Climax!
1954
Studio One
1948
Studio One
1948
Studio One
1948
The Wild Wild West
1965
Route 66
1960
McCloud
1970
Filmography
What's My Line?
as Self · 1950
The Red Skelton Show
as Professor Townsend · 1951
Robert Montgomery Presents
as Bennett Kimball · 1950
Robert Montgomery Presents
· 1950
Climax!
as Dr. Philip Nestri · 1954
Climax!
as Vicar Tellworth · 1954
Studio One
as Skaggs · 1948
Studio One
as Professor Koernig · 1948
Studio One
as King Arthur · 1948
The Wild Wild West
as Mr. Singh · 1965
Route 66
· 1960
McCloud
as Hjalmar Poelzig (archive footage) (uncredited) · 1970
The Name of the Game
as Mikhail Orlov · 1968
The Dinah Shore Chevy Show
as Self · 1956
Thriller
as Clayton Mace · 1960
Thriller
as Self - Host · 1960
Thriller
as Dr. Thorne · 1960
Thriller
as Dr. Albert Farnham · 1960
Thriller
as Pop Jenkins / Col. Jackson Beauregard Finchess · 1960
Thriller
as Doktor Konrad Markesan · 1960
This Is Your Life
as Self · 1955
Suspense
as Toff · 1949
Suspense
· 1949
Suspense
as Bronson · 1949
Suspense
as Rasputin · 1949
Telephone Time
· 1956
Lights Out
· 1949
The United States Steel Hour
as George Redford · 1953
Lux Video Theatre
as Sir Arthur Strangeways · 1950
Lux Video Theatre
as Montgomery Royle · 1950
Lux Video Theatre
as Larkin · 1950
Shindig!
as Self - Guest Host / Singer · 1964
The George Gobel Show
as Self · 1954
Tales of Tomorrow
· 1951
Shirley Temple's Storybook
as Narrator (voice) / Father Knickerbocker · 1958
Suspicion
as Judge Winthrop Gelsey · 1957
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.
as Mother Muffin · 1966
Out of This World
as Host · 1962
DuPont Show of the Month
· 1957
The Mummy
as Imhotep / Ardath Bey · 1932
Colonel March of Scotland Yard
as Colonel March Of Scotland Yard · 1956
Unconquered
as Guyasuta, Chief of the Senecas · 1947
Frankenstein
as The Monster · 1931
Bride of Frankenstein
as The Monster · 1935
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
as Dr. Hollingshead · 1947
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
as Narrator / The Grinch (voice) · 1966
The Rosemary Clooney Show
as Self · 1956
Scarface
as Gaffney · 1932
The Lux Show
as Self · 1957
The Veil
· 1958
The Raven
as Dr. Scarabus · 1963
Son of Frankenstein
as The Monster · 1939
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Cauchon · 1951
Hallmark Hall of Fame
as Jonathan Brewster · 1951
House of Frankenstein
as Dr. Gustav Niemann · 1944
General Electric Theater
as Mr. Blue Ocean · 1953
General Electric Theater
as Henry E. Church · 1953
Schlitz Playhouse of Stars
as Charles Brandon · 1951
Black Sabbath
as Gorca (segment "The Wurdalak") · 1963
The Terror
as Baron Victor Frederick Von Leppe · 1963
The Body Snatcher
as John Gray · 1945
The Raven
as Edmond Bateman · 1935
The Old Dark House
as Morgan · 1932
The Last Repair Shop
as The Monster (archive footage) (uncredited) · 2024
Tap Roots
as Tishomingo · 1948
The Black Cat
as Hjalmar Poelzig · 1934
Mad Monster Party?
as Baron Boris von Frankenstein (voice) · 1967
The Mask of Fu Manchu
as Dr. Fu Manchu · 1932
Targets
as Byron Orlok · 1968
The Lost Patrol
as Sanders · 1934
Curse of the Crimson Altar
as Professor John Marsh · 1968
The Mummy's Hand
as Kharis (archive footage / uncredited) · 1940
The Mummy's Curse
as Kharis in Flashback (archive footage / uncredited) · 1944
The Comedy of Terrors
as Amos Hinchley · 1964
Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror Movies
as Self (archive footage) · 2025
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
as Gruesome · 1947
Hatchet for the Honeymoon
as Gorca (archive footage) · 1970
The Movie Orgy
as Self (archive footage) · 1968
Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists!
as Self (archive footage) · 2021
Hollywood Hobbies
as Himself · 1935
The Walking Dead
as John Ellman · 1936
Isle of the Dead
as Gen. Nikolas Pherides · 1945
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
as Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde · 1953
Karloff: The Gentle Monster
as Self (archive footage) · 2006
The House of Rothschild
as Count Ledrantz · 1934
The Black Room
as Baron Gregor de Berghman / Anton de Berghman · 1935
Bedlam
as George Sims · 1946
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
as Self (archive footage) · 1975
The American Nightmare
as Self · 2000
Sharp Shooters
as Cafe Proprietor (uncredited) · 1928
Bikini Beach
as Art Dealer · 1964
The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini
as The Corpse · 1966
The Venetian Affair
as Dr. Pierre Vaugiroud · 1966
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster
as Self (archive footage) · 2021
The Man They Could Not Hang
as Dr. Henryk Savaard · 1939
The Boogie Man Will Get You
as Prof. Nathaniel Billings · 1942
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman
as Self (archive footage) · 2007
Lured
as Charles van Druten · 1947
Macabre Serenade
as Matthias Morteval · 1968
You'll Find Out
as Judge Spencer Mainwaring · 1940
Soft Cushions
as The Chief Conspirator · 1927
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff
as Swami Talpur · 1949
Frankenstein 1970
as Baron Viktor von Frankenstein · 1958
The King of the Kongo
as Scarface Macklin · 1929
Corridors of Blood
as Dr. Thomas Bolton · 1958
Cracked Nuts
as Boris - First Revolutionary · 1931
The Last of the Mohicans
as Indian (uncredited) · 1920
Tower of London
as Mord · 1939
The Strange Door
as Voltan · 1951
Die, Monster, Die!
as Nahum Witley · 1965
The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute
as Self (archive footage) · 1974
King of the Wild
as Mustapha · 1931
The Invisible Ray
as Dr. Janos Rukh · 1936
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
as Self (archive footage) · 2013
Charlie Chan at the Opera
as Gravelle · 1936
The Man Who Changed His Mind
as Dr. Laurence · 1936
Dracula in the Movies
as (archive footage) · 1992
Without Benefit of Clergy
as Ahmed Khan · 1921
Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry Seinfeld
as Self (archive footage) · 1994
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To
as (archive footage) · 1990
Black Friday
as Dr. Ernest Sovac · 1940
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
as Self (archive footage) · 1999
The Man with Nine Lives
as Dr. Leon Kravaal · 1940
Smart Money
as Sport Williams · 1931
Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film
as Various roles (archive footage) · 2014
Grip of the Strangler
as James Rankin · 1958
The Many Faces of Dracula
as The Monster (archive footage) · 2000
Down You Go
as Self · 1951
Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing
· 1962
The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
as Self (archive footage) · 1999
Devil's Island
as Dr. Charles Gaudet · 1939
The Climax
as Dr. Friedrich Hohner · 1944
Before I Hang
as Dr. John Garth · 1940
Cauldron of Blood
as Franz Badulescu · 1968
The Lark
as Bishop Cauchon · 1957
Days of Thrills and Laughter
as Self (archive footage) · 1961
The Mystery of Mr. Wong
as James Lee Wong · 1939
The Little Wild Girl
as Maurice Kent · 1928
Going Hollywood: The '30s
as (archive footage) · 1984
Madhouse
as (archive footage) · 1974
The Ghoul
as Prof. Morlant · 1933
Mr. Wong, Detective
as James Lee Wong · 1938
Mr. Wong in Chinatown
as Mr. James Lee Wong · 1939
The Incredible Doktor Markesan
as Dr. Konrad Markesan · 1962
The Horror Show
as (archive footage) · 1979
His Majesty, the American
as Henchman in cloth cap · 1919
Transylvania Twist
as Man in Room (archive footage) · 1989
Horror!!!
as Self · 1964
Universal Horror
as (archive footage) · 1998
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
as Self (archive footage) · 1982
The Woman and the Puppet
as (uncredited) · 1920
The Fatal Impulse
as Self · 1960
Suspense: A Night at an Inn
as Toff
Young Donovan's Kid
as Cokey Joe · 1931
Perils of the Wild
· 1925
Don't Scream: It's Only a Movie!
as Self · 1985
Riders of the Plains
· 1924
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies
as (archive footage) (uncredited) · 1988
Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story
as Self - Interviewee · 2022
Her Honor, the Governor
as Snipe Collins · 1926
The Orbit of Minor Satellites
as Roger Ashley Norton · 2026
Nan of the North
as Undetermined Role (uncredited) · 1922
The Man in the Saddle
as Robber (uncredited) · 1926
The Black Castle
as Dr. Meissen · 1952
The Phantom of the North
as Jules Gregg · 1929
Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook
as The Monster / Gustav Niemann / Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde / etc. · 1991
Tarzan and the Golden Lion
as Owaza · 1927
Information Please: Series 2, No. 12
as Self · 1941
Lugosi: The Dark Prince
as Self (archive footage) · 2006
I Like Your Nerve
as Luigi - Pacheco's Butler · 1931
The Grim Reaper
as Self · 1961
Bela Lugosi: The Fallen Vampire
as Himself (archive footage) · 2007
The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features
· 2012
Five Star Final
as T. Vernon Isopod · 1931
Tonight or Never
as Waiter · 1931
The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood
as Boris Karloff · 1932
Ian Rankin Investigates: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
as Cabman John Gray (archive footage) · 2007
The Courage of Marge O'Doone
as Tavish · 1920
Monster Movie Trivia Quiz
· 2004
Skyscraper Souls
as Man Approaching Ticket Counter · 1932
He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
as Self (archive footage) · 2008
The Criminal Code
as Ned Galloway · 1931
The Greater Glory
as Scissors Grinder · 1926
Doomed to Die
as James Lee Wong · 1940
Omar the Tentmaker
as Imam Mowaffak · 1922
Let It Rain
as Crook · 1927
The Man from Downing Street
as Maharajah Jehan · 1922
The Horror of It All
as Frankenstein / Cabman John Gray (archive footage) · 1983
The Devil Commands
as Dr. Julian Blair · 1941
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Special Edition
as (voice - archive footage) · 1994
West of Shanghai
as "General" Wu Yen Fang · 1937
Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6
as Self · 1942
The Prince and Betty
as Undetermined Role · 1919
A Masque of Madness (Notes on Film 06-B, Monologue 02)
as Self (archive footage) · 2013
The Bells
as The Mesmerist · 1926
The Princess from Hoboken
as Pavel · 1927
Night Key
as David Mallory · 1937
Night World
as 'Happy' MacDonald · 1932
The Mad Genius
as Fedor's Father (uncredited) · 1931
The Love Mart
as Fleming · 1927
Voodoo Island
as Phillip Knight · 1957
The Fatal Hour
as James Lee Wong · 1940
Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
as Self (archive footage) · 2000
The Unholy Night
as Abdul Mohammed Bey - the Hindu Lawyer (uncredited) · 1929
The Hope Diamond Mystery
as Priest of Kama-Sita / Dakar · 1921
The Miracle Man
as Nikko · 1932
Gift of Gab
as Himself · 1934
Screen Snapshots No. 11
as Himself · 1934
The Daydreamer
as The Rat (voice) · 1966
Terror in the Tropics
as Mr. Wong (archive footage) · 2006
Business and Pleasure
as Sheik Ali-Ben Joseph · 1932
True Fear: The Making of Psycho
as Self · 2015
Vultures of the Sea
as Grouchy · 1928
The Sorcerers
as Prof. Marcus Monserrat · 1967
The Island Monster
as Don Gaetano · 1954
A Connecticut Yankee
as King Arthur · 1955
Breakdowns of 1937
as Self · 1937
Sabaka
as General Pollegar · 1955
The Eagle of the Sea
as Pirate (uncredited) · 1926
Who Killed Chung Ling Soo?
as Narrator · 1960
Never the Twain Shall Meet
· 1925
The Universal Story
as Self (archive footage) · 1996
The Ape
as Dr. Bernard Adrian · 1940
The Fatal Warning
as Mullins · 1929
The Juggler of Our Lady
as Narrator (voice) · 1957
Heroes of Horror
as (archive footage) · 2001
Rendezvous in Black
as Ward Allen · 1956
The Yellow Ticket
as Drunken Orderly · 1931
The Phantom Buster
as Ramon · 1927
Abbott and Costello in the Movies
as Archival · 1990
Isle of the Snake People
as Carl van Molder / Damballah · 1971
Arsenic & Old Lace
as Jonathan Brewster · 1962
The Invisible Menace
as Jevries · 1938
Monsters on the March (and a Pair of Marvels!)
· 1980
The Prairie Wife
as Diego · 1925
The Deadlier Sex
as Jules Borney · 1920
Starring Boris Karloff
· 1949
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
as Doctor Gustav Niemann (archive footage) · 1991
Destination Nightmare
as Host / Ira Perry / Pete Wade Sr. / Professor Charles Goncourt / Morgan Debs · 1958
The Public Defender
as The Professor · 1931
The Vanishing Legion
as The Voice (voice) · 1931
Little Lost Robot
as Host · 1962
Burning the Wind
as Pug Doran · 1929
The Storm
· 1962
The Devil's Chaplain
as Boris · 1929
Halloween Monster Bash
as Baron Von Leppe (archive footage) · 1991
Creepy Classics
as Dr. Scarabus - (archive footage) · 1987
Alien Terror
as Prof. John Mayer · 1971
The Bad One
as Monsieur Gaston · 1930
Behind That Curtain
as Beetham's Manservent · 1929
British Intelligence
as Valdar · 1939
The Sea Bat
as Corsican · 1930
The Meddlin' Stranger
as Al Meggs · 1927
The Golden Web
as Dave Sinclair · 1926
Heart of Darkness
as Mr. Kurtz · 1958
Colonel March Investigates
as Colonel March · 1953
Anne Against the World
· 1929
Jack the Ripper
as Host / Capt. John Elwood / Jonas Atterbury / Dr. Francis Mason · 1958
Behind the Mask
as Jim Henderson · 1932
Old Ironsides
as Saracen Guard (uncredited) · 1926
The Vanishing Rider
as The Villain · 1928
The Utah Kid
as Henchman Baxter · 1930
Jack Pierce: The Man Who Made the Monsters
as Self (archive footage) · 2015
Graft
as Terry · 1931
Two Arabian Knights
as Purser · 1927
Sting of Death
as Mr. Mycroft · 1955
The Lightning Raider
· 1919
Fear Chamber
as Dr. Carl Mandel · 1968
The White Panther
as Shere Ali's Aide (as Karloff Boris) · 1924
Cinema Circus
as Himself · 1937
The Cave Girl
as Baptiste · 1921
A Fool's World
as Narrator · 1964
The Guilty Generation
as Tony Ricca · 1931
Cheated Hearts
as Nei Hamid · 1921
The Prisoner
as Prince Kapolski · 1923
The Nickel-Hopper
as Dance Hall Masher · 1926
Flaming Fury
as Gaspard · 1926
The Infidel
as The Nabob · 1922
Without Mercy
as Madame Gordon's 2nd Henchman (uncredited) · 1925
Two Sisters
as Cecil · 1929
Parisian Nights
as Pierre · 1925
Flames
as Blackie Blanchette · 1926
Dynamite Dan
as Tony Garcia · 1924
Juggernaut
as Dr. Victor Sartorius · 1936
Lady Robinhood
as Cabraza · 1925
Today's Teens
as Narrator · 1964
Forbidden Cargo
as Pietro Castillano · 1925
The Hellion
as The Outlaw · 1924
The Altar Stairs
as Hugo · 1922
The Mesmerist
as (archive footage) · 2003
Boo
as Frankenstein's Monster (edited from "Frankenstein") · 1932
The Woman Conquers
as Raoul Maris · 1922