Boris Karloff (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), whose real name was William Henry Pratt, 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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Known For
Scarface
(1932)
Gaffney
The Black Cat
(1934)
Hjalmar Poelzig
Frankenstein
(1931)
The Monster
The Mad Genius
(1931)
Fedor's Father (uncredited)
Bride of Frankenstein
(1935)
The Monster
The Ape
(1940)
Dr. Bernard Adrian
The Mummy
(1932)
Imhotep, alias Ardath Bey
The Terror
(1963)
Baron Victor Frederick Von Leppe
Son of Frankenstein
(1939)
The Monster
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
(1966)
Narrator / The Grinch (voice)
Targets
(1968)
Byron Orlok
Black Sabbath
(1963)
Gorca (segment "The Wurdalak")
The Old Dark House
(1932)
Morgan
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
(1947)
Dr. Hugo Hollingshead
Unconquered
(1947)
Guyasuta, Chief of the Senecas
Terror in the Aisles
(1984)
The Monster (Archive Footage)
Full Filmography
Acting
His Majesty, the American
(1919)
Henchman in cloth cap
The Lightning Raider
(1919)
The Prince and Betty
(1919)
Undetermined Role
The Last of the Mohicans
(1920)
Indian (uncredited)
The Deadlier Sex
(1920)
Jules Borney
The Courage of Marge O'Doone
(1920)
Tavish
The Cave Girl
(1921)
Baptiste
The Hope Diamond Mystery
(1921)
Priest of Kama-Sita / Dakar
Without Benefit of Clergy
(1921)
Ahmed Khan
Cheated Hearts
(1921)
Nei Hamid
Nan of the North
(1922)
Undetermined Role (uncredited)
The Man from Downing Street
(1922)
Maharajah Jehan
The Infidel
(1922)
The Nabob
The Altar Stairs
(1922)
Hugo
The Woman Conquers
(1922)
Raoul Maris
Omar the Tentmaker
(1922)
Imam Mowaffak
The Prisoner
(1923)
Prince Kapolski
Dynamite Dan
(1924)
Tony Garcia
The White Panther
(1924)
Shere Ali's Aide (as Karloff Boris)
The Hellion
(1924)
The Outlaw
Riders of the Plains
(1924)
The Prairie Wife
(1925)
Diego
Parisian Nights
(1925)
Pierre
Forbidden Cargo
(1925)
Pietro Castillano
Lady Robinhood
(1925)
Cabraza
Never the Twain Shall Meet
(1925)
Perils of the Wild
(1925)
Without Mercy
(1925)
Madame Gordon's 2nd Henchman (uncredited)
The Bells
(1926)
The Mesmerist
The Nickel-Hopper
(1926)
Dance Hall Masher
The Eagle of the Sea
(1926)
Pirate (uncredited)
Old Ironsides
(1926)
Saracen Guard (uncredited)
The Greater Glory
(1926)
Scissors Grinder
Her Honor, the Governor
(1926)
Snipe Collins
The Man in the Saddle
(1926)
Robber (uncredited)
The Golden Web
(1926)
Dave Sinclair
Flames
(1926)
Blackie Blanchette
Flaming Fury
(1926)
Gaspard
Tarzan and the Golden Lion
(1927)
Owaza
Two Arabian Knights
(1927)
Purser
The Phantom Buster
(1927)
Ramon
The Love Mart
(1927)
Fleming
Let It Rain
(1927)
Crook
The Princess from Hoboken
(1927)
Pavel
The Meddlin' Stranger
(1927)
Al Meggs
Soft Cushions
(1927)
The Chief Conspirator
Sharp Shooters
(1928)
Cafe Proprietor (uncredited)
The Vanishing Rider
(1928)
The Villain
Vultures of the Sea
(1928)
Grouchy
The Little Wild Girl
(1928)
Maurice Kent
Behind That Curtain
(1929)
Beetham's Manservent
The King of the Kongo
(1929)
Scarface Macklin
The Phantom of the North
(1929)
Jules Gregg
Burning the Wind
(1929)
Pug Doran
The Fatal Warning
(1929)
Mullins
The Devil's Chaplain
(1929)
Boris
Two Sisters
(1929)
Cecil
Anne Against the World
(1929)
The Unholy Night
(1929)
Abdul Mohammed Bey - the Hindu Lawyer (uncredited)
The Sea Bat
(1930)
Corsican
The Utah Kid
(1930)
Henchman Baxter
The Bad One
(1930)
Monsieur Gaston
Frankenstein
(1931)
The Monster
King of the Wild
(1931)
Mustapha
Five Star Final
(1931)
T. Vernon Isopod
The Criminal Code
(1931)
Ned Galloway
Tonight or Never
(1931)
Waiter
The Mad Genius
(1931)
Fedor's Father (uncredited)
The Vanishing Legion
(1931)
The Voice (voice)
Graft
(1931)
Terry
The Guilty Generation
(1931)
Tony Ricca
Cracked Nuts
(1931)
Boris - First Revolutionary
The Public Defender
(1931)
The Professor
The Yellow Ticket
(1931)
Drunken Orderly
I Like Your Nerve
(1931)
Luigi - Pacheco's Butler
Young Donovan's Kid
(1931)
Cokey Joe
Smart Money
(1931)
Sport Williams
Scarface
(1932)
Gaffney
The Mask of Fu Manchu
(1932)
Dr. Fu Manchu
The Old Dark House
(1932)
Morgan
Behind the Mask
(1932)
Jim Henderson
The Mummy
(1932)
Imhotep, alias Ardath Bey
Night World
(1932)
'Happy' MacDonald
The Miracle Man
(1932)
Nikko
Skyscraper Souls
(1932)
Man Approaching Ticket Counter
Boo
(1932)
Frankenstein's Monster (edited from "Frankenstein")
The Cohens and Kellys in Hollywood
(1932)
Boris Karloff
Business and Pleasure
(1932)
Sheik Ali Ben Joseph (uncredited)
The Ghoul
(1933)
Prof. Morlant
The Black Cat
(1934)
Hjalmar Poelzig
The Lost Patrol
(1934)
Sanders
The House of Rothschild
(1934)
Count Ledrantz
Gift of Gab
(1934)
Himself
Screen Snapshots No. 11
(1934)
Himself
Bride of Frankenstein
(1935)
The Monster
The Black Room
(1935)
Baron Gregor de Berghman / Anton de Berghman
The Raven
(1935)
Edmond Bateman
Hollywood Hobbies
(1935)
Himself
Juggernaut
(1936)
Dr. Victor Sartorius
The Man Who Changed His Mind
(1936)
Dr. Laurience
The Walking Dead
(1936)
John Ellman
The Invisible Ray
(1936)
Dr. Janos Rukh
Charlie Chan at the Opera
(1936)
Gravelle
Night Key
(1937)
David Mallory
Cinema Circus
(1937)
Himself
West of Shanghai
(1937)
Wu Yen Fang
Breakdowns of 1937
(1937)
Self
Mr. Wong, Detective
(1938)
James Lee Wong
The Invisible Menace
(1938)
Jevries
Son of Frankenstein
(1939)
The Monster
Devil's Island
(1939)
Dr. Charles Gaudet
The Man They Could Not Hang
(1939)
Dr. Henryk Savaard
Tower of London
(1939)
Mord
British Intelligence
(1939)
Valdar
The Mystery of Mr. Wong
(1939)
James Lee Wong
Mr. Wong in Chinatown
(1939)
Mr. James Lee Wong
Doomed to Die
(1940)
James Lee Wong
Before I Hang
(1940)
Dr. John Garth
The Man with Nine Lives
(1940)
Dr. Leon Kravaal
Black Friday
(1940)
Dr. Ernest Sovac
The Ape
(1940)
Dr. Bernard Adrian
You'll Find Out
(1940)
Judge Spencer Mainwaring
The Fatal Hour
(1940)
James Lee Wong
The Mummy's Hand
(1940)
Kharis (archive footage / uncredited)
The Devil Commands
(1941)
Dr. Julian Blair
Information Please: Series 2, No. 12
(1941)
Self
The Boogie Man Will Get You
(1942)
Prof. Nathaniel Billings
Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6
(1942)
Himself
House of Frankenstein
(1944)
Dr. Gustav Niemann
The Climax
(1944)
Dr. Friedrich Hohner
The Mummy's Curse
(1944)
Kharis in Flashback (archive footage / uncredited)
The Body Snatcher
(1945)
John Gray
Isle of the Dead
(1945)
Gen. Nikolas Pherides
Bedlam
(1946)
George Sims
Lured
(1947)
Charles van Druten
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
(1947)
Dr. Hugo Hollingshead
Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome
(1947)
Gruesome
Unconquered
(1947)
Guyasuta, Chief of the Senecas
Tap Roots
(1948)
Tishomingo
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff
(1949)
Swami Talpur
The Emperor's Nightingale
(1949)
Narrator (English version)
The Strange Door
(1951)
Voltan
The Black Castle
(1952)
Dr. Meissen
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
(1953)
Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
Colonel March Investigates
(1953)
Colonel March
The Island Monster
(1954)
Don Gaetano
A Connecticut Yankee
(1955)
King Arthur
Sabaka
(1955)
General Pollegar
The Sting of Death
(1955)
Mr. Mycroft
Voodoo Island
(1957)
Phillip Knight
The Juggler of Our Lady
(1957)
Narrator (voice)
The Lark
(1957)
Bishop Cauchon
Frankenstein 1970
(1958)
Baron Viktor von Frankenstein
Corridors of Blood
(1958)
Dr. Thomas Bolton
Grip of the Strangler
(1958)
James Rankin
Destination Nightmare
(1958)
Host / Ira Perry / Pete Wade Sr. / Professor Charles Goncourt / Morgan Debs
Jack the Ripper
(1958)
Host / Capt. John Elwood / Jonas Atterbury / Dr. Francis Mason
Heart of Darkness
(1958)
Mr. Kurtz
Days of Thrills and Laughter
(1961)
Self (archive footage)
The Return of Andrew Bentley
(1961)
Host
Little Lost Robot
(1962)
Host
Arsenic & Old Lace
(1962)
Jonathan Brewster
The Incredible Doktor Markesan
(1962)
Dr. Konrad Markesan
The Storm
(1962)
The Terror
(1963)
Baron Victor Frederick Von Leppe
Black Sabbath
(1963)
Gorca (segment "The Wurdalak")
The Raven
(1963)
Dr. Scarabus
The Comedy of Terrors
(1964)
Amos Hinchley
A Fool's World
(1964)
Narrator
Bikini Beach
(1964)
Art Dealer
Today's Teens
(1964)
Narrator
Horror!!!
(1964)
Self
Die, Monster, Die!
(1965)
Nahum Witley
The Son of Frankenstein
(1965)
The Monster (archive footage)
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
(1966)
Narrator / The Grinch (voice)
The Ghost in the Invisible Bikini
(1966)
The Corpse
The Daydreamer
(1966)
The Rat (voice)
Doom of Dracula
(1966)
The Madman
Mad Monster Party?
(1967)
Baron Boris von Frankenstein (voice)
The Sorcerers
(1967)
Prof. Marcus Monserrat
The Venetian Affair
(1967)
Dr. Pierre Vaugiroud
Fear Chamber
(1968)
Dr. Carl Mandel
Macabre Serenade
(1968)
Matthias Morteval
Targets
(1968)
Byron Orlok
Curse of the Crimson Altar
(1968)
Professor John Marsh
The Movie Orgy
(1968)
Self (archive footage)
Cauldron of Blood
(1970)
Franz Badulescu
Hatchet for the Honeymoon
(1970)
Gorca (archive footage)
Alien Terror
(1971)
Prof. John Mayer
Isle of the Snake People
(1971)
Carl van Molder / Damballah
Madhouse
(1974)
(archive footage)
The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster Salute
(1974)
Self (archive footage)
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?
(1975)
Self (archive footage)
The Horror Show
(1979)
(archive footage)
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!
(1982)
Self (archive footage)
The Horror of It All
(1983)
Frankenstein / Cabman John Gray (archive footage)
Going Hollywood: The '30s
(1984)
(archive footage)
Terror in the Aisles
(1984)
The Monster (Archive Footage)
Horrible Horror
(1986)
Gruesome in 'Dick Tracey Meets Gruesome'
Creepy Classics
(1987)
Dr. Scarabus - (archive footage)
Transylvania Twist
(1989)
Man in Room
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To
(1990)
(archive footage)
Abbott and Costello in the Movies
(1990)
Archival
Dracula: A Cinematic Scrapbook
(1991)
Doctor Gustav Niemann (archive footage)
Frankenstein: A Cinematic Scrapbook
(1991)
The Monster / Gustav Niemann / Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde / etc.
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Special Edition
(1994)
(voice - archive footage)
In Search of Dr. Seuss
(1994)
(voice) (archive footage) (uncredited)
The Universal Story
(1996)
Himself (archive footage)
Universal Horror
(1998)
(archive footage)
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'
(1999)
Self (archive footage)
Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition Unearthed
(2000)
Self (archive footage)
The American Nightmare
(2000)
Self
The Many Faces of Dracula
(2000)
The Monster (archive footage)
Heroes of Horror
(2001)
(archive footage)
The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a Monster
(2002)
Self (archive footage)
The Mesmerist
(2003)
(archive footage)
Monster Movie Trivia Quiz
(2004)
Terror in the Tropics
(2006)
Mr. Wong (archive footage)
Lugosi: The Dark Prince
(2006)
Self (archive footage)
Karloff: The Gentle Monster
(2006)
Self (archive footage)
Bela Lugosi: The Fallen Vampire
(2007)
Himself (archive footage)
Ian Rankin Investigates: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
(2007)
Cabman John Gray (archive footage)
Famous Monster: Forrest J Ackerman
(2007)
Self (archive footage)
He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack Pierce
(2008)
Self (archive footage)
The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features
(2012)
A Masque of Madness (Notes on Film 06-B, Monologue 02)
(2013)
Self (archive footage)
Classic Movie Bloopers: Uncensored
(2013)
Self (archive footage)
Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror Film
(2014)
Various roles (archive footage)
Jack Pierce: The Man Who Made the Monsters
(2015)
Self (archive footage)
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the Monster
(2021)
Self (archive footage)
Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists!
(2021)
Self (archive footage)
Boris Karloff: The Rest of the Story
(2022)
Self - Interviewee
The Last Repair Shop
(2024)
The Monster (archive footage) (uncredited)
Crew