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