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