Boris Karloff Blogathon Article November 23 – 29th
Written By: Dan Geer
Frankensteinia: The Frankenstein Blog has posted a call to all bloggers who are fans of Boris Karloff – the man who played the most recognizable Frankenstein Monster in film history – to write something about Karloff in celebration of his birthday on November 23rd.
It has been forty years since his death, which would make him 122 years old if he were alive today. I cannot help but think of what it would be like to pop in a DVD of Frankenstein, The Mummy, The Black Cat or any other films of his and actually see a modern-day interview with him on a bonus feature if he were still alive today (and perhaps not so old). What would he have to say today about the popularity of his films and how many of his roles, especially the “Frankenstein Monster,” have been so embedded into pop culture?
I keep hoping that one day that someone would at least find a long-lost interview with Boris and we can actually see him discuss how he approached bringing such iconic roles to life like “Frankenstein’s Monster” and “Im-ho-tep” (a.k.a The Mummy). But, since we do not really have this luxury, the very best we as fans can do is watch (and re-watch) his films and discuss them amongst each other… and of course rummage through YouTube to find old TV appearances…
My earliest and most fondest memories of Karloff’s films are really when I was around 12 years of age back in 1992 and Universal released all their main Monster movies from the 30s through the 50s on good ol’ VHS. My dad actually introduced them to me, and we would often venture off to “Suncoast Video” and see if there were any new Monster releases. Films like Frankenstein, The Bride of Frankenstein, Dracula, The Wolf Man, The Mummy, The Invisible Man, Creature from the Black Lagoon, etc – they all immediately captured my imagination and spurred my love for old school horror films. Out of all of the Monster movies Universal released, Karloff’s characters stood out the most (well, his and Bela Lugosi’s, but we’ll stick to Karloff for this article).
Director James Whale’s Frankenstein and The Bride of Frankenstein are recognized as two of the greatest horror films ever made – not so much for scare tactics (although the audiences of the time were more than likely terrified), but for the horrific nature of the story as well as the iconic portrayal of Frankenstein’s monster that Boris Karloff played ever so eloquently.
People who watch Frankenstein today may only perhaps see Karloff grunting and stomping around on silly platform shoes. But what audiences of the day saw was an ugly, yet sympathetic monster who did not ask for the life that was granted to him, and it was the idea of man playing God by creating a living human being out of cadavers taken from rifled graves that was seen as horrifying.
The normal human characters of the film did not understand him and only saw what was on the outside, thus the monster was tortured every time he was spotted. What the characters in the movie did not understand, and what audiences of the day clearly did understand, is that the monster was simply a saddened wanderer trying to make the best of the life he was given in a world that deemed his desire to be accepted impossible. I actually believe our entire perception and understanding of what made Frankenstein’s Monster who he was is due to Karloff’s performance. In fact, he showed in other films like The Raven that he was actually quite good at playing sympathetic roles.
Karloff played the Monster two more times, in The Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein, and it is a shame he did not play him in any sequels after that, as he was the only actor that I feel brought any sort of humanity to the character. Lon Chaney Jr.‘s portrayal in The Ghost of Frankenstein is probably the closest to Karloff’s, but it still never captured what Karloff brought to the Monster.
Boris Karloff went on to create other iconic characters such as “The Mummy,” Doctor Gustav Niemann in House of Frankenstein, Edmond Bateman in The Raven and Hjalmar Poelzig in The Black Cat. He became so big an actor that he was often given top billing in various films, simply credited as “Karloff.” Of course, these films are just the tip of the iceberg when discussing just how many great films he made.
The Mummy is the monster he played that I thought was actually pretty creepy, and I believe the film still holds up today – even though it may not be as scary as it was back when it was released. It was actually this role that helped me understand that Karloff could do more than play non-verbal monsters and that he was actually a very diverse actor. After finding out that he played roles in approximately 75 films before landing his role as Frankenstein’s monster, it didn’t surprise me one bit just how good he was in the Frankenstein films, The Mummy or any of his other great movies.
If Karloff were alive today, and I were given the privledge of interviewing him for a modern-day documentary, I have the feeling he would be quite humble and incredibly grateful that his roles have had a great impact on me as well as countless other horror fans. Perhaps my dream bio-pic film about Karloff will one day be filmed with Jeremy Irons playing the legendary horror actor (although Jack Betts was good in Gods and Monsters), and I’ll get the chance to interview Irons in the middle of filming. That just might be the closest I would ever get to talking to the legend that is Karloff.
But even if that never happens, I can rest knowing that I have been able to enjoy his movies ever since I was a kid and that they are readily available to watch at any time on DVD – allowing his fans to pass on his legacy for generations to come.
Happy Belated Birthday, Boris Karloff. You were one in a million.
Update: Sara Karloff, Boris Karloff’s daughter (who shares the same birthday as her father), had this to say about the Boris Karloff Blogathon:
“What a wonderful Birthday present this weeklong blogathon honoring my father, Boris Karloff is. I know he would be overwhelmed and flattered.
It is thanks to the fans that my Father’s legacy has the stature and longevity it does. Without you, the fans and students of film and the terror genre, my Father’s career and popularity would not have the iconic status that it does.
Thank you all from our entire family.”
— Sara Karloff
For some more Karloff-related material, you can check out my Top 10 Classic Horror Films list as well as four great trailers for monster movies that Karloff starred in by viewing them below:
