ACTOR
Boris Karloff
Known for The Wild Wild West · The Red Skelton Show · Studio One
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…
Snapshot 2026-10-12
- Born
- Nov 23, 1887
- Died
- Feb 2, 1969
- Birthplace
- Camberwell, London, England, UK
- Known For
- Acting
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.
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Known For
TV
The Wild Wild WestMr. Singh · 1965
★ 7.6
★ 7.6
TV
The Red Skelton ShowProfessor Townsend · 1951
★ 7.4
★ 7.4
TV
Studio OneSkaggs · 1948
★ 5.4
★ 5.4
TV
McCloudHjalmar Poelzig (archive footage) (uncredited) · 1970
★ 7.2
★ 7.2
Filmography
Movies
The Lightning Raider
1919
His Majesty, the AmericanHenchman in cloth cap
1919
The Prince and BettyUndetermined Role
1919
The Deadlier SexJules Borney
1920
The Woman and the Puppet(uncredited)
1920
The Courage of Marge O'DooneTavish
1920
The Last of the MohicansIndian (uncredited)
1920
The Hope Diamond MysteryPriest of Kama-Sita / Dakar
1921
Without Benefit of ClergyAhmed Khan
1921
Cheated HeartsNei Hamid
1921
The Cave GirlBaptiste
1921
Nan of the NorthUndetermined Role (uncredited)
1922
The Man from Downing StreetMaharajah Jehan
1922
The InfidelThe Nabob
1922
The Woman ConquersRaoul Maris
1922
The Altar StairsHugo
1922
Omar the TentmakerImam Mowaffak
1922
The PrisonerPrince Kapolski
1923
The White PantherShere Ali's Aide (as Karloff Boris)
1924
The HellionThe Outlaw
1924
Riders of the Plains
1924
Dynamite DanTony Garcia
1924
Forbidden CargoPietro Castillano
1925
The Prairie WifeDiego
1925
Lady RobinhoodCabraza
1925
Perils of the Wild
1925
Never the Twain Shall Meet
1925
Parisian NightsPierre
1925
Without MercyMadame Gordon's 2nd Henchman (uncredited)
1925
The Greater GloryScissors Grinder
1926
The Man in the SaddleRobber (uncredited)
1926
Her Honor, the GovernorSnipe Collins
1926
The BellsThe Mesmerist
1926
The Golden WebDave Sinclair
1926
FlamesBlackie Blanchette
1926
The Eagle of the SeaPirate (uncredited)
1926
The Nickel-HopperDance Hall Masher
1926
Flaming FuryGaspard
1926
Old IronsidesSaracen Guard (uncredited)
1926
Let It RainCrook
1927
The Princess from HobokenPavel
1927
Tarzan and the Golden LionOwaza
1927
The Meddlin' StrangerAl Meggs
1927
The Phantom BusterRamon
1927
Soft CushionsThe Chief Conspirator
1927
Two Arabian KnightsPurser
1927
The Love MartFleming
1927
Sharp ShootersCafe Proprietor (uncredited)
1928
The Vanishing RiderThe Villain
1928
Vultures of the SeaGrouchy
1928
The Little Wild GirlMaurice Kent
1928
Burning the WindPug Doran
1929
The Fatal WarningMullins
1929
The Devil's ChaplainBoris
1929
Two SistersCecil
1929
AA
Anne Against the World
1929
TP
The Phantom of the NorthJules Gregg
1929
Behind That CurtainBeetham's Manservent
1929
The King of the KongoScarface Macklin
1929
The Unholy NightAbdul Mohammed Bey - the Hindu Lawyer (uncredited)
1929
The Bad OneMonsieur Gaston
1930
The Sea BatCorsican
1930
The Utah KidHenchman Baxter
1930
The Criminal CodeNed Galloway
1931
Tonight or NeverWaiter
1931
King of the WildMustapha
1931
Cracked NutsBoris - First Revolutionary
1931
The Vanishing LegionThe Voice (voice)
1931
Young Donovan's KidCokey Joe
1931
Smart MoneySport Williams
1931
The Public DefenderThe Professor
1931
I Like Your NerveLuigi - Pacheco's Butler
1931
GraftTerry
1931
Five Star FinalT. Vernon Isopod
1931
The Mad GeniusFedor's Father (uncredited)
1931
The Yellow TicketDrunken Orderly
1931
The Guilty GenerationTony Ricca
1931
FrankensteinThe Monster
1931
Business and PleasureSheik Ali-Ben Joseph
1932
Behind the MaskJim Henderson
1932
The Cohens and Kellys in HollywoodBoris Karloff
1932
The Miracle ManNikko
1932
ScarfaceGaffney
1932
Night World'Happy' MacDonald
1932
Skyscraper SoulsMan Approaching Ticket Counter
1932
The Old Dark HouseMorgan
1932
The Mask of Fu ManchuDr. Fu Manchu
1932
BooFrankenstein's Monster (edited from "Frankenstein")
1932
The MummyImhotep / Ardath Bey
1932
The GhoulProf. Morlant
1933
Screen Snapshots No. 11Himself
1934
The Lost PatrolSanders
1934
The House of RothschildCount Ledrantz
1934
The Black CatHjalmar Poelzig
1934
Gift of GabHimself
1934
Bride of FrankensteinThe Monster
1935
HH
Hollywood HobbiesHimself
1935
The RavenEdmond Bateman
1935
The Black RoomBaron Gregor de Berghman / Anton de Berghman
1935
The Invisible RayDr. Janos Rukh
1936
The Walking DeadJohn Ellman
1936
JuggernautDr. Victor Sartorius
1936
The Man Who Changed His MindDr. Laurence
1936
Charlie Chan at the OperaGravelle
1936
CC
Cinema CircusHimself
1937
Night KeyDavid Mallory
1937
West of Shanghai"General" Wu Yen Fang
1937
Breakdowns of 1937Self
1937
The Invisible MenaceJevries
1938
Mr. Wong, DetectiveJames Lee Wong
1938
Devil's IslandDr. Charles Gaudet
1939
Son of FrankensteinThe Monster
1939
The Mystery of Mr. WongJames Lee Wong
1939
Mr. Wong in ChinatownMr. James Lee Wong
1939
The Man They Could Not HangDr. Henryk Savaard
1939
British IntelligenceValdar
1939
Tower of LondonMord
1939
The Fatal HourJames Lee Wong
1940
Black FridayDr. Ernest Sovac
1940
The Man with Nine LivesDr. Leon Kravaal
1940
Doomed to DieJames Lee Wong
1940
Before I HangDr. John Garth
1940
The Mummy's HandKharis (archive footage / uncredited)
1940
The ApeDr. Bernard Adrian
1940
You'll Find OutJudge Spencer Mainwaring
1940
IP
Information Please: Series 2, No. 12Self
1941
The Devil CommandsDr. Julian Blair
1941
Hedda Hopper’s Hollywood No. 6Self
1942
The Boogie Man Will Get YouProf. Nathaniel Billings
1942
The ClimaxDr. Friedrich Hohner
1944
House of FrankensteinDr. Gustav Niemann
1944
The Mummy's CurseKharis in Flashback (archive footage / uncredited)
1944
The Body SnatcherJohn Gray
1945
Isle of the DeadGen. Nikolas Pherides
1945
BedlamGeorge Sims
1946
LuredCharles van Druten
1947
The Secret Life of Walter MittyDr. Hollingshead
1947
Dick Tracy Meets GruesomeGruesome
1947
UnconqueredGuyasuta, Chief of the Senecas
1947
Tap RootsTishomingo
1948
Bud Abbott and Lou Costello Meet the Killer, Boris KarloffSwami Talpur
1949
The Strange DoorVoltan
1951
The Black CastleDr. Meissen
1952
Colonel March InvestigatesColonel March
1953
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. HydeDr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
1953
The Island MonsterDon Gaetano
1954
SabakaGeneral Pollegar
1955
Sting of DeathMr. Mycroft
1955
A Connecticut YankeeKing Arthur
1955
Rendezvous in BlackWard Allen
1956
Voodoo IslandPhillip Knight
1957
The LarkBishop Cauchon
1957
The Juggler of Our LadyNarrator (voice)
1957
JT
Jack the RipperHost / Capt. John Elwood / Jonas Atterbury / Dr. Francis Mason
1958
DN
Destination NightmareHost / Ira Perry / Pete Wade Sr. / Professor Charles Goncourt / Morgan Debs
1958
Grip of the StranglerJames Rankin
1958
Frankenstein 1970Baron Viktor von Frankenstein
1958
Heart of DarknessMr. Kurtz
1958
Corridors of BloodDr. Thomas Bolton
1958
The Fatal ImpulseSelf
1960
Who Killed Chung Ling Soo?Narrator
1960
Days of Thrills and LaughterSelf (archive footage)
1961
The Grim ReaperSelf
1961
The Storm
1962
Arsenic & Old LaceJonathan Brewster
1962
The Incredible Doktor MarkesanDr. Konrad Markesan
1962
Little Lost RobotHost
1962
Lizard's Leg and Owlet's Wing
1962
The RavenDr. Scarabus
1963
The TerrorBaron Victor Frederick Von Leppe
1963
Black SabbathGorca (segment "The Wurdalak")
1963
A Fool's WorldNarrator
1964
Horror!!!Self
1964
The Comedy of TerrorsAmos Hinchley
1964
TT
Today's TeensNarrator
1964
Bikini BeachArt Dealer
1964
Die, Monster, Die!Nahum Witley
1965
The Ghost in the Invisible BikiniThe Corpse
1966
The DaydreamerThe Rat (voice)
1966
The Venetian AffairDr. Pierre Vaugiroud
1966
How the Grinch Stole Christmas!Narrator / The Grinch (voice)
1966
Mad Monster Party?Baron Boris von Frankenstein (voice)
1967
The SorcerersProf. Marcus Monserrat
1967
The Movie OrgySelf (archive footage)
1968
Cauldron of BloodFranz Badulescu
1968
Fear ChamberDr. Carl Mandel
1968
Macabre SerenadeMatthias Morteval
1968
TargetsByron Orlok
1968
Curse of the Crimson AltarProfessor John Marsh
1968
Hatchet for the HoneymoonGorca (archive footage)
1970
Isle of the Snake PeopleCarl van Molder / Damballah
1971
Alien TerrorProf. John Mayer
1971
TH
The Horror Hall of Fame: A Monster SaluteSelf (archive footage)
1974
Madhouse(archive footage)
1974
Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?Self (archive footage)
1975
The Horror Show(archive footage)
1979
Monsters on the March (and a Pair of Marvels!)
1980
Oops, Those Hollywood Bloopers!Self (archive footage)
1982
The Horror of It AllFrankenstein / Cabman John Gray (archive footage)
1983
Going Hollywood: The '30s(archive footage)
1984
Don't Scream: It's Only a Movie!Self
1985
Creepy ClassicsDr. Scarabus - (archive footage)
1987
Hollywood Scandals and Tragedies(archive footage) (uncredited)
1988
Transylvania TwistMan in Room (archive footage)
1989
Abbott and Costello in the MoviesArchival
1990
Myrna Loy: So Nice to Come Home To(archive footage)
1990
Dracula: A Cinematic ScrapbookDoctor Gustav Niemann (archive footage)
1991
FA
Frankenstein: A Cinematic ScrapbookThe Monster / Gustav Niemann / Dr. Jekyll / Mr. Hyde / etc.
1991
Halloween Monster BashBaron Von Leppe (archive footage)
1991
Dracula in the Movies(archive footage)
1992
How the Grinch Stole Christmas! Special Edition(voice - archive footage)
1994
Abbott and Costello Meet Jerry SeinfeldSelf (archive footage)
1994
The Universal StorySelf (archive footage)
1996
Universal Horror(archive footage)
1998
The 'Frankenstein' Files: How Hollywood Made a MonsterSelf (archive footage)
1999
Monster by Moonlight! The Immortal Saga of 'The Wolf Man'Self (archive footage)
1999
The Many Faces of DraculaThe Monster (archive footage)
2000
Mummy Dearest: A Horror Tradition UnearthedSelf (archive footage)
2000
The American NightmareSelf
2000
HO
Heroes of Horror(archive footage)
2001
The Mesmerist(archive footage)
2003
Monster Movie Trivia Quiz
2004
Terror in the TropicsMr. Wong (archive footage)
2006
Karloff: The Gentle MonsterSelf (archive footage)
2006
Lugosi: The Dark PrinceSelf (archive footage)
2006
Famous Monster: Forrest J AckermanSelf (archive footage)
2007
Ian Rankin Investigates: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. HydeCabman John Gray (archive footage)
2007
Bela Lugosi: The Fallen VampireHimself (archive footage)
2007
He Who Made Monsters: The Life and Art of Jack PierceSelf (archive footage)
2008
The Complete Bob Wilkins Creature Features
2012
Classic Movie Bloopers: UncensoredSelf (archive footage)
2013
AM
A Masque of Madness (Notes on Film 06-B, Monologue 02)Self (archive footage)
2013
Monster Madness: The Golden Age of the Horror FilmVarious roles (archive footage)
2014
Jack Pierce: The Man Who Made the MonstersSelf (archive footage)
2015
True Fear: The Making of PsychoSelf
2015
Hollywood in the Atomic Age: Monsters! Martians! Mad Scientists!Self (archive footage)
2021
Boris Karloff: The Man Behind the MonsterSelf (archive footage)
2021
BK
Boris Karloff: The Rest of the StorySelf - Interviewee
2022
The Last Repair ShopThe Monster (archive footage) (uncredited)
2024
Legacy of Screams: The Evolution of Horror MoviesSelf (archive footage)
2025
TO
The Orbit of Minor SatellitesRoger Ashley Norton
2026
Suspense: A Night at an InnToff
Television
Studio OneSkaggs · 1 eps
1948
SuspenseToff · 1 eps
1949
Lights Out1 eps
1949
SB
Starring Boris Karloff13 eps
1949
Robert Montgomery PresentsBennett Kimball · 1 eps
1950
What's My Line?Self · 1 eps
1950
LV
Lux Video TheatreSir Arthur Strangeways · 1 eps
1950
DY
Down You GoSelf · 7 eps
1951
Tales of Tomorrow2 eps
1951
The Red Skelton ShowProfessor Townsend · 1 eps
1951
Schlitz Playhouse of StarsCharles Brandon · 1 eps
1951
Hallmark Hall of FameCauchon · 1 eps
1951
General Electric TheaterMr. Blue Ocean · 1 eps
1953
The United States Steel HourGeorge Redford · 1 eps
1953
TG
The George Gobel ShowSelf · 1 eps
1954
Climax!Dr. Philip Nestri · 1 eps
1954
This Is Your LifeSelf · 1 eps
1955
Colonel March of Scotland YardColonel March Of Scotland Yard · 26 eps
1956
Telephone Time1 eps
1956
TR
The Rosemary Clooney ShowSelf · 1 eps
1956
The Dinah Shore Chevy ShowSelf · 2 eps
1956
TL
The Lux ShowSelf · 1 eps
1957
DuPont Show of the Month1 eps
1957
SuspicionJudge Winthrop Gelsey · 1 eps
1957
The Veil10 eps
1958
Shirley Temple's StorybookNarrator (voice) / Father Knickerbocker · 1 eps
1958
ThrillerClayton Mace · 1 eps
1960
Route 661 eps
1960
Out of This WorldHost · 14 eps
1962
Shindig!Self - Guest Host / Singer · 1 eps
1964
The Wild Wild WestMr. Singh · 1 eps
1965
The Girl from U.N.C.L.E.Mother Muffin · 1 eps
1966
The Name of the GameMikhail Orlov · 1 eps
1968
McCloudHjalmar Poelzig (archive footage) (uncredited) · 1 eps
1970Photos
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