Boris Karloffis one of the most iconic names in horror history, having put his talents to use in some of the greatest early entries in the genre. Getting his start as a background actor in the silent films of the late 20s and early 30s, Karloff rose to fame thanks to his portrayal of Frankenstein’s monster in the hit 1931 filmFrankenstein. His gaunt features and lanky frame went on to become a classic image in theearly Universal monster moviesof the 40s and 50s.
Between Frankenstein’s monster and the Mummy, Boris Karloff was well-known for his roles as the titular villain of variouscreature features. However, he was also quite an accomplished dramatic actor in some less overtly supernatural horror fare, successfully transitioning from acting in silent movies to speaking roles. While his dulcet tones became famous in the narration of the holiday classicHow The Grinch Stole Christmas, his work in scary movies was still easily his most significant contribution to cinema.
10The Body Snatcher
1945
The last ofBoris Karloff’s many collaborations with Béla LegosiofDraculafame,The Body Snatchermarked the end of an era for both cinematic legends. Not to be confused with the science fiction horror classicInvasion of the Body Snatchers,the film posits Karloff as a taxi cab driver who secretly works as a grave robber, supplying cadavers for a befuddled doctor. Things take a deadly turn when Karloff’s John Gray decides to sell fresher corpses, killing innocent people in the process.
Karloff gave some surprising depth to a villain as overtly vile as John Gray, giving him some degree of sympathy for his circumstances. Seeing him get to murder Legosi is also a fun treat, although the latter’s talents feel somewhat wasted in a smaller role as a janitor. Entertaining asThe Body Snatcheris, the rote plot and misuse of Legosi’s star power put it among the worst of the best regarding Karloff’s filmography.
9Black Sabbath
1963
One of the earliest horror anthology films to ever gain popularity,Black Sabbathis a novelty in Karloff’s accolades for several reasons. Three years before the originalHow The Grinch Stole Christmas, Karloff enjoyed a dual-role as narrator and antagonist inBlack Sabbath,a chilling collection of three spooky tales. In the second (and strongest) of the three,The Wurdak, Karloff stars as the titular creature Gorca, a sort of Slavic take on the traditional vampire.
An influential enough horror movie to inspire the name of the famous English rock band,Black Sabbathis quite an impressive gem in Karloff’s filmography. Though he’s more famous as a reanimated corpse, Karloff was quite frightening as a vampire, his intimidating features making for a fearsome blood-sucker. His bassy voice is also excellent as the connective tissue that ties all three stories together. But as an anthology,Black Sabbathis inherently uneven, with some of the vignettes being far more interesting than others.
8The Black Cat
1934
The Black Catwas one of Karloff’s early horror movies that reveled in the days of1930s Hollywood, before the institution of the restrictive Hays censorship codes. Another collaboration with Béla Legosi, the film centers on a collection of travelers that are forced to stay at the home of a mysterious architect, Karloff’s Hjalmar Poelzig, after a grisly bus crash. Poelzig soon proves to be harboring macabre secrets, which his new house guests soon discover thanks to the happenstance appearance of a black cat.
Once again, Karloff and Legosi are incredibly entertaining to watch go up against one another, with Legosi’s ailurophobic veteran doctor providing the perfect foil to the mad cult leader Poelzig. The film was revolutionary to the psychological horror genre, being one of the earliest movies to rely on eerie soundscapes, tension, and subtle human emotion to deliver its scares over outright gore or shock value. That being said, the film’s dense plot can be difficult to decipher, requiring some extensive history background knowledge at times.
7The Mummy
1932
Few horror stars have had as generational a run as Boris Karloff did when he starred in bothFrankensteinandThe Mummyback-to-back. In the original film to wring terror out of the ancient Egyptian burial rite,The Mummyposits Karloff as Imhotep, an ancient Egyptian necromancer unwittingly brought back from the dead by a team of archaeologists. In the “modern” day, Imhotep goes on to seek a woman he believes is the reincarnated spirit of his lover.
Still one of thebest Mummy moviesto this day,The Mummyis shockingly deft with its imagery, gripping 30s audiences with fear as Karloff’s haunting desiccated face slowly shuffled towards them. Indeed, the film’s mood and atmosphere are superior to its raw scares, especially in the claustrophobic beats that convey the horrifying process of being mummified alive. However, the film is undoubtedly slow, even by 1930s standards, and relies a bit too heavily on melodrama to be regarded any higher than its cultural impact.
6The Sorcerers
1967
While most of Boris Karloff’s best-known work existed in the days before color filmmaking was prevalent,The Sorcererswields vivid hues with terrifying efficacy. Another of Karloff’s stories that explores the dark side of medical and technological advancement,The Sorcerersstars the English actor as Dr. Marcus Monserrat, a hypnotist on the cutting edge of neuroscience. He develops a machine that allows him to essentially possess another person’s body. Before long, the doctor and his wife are abusing the technology to experience all sorts of thrills at the expense of a young test subject.
The slow progression of Dr. Marcus Monserrat’s wife, Estelle, from mild curiosity to wild hedonism is quite a shocking turn, carrying much of the film’s tension.The Sorcerersalso makes the most of its cinematography, literally melting faces with some psychedelic sequences. As impressive and tense as the film manages to be, it’s definitely one of Karloff’s more tired performances, holding back the prominence of it when compared to his other pictures.
5Son Of Frankenstein
1939
The final ofUniversal’sFrankensteinfilmsto star Boris Karloff as the monster,Son of Frankensteinwas a surprisingly strong end to the original trilogy. This time around, Henry’s son, Baron Wolf von Frankenstein, seeks to finish the work of his father in order to redeem the family name. Upon reviving his father’s infamous monster, Wolf finds himself in dire straits as the deformed blacksmith and former grave-robber Ygor (played by Béla Legosi) is the only one who can control it.
Significant for introducing the character of Ygor into the popular mythos of Frankenstein’s monster,Son of Frankensteinis quite an action-packed and entertaining evolution of the franchise. The impressive effects, somber tone, and dark gallows humor all contribute to its place as one of Karloff’s strongest cinematic outings. That being said, Legosi’s Ygor far outshines him, serving as a sad indication of Karloff’s ultimate exit from the iconic series.Son of Frankensteinis a great film, but not the best example of Boris Karloff’s talent.
4Black Friday
1940
A clear play on the classic concept ofDr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Black Fridaywas Karloff’s brush with a horror movie revolving around hidden alter egos. This time around, Karloff once again stars as a mad scientist rather than a creation, who merges the personalities of a dangerous gangster and a bookish professor after the two are grievously wounded by a dangerous run-in. With the selfish goal of finding a hidden cache of money known only to the gangster Red Cannon, Karloff’s Dr. Sovac unleashes his creation on New York City.
Karloff is wonderfully deranged as a weird scientist, observing from afar as the consequences of his experiments wreak havoc on society. The dazzling special effects of the subjects transformation are also worthy of acclaim, especially for the time. The bizarre mixture of crime and horror works well enough for the premise, even if it is a tad unfocused compared to some of Karloff’s earlier work.
3The Old Dark House
An ensemble horror film,The Old Dark Househas quite an impressive cast for its time, with big names like Melvyn Douglas and Gloria Stuart sharing the marquee with Boris Karloff. Based on the 1927 novelBenighted,the film concerns a group of travelers forced to take refuge in a mysterious manor, a running trope in Karloff’s filmography. Karloff stars as Morgan, a mute alcoholic butler who lurks in the background of the eccentric Femm family, the ancestral owners of the mansion.
Returning to his skills as a silent actor, Karloff is quite endearing as the hauntingly quiet Morgan. Morgan’s personality and afflictions soon become sympathetic as more and more about the dangerous Femms are revealed, much to the chagrin of the weary guests. The grim atmosphere of the horror and impressive host of performances all landThe Old Dark Housea lauded spot in the top three of Karloff’s filmography, even if it doesn’t have the same cultural staying power.
2Frankenstein
1931
Boris Karloff’s breakout role was also one of his most impressive films, leading to an unprecedented level of success for the already accomplished actor.Frankensteinadapts Mary Shelley’s iconic science fiction horror novel of the same name, admittedly taking a few drastic liberties. Here, Henry Frankenstein is the one to create the infamous homunculus of human flesh, given life by the irreverent Karloff.
From Karloff’s bolted neck and heavy brow to Frankenstein’s own hunch-backed assistant, so much imagery from the 1931 film has gone on to become iconic imagery ubiquitous with the character. Laterportrayals of Frankenstein’s monsterall owe so much to Karloff’s tender, but deadly characterization of the beast, giving layers to the tragic beast. It’s no surprise that even today,Frankensteinremains one of Karloff’s greatest movies, its craft holding up remarkably well alongside its pop culture impact.
1The Bride Of Frankenstein
1935
As great as the originalFrankensteinmovie is, it actually holds the rare distinction of being a wonderful film that is nevertheless outshone by its sequel.The Bride of Frankensteinexpands upon a subplot in the original novel in which the monster demands his creator fashion a bride for him. Interestingly,The Bride of Frankensteintells its story with the framing device of Mary Shelley continuing to spin a yarn in the same scary story contest that created the originalFrankensteinin real life.
Of all the classic Universal monster films,The Bride of Frankensteinis by far the richest with thematic meaning and golden performances. Karloff is better than ever as the monster, with Elsa Lanchester providing a worthy foil to him as the bride. The tearful ending is the perfect capstone ofBoris Karloff’s career, showcasing the hidden humanity within a creature as loathsome as Frankenstein’s monster.
