That Gold Key "paid Boris Karloff a whopping (for the time) [US]$700
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Figure timeline
Boris Karloff
William Henry Pratt, known professionally as Boris Karloff, was an English actor. His portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the horror film Frankenstein (1931), his 82nd film, established him as a horror icon, and he reprised the role for the sequels Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939). He also appeared as Imhotep in The Mummy (1932), and voiced the Grinch in, as well as n…
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
entertainment · English actor (1887–1969) · film actor · stage actor · actor · voice actor · also Boris Karloff, William Henry Pratt, William Pratt, Karloff
Born 23 November 1887 · Died 2 February 1969 · Q203219
26 published statements · 0 followers
See & hear
Photos & media
14 photos · 1 video
Video
The Terror (1963)
Media from Wikimedia Commons, hotlinked at the source under its own licence — see each file for author and terms.
Live now
In the news
Pulling headlines from trusted outlets — this usually takes a few seconds
Checking the wires…
Feed scan
These are live links, not archived citations — they only join the timeline once a collect run verifies and archives them.
Live pulse
Recent highlights
Most recent outstanding titles, awards, and quotes
- Quote
- Quote
The Monster was the best friend I ever had. I'd been in Hollywood for ten years and no one had heard of me except my creditors. Then in 1931 I played the monster and a career was born. I'm truly indebted to the old Ghoul.
71%Wikiquote (en)Source
2025· 1 entry
2016· 1 entry
Ranked Karloff's portrayal as Frankenstein's monster the sixth-greatest horror movie character of all time
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
2009· 1 entry
Dark Horse Comics began publishing reprints of Boris Karloff's Tales of Mystery in a hardcover edition
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1998· 1 entry
An English Heritage blue plaque was unveiled in his hometown in London
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1971· 1 entry
With the last, The Incredible Invasion, not released until 1972, more than two years after Karloff's death
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1970· 1 entry
(1958) (this time as the Baron), and Corridors of Blood (1958)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1969· 2 entries
Died 1969-02-02.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #death
“You could heave a brick out of the window and hit ten actors who could play my parts. I just happened to be on the right corner at the right time.”
- #wikiquote
- #saying
- #undated
- #lang:en
1967· 1 entry
Played an eccentric Spanish professor who believes himself to be Don Quixote in a whimsical episode of I Spy titled "Mainly on the Plains", which he filmed in Spain
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1966· 2 entries
Bought 25 Campden House (at 29 Sheffield Terrace), Kensington W8, and Roundabout Cottage in the Hampshire village of Bramshott
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Karloff also appeared with Robert Vaughn and Stefanie Powers in the spy series The Girl from U
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1962· 1 entry
For a Halloween episode of the TV series Route 66, which also featured Peter Lorre and Lon Chaney Jr
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1959· 1 entry
Karloff's address was 43 Cadogan Square, London
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1958· 1 entry
Karloff's niece Diana Bromley was charged with murdering her 10-year-old and 13-year-old sons in Haslemere, England, but was found insane and unfit to plead
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1949· 1 entry
Was the host and star of Starring Boris Karloff, a radio and television anthology series for the ABC broadcasting network
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1944· 1 entry
Underwent a spinal operation to relieve a chronic arthritic condition
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1941· 2 entries
In which he played a homicidal gangster enraged to be frequently mistaken for Karloff
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
While Karloff was still appearing in the role on Broadway
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1940· 2 entries
Karloff dressed as Father Christmas every Christmas to hand out presents to physically disabled children in a Baltimore hospital
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
Hitting a gag home run and making catcher Buster Keaton fall into an acrobatic dead faint as the monster stomped into home plate
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1938· 1 entry
(Karloff's own 51st birthday)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1934· 1 entry
Horror films declined in the second half of the 1930s
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1931· 1 entry
“The Monster was the best friend I ever had. I'd been in Hollywood for ten years and no one had heard of me except my creditors. Then in 1931 I played the monster and a career was born. I'm truly indebted to the old Ghoul.”
- #wikiquote
- #saying
- #lang:en
1911· 1 entry
And performed in towns including Kamloops (British Columbia) and Prince Albert (Saskatchewan)
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1909· 1 entry
Left university without graduating and drifted, departing England on a ship for Canada
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikipedia
- #event
1887· 1 entry
Born 1887-11-23.
Text from Wikipedia, available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
- #wikidata
- #birth