Evelyn Hope Helmore( m. 1946; his death 1969)Children1 with Dorothy StineWilliam Henry Pratt (23 November 1887 – 2 February 1969), better known by his Boris Karloff ( ), was an English actor who was primarily known for his roles in. He portrayed in (1931), (1935) and (1939). He also appeared as in (1932).In non-horror roles, he is best known to modern audiences for narrating and as the voice of in the animated television special of ' (1966). For his contribution to film and television, Boris Karloff was awarded two stars on the.

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Marking Karloff's birthplace at 36 Forest Hill Road, LondonBoris Karloff was born William Henry Pratt on 23 November 1887, at 36 Forest Hill Road, Camberwell, (now ), but Pratt stated that he was born in nearby. His parents were Edward John Pratt, Jr. And Eliza Sarah Millard. His brother, Sir John Thomas Pratt, was a British diplomat.

Edward John Pratt, Jr. Was an, from a British father and mother, while Karloff's mother also had some Indian ancestry, thus Karloff had a relatively dark complexion that stood out in British society at the time.

His mother's maternal aunt was, whose tales about life in the royal court of Siam (now ) were the basis of the musical. Pratt was bow-legged, had a lisp, and stuttered as a young boy. He conquered his stutter, but not his lisp, which was noticeable throughout his career in the film industry.Pratt spent his childhood years in, in the County of. He was the youngest of nine children, and following his mother's death was brought up by his elder siblings. He received his early education at, and later at the public schools of. After this, he attended where he took studies aimed at a career with the British Government's Consular Service. However, in 1909, he left university without graduating and drifted, departing England for Canada, where he worked as a farm labourer and did various odd itinerant jobs until happening upon acting.

Acting career. Karloff in (1935)Once Karloff arrived in Hollywood, he made dozens of, but this work was sporadic, and he often had to take up manual labour such as digging ditches or delivering construction plaster to earn a living.His first on screen role was in a film serial, (1919) with. He was in another serial, (1919), the first of his appearances to survive.Karloff could also be seen in (1919) with, (1919), (1920), and (1920). He played an Indian in (1920) and he would often be cast as an Arab or Indian in his early films.Karloff's first major role came in a film serial, (1920). He was Indian in (1921) and an Arab in (1921) and villainous in (1921). He was a maharajah in (1922), a Nabob in (1922) and had roles in (1922), (1922) (as an Imam), (1922), (1923), (1923) and the serial (1923).Karloff did a Western, (1923), and a drama, (1924). Karloff with in British IntelligenceKarloff made a fourth Mr Wong film at Monogram (1940).

At Warners he was in (1940), then he went to Universal to do (1940) with Lugosi.Karloff's second and third films for Columbia were (1940) and (1940). In between he did a fifth and final Mr Wong film, (1940).Karloff appeared at a celebrity baseball game as Frankenstein's monster in 1940, hitting a gag home run and making catcher fall into an acrobatic dead faint as the monster stomped into home plate.Karloff finished a six picture commitment with Monogram with (1940). He and Lugosi appeared in a comedy at, (1941), then he went to Columbia for (1941) and (1941).1940s and 1950s. L-R:, Boris Karloff (seated), and in (1940) Arsenic and Old Lace An enthusiastic performer, he returned to the Broadway stage in the original production of in 1941, in which he played a homicidal gangster enraged to be frequently mistaken for Karloff.

Cast in the, which was shot in 1941, while Karloff was still appearing in the role on Broadway The play's producers allowed the film to be made conditionally: it was not to be released until the production closed. (Karloff reprised his role on television in the anthology series (1955), and with and in a on the. He also starred in a radio adaptation produced by Screen Guild Theatre in 1946.)In 1944, he underwent a spinal operation to relieve a chronic arthritic condition. Producer Val Lewton and other films Karloff returned to film roles in (1944), an unsuccessful attempt to repeat the success of (1943).

More liked was (1944), where Karloff played the villainous Dr. Niemann and the monster was played by.Karloff made three films for producer at RKO: (1945), his last teaming with Lugosi, (1945) and (1946).In a 1946 interview with Louis Berg of the, Karloff discussed his arrangement with RKO, working with Lewton and his reasons for leaving Universal.

Karloff left Universal because he thought the Frankenstein franchise had run its course; the entries in the series after Son of Frankenstein were B-pictures. Berg wrote that the last installment in which Karloff appeared— House of Frankenstein—was what he called a 'monster clambake,' with everything thrown in—Frankenstein, Dracula, a hunchback and a 'man-beast' that howled in the night. It was too much. Karloff thought it was ridiculous and said so'. Berg explained that the actor had 'great love and respect for' Lewton, who was 'the man who rescued him from the living dead and restored, so to speak, his soul.' Post-war Horror films experienced a decline in popularity after the war, and Karloff found himself working in other genres.For the comedy, (1947), Karloff appeared in a brief but starring role as Dr. Hugo Hollingshead, a psychiatrist.

Director shot a sequence with Karloff in the Frankenstein monster make-up, but it was deleted from the finished film.Karloff appeared in a film noir, (1947), and as an Indian in (1947). He had support roles in (1947), (1948),. Karloff had his own weekly children's radio show on, New York, in 1950. He played children's music and told stories and riddles. Although the programme was meant for children, Karloff attracted many adult listeners as well.During this period, Karloff was a frequent guest on radio programmes, whether it was starring in 's Chicago-based productions (including the episode 'Cat Wife') or spoofing his horror image with. In 1949, he was the host and star of, a radio and television anthology series for the broadcasting network.He appeared as the villainous in in a 1950 stage musical adaptation which also featured.Karloff returned to horror films with (1951) and (1952).He was nominated for a for his work opposite in, by the French playwright, about, which was reprised on Hallmark Hall of Fame.

Karloff played a foreign scientist who hoped to gain defence secrets from Cookie the Sailor (Skelton) on The Red Skelton Show in 1954.During the 1950s, he appeared on British television in the series, in which he portrayed 's fictional detective Colonel March, who was known for solving apparently impossible crimes. Appeared alongside Karloff in the episode 'At Night, All Cats are Grey' broadcast in 1955. A little later, Karloff co-starred with Lee in the film (1958).Karloff appeared in (1952) and visited Italy for (1954) and India for (1954).Karloff, along with, was a regular panelist on the, which aired between 1948 and 1955. Later, as a guest on NBC's, Karloff sang 'Those Were the Good Old Days' from while performed the solo, 'Give Me the Simple Life'. On, Karloff guest starred along with actor in a parody of Frankenstein, with as 'Klem Kadiddle Monster'. He served as host and frequent star of the anthology series (1958) which was never broadcast due to financial problems at the producing studio; the complete series was rediscovered in the 1990s.Karloff made some horror films in the late 1950s: (1957), (1958), (1958) (as the Baron), and (1958).

In the 'mad scientist' role in Frankenstein 1970 as Baron Victor von Frankenstein II, the grandson of the. In the finale, it is revealed that the crippled Baron has given his own face to the monster. Karloff donned the monster make-up for the last time in 1962 for a Halloween episode of the TV series, which also featured andDuring this period, he hosted and acted in a number of television series, including and.American International Pictures (AIP) Karloff appeared in (1963) directed.

He made (1963) for and (AIP). Corman used Karloff in (1963) playing a baron who murdered his wife.

He made a cameo in AIP's (1964) and had a bigger role in that studio's (1964), and (1965). Retrieved 5 August 2017. Obituary, 5 February 1969, page 71. ^. Retrieved 30 June 2013. A commemorative plaque can be seen today on the property marking it as the place of his birth. TV Show (2:46).

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Retrieved 26 October 2017.External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to.Wikiquote has quotations related to:. at the. on. —Karloff's performance in the radio horror classic.