Has anyone seen some of these? They ar TOPNOTCH shows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They give Twilight Zone a run for the money!!!!
My favorite..."The Grim Reaper" with William Shatner.
Has anyone seen some of these? They ar TOPNOTCH shows!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
They give Twilight Zone a run for the money!!!!
My favorite..."The Grim Reaper" with William Shatner.
I remember watching that show when it first aired. Boris had such a classy demeanor.
I have been only able to find 6 eposodes. I need to see if they plan on releasing the entires series. It was just a great show!!!!!! I loved when Boris played in the shows!!Originally Posted by Harry in Connecticut
Could you list the six episodes you have? And has this been released on DVD yet?
Wow! Didn't see a thread on Boris!!!
I often wonder if Lugosi had taken the role of Frankenstein if Karloff would have become that famous. Probably not.
Then again I prefer Lugosi over Karloff but I don't think Lugosi would have done as a good a job as Karloff!!!
I agree: it's almost as though Karloff were "made" for that role.
The thing I like best about Karloff is that he didn't enjoy his success until relatively late in life (mid-40s). Before that, he had to do some pretty hard things in the way of physical labor to keep Body and Soul together.
So it was nice to see him find financial success after such a hard road. I recommend Bedlam and Isle of the Dead (both Val Lewton films) for anyone who wants to see him for the first time.
Renowned Death Hag
i read somewhere that boris karloff actually had teeth removed to get that 'sunken cheek' effect when he did the monster. tell me there is no scarier face than when the monster is first seen in the movie, and he slowly turns around...closeup...geeeez! my father went to see the movie at the theater in 1932 and said that women were fainting and screaming. i love the beginning of the movie with the introduction from edward van sloan ...well...it may even horrify you.....
Never heard that. I know it was Hell for him the makeup. The whole costume weighted 40 to 45 pounds. One day he had to wear it over 24 hours!!
Death Hag
I saw his biography yesterday on T.V. and it said he did have some teeth
removed to get that 'sunken cheek' effect. Man, talk about loving
your work! Biography also said he had nothing for breakfast at times
but two raw eggs in orange juice.
Renowned Death Hag
he was on bio channel last night,really good.
Death Hag
Boris Karloff had the creepiest voice and look. He was made for hoorror films.
I'm a -huge- Karloff fan.
I even named my kitten after him.
I adore Lugosi too, but I think Karloff might've been a bit better -- he did do more, after all.
I have a friend who named his daughter after Bela....Her name is Bella!I'm a -huge- Karloff fan.
I even named my kitten after him.
I adore Lugosi too, but I think Karloff might've been a bit better -- he did do more, after all.
Death Hag
My understanding is that Karloff just removed the false teeth he had. For the sequel the monster was required to speak so Karloff replaced his dentures, giving the fuller faced appearance.
If anyone hasn't see 'The Black Cat' with Bela and Boris-WATCH IT! It is so creepy and it is a whole total character for Boris. I mean it, this is one disturbing little film.
It is amazing they got so much stuff in and it wasn't censored.
Oh yes the part where Bela has Boris tied on a rack skinning his flesh bit by bit.
And you can she the shadow of it happening. I bet in real Life Bela kind of enjoyed being able to overshadow Karloff in a picture!!
I loved Boris. What a lovely and sophisticated individual, despite the campy image.
Yes he was a true gentleman according to everything I've ever read about him. I just love Karloff, I'll watch anything with him in it!
No doubt Boris was a true gentleman in life. But I still prefer ole Bela over Boris.
Alot of people claim Boris was a superior actor over Bela. And that may have been to the fact Bela was always 100% serious in his roles. Good or bad that is respect in my book.
Renowned Death Hag
I have heard the story that before his Frankenstien role, Boris (all of his friends called him Bill) was insulted by Groucho Marx at a party for his lack of talent. During the Frankenstien shoot, Boris showed in his Frankenstein make-up at one of Groucho's parties (which were very rare) and scared the bejesus out of everyone including Groucho.
After Boris' success he would still act in summer stock and local acting troupes because he felt that's where the real acting was.
"Everybody is born, and everybody dies. Being born wasn't so bad , was it?"
Peter the Hermit
I have never heard that story before...Thanks.
No Boris was a great actor. I just always wonder why he pushed his body especially in the late 60's. I read that when he signed to do the 4 Mexican movies in the late 60's he would sit waiting for his scene in a wheelchair and had to have an oxygen mask on. He was pretty ill and still continued to act.
I do Believe he would have lived into the 1970's if he would have just retired from acting and took it easy?
...from the New York Times obituary, which ran Tuesday, February 4, 1969:
"Mr. Karloff's first wife was Dorothy Stine, from whom he was divorced in 1946 after 17 years of marriage. His second wife was Evelyn Hope Helmore, whom he married in 1946.
In his later years the actor lived in and near London. His films were still billed as horror movies, although he ofjected to the adjective.
"I never liked the word horror," he explained. "It should have been terror. They needed a word (in 1931) to describe what we were filming, but they picked the wrong one. Horror means something revolting, but I don't think there's been anything revolting in the parts I've played. I believe in fear and excitement, in shock that emerges from the story, in terror - not horror.""
I have a taped interview with hime and he hated his movies being called Horror. He chose the word Thriller in the interview as how they should be classified.
I always liked Boris so I built the "Frankencaster" guitar - as a tribute.
[IMG]file:///C:/Documents%20and%20Settings/wray.RMBW2K/Desktop/Frankencaster%20by%20Wray%20Ellis.JPG[/IMG]
I read recently that Boris and his Daughter Sara weren't all that close when she grew up?
I think it stemmed more from when Boris's wife remarried Boris felt it might harm Sara to have two dad's around so opted to back off.
But by no means did Boris Just ignore her. I just think she wanted to be closer to him growing up.
Renowned Death Hag
A remastered clip of Boris on "Shindig!" lip synching to Bobby Pickett singing "Monster Mash"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=nXLQAGJoz3k
And the audio of him actually singing it from another show - apparently the video is missing.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=Ire4QRlMHuM
VCNJ~
The more I have been reading about Boris the more I think he was a class act.
The book is "Dear Boris" by Cynthia Lindsy who was a friend of Boris's. A must read.
i loved boris karlof. my desk top has vincent price,peter cushing, christopher lee (the only one alive) i believe the other is john carradine. all four took a photo together. my mom introduced my siblings and i to horror movies. i became addicted. i saw boris in "scarface" (1932 version) i could not believe he was playing a gangster. actually frankenstein was his first movie but "scarface" came to thetheatre first. i love the old horror movies.
Renowned Death Hag
To prepare for the test Karloff was sent to Universal's head make-up artist, Jack Pierce, who made "hundreds of sketches and models" and a "life-size mould." "I made him the way textbooks said he should look," Pierce later said. "My anatomical studies taught me that there are six ways a surgeon can cut the skull in order to take out or put in a brain. I figured that Frankenstein, who was a scientist but no practicing surgeon, would take the simplest surgical way. He would cut the top of the skull off straight across like a pot lid, hinge it, pop the brain in and then clamp it on tight… Those two metal studs sticking out at the sides of the monster's neck…are inlets for electricity… I made his arms look longer by shortening the sleeves of his coat, stiffened his legs with two pairs of pants over steel struts and… covered Karloff's face with blue- green greasepaint, which photographs grey." Mortician's wax was added to Karloff's eyelids and, to add height, the actor wore a pair of asphalt spreaders boots.
Last edited by hell0kitty; 04-28-2008 at 11:34 PM.
pull the string!
Renowned Death Hag
could this be the photo??!
Last edited by Serendipity09; 07-23-2009 at 01:17 AM.
In the early 1980's Universal studios reported it had found the film of Bela Lugosi's test shots as Frankenstein. As well as the color footage from "Son of Frankenstein." Universal toyed with the Idea of shooting "Son of Frankenstein" in color and did some test shots.
They reportedly were going to include the two with the release of "Son of Frankenstein" in the mid 80's. And at the last minute reported they had re-lost all the footage?
Bummer...
Renowned Death Hag
In 1912, a young British actor named William Henry Pratt was performing in Regina, Saskatchewan when the worst tornado in Canadian history hit the city, killing 28 people and leaving 2,500 homeless. Pratt survived the tornado and volunteered as a rescue worker for the next few days. During his troupe's next two performances, half the proceeds were donated to rescue/recovery efforts. (In contrast, the federal government insisted that Regina repay the relief money it had contributed - a debt so huge the city did not pay it off til 1966.) Pratt later moved to Hollywood and changed his name to Boris Karloff.
I read a dual biography of Karloff and Lugosi at one point. According to that book, Bela was never actually offered the role of Frankenstein (though he certainly used to claim he was), but was just tested. The studio itself decided to go with an unknown, largely because nobody had ever heard Karloff speak while Lugosi they associated with Dracula and his distinctive accent.
The book entered into a sad cycle in the final chapters of course as Lugosi's fortunes declined and Karloff's rose each year, with about the only real 'scandal' or misfortune befalling Boris being the usual medical stuff with aging and the fact that he seemed to trade wives more frequently than cars. By the final chapters each seems to start off with "In that year Karloff received critical praise for his Broadway performance, made 4 films and 11 TV appearances, bought his 11th wife a minklined Rolls Royce and moved into a new 6 bedroom chateau style home with views of the Rocky Mountains, Palm Springs, and the Pacific Ocean. Meanwhile Bela was evicted from the refrigerator box he shared with his former masseur and moved into an alley between a pawn shop and slaughterhouse in South Central, his only paying job being a $5 radio ad for Stubby's Thalidomide Ice Cream Parlor, though the check bounced." (Ed Wood is often seen as an exploitative goon who ruined Bela's final years but was actually a blessing, for the old man would really have been up shite's creek had it not been for the little money and exposure his association with Wood brought him.)
A few years ago I was in a production of ARSENIC & OLD LACE and was given charge of set decoration. Since the character of Jonathan is constantly compared to Boris Karloff (who originated the role of course) I wanted to use pictures of Karloff for family photographs. In doing an image search I came across his official site and found several that were great for period parents/ancestors, including his drag role as Mother Muffin. I emailed the site's administrator and asked permission to use the pics (I'm a bit anal about copyright issues) and expected to hear either a curt yes or curt no from some kid, but was really surprised to get a very sweet email from Karloff's daughter (only child I believe) Sara saying "I think it's a fabulous idea- be my guest!" I was thrilled at the one degree (admittedly cyber) connection it gave me to one of the all time greats.
Some trivia about Karloff: he had Indian (dot not feather) ancestry and his great-aunt was Anna Leonowens of THE KING AND I/ANNA AND THE KING OF SIAM fame.
Renowned Death Hag
>>is at this moment hiding under your bed...
pull the string!
Boys, I am so glad I got outta bed!
These days though Bela is much more popular then Boris. When Universal packaged all of the bela/boris movies they did together they put them in box set simply titled the "Bela Lugosi Collection" on the cover.
No mention of Karloff.
Remember in the original releases Universal gave Boris top billing in the film.
http://www.amazon.com/Lugosi-Collect...9661829&sr=8-1
Boy if Bela could see that he would be smiling!
They are both classic...I love them both...I am a little more bent toward loving Lugosi more...He was a wicked little devil...
Trivia: Boris Karloff Played Capt. Hook and Mr. Darling in J.M. Barrie's "Peter Pan", 1950, Imperial Theater, New York City, which ran for 321 performances.
I met Sara Karloff a couple of years back when she appeared at a Boris Karloff Festival in San Francisco at the Balboa Theater. Very nice lady and resembles her father greatly. Fun Time. Sat next to the guy who use to be the host for Creature Features and Also next to the man who created E.T. the Extra- Terrestrial.
They played one of Boris's old movies from 1931 called "The Guilty Generation". It was suppose to be a serious movie for its time but seeing it today it was hilarious. Boris played a mobster, Robert Young (Marcus Welby, Father knows Best) played his son and Leo Carillo (Pancho from The Cisco Kid) played a lead part as well. Sara Karloff did an interview and answer session. Interesting thing is she and Bela Laguosi Jr. are very close friends. He is an Attorney. Boris and Bela were good friends as well. Vincent Price use to come over to visit when she was a little girl and would give her Piggy Back rides.
Here is an interview with her with her picture as well as the link to the Boris Karloff Website:
http://midnightpalace.com/index.php?...ask=view&id=91
Last edited by Nicki; 08-25-2008 at 11:53 AM.
Don't forget, Boris Karloff also did the voice/narration for the TV Christmas classic "How The Grinch Stole Christmas".....one of the best theatrical voices *ever* IMHO
I think he was great! He was made for thrillers. He used to scare the shit out of me on a regular basis when I was younger. lol
Yes Boris was good But Lugosi was far the better horror Star. At least Karloff died knowing he would never be forgotten...Bela died when no one gave a shit about the old horror movies!
I am sure both Boris and Bela are proud of the work they left behind!
I believe on Karloffs website they have a copy of an interview Boris did Probably around the early 60's? I own a copy and its an interesting listen!
http://www.karloff.com/cgi-bin/users...2&ITEM=VID-BTB
Well worth the eight dollars!
Renowned Death Hag
i don't think bela and boris will ever be equalled, plus they have an effect on us, as we remember how scared we'd get as kids!
pull the string!
I loved his narrative from "The Grinch who Stole Christmas"
No other voice would have done!
I LOVE THE OLD HORROR MOVIES!!!!!! i don't think these new movies or actors hav anything on the old group.i also love lon channy as the wolf man.and with abbott and costello meet frankinstein. bella was in that one to..love it!!!!!!
Senior Death Hag
I just bought this old movie with Boris Karloff in it, called "Targets". I think that it was his last picture before he died. Kick ass film, lots of action.
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