Boris Karloff: Did You Know?

His Frankenstein's Monster character is arguably the most recognizable horror icon in movie history. He appeared in well over 100 films and was a household name. Boris Karloff was born William Henry Pratt in London in 1887. He made his way to America by way of Canada and was cast in dozens of films (mostly silent) before becoming infamous as The Monster in James Whale's 1931 classic Frankenstein. He and the movie were a smash hit and Karloff (as he was simply billed at times) was a star in the horror genre of film. He reprised his role twice in The Bride of Frankenstein (1935) and Son of Frankenstein (1939) which co-starred Basil Rathbone.

Although his lengthy career included so much more both inside and outside the horror realm, even those roles are overshadowed by his signature character. The evil Oriental in The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932). An executed man back from the grave in The Walking Dead (1936; an excellent underrated thriller). Mord the Executioner in Tower of London (1939). James Lee Wong in the Mr. Wong mystery series. So many wonderful performances by a commanding and versatile actor.

To commemorate the life and career of this talented thespian, I wanted to point out a few interesting tidbits about Karloff that you may or may not know. What better time to honor the work of the original Monster than late October.

• Karloff was married six times (talk about the Bride of Frankenstein!)
  
  
• He is a great nephew of Anna Leonowens, whose life inspired the drama Anna and the King of Siam (1946) and the musical The King and I (1956)
  
  
• He was an inspiration for the original illustrations of the Incredible Hulk
  
  
• While filming Son of Frankenstein, the actor's daughter, Sara Karloff, was born on his 51st birthday
  
  
• Despite his menacing screen persona, Karloff, a relatively mild mannered man, would often dress as Santa Claus for children's hospitals and parties for disabled tykes
  
  
• He was a charter member of the Screen Actor's Guild
  
  
• Due to his appearance in the stage version of Arsenic and Old Lace, he was unable to appear in the 1944 film version with Cary Grant and the part of Jonathon Brewster went to Raymond Massey
  
  
• He was the narrator for the animated Christmas classic How the Grinch Stole Christmas (1966). When the tale was put to vinyl, Karloff won a Grammy in the Spoken Word category
  

Boris Karloff died in 1969 at the age of 81. His popularity with movie goers has only increased with passing time. His rich life and career centered around the ghouls that he created on film and that legacy continues as we enjoy his large body of work, both at this festive time as well as all year long.

Bride of Frankenstein: A Toast to Gods and Monsters

If you saw Bride of Frankenstein (1935) as a kid on the Saturday afternoon TV matinee, you probably have fond memories of it as a fun and scary way to spend an hour and a half. If you saw it as an adult, especially one who appreciates the artistry of fine film making, you recognize it as a masterpiece of classic cinema.

The first of multiple sequels, spin-offs and remakes of 1931's Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein is a cornerstone of the American horror genre. Considered by many to be a superior film to the original, it is one of few in cinema history with that distinction. The film's director James Whale, also directed its predecessor, making him immortal in the monster movie world. Discussions for a sequel to Frankenstein began as early as 1931 when the original was released but securing Whale as director and developing a suitable script took several years.

The story begins with a prelude presenting the novel's authoress, Mary Shelley, recounting to Lord Byron and her husband Percy Shelley, the continuation of macabre prose, on a stormy night in pre-Victorian England. The tale then picks up where Frankenstein left off with the Monster supposedly burned in an old windmill. The film continues on to display a series of memorable vignettes that have defined the Frankenstein legend, including the Monster's meeting with a blind, kind-hearted hermit who teaches him to speak a limited vocabulary. The culmination of course is the creation of the Monster's mate, with all the bells and whistles that were missing from the original (the financial success of Frankenstein made more opulent production values possible for its sequel).

Playing dual roles as both Mary Shelley in the film's prelude, and the Monster's bride is the ever delightful Elsa Lanchester. With her lightning bolt bouffant, wide eyes and long flowing gown, her bride has become an iconic movie image and a favorite at many a festive Halloween party. Though credited for her efforts as Mary Shelley, Lanchester goes unbilled for her ghoulish role. The actress portraying the Bride is merely listed with a question mark on the cast of characters. Along with Lanchester's Bride, Ernest Thesiger creates one of the horror genres most enduring characters, Dr. Septimus Pretorius, the mad scientist/physician who tries to entice Henry Frankenstein to continue his human experiments and create a mate for his monster. Thesiger fills the movie with dry wit and a flamboyant performance. His Pretorius is over the top as he displays his tiny human Henry VIII under glass grown from cultures and drinking a cocktail with the Monster among the graves in the catacombs. Dark, sly humor actually plays a large part in the film, unlike the straightforward horror and play-it-for-screams strategy of the original. And of course Colin Clive and Boris Karloff (billed merely as Karloff) reprise their infamous roles as Baron Frankenstein and his Monster.

Universal pulled out all the stops for the production. Whale, influenced by German Expressionism, molded a highly stylized work with lavish art deco sets (the interior ceilings seem to go to the moon) with the help of art director Charles D. Hall. Make up artist Jack Pierce created the images forever associated with the characters in question. The haunting atmosphere was further elevated with John Mescall's cinematography. His close ups of local peasantry particularly give an eerily chilling effect. (Una O'Connor's Minnie the maid is a hoot. Who knew an Irish brogue would fit so well in rural Bavaria). Not to be forgotten is Franz Waxman's powerful score.

Many successors to this film would be produced, the next being Son of Frankenstein (1939) with Basil Rathbone as a somewhat sturdier Dr. Frankenstein, but none would match it in style and panache. Thanks to the gifted direction of James Whale, it is a truly mezmorizing film.