King of horror - Boris Karloff

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Boris Karloff has firmly established himself in the history of cinema as one of the most prominent and famous actors of the horror genre. He started his career early, but did not immediately become famous. World fame brought him the role of the Beast from the film by James Weil "Frankenstein". Over 50 years of acting career, he has embodied about two hundred images on the screen, which makes him one of those who have gone through the longest creative path in the field of cinema.

Childhood

William Henry Pratt, that was the name of the boy at birth, was born on November 23, 1887. A large family, in which, in addition to William, there were 7 more children, lived in London, but it is known that the father of the future actor had Indian roots. It is noteworthy that the sister of one of his grandmothers was the same Anna, whose life events formed the basis of the musical "The King and I" and the painting "Anna and the King". My father worked as a diplomat, so he was often on the road. Little Boris Karloff from childhood also wanted to connect his future fate with diplomacy, which wasspecially prepared for each member of the family. Having lost his parents early, he was raised by his brothers and sister.

Youth

A young man entered the University of London, after which he thought to follow in the footsteps of his deceased father. The First World War began, but Boris Karloff, still called William, did not take part in it due to he alth problems. At 22, he moved to Canada, where he worked on a farm for some time. It was at this time that he became passionately interested in the theater. Having discovered acting talent in himself, he began touring the country with various troupes. His roles then were insignificant, however, in order not to spoil the reputation of the diplomatic family, he took the name Boris Karloff. The filmography of the actor originates in 1916, however, he then played in the background. He still has many years of hard work ahead of him before he embodies the fateful image on the screen.

Hollywood

3 years after his debut, the aspiring actor moves to Hollywood like anyone else who seeks fame and success. There he actively acts in many secondary roles, and at the same time works part-time in a variety of positions: from a loader to an opera stage worker. Every year, many films with his participation are released on the screens. Among them are such as "The Masked Rider", "Dynamite Dan", "Tarzan and the Golden Lion", "Criminal Code", "King of the Kongo" and dozens of others. In addition, he tries himself on television in several series, but this does not bring him fame. By 1931More than 60 films were published in the year, in the credits of which Boris Karloff was listed. The films in which he managed to star in the same year, there are about 10, but he never managed to become in demand.

Frankenstein

Suddenly, his acting career enters an era of major change when Bela Lugosi turns down a role in Frankenstein because his character has no lines. The director is actively looking for someone who will agree to the role of the Beast, and then Boris Karloff appears to his attention. He successfully passes the audition and gets the coveted role. Despite the fact that the work on the hero was difficult, he was interested in gaining such valuable experience. Each day, it took 5 hours to apply and remove complex makeup. To make the image seem more vivid, Karloff himself suggested removing the lateral prosthesis from the teeth. Due to this, his cheeks seemed sunken, which is very consistent with the image of a monster. It may seem that the actor has a very large physique, but in life he was rather thin. This effect was achieved with the help of a giant, heavy suit, which, together with makeup, weighed about 24 kilograms. The film was a huge box office success, and its characters are still considered iconic to this day. It was then, at the age of 44, that fame came to Boris Karloff, allowing him to star in leading roles from now on.

Most famous works

The next significant film released in 1932 is"Mummy". Boris Karloff played Imhotep in it, already firmly rooted in the images of various villains, monsters and monsters. However, sometimes he still discarded his usual role and appeared to the audience in completely unexpected roles. These, for example, include the picture "Scarface", where he played a gangster. Over the long years of his career, he has repeatedly managed to work in a team with no less outstanding genre actors. For example, together with Lugosi, they starred in such films as "Black Cat", "The Crow", "Black Friday" and "Body Snatchers". He also returns to the Beast in Bride of Frankenstein, which became a sensation, and Son of Frankenstein, which was less successful. In addition to the first plans, he still agrees to almost any role. This trait led him to comedy horror films about the adventures of famous heroes of that time: “Abbott and Costello meet the killer Boris Karloff” and “Abbott and Costello meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”

Other activities

In addition to active filming in films, he also repeatedly becomes a guest of famous TV shows, including The Veil, The Donald O'Conner Show, Tales of Tomorrow and a dozen others. In addition, he will make his Broadway debut in Arsenic and Old Lace, which is a parody. After that, he more than once performed on the theater stage in such performances as "The Crow", "Die Monster, Die", "Peter Pan" and "Comedy of Horrors". The last significant role on the screen is the debut film of Peter Bogdanovich "Targets" in 1968.

Death

For many years, Boris had problems with his spine, and in his old age he actively struggled with arthritis and emphysema. For the last years of his life, he moved with the help of a wheelchair. Having contracted pneumonia at the age of 81, he never recovered, which is why he died in 1969 in Midhurst, West Sussex. During his long life, he not only starred in many films, but was also married several times, and in old age became the father of his first and only daughter. However, the legacy of the great actor goes far beyond family life, because his films will live forever.