Boris Karloff Movies

Boris Karloff

Want to know the best Boris Karloff movies?  How about the worst Boris Karloff movies?  Curious about Boris Karloff box office grosses or which Boris Karloff movie picked up the most Oscar® nominations? Need to know which Boris Karloff movie got the best reviews from critics and audiences and which got the worst reviews? Well you have come to the right place….because we have all of that information.

Boris Karloff (1887-1969) was an British actor, who is recognized as one of the true icons of horror cinema.  Karloff appeared in movies from 1919 to 1971.  His two most famous roles were playing Frankenstein and The Mummy. His IMDb page shows an incredible 205 acting credits. This page will rank 65 Boris Karloff movies from Best to Worst in seven different sortable columns of information. Television appearances (43 credits), all of his silent movies (58 credits), shorts and many other movies that we could not find box office grosses on were not included in the rankings.

Drivel part of the page:  This is actually one of our oldest requests.  Steve Lensman and Lyle requested this page many many moons ago.  Well finally we decided to tackle Karloff’s massive career. Added bonus?  We have tweaked our tables slightly.  First of all when looking at the yearly box office ranks….realize this is now the rank of the movies in our database for the year the movie was made.  It used to be Variety’s yearly rank. Secondly we have included the overall UMR rank for Karloff’s movies compared to our entire database.

Boris Karloff in 1931’s Frankenstein

Boris Karloff Movies Ranked In Chronological Order With Ultimate Movie Rankings Score (1 to 5 UMR Tickets) *Best combo of box office, reviews and awards.

Boris Karloff Movies Can Be Ranked 6 Ways In This Table

The really cool thing about this table is that it is “user-sortable”. Rank the movies anyway you want.

  • Sort Boris Karloff movies by co-stars of his movies.
  • Sort Boris Karloff movies by adjusted domestic box office grosses using current movie ticket cost (in millions)
  • Sort Boris Karloff movies by yearly domestic box office rank (based on movies in our database for the year the movie was made)
  • SortBoris Karloff movies how they were received by critics and audiences.  60% rating or higher should indicate a good movie.
  • Sort by how many Oscar® nominations each Boris Karloff movie received and how many Oscar® wins each Boris Karloff movie won.
  • Sort Boris Karloff movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score.  UMR Score puts box office, reviews and awards into a mathematical equation and gives each movie a score.
  • Sort Boris Karloff movies by Ultimate Movie Rankings (UMR) Score rank (based on all the movies in our entire database).

Boris Karloff in 1968’s Targets..one of our favorite Karloff movies

Ten Possibly Interesting Facts About Boris Karloff

1. William Henry Pratt was born in Surrey, England in 1887.

2. Lots of different versions of how William Henry Pratt became Boris Karloff. (1) Some theorised that he took the stage name from a mad scientist character in the novel The Drums of Jeopardy called “Boris Karlov”.  (2) Some thought he got the name from Edgar Rice Burroughs fantasy novel H. R. H. The Rider which features a “Prince Boris of Karlova”.  (3) Karloff always claimed he chose the first name “Boris” because it sounded foreign and exotic, and that “Karloff” was a family name.  Well 1 & 2 were things published after Karloff had taken the name and 3 was denied by his daughter who says Karloff is nowhere in their family history.  Which leaves (4) The most likely truth is it is from a character in a 1904 book by Harold MacGrath called “The Man on the Box”, which was made into a play in 1905 and later, films starting in 1914.

3. Once Boris Karloff arrived in Hollywood, he made dozens of silent films, but work was sporadic, and he often had to take up manual labour such as digging ditches or delivering construction plaster to earn a living.

4. Boris Karloff appeared with Bela Lugosi in eight films: 1934’s Gift of Gab, 1934’s The Black Cat 1935’s The Raven, 1936’s The Invisible Ray, 1939’s Son of Frankenstein, 1940’s You’ll Find Out, 1940’s Black Friday and 1945’s The Body Snatcher.

5. Boris Karloff was one of the 12 original founders of the Screen Actors Guild and held SAG card number 9.  Boris Karloff made an amazing 16 movies in 1932.  Not a single Boris Karloff movie ever won an Oscar®.

6. Boris Karloff and Frankenstein trivia: (1) His make-up took four hours each day for Jack P. Pierce to apply and his cumbersome costume weighed 48 pounds in the uncomfortable heat of summer.  (2) The monster’s shoes weighed between 11 and 13 pounds.  (3) Karloff was already 44 when he became an “overnight” Hollywood sensation.  (4) Karloff was considered as such an anonymous actor by Universal that he was not invited to the December 6th premiere.

7. Boris Karloff was married six times…..he had one daughter.

8. Boris Karloff and Christopher Lee were neighbors for years….bet the neighbor kids had fun with that.

9. Boris Karloff’s last words to his wife as he was dying of pneumonia were “Walter Pidgeon.”.

10. Check out Boris Karloff’s career compared to current and classic actors.  Most 100 Million Dollar Movies of All-Time.

And finally…..we have adjusted Worldwide Box Office Grosses on 14 Boris Karloff Movies

  1. Bedlam (1946) $24.20 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  2. Five Star Final (1932) $162.80 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  3. Isle of the Dead (1945) $26.30 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  4. Scarface (1932) $106.70 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  5. Smart Money (1931) $70.80 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  6. Tap Roots (1948) $178.70 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  7. The Body Snatcher (1945) $37.80 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  8. The Haunted Strangler (1958) $26.40 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  9. The Invisible Menace (1938) $40.30 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  10. The Mad Genius (1931) $80.00 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  11. The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) $68.30 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  12. The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947) $335.40 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  13. West of Shanghai (1937) $44.70 million in adjusted worldwide gross
  14. Young Donovan’s Kid (1931) $75.20 million in adjusted worldwide gross

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46 thoughts on “Boris Karloff Movies”

  1. In my opinion, Bride of Frankenstein was one of the rare occasions when an sequel managed to improve of an already flawless original. So, of the 27 movies I’ve seen, add Targets and you have my Top 3 Karloff movies. He was able to inflict the “artificial monster” with so many shades of humanity – I doubt an other actor could have done this.
    Other favorites are The mad Genius (with beautiful Marian Marsh and John Barrymore), House of Rothschild, The old, dark House, Lured, Scarface and Miracle Man, where he was an oily, slimy villain trying to get his hands under gangster moll’s Sylvia Sidney’s skirt. I also liked his anthology series Thriller on TV, but that is so long ago that I only remember the pleasant thrills some of those episodes gave me as a youngster.
    So, although his starring parts were firmly grounded in the Horror genre, I think Boris Karloff truly deserves his own page here. Thanks for doing another page on a classic actor, Mr. Cogerson!

    Reply

    1. Hey Lupino
      1. I agree with you…that Bride is one of those sequels that is better than the original….though both are all-time classics.
      2. Tally count….you are coming in 3rd place…John 47, Steve 44, you 27, me 14 and Flora at 8…..you can’t win them all the time.
      3. I think our Top 3 match….though Isle of the Dead is pretty close to Targets in my book.
      4. Of your other favorites…I have only seen (and liked) Scarface….Lured seems like one I should check out.
      5. Glad you liked this selection.

      Reply

  2. Cogerson

    Of the Karloff movies you listed, I have seen 47.

    One thing I would mention is that while Karloff wasn’t a star or anything in the 1920’s, he was a prolific character actor and often got solid featured roles. I imagine he was well known among studio casting directors.

    Interestingly, I have read from several sources that James Whale, the sophisticated director of the Frankenstein films, came from a poor family and resented Karloff who was the black sheep of an upper class family. and so often referred to Karloff behind his back as “that truck driver.”

    Although English, Karloff apparently was of mixed Indian heritage. He photographs pale in b/w but his Indian genes are obvious in his later color movies.

    The position of Unconquered at the top of his box-office films again raises an issue I have broached before. Frankenstein had a budget of $291,000 and so was a huge hit. Unconquered had a budget of from 5-6 million. I read a biography of Cecil B DeMille last year which claimed Unconquered actually lost money which was the reason DeMille gave up American history subjects and turned to the Bible for Samson and Delilah, the success of which saved his career.

    Can’t say I share the super high opinion of Targets, although it is an interesting film. The whole idea of real world horror being compared to the imaginative monsters of yore falls flat with me, and it should be noted that if folks wanted to be horrified by real world violence the time of Hitler and Stalin and Tojo certainly doesn’t have to take a back seat to any era.

    Hopefully, Bela is in the works.

    Reply

    1. Hey John
      1. Your 47 is the winner in our contest…..though it was close as Steve got to 44.
      2. I agree he made 58 silent movies in just over 10 years…..I am sure many producers knew him back in those early days.
      3. I think James Whale had numerous issues with Karloff and the fact that the monster got so much attention….back then directors were mini-gods…and Karloff was taking away some of the attention from Whale.
      4. Finding the box office on Frankenstein is pretty difficult….since it had so many re-releases….it made $170 million (adjusted) during the first year or two……but I think it played steadily until it had a major re-release in 1947……my figure is probably on the low end….but I went on the conservative end when list the number…in my mind Frank was his biggest box office movie….and certainly his most profitable. So in a nutshell…I agree with your comment.
      Thanks for sharing your thoughts on Mr. Karloff.

      Reply

      1. Hey John…..I forget to mention Targets…I think it is safe to say “we can agree to disagree on this one”…seems I watch that movie ever few years…..and no matter how many times I see it….the ending with Karloff walking towards the shooter on the screen and in the scene is always awesome to me.

        Reply

  3. I have seen only 8 of Boris Karloff’s career. I am not a fan of horror, per se, but I have seen a lot of the Universal horror films when I watch horror films.

    My favourite Karloff films are Frankenstein, Bride of Frankenstein, and The Mummy.

    The other films I’ve seen include
    Scarface
    The Raven (original)
    Bikini Beach
    Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde
    The Invisible Ray

    Reply

    1. Hey Flora….thanks for checking out Steve’s Boris page….especially since you are not a huge horror fan. Your 8…is right behind my 14….but we are both well behind Steve’s 44 and John’s 47. I have seen and enjoyed your Top 3. The other one I have seen that you have seen is Scarface…..a good movie with a very small part for Boris. Thanks for stopping by.

      Reply

  4. Cogerson
    As Boris Karloff is my favorite actor, I want to make a couple of posts about this fascinating board. To start with, thank you for all the work to get this info together. As Karloff was a genre star, it must have been difficult.

    First, on your critical ratings. Well, my guess is most of your critics probably aren’t into 1930’s horror films and so haven’t seen most of these movies. That is the only thing I can figure out for some of the odd ratings. The top three are solid, and Targets and some others should be high,
    but there are some real odd ratings, such with the 1935 The Raven and the 1932 The Mask of Fu Manchu being so highly rated.

    to elaborate–I have a book published in the 1990′;s called Golden Horrors which focuses on 1930’s horror movies. In an appendix author Bryan Senn elicits top ten lists from 30 experts, ranging from famous authors–Ray Bradbury and Robert Bloch–to well-known movie historians–Wm K. Everson & Tim Lucas-to directors such as John Landis & special effects wizards like Ray Harryhausen and producers like Richard Gordon, and all sorts of magazine editors and writers. In other words, folks conversant with 1930’s horror films.

    The Mask of Fu Manchu got one vote at #9 from anyone. The Raven one vote at #8. Neither of course were in the top 15 finishers in Senn’s survey. In contrast, The Mummy finished 6th. The Black Cat #7. Son of Frankenstein #11. Even The Black Room finished at #14.
    So these ratings just seem weird to me, other than at the top, and, as I said, probably indicate unfamiliarity with the movies.

    Just for interest. Bride of Frankenstein won Senn’s poll, followed by King Kong, Frankenstein, and Dr.Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. And I tallied up the first place votes for each movie. Bride of Frankenstein (12). King Kong (9). Island of Lost Souls (2). Mad Love, Vampyre, The Black Cat, The Mummy, Frankenstein, The Black Room, Thiings to Come (1 vote each).

    No offense, but I think older genre films are a special interest, and many of the younger critics simply aren’t interested or conversant. The same I think is true of musicals.

    *I wouldn’t have quoted Senn’s poll if I didn’t agree with it. But I wanted to have more to share than just my opinion.

    Reply

    1. Hey John.
      1. Glad we were able to finally get this page done on your favorite actor.
      2. I wish I was able to include more of his movies…..but I think of his movies after 1929 we have almost 80% of his movies……certainly not a great percentage….but more than I thought possible.
      3. IMDb vote totals and Rotten Tomatoe critic reviews are pretty slight the older the movie is….so I think that might explain the higher rating.
      4. The one I disagree with the most is 1963’s The Raven…..the movie is fun…but is it a great movie….seems it might have gotten higher marks because a very young Jack Nicholson appears as well as so many great character actors like Price, Lorre and of course Karloff.
      5. Thanks for sharing some of the conclusions of Bryan Senn. I have no doubt they have made wise decisions.
      6. Unlike Steve….I have never put my personal feelings into the equation I use….I just plug in the numbers…generally IMDb rated the movies lower than Rotten Tomatoes, Leonard Maltin and other sources.
      Appreciate the feedback.

      Reply

  5. 1 It was of course Frankenstein in 1931 that made Karloff an overnight star but he had no real dialogue to speak in the role of the Monster so that even Steve Lensman couldn’t claim that his diction was poor!

    2 However he has had one of the most distinctive voices in movie history which has been a godsend to mimics down through the years and though it was very cultured and precise it was ideally suited to some of the other creepy roles he played away from the Monster.

    3 As we’ve discussed before on this site a hit record The Monster Mash was release in 1962 and a large part of its success was due to Karloff’s voice being mimicked throughout the record. The artist involved called himself Bobby Boris Pickett.

    4 Historians have praised Karloff for his prolific output of movies before and after becoming a star but have also said that as his career wore on his movies became less commercially successful. That seem to be borne out in the table above which calculates an average career gross of approx $58 million.

    5 My own favorite Karloff movie is not a horror flick but the 1968 Targets which was his final American film. It cost just $900,000 to make in 2017 dollars so it must have made a small profit despite the relatively low domestic gross that Bruce has picked up for it I like the miniature still from it that has been reproduced on this page,

    Reply

    1. Hey Bob
      1. You are right Frankenstein turned him into “overnight” sensation….after only 12 years and almost 70 movies.
      2. In some ways his quick rise to fame is like John Wayne’s quick rise (after a decade of B movies).
      3. Monster Mash is a fun song for sure.
      4. I think his 205 IMDb credits is why I delayed doing this page for so long. Without use of the Harrison Reports there is no way this page would have so many of his movies.
      5. I am right there with you about Targets….love that movie….I Steve will be shocked by this fact….but I have one Karloff movie in my entire movie collection…and it is Targets…which has an excellent commentary by director Peter Bogdanvich.
      6. I had to include a photo of Karloff in Targets…I love this quick scene with Karloff and the mirror.
      Thanks for the feedback.

      Reply

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