Hollywood Faces Dossier
52 Archival Vault Holdings
📍 Camberwell, London, England, UK
Boris Karloff
1887 – 1969
William Henry Pratt (November 23, 1887 – February 2, 1969), better known as Boris Karloff, was an English-born actor who emigrated to Canada in 1909. Karloff is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in Frankenstein (1931), Bride of Frankenstein (1935), and Son of Frankenstein (1939). His popularity following Frankenstein was such that for a brief time he was billed simply as "Karloff" or "Karloff the Uncanny". His best-known non-horror role is as the Grinch in the television special of Dr. Seuss’s How the Grinch Stole Christmas!. Description above from the Wikipedia article Boris Karloff, licensed under CC-BY-SA, full list of contributors on Wikipedia.
Mike Jones's Video Boneyard archive currently preserves 52 physical recordings spanning 39 productions featuring Boris Karloff.
Archival Holdings in The Video Boneyard
The following 39 canonical motion pictures and broadcast master recordings featuring Boris Karloff are preserved in the studio archives:
| Year | Production Title | Character / Role | Director / Studio | The Video Boneyard | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1927 | Tarzan and the Golden Lion 2 Copies | Featured Cast | J. P. McGowan / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Statutory PD |
| 1927 | The General 2 Copies | Co-Star | Clyde Bruckman / Archive | ▶ Watch 1080p | Statutory PD |
| 1931 | Frankenstein 5 Copies | Frankenstein's monster | James Whale / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1932 | Boo | Co-Star | Albert DeMond / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1932 | The Mask of Fu Manchu 2 Copies | Fu Manchu | Charles Brabin / Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1932 | The Mummy 3 Copies | Imhotep | Karl Freund / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1932 | The Old Dark House | Supporting Cast | James Whale / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1933 | The Ghoul | Featured Cast | T. Hayes Hunter / Gaumont-British Picture Corporation | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1934 | The Black Cat | Featured Cast | Edgar G. Ulmer / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1934 | The Lost Patrol | Featured Cast | John Ford / RKO Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1935 | Bride of Frankenstein | Frankenstein's monster | James Whale / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1935 | The Black Room | Featured Cast | Roy William Neill / Columbia Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1935 | The Raven | Featured Cast | Lew Landers / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1936 | Charlie Chan at the Opera | Featured Cast | H. Bruce Humberstone / 20th Century Studios | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1936 | The Invisible Ray | Featured Cast | Lambert Hillyer / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1937 | Night Key 2 Copies | Featured Cast | Lloyd Corrigan / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1938 | Mr. Wong, Detective | Co-Star | William Nigh / Monogram Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1938 | The Invisible Menace | Featured Cast | John Farrow / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1939 | Devil's Island | Leading Role | William Clemens / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1939 | Son of Frankenstein | Frankenstein's monster | Rowland V. Lee / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1939 | Tower of London | Featured Cast | Rowland V. Lee / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1940 | The Ape | Co-Star | William Nigh / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1944 | House of Frankenstein 2 Copies | Gustav Niemann | Erle C. Kenton / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1944 | The Climax 2 Copies | Featured Cast | George Waggner / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1944 | The Mummy's Curse 2 Copies | Featured Cast | Leslie Goodwins / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1945 | Isle of the Dead | Supporting Cast | Mark Robson / RKO Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1945 | The Body Snatcher | Featured Cast | Robert Wise / RKO Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1946 | Bedlam | Featured Cast | Mark Robson / RKO Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1947 | Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome | Co-Star | John Rawlins / RKO Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1951 | The Strange Door | Featured Cast | Joseph Pevney / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1952 | The Black Castle | Featured Cast | Nathan Juran / Universal Pictures | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1954 | The Island Monster | Supporting Cast | Roberto Bianchi Montero / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1960 | Thriller: S01E10 - The Prediction | Clayton Mace | Unknown / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1961 | Thriller: S02E03 - The Premature Burial | Dr. Thorne | Unknown / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1961 | Thriller: S02E07 - The Last of the Sommervilles | Dr. Albert Farnham | Unknown / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1961 | Thriller: S02E11 - Dialogues With Death | Pop Jenkins / Col. Jackson Beauregard Finchess | Unknown / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1962 | Thriller: S02E22 - The Incredible Doktor Markesan | Doktor Konrad Markesan | Unknown / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1963 | The Raven | Supporting Cast | Roger Corman / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
| 1968 | Targets | Featured Cast | Peter Bogdanovich / Archive | Vault Archive Master | Archival Master |
Complete Career & Landmark Filmography
Major theatrical features, landmark television appearances, and key credited roles across Boris Karloff's historic screen career:
| Year | Production Title | Character / Role | Department / Format |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1919 | His Majesty, the American | Henchman in cloth cap | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1919 | The Lightning Raider | Actor | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1919 | The Prince and Betty | Undetermined Role | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1920 | The Courage of Marge O'Doone | Tavish | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1920 | The Deadlier Sex | Jules Borney | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1920 | The Last of the Mohicans | Indian (uncredited) | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1920 | The Woman and the Puppet | (uncredited) | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1921 | Cheated Hearts | Nei Hamid | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1921 | The Cave Girl | Baptiste | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1921 | The Hope Diamond Mystery | Priest of Kama-Sita / Dakar | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1921 | Without Benefit of Clergy | Ahmed Khan | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1922 | Nan of the North | Undetermined Role (uncredited) | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1922 | Omar the Tentmaker | Imam Mowaffak | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1922 | The Altar Stairs | Hugo | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1922 | The Infidel | The Nabob | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1922 | The Man from Downing Street | Maharajah Jehan | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1922 | The Woman Conquers | Raoul Maris | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1923 | The Prisoner | Prince Kapolski | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1924 | Dynamite Dan | Tony Garcia | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1924 | Riders of the Plains | Actor | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1924 | The Hellion | The Outlaw | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1924 | The White Panther | Shere Ali's Aide (as Karloff Boris) | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1925 | Forbidden Cargo | Pietro Castillano | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1925 | Lady Robinhood | Cabraza | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1925 | Never the Twain Shall Meet | Actor | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1925 | Parisian Nights | Pierre | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1925 | Perils of the Wild | Actor | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1925 | The Prairie Wife | Diego | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1925 | Without Mercy | Madame Gordon's 2nd Henchman (uncredited) | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1926 | Flames | Blackie Blanchette | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1926 | Flaming Fury | Gaspard | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1926 | Her Honor, the Governor | Snipe Collins | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1926 | Old Ironsides | Saracen Guard (uncredited) | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1926 | The Bells | The Mesmerist | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1926 | The Eagle of the Sea | Pirate (uncredited) | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1926 | The Golden Web | Dave Sinclair | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1926 | The Greater Glory | Scissors Grinder | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1926 | The Man in the Saddle | Robber (uncredited) | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1926 | The Nickel-Hopper | Dance Hall Masher | Actor (Feature Film) |
| 1927 | Let It Rain | Crook | Actor (Feature Film) |
⚖️ Archival Preservation & Scholarship:
All film excerpts, technical specifications, and character credits cataloged in this dossier are curated for film scholarship, legal public domain verification, and historical media education under 17 U.S.C. § 107.