Edward John Pratt, Jr. was an Anglo-Indian, from a British father and Indian mother,[5] while Karloff's mother also had some Indian ancestry, thus Karloff had a relatively dark complexion that differed from his peers at the time. I want to get them CDS now . November 23, 2022. Sara Karloff was born on her father's 51st birthday, November 23, 1938. To this end the opinions of James Mill in his History of British India came to predominate. Karloff was reunited with Whale at Universal for The Old Dark House (1932), a horror film based on the novel Benighted by J. Even we may distant relatives. And both were "in physical sense, disgustingly unclean in their persons and houses".[12]. Boris Karloff - Wikipedia He signed official documents "William H. Pratt, a.k.a. . He had support roles in Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome (1947), Tap Roots (1948), and Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff (1949). ", "8:30 p.m.--Lights Out (WENR): Boris Karloff and a disappearing hand. He was Indian in Without Benefit of Clergy (1921) and an Arab in Cheated Hearts (1921) and villainous in The Cave Girl (1921). From 19932010, the category was split into, Professional expansion and further success, Spoken word recordings and horror anthologies. Horror, however, had now become Karloff's primary genre, and he gave a string of lauded performances in Universal's horror films, including several with Bela Lugosi, his main rival as heir to Lon Chaney's status as the leading horror film star. Although initiated by Ron Chaney, Ms. Karloff spear-headed a three-year effort to have their respective famous relatives immortalized in a series of commemorative United States Postage Stamps. Yours in the highest regard, RichardIndyBowers you can reach me at my e-mail address or call (636)629-2460 Thank you. This marriage resulted in Karloff's only child, daughter Sara Karloff, being born on November 23, 1938 (which coincidentally was also Karloff's 51st birthday). He had eight elder siblings including his brother, Sir John Thomas Pratt, who became a British diplomat. As receipts for Frankenstein and Scarface flooded in, Universal gave Karloff third billing in Night World (1932), with Lew Ayres, Mae Clarke and George Raft. Always the consummate professional, was how Sara Karloff described her father who, along with a group of other actors, founded the Screen Actors Guild as a way to give back to the profession he loved and was so grateful to have had the opportunity to work in. So we always thought we are part of the family. Boris Karloff. Just wanted to say that I thought your father was a very handsome man, I was only twelve when he passed away but I have always liked horror movies done with some taste anyway. Nollen, Scott Allen. Mank, Gregory William (2009). Take care and say Hi to Lou for me. I think an interview with you would be the highlight of the year. 13 Facts About Boris Karloff | Mental Floss [12] Karloff always claimed he chose the first name "Boris" simply because it sounded foreign and exotic, and that "Karloff" was a family name. The Mask of Fu Manchu (1932) is an American pre-Code adventure film directed by Charles Brabin.Written by Irene Kuhn, Edgar Allan Woolf and John Willard, it was based on the 1932 novel of the same name by Sax Rohmer (the sixth in the series). Boris Karloff, whose real name was William Henry Pratt, was an English-born actor who emigrated to Canada in the 1910s.Karloff performed in a variety of contexts throughout his career, but is best remembered for his roles in horror films and his portrayal of Frankenstein's monster in the 1931 film Frankenstein, 1935 film Bride of Frankenstein, and 1939 film Son of Frankenstein. Now that I have seen you in a Biography of your father I hope against hope that I might in some way become acquainted with you and learn about your life growing up in the Karloff house and learn more about you and the person you have become. William Henry Pratt was born on 23 November 1887,[3] at 36 Forest Hill Road, Dulwich, Surrey (now in London), England. For the Danny Kaye comedy, The Secret Life of Walter Mitty (1947), Karloff appeared in a brief but starring role as Dr. Hugo Hollingshead, a psychiatrist. He was able to find work with the Haggerty Repertory for a while (according to the 1973 obituary of Joseph Paul Haggerty, he and Boris Karloff remained lifelong friends). In 1949, he was the host and star of Starring Boris Karloff, a radio and television anthology series for the ABC broadcasting network. He also starred in the sequels Bride of Frankenstein and Son of Frankenstein, as well as the original Scarface . Sara, All Rights Reserved. Boris Karloff: A Gentleman's Life. Tomahawk Press. He never talked about his career. Birthday November 23, 1887. A memorial service was held at St Paul's, Covent Garden (the Actors' Church), London, where there is also a plaque. He was a maharajah in The Man from Downing Street (1922), a Nabob in The Infidel (1922) and had roles in The Altar Stairs (1922), Omar the Tentmaker (1922) (as an Imam), The Woman Conquers (1922), The Gentleman from America (1923), The Prisoner (1923) and the serial Riders of the Plains (1923). As a young man of similar background, with no desire to follow his siblings into a respectable profession, it seems likely it would have influenced his decision to strike out for Canada and an entirely new life. That sequence must have scared the bejesus out of matinee ladies in 1931, because it freaks me out now. One element of the Frankenstein performance that she loves is, the pathos in his hand movements. Frankensteins daughter admitted my father was a very handsome man, too.. Regarding Son of Frankenstein, the film's director Rowland V. Lee said his crew let Lugosi "work on the characterization; the interpretation he gave us was imaginative and totally unexpected when we finished shooting, there was no doubt in anyone's mind that he stole the show. He also appeared as Imhotep in The Mummy (1932), and voiced the Grinch in, as well as narrating, the animated television special of Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas! 'Boris Karloff: A Bio-bibliography'. Edward John Pratt, Jr. was an Anglo-Indian, from a British father and Indian mother, while Karloff's mother also had some Indian ancestry, thus Karloff had a relatively dark complexion that stood out in British society at the time. This content was created by a Daily Kos Community member. His parents were Edward John Pratt, Jr. and Eliza Sarah Millard. While his ancestry was no secret within the family, he would deflect remarks about his deep tan by outsiders with casual references to his passion for gardening or otherwise laboring outdoors. The quality of the DVDS was not real good . How lucky you are to have had him as a father.