The Horror Guys Guide to the Filmes of Boris Karloff

“Horror means something revolting. Anybody can show you a pailful of innards. But the object of the roles I played is not to turn your stomach - but merely to make your hair stand on end.” –Boris Karloff.

And make our hair stand on end, he did. Sometimes, he played the good guy, but more often, he showed us the dark side of humanity and the supernatural. He played both Frankenstein’s Monster and the evil doctor himself. He played executioners, island explorers, criminals, ghosts, and body snatchers. He just about invented the “mad scientist” trope.

With a range from kindly old medical researcher to war criminal, Boris Karloff gave chills to moviegoers for decades. After dozens of throwaway, forgettable roles, he finally hit stardom in the early 1930s with “Frankenstein,” and the rest is cinematic history. 

We’re here to look at his horror films— All of them.  

This book takes you on a fascinating trip through every one of Karloff’s horror films, going through a complete synopsis, including spoilers and commentary. This is not a Boris Karloff biography. What it does do is look at Karloff’s amazing array of characters shifting from the original incarnation of Frankenstein to maniacs and mad scientists aplenty. We will look at fifty-two horror films and seven important non-horror films that are significant in Boris’s career.

The man loved what he did, and it often showed through in his films. As he said himself:

“I am a very lucky man. Here I am in my 80th year, and I am still able to earn my bread and butter at my profession. I am one of that very small family of the human race who happens to thoroughly enjoy his work. If I didn't enjoy it, I wouldn't go on.” —Boris Karloff