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| Boris Karloff in real life |
WILLIAM HENRY PRATT - or BORIS KARLOFF as we know him better - appears to be a vastly under-rated actor nowadays, despite all the fame and acclaim once rightly bestowed on him for his penetrating portrayals of The FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER and IMHOTEP (or ARDETH BEY), to name just a couple of his more celebrated roles.
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| Art by Kid Robson |
Quiet, soft-spoken, and with a hint of a lisp, he was the quintessential English gentleman, who never lost his love for the game of cricket, even in far-off Hollywood, thousands of miles away from his native land. There has probably never been another actor whose personality was so diametrically opposed to his on-screen persona as that of dear old Bill. A big, superstitious softie in real life; often a snarling, vicious, psychopathic killer in the movies. Apparently, just like GEORGE CLOONEY, he also had a pet pig at one time, which he used to rush home to see after filming. (Wonder if he liked bacon?)
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| Test makeup not used in the film |
Born on November 23rd, 1887 (the same month that the Baron's creature first opened his yellow, watery eyes), he died on February 2nd, 1969 at his home in Bramshott, Hampshire. Star of stage, screen, TV, and spoken-word recordings, he had a long and varied career after first finding fame in the 1931 classic, Frankenstein. However, forget the Monster and the Mummy... Karloff gave entrancing performances in many films over the years, whether horror-themed or not. Next time you see a Karloff movie in the TV listings, give it a look-see - it'll be well worth your while. So here's to KARLOFF... The UNCANNY!
I never knew he lived at Bramshott, just a few minutes drive from me.
ReplyDeleteYup - in a cottage called 'Roundabout'. He was born at 36 Forest Hill Road, East Dulwich in London.
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