Biographie

Pronounced widow's peak.

Slight British accent with a marked lisp.

Gaunt, bony features with thick, heavy eyebrows.

Frequently cast by James Whale.

Often played imposing, sinister villains.

He was Christopher Lee's next door neighbor for many years.

According to his daughter, Sara Karloff, he had to have three major back surgeries in his lifetime as a result of carrying Colin Clive up the stairs of the windmill at the end of Frankenstein (1931).

He celebrated his 51st birthday during the production of Son of Frankenstein (1939) and said that he had received the best birthday present ever: the birth of his daughter, Sara Karloff. He reportedly rushed from the set of Son of Frankenstein (1939) to the hospital in full makeup and costume as the Frankenstein Monster.

In the final few years of his life walking, and even just standing up, became a painful ordeal for him. He was so respected in the film industry, however, that most, if not all, of the directors that he worked with during that time would actually go out of the way to change the film's script in order to place his character in a wheelchair just so that he could be made more comfortable.

When told by a mutual friend that Bobby Pickett, who recorded and sang the hit rock and roll song "Monster Mash", was a huge fan of his, Karloff replied, "Tell him I enjoy his record very much." Pickett still considers that to be the greatest compliment that he has ever received, and Karloff eventually sang the song himself on a TV special.

[on whether he resented being typed as a "horror star"] One always hears of actors complaining of being typed - if he's young, he's typed as a juvenile; if he's handsome, he's typed as a leading man. I was lucky. Whereas bootmakers have to spend millions to establish a trademark, I was handed a trademark free of charge. When an actor gets in a position to select his own roles, he's in big trouble, for he never knows what he can do best. I'm sure I'd be damn good as little Lord Fauntleroy, but who would pay ten cents to see it?

When I was nine, I played the demon king in "Cinderella" and it launched me on a long and happy life of being a monster.

My wife has good taste. She has seen very few of my movies.

[In 1936, on his appeal to children, who empathized with the monster] I don't really scare them any more than do Jungle Jim, Dan Dunn, Tarzan, and the other heroes of the comic sections.

You could heave a brick out of the window and hit ten actors who could play my parts. I just happened to be on the right corner at the right time.

Targets (1968) - $22,000

La créature invisible (1967) - £11,000

Le Corbeau (1963) - $30,000

Corridors of Blood (1963) - $37,500

Frankenstein 1970 (1958) - $25,000