One of the most famous horror movie stars of all time, Boris Karloff has become virtually synonymous with Frankenstein. As depicted by Karloff in 1931, Frankenstein was a sympathetic figure, a gentle monster. This image of Frankenstein has remained in the popular psyche for almost 70 years. Although he acted in over 150 films, Boris Karloff will always be irrevocably associated with his monster, and thus will remain a popular culture icon for eternity.

Boris Karloff was born William Henry Pratt on November 23, 1887 in a London suburb. The youngest of nine children, William never knew his father, a British Civil Servant who died in India when William was a baby. After the death of his mother a few years later, William was raised by his siblings, one of whom enjoyed a brief career as an actor on the London stage. From boyhood, William was drawn to the...