Announcing The Boris Karloff Blogathon!

CLICK HERE FOR THE COMPLETE BORIS KARLOFF BLOGATHON ARCHIVE.

Karloff portrait by Jack Freulich. Source: Heritage Auctions.

I am calling on my fellow bloggers to join me in a celebration of Mr. Boris Karloff.

Beginning on November 23 — Karloff’s 122nd birthday — and on through the 29th, bloggers far and wide are invited to post something about Boris, his life and his wide-ranging career.

There is much to explore… His film work spanned five decades. He clocked some 75 films through the silent era before he landed and nailed the iconic part of The Monster in Frankenstein, a film that is almost 80 years old and still seen and admired. The sequel, The Bride of Frankenstein, is a motion picture classic. In his path through the history of horror films, Karloff collaborated with James Whale, Val Lewton, Mario Bava and Roger Corman. He proved equally at ease in all genres, including comedies.

Away from films, Boris Karloff became a Broadway star with Arsenic and Old Lace, The Lark and he was Captain Hook in Peter Pan.

He enjoyed a successful radio career and he was one of the first Hollywood actors to embrace television, appearing in live drama, in his own series — notably Colonel March of Scotland Yard and Thriller — and as a frequent and popular guest on talk and variety shows. He was the model and the Grammy Award-winning voice of The Grinch. He made numerous spoken word records, reading fairy tales to children and, in print, he lent his name to horror and mystery anthologies and a line of comic books.

In real life, Boris Karloff was a gentleman, a cricket fan and a brave founding member of the Screen Actor's Guild.

It’s been forty years since Boris Karloff passed away, yet his star shines as bright as ever. This November 23, bloggers will come together and share film reviews, profiles, images, thoughts and remembrances and, I am sure, surprises. I, as a reader, am looking forward to it.