In Universal’s Frankenstein, Boris Karloff’s breakthrough role as the Monster kickstarted his ascension into one of cinema’s greatest horror icons. The upcoming documentary Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster will celebrate his legacy.

Directed by Thomas Hamilton, the documentary seeks to unlock the mystery at the heart of Boris Karloff, digging into the late actor’s life and career as an icon of the horror genre. And what an impressive career to examine; Karloff amassed around eighty acting credits before his breakthrough role and never slowed down for a second after. 

Karloff’s prolific career, amassing 205 credits, will give assembled talking heads much to discuss, including Guillermo Del Toro, John Landis, Joe Dante, Christopher Plummer, Peter Bogdanovich, Ron Perlman, Leonard Maltin, and so many more.

“Beginning just before his debut as Frankenstein’s creation, the documentary explores the life and legacy of a cinema legend, presenting a perceptive history of the genre he personified. His films were long derided as hokum and attacked by censors. But his phenomenal popularity and pervasive influence endure, inspiring some of our greatest actors and directors into the 21st Century, many of whom contribute their personal insights and anecdotes.”

Abramorama and Shout! Studios have joined forces for the North American rights to the documentary, playing exclusively in movie theaters starting on Friday, September 17th. Ahead of its release, we celebrate this horror icon by revisiting five of his most essential roles beyond the Monster.

The Ghoul – Professor Morlant

Coming hot on the heels of Karloff’s memorable turn as Imhotep in Universal’s The Mummy, the British actor returned to England to star in a very similar horror film, The Ghoul. Karloff played Professor Henry Morlant, an Egyptologist in possession of an ancient jewel he believes will bring rejuvenation if offered to the god Anubis. Then he dies, and his assistant steals the jewel. Morlant returns from the grave, now a ghoul, to enact vengeance on those who betrayed him. The horror icon brings an intimidating presence that elevates an otherwise fairly familiar Gothic tale. It also helps that The Ghoul remained very obscure for a long while.

The Black Cat – Hjalmar Poelzig

The first movie to feature Bela Lugosi and Karloff together, the two horror titans feed off each other and keep audiences guessing which one is the true villain- if not both. The plot sees American honeymooners become trapped in the Hungarian estate of a Satan-worshipping priest. Karloff’s Poelzig ultimately proves to be the far more frightening villain of the pair, especially during his eerie descent into his dungeon to admire his collection of corpses. 

Black Sabbath – Gorca

Karloff doesn’t just introduce and sign off on the tales of terror in Mario Bava’s classic anthology; he’s integral to one of the segments. In “The Wurdulak,” Karloff plays Gorca, a family patriarch that went missing after setting off to hunt a living corpse that feeds off blood. Gorca does eventually return, but he’s no longer human. Karloff makes for a frightening vampire here. Karloff and Bava together make for horror perfection.

Targets – Byron Orlok

Peter Bogdanovich’s feature directorial debut marks Karloff’s final appearance in an American feature film. Karloff plays Byron Orlok, an aging genre star scheduled to appear at a drive-in theater for a special screening of one of his most famous films. It puts him on a collision course with a clean-cut Vietnam War veteran that’s become a mass-murdering sniper. Drawing from 1961’s University of Texas tower shooting, Targets is unlike any other Roger Corman production, offering an uneasy sense of realism balanced by the warmth of Karloff’s almost autobiographical performance as a jaded horror icon.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas! – The Grinch

For many, this animated adaptation serves as the first introduction to Boris Karloff. The icon voices the terrible green creature with a heart “two sizes too small” that destroys Christmas joy from the nearby Whoville. The concept alone made this annual holiday favorite a gateway horror of sorts for the youngest of viewers. Karloff again delivers a masterful performance through his voice alone, not just in humanizing a greedy green Grinch but also in narrating the tale.

Discover more about the horror icon when Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster releases on September 17, 2021. Visit themanbehindthemonster.com for tickets and more information.