Karloff Kopy

Boris Karloff (1887-1969) was an English actor who performed in many films made during The Golden Age of Hollywood, with one of his most iconic roles being the monster in Frankenstein (1931).

As one of the most iconic figures of the horror genre, it isn't surprising that many works of fiction have characters based on Boris Karloff in some way.

A character influenced by Boris Karloff can be expected to have bushy eyebrows, sunken cheeks, and a soft, low, melodious voice, and often a mild lisp. Many examples are likely to be a Frankenstein's Monster as an homage to Boris Karloff's aforementioned role as the monster in the 1931 Frankenstein film, but examples are just as likely to be a Mad Scientist (which may or may not be intended as a Shout-Out to Karloff playing Dr. Frankenstein in Frankenstein 1970).

Compare Lorre Lookalike (which concerns fictional characters based on Peter Lorre, another iconic actor known for his experience in the horror genre), Looks Like Orlok (which covers characters evocative of Max Schreck's role as the vampire Count Orlok in Nosferatu) and Looks Like Cesare (which deals with characters based off Conrad Veidt's role as Cesare in The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari).

Examples:

Advertising

• The General Mills Monster Cereals mascot Frankenberry is a Frankenstein's Monster whose voice is a clear imitation of Boris Karloff.

Comic Books

• Batman: The first Clayface was an actor named Basil Karlo who murders the cast of a remake of his film The Terror out of anger at not being involved. It's obvious to any vintage cinema buff that his name is a nod to the actors Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone, though he looks more like the latter than the former. Interestingly enough, Clayface's story in Joker's Asylum hints that Basil Karlo is a stage name he chose to ensure he'd stand out more (which is rather fitting, as his namesakes had also used stage names^note Boris Karloff's real name was William Henry Pratt, while Basil Rathbone's full name was Philip St. John Basil Rathbone).
• The fifth issue of the DC Comics Scooby-Doo comic book has a story titled "Legend of the Silver Scream", where one of the suspects is an actor named Karlos Boroff, who looks somewhat like a mustached version of Karloff's portrayal of the Frankenstein monster.
• The first issue of Supergirl volume one had her fight a deranged actor named Basil Rasloff. Similar to Batman's Basil Karlo, his name is an homage to both Basil Rathbone and Boris Karloff and his scheme is murdering younger actors who were going to play roles he originally played. Unlike Karlo, Rasloff has a more noticeable resemblance to Karloff.

Film — Animated

• Frankenweenie: Nassor, the kid who resurrects his deceased pet gerbil Colossus, bears a resemblance to Karloff in both appearance and voice. His Egyptian heritage and the fact that his pet comes back as a mummy are almost certainly nods to Karloff's role as Imhotep in The Mummy (1932).
• LEGO Scooby-Doo! Haunted Hollywood has its plot revolve around a deceased actor named Boris Carnac, who in addition to being based on Boris Karloff also references Lon Chaney Sr. with his nickname "The Man of 999 Faces" being a play on Chaney's nickname of "The Man of a Thousand Faces" and having a son named Boris Carnac, Jr. in reference to Lon Chaney Jr.
• Mad Monster Party? averted this, as Baron Frankenstein is actually an Ink-Suit Actor of the real Boris Karloff, but it is played straight in the prequel Mad, Mad, Mad Monsters, as Baron Frankenstein here is voiced by Allen Swift impersonating Boris Karloff as an inevitable consequence of Boris Karloff passing away before the film entered production.
• Scooby-Doo and the Ghoul School: Elsa Frankenteen's father Frankenteen, Sr. is a Frankenstein monster whose voice is a clear imitation of Boris Karloff.

Film — Live-Action

• Arsenic and Old Lace: Jonathan Brewster is a huge, hulking, scarred man whose current appearance was done by plastic surgeon Doctor Einstein after watching Frankenstein.^note He was "intoxicated at the time" by his own admission. However, telling Jonathan he looks like Karloff is a quick way to get yourself killed, as it's something of a Berserk Button for him.^note It's actually something of an in-joke, as Jonathan was originally played by Karloff in the stage play version, though in the film he's played by Raymond Massey. In another in-joke, a later production of the stage play in England starring Tom Baker, best known as the Fourth Doctor in Doctor Who, in the part of Jonathan got a huge laugh when he changed the name of who he was supposed to resemble, saying "Of course I had to kill him. He said I looked like Jon Pertwee!"
• Hollywood Mortuary is a horror comedy about a makeup artist who uses voodoo to resurrect a pair of horror icons. One of them is Pratt Borokov, who is based on Boris Karloff, "Pratt" being Karloff's actual surname.
• In Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian, where Hank Azaria plays a mummy villain named Kahmunrah, and, in homage to Karloff's role in The Mummy (1932), gives him a British accent and a lisp.

Music

• Bobby Pickett famously used a Boris Karloff impression for his hit song "The Monster Mash" and its follow-ups "Monsters' Holiday", "Monster Swim", "Sinister Stomp", "Irresistible Igor", "Werewolf Watusi" and "Monster Rap". "Monster Mash" even credited him as Bobby "Boris" Pickett.
• Don Hinson did covers of "The Monster Mash", "Monster Swim" and "Werewolf Watusi" as well as some original songs called "Riboflavin-Flavored, Non-Carbonated, Polyunsaturated Blood", "Do the Rigamortis" and "Phantom of the A-Go-Go", where he also used an impression of Boris Karloff.

Radio

• One of Bob Elliot's characters on Bob & Ray was a butler named Cyril Gore, who was a blatant Boris Karloff soundalike.

Video Games

• The Ultimate Haunted House: One of the characters inhabiting the haunted house is a mad scientist named Dr. Synthesis, whose voice is a blatant Boris Karloff impression.

Webcomics

• Schlock Mercenary: The first incarnation of the Touch-And-Go AI was programmed to sound like Boris Karloff. It stopped using the voice after a conversation on psychological warfare with the captain.

Western Animation

• Beetlejuice:
  • The episode "Ghost to Ghost" features a ghostly horror actor named Boris Todeoff (a play on "bore us to death"), who resembles a green-skinned Boris Karloff and even has the voice down pat.
  • "A-Ha" ends with Beetlejuice and Lydia discovering that the reason their Sentient Vehicle Doomie went missing is because he went to see a film festival starring his favorite actor Boris Carlot.
• The 2006 revival of Biker Mice from Mars features a Catatonian mad scientist named Dr. Catorkian as one of the villains, whose voice is a blatant imitation of Boris Karloff.
• Boos in the Nite has a monster parodying Boris Karloff's portrayal of Jonathan Brewster in the stage production of Arsenic and Old Lace accompanied by a Lorre Lookalike spoofing Peter Lorre's role as Dr. Einstein in the film adaptation of the same work.
• The Dick Tracy Show had Pruneface speak with a Boris Karloff impression, albeit with a gruffer cadence than usual.
• In the Fangface episode "Where's the Wolf That's the Werewolf?", the Monster of the Week is an evil werewolf (in contrast to Fangface himself,a good werewolf) whose human form, Zorloff, is clearly meant to resemble Karloff. Zorloff's Reasonable Authority Figure boss, meanwhile, resembles Bela Lugosi.
• The Flintstones: Frank, patriarch of the Flintstones' Creepy Family neighbors the Frankenstones, is a Frankenstein monster who was initially voiced by John Stephenson doing an impression of Boris Karloff for the Frankenstones' appearances on The New Fred and Barney Show and the early 1980s prime time specials. The Frankenstones' final appearances in The Flintstone Comedy Show had Frank voiced by Charles Nelson Reilly, who avoided impersonating Karloff and instead used his regular voice.
• Gravedale High: The episode "Night of the Living Dad" has Frankentyke try to cover up that his father is a human mad scientist. Once Frankentyke's real dad shows up after the shenanigans caused by the fake dad Frankentyke made and gave the brain of a Smooth-Talking Talent Agent, he is shown to sound like Boris Karloff.
• The Impossibles: The titular villain of "The Devilish Dragster" speaks with a Boris Karloff impression.
• Looney Tunes:
  • In "Porky's Road Race", one of the racers is Borax Karoff, a caricature of Karloff who serves as the main antagonist.
  • In Hollywood Steps Out, Karloff as Frankenstein's monster is shown dancing a rhumba rather stiffly.
    • Karloff himself shows up (briefly) as part of a group of deadpan actors^note The others are Arthur Treacher, Mischa Auer, Buster Keaton, and Ned Sparks enjoying Sally Rand's bubble dance.
  • The Mad Scientist in "Water, Water Every Hare" is based on Karloff, complete with thick eyebrows, sunken cheeks, and British accent.
• Oh Yeah! Cartoons: In the short "Thatta Boy", the villain Ravenrant is a mad scientist who sounds like Boris Karloff.
• One of the villains in Roger Ramjet was a mad scientist named Dr. Frank N. Schwine, who spoke with a Boris Karloff impression and in his episode schemed to use one of Roger Ramjet's proton energy pills to make his monster stronger.
• Scooby-Doo:
  • The New Scooby-Doo Movies:
    • "The Haunted Horseman of Hagglethorn Hall" has Creech, the Butler, whose voice and appearance invoke Karloff. Creech, however, is a Creepy Red Herring, and when he proves his innocence, Fred apologizes for suspecting him. Creech is gracious in his Forgiveness, saying "That's alright, we all make mistakes." When the real culprits are caught, he seems to take mild amusement in their punishment, serving as tourist attractions to help raise money for the castle.
    • In "A Good Medium is Rare", Phyllis Diller has a butler named Lucas who resembles Karloff in his later years and speaks in the same vocal tones. Indeed, he is voiced by John Stephenson, who also voiced Creech in "The Haunted Horseman of Hagglethorn Hall".
  • The Scooby-Doo Show: "The Headless Horseman of Halloween" has a butler named Tarloff whose name, appearance, and voice invoke Karloff.
  • The 13 Ghosts of Scooby-Doo episode "Horror-Scope Scoob" has the gang cross paths with Boris Kreepoff, host of You Won't Believe It...Or Else and an old acquaintance of Vincent Van Ghoul who resembles Boris Karloff in both looks and voice.
• Seven Little Monsters: Seven's voice is very similar to that of Boris Karloff, which is rather appropriate given that his appearance is like a horned version of the Frankenstein monster.
• Superfriends: The titular villain of the episode "The Monster of Dr. Droid" is a mad scientist whose voice is a clear Boris Karloff impression.
• Wacky Races: The Gruesome Twosome consists of a tall, Frankenstein's monster-like brute named Big Gruesome who talks like Boris Karloff and a short, purple-skinned Lorre Lookalike with vampire-like traits named Little Gruesome. The 2017 series manages to combine the Karloff impression with a Simpleton Voice.

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