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Dear Boris: The Life of William Henry Pratt A.K.A. Boris Karloff

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William Henry Pratt aka Boris Karloff was perhaps one of the most underated and illused actors in film history. Cynthia Lyndsay's book provides a most personal and loving journey into this gentleman's life. Included too in her portrait is a concise history of acting in the early 20th century as well as a detailed portrait of the actor's craft. Karloff was the consumate professional on stage and screen and off. This book is highly reccomended for any interested in the craft of acting.

Cynthia Lindsay was born in Great Neck NY and moved to California for school. She worked as a swimmer, skater, actress, and author. She was in "Footlight Parade" (p.83). Boris Karloff was a close and beloved friend, his daughter is her godchild (p.ix). Boris was a passionate gardner. "Dear Boris" was what his friends called him. Researching Boris' life was difficult, family records were destroyed in the London Blitz. Boris migrated from England to Canada in 1909 at age 21, the records of this era are lost (p.xi). But she found sources from fans and Boris' widow. Boris kept working until he died, he never wanted to retire (p.175). He died in February 1969 and had a small private funeral (p.177).

William Henry Pratt was the youngest of a large family (p.2). A legacy allowed Boris to migrate to Canada (p.11). He worked as a laborer until he joined a stock company (p.15). He picked "Boris Karloff" as a stage name. After a few years with stock companies he went to Hollywood and worked as an extra (p.27). Boris kept his secrets (p.33). Little is known about his 2 or 3 marriages in the 1920s (p.37). Boris' part in "Frankenstein" made him famous (Chapter 10), he was a character actor for years. "Many children's fairy tales are far more frightening that `Frankenstein'" (p.64). Boris felt sorry for Bela Lugosi (p.71). [Two exclamation points represent rabbit tracks - page 75.] Cynthia tells how she met Boris, and about life in the 1930s. Boris was an early supporter of the Screen Actor's Guild (pp.90-97). Boris "sang" in "Charlie Chan at the Opera" (p.101).

The remaining chapters cover Boris' life on stage and on screen. He was liked by many but kept his secrets. His daughter Sara learned of his death from the news on TV (p.141). Boris appeared on TV shows in the 1950s. In his last years he suffered from emphysema and arthritis (p.150). But he still worked. "Targets" was his last American film (Chapter 21). Boris played an old horror movie actor who earned a living by guest appearances. It was stitched together from left-overs (p.168), like Frankenstein's Monster. It is a low-budget message movie that wasn't as successful as "The Night of the Living Dead". This is followed by photos for Boris from his many films from 1916 to 1972, and a catalog of the films (pp.235-273). Note how many times he played a villain in his early films.