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New Documentary Honoring Horror Icon Boris Karloff Coming This Fall

Boris Karloff in 'Frankenstein' (1931)
Source: Universal

Over a half of a century after his death, horror legend Boris Karloff is still held in high regard as one of the most iconic actors to have ever lived. Now an all-new feature-length documentary about the Frankenstein star is currently in production with Voltage Films that will honor the cinematic legacy of the man behind the masks.

The documentary, which is titled Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster, is being co-produced and co-written by the filmmaking team of Ron MacCloskey and Thomas Hamilton, with Hamilton directing the project as well. MacCloskey has dedicated a whopping 23 years of his life to this project, travelling all around the world to thoroughly research to ensure the most accurate and detailed account of Karloff’s legacy can be presented in this film.

Boris Karloff in 'The Body Snatcher' (1945)
Source: RKO Pictures

Since 2018, MacCloskey and his team have conducted over fifty interviews with big names in the film industry including Guillermo Del Toro (Pacific Rim), John Landis (An American Werewolf In London), Peter Bogdanovich (Mask), Roger Corman (Frankenstein Unbound), Kevin Brownlow (Lon Chaney: A Thousand Faces), and the late Christopher Plummer (Knives Out).

The goal of this new documentary is to take a closer look back at Karloff’s magnificent entertainment career that spanned six decades and made him one of the most iconic names in Hollywood history. Karloff appeared in over 200 film and television roles throughout his lengthy acting career including his legendary turns as horror icons like The Mummy in The Mummy (1932), and Frankenstein’s Monster in Frankenstein (1931), Bride Of Frankenstein (1935), and Son of Frankenstein (1939).

Boris Karloff In 'The Mummy' (1932)
Source: Universal

This documentary also acts as a follow-up to the fan-favorite biography book Boris Karloff: More Than A Monster (2010), which was written by Karloff’s official biographer Stephen Jacobs. Jacobs is also set to serve as this new documentary’s historical consultant.

Hamilton is a fan with a massive amount of respect for the late actor saying:

Boris Karloff was the ultimate professional. He demonstrated incredible work ethic and gave everything to his roles. He brings humanity and vulnerability to all his performances, especially in his portrayal as Frankenstein’s monster. Karloff communicates a powerful sense of yearning in the creature, hoping for a gesture of human warmth from his creator, and he conveys its forlorn sense of confusion through his extraordinary eyes.

Another face that is being brought to the forefront of people’s minds in this new documentary is that Karloff was actually one of the founding members of the Screen Actors Guild back in 1933. He was a strong believer in protecting the rights of up-and-comers in the acting industry and wanted to do everything in his power to ensure that no one was taken advantage of by the studios. Karloff had no problem using his place in the industry to speak out against studio heads. Of Karloff’s efforts to protect his fellow actors, documentary producer Ron MacCloskey said:

He cared so much about the working actor. He didn’t have to do it; he had fame and money and it posed a serious risk to his career, but he knew how bit-part actors were treated.

The new documentary, Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster, is set to release this October just in time for the 90th anniversary of one of Karloff’s greatest performances in Universal Studios, Frankenstein, in November 2021. Voltage Films are currently still in negotiations with several distributors to determine where the film will be available upon its release.

Boris Karloff and Elsa Lanchester in 'The Bride Of Frankenstein' (1935)
Source: Universal

Will you be checking out Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster when it airs this fall? What other film icons would you like to see feature-length documentaries about? Be sure to let us know your thoughts in the comments section below and stick around Geek Anything for more great horror updates!

 

Source: Variety

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