The Best Boris Karloff Movies

Updated September 21, 2019 3.0k votes 236 voters 18.9k views98 items

List RulesVote for your favorite movies, regardless of critic reviews or how big the role was.

List of the best Boris Karloff movies, ranked best to worst with movie trailers when available. Boris Karloff's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. The order of these top Boris Karloff movies is decided by how many votes they receive, so only highly rated Boris Karloff movies will be at the top of the list. Boris Karloff has been in a lot of films, so people often debate each other over what the greatest Boris Karloff movie of all time is. If you and a friend are arguing about this then use this list of the most entertaining Boris Karloff films to end the squabble once and for all.

If you think the best Boris Karloff role isn't at the top, then upvote it so it has the chance to become number one. The greatest Boris Karloff performances didn't necessarily come from the best movies, but in most cases they go hand in hand.

The list you're viewing is made up of a variety of different films, including Two Arabian Knights and The Haunted Strangler.

"This list answers the questions, "What are the best Boris Karloff movies?" and "What are the greatest Boris Karloff roles of all time?"

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1
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7
Bride of Frankenstein
Boris Karloff, Walter Brennan
Released: 1935
Directed by: James Whale
Bride of Frankenstein is a 1935 American horror film, the first sequel to Frankenstein. Bride... more on Wikipedia
2
67
9
House of Frankenstein
Boris Karloff, Lon Chaney
Released: 1944
Directed by: Erle C. Kenton
House of Frankenstein is an American monster horror film starring Boris Karloff and Lon... more on Wikipedia
3
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16
Frankenstein
Boris Karloff, John Boles
Released: 1931
Directed by: James Whale
Frankenstein is a 1931 horror monster film from Universal Pictures directed by James Whale and... more on Wikipedia
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50
7
Black Friday
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi
Released: 1940
Directed by: Arthur Lubin
Black Friday is a 1940 American science fiction film starring Boris Karloff. Béla Lugosi,... more on Wikipedia
5
53
10
Tower of London
Vincent Price, Boris Karloff
Released: 1939
Directed by: Rowland V. Lee
Tower of London is a 1939 black-and-white historical film and quasi-horror film released by... more on Wikipedia
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45
7
The Black Cat
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi
Released: 1934
Directed by: Edgar G. Ulmer
Not to be confused with the 1941 version also featuring Bela Lugosi. The Black Cat is a 1934... more on Wikipedia
7
49
12
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff
Boris Karloff, Lou Costello
Released: 1949
Directed by: Charles Barton
Abbott and Costello Meet the Killer, Boris Karloff is a 1949 comedy horror film starring... more on Wikipedia
8
48
13
The Mummy
Boris Karloff, Edward Van Sloan
Released: 1932
Directed by: Karl Freund
The Mummy is a 1932 horror film from Universal Studios directed by Karl Freund and stars Boris... more on Wikipedia
More The Mummy
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21
The Body Snatcher
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi
Released: 1945
Directed by: Robert Wise
The Body Snatcher is a 1945 horror film directed by Robert Wise based on the short story The... more on Wikipedia
10
36
8
The Raven
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi
Released: 1935
Directed by: Lew Landers
The Raven is a 1935 American horror film directed by Lew Landers and starring Boris Karloff... more on Wikipedia
11
38
12
Son of Frankenstein
Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi
Released: 1939
Directed by: Rowland V. Lee
Son of Frankenstein is a horror monster film and is the third film in Universal Studios'... more on Wikipedia
More Son of Frankenstein
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The Murders in the Rue Morgue
Val Kilmer, Ian McShane
Released: 1986
Directed by: Jeannot Szwarc, A. Edward Sutherland, Robert Florey, Edgar G. Ulmer
Murders in the Rue Morgue is a pre-Code 1932 horror film, loosely based on Edgar Allan Poe's... more on Wikipedia
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32
7
The General
Boris Karloff, Mike Donlin
Released: 1926
Directed by: Buster Keaton, Clyde Bruckman
The General is a 1926 American silent comedy film released by United Artists. Inspired by the... more on Wikipedia
More The General
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33
10
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty
Boris Karloff, Danny Kaye
Released: 1947
Directed by: Norman Z. McLeod
The Secret Life of Walter Mitty is a 1947 Technicolor comedy film, loosely based on the short... more on Wikipedia
15
37
15
The Terror
Jack Nicholson, Boris Karloff
Released: 1963
Directed by: Francis Ford Coppola, Jack Nicholson, Roger Corman, Jack Hill, Monte Hellman
The Terror is a low budget American horror film produced and directed by Roger Corman about a... more on Wikipedia
More The Terror
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Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
Boris Karloff, June Foray
Released: 1966
Directed by: Chuck Jones, Ben Washam
This special is a 1966 American animated television special directed by Chuck Jones. It is... more on Wikipedia
More Dr. Seuss' How the Grinch Stole Christmas!
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The Climax
Boris Karloff, Turhan Bey
Released: 1944
Directed by: George Waggner
The Climax is a horror film produced by Universal Pictures, first released in the United... more on Wikipedia
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23
3
The Man with Nine Lives
Boris Karloff, Bruce Bennett
Released: 1940
Directed by: Nick Grinde
The Man with Nine Lives is a 1940 American science fiction mystery film directed by Nick... more on Wikipedia
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33
15
The Old Dark House
Boris Karloff, Charles Laughton
Released: 1932
Directed by: James Whale
The Old Dark House is a 1932 American pre-Code comedy horror film directed by James Whale. It... more on Wikipedia
More The Old Dark House
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Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Boris Karloff, Lou Costello
Released: 1953
Directed by: Charles Lamont
Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1953 American comedy horror film... more on Wikipedia
More Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
#27 of 60 The Best Horror Movies of the 1950s#17 of 52 The Best Comedy Movies of the 1950s
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The Ghoul
Boris Karloff, Ralph Richardson
Released: 1933
Directed by: T. Hayes Hunter
The Ghoul is a British horror film starring Boris Karloff, Cedric Hardwicke, Ernest Thesiger,... more on Wikipedia
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23
6
The Walking Dead
Boris Karloff, Barton MacLane
Released: 1936
Directed by: Michael Curtiz
The Walking Dead is a 1936 American horror film distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, directed... more on Wikipedia
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21
4
Before I Hang
Boris Karloff, Evelyn Keyes
Released: 1940
Directed by: Nick Grinde
Before I Hang is a 1940 American science fiction, horror film released by Columbia Pictures,... more on Wikipedia
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9
Targets
Randy Quaid, Boris Karloff
Released: 1968
Directed by: Peter Bogdanovich
Targets is a 1968 American thriller, written, produced and directed by Peter Bogdanovich and... more on Wikipedia
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25
10
Scarface
Jean Harlow, Boris Karloff
Released: 1932
Directed by: Howard Hawks, Richard Rosson
Scarface is a 1932 American film starring Paul Muni, produced by Howard Hughes and Howard... more on Wikipedia
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