The Frankenstein Monster was of Mixed Race.
Did this headline get your attention?
Please read on.
Being a fan of the many horror films of the 30s and 40s, especially those from Universal studios, since they first appeared on my parent's television in '57, sparked a passion in me. Even at the ripe old age of 5, I became fascinated with many of these films, after overcoming my initial fear of them....for many, if not most, of the 'monsters' were actually the victims.
When I first watched Boris Karloff in '31 Frankenstein, I had nightmares for several days. He truly terrified me. It took awhile but after watching '35 Bride of Frankenstein, some time later, I came to understand it all. The Monster was a victim...a victim of a 'father' (Henry Frankenstein) who abandoned him, and victim of a society who rejected him at every turn. He was 'the other' the outcast.
My enjoyment of these films went far beyond simply watching them. I wanted to know more...especially about the actors.
Boris Karloff was born in England. He had a lisp and because of it, he was teased by others and that caused him to withdraw.
Something else added to his woe. Both of his parents were of Anglo/Indian heritage. He had an olive skin tone.
"By the prevailing standards at the time of his birth, Boris Karloff would not have been considered white,” writes WB Reeves in The Daily Kos. “By providing a romanticized story of a young, aspiring actor rebelling against family traditions and expectations, Karloff obscured the fact that his parents, Edward John Pratt, Jr. and Eliza Sarah Millard, were both of Anglo-Indian descent…According to Karloff’s daughter Sara, he seldom spoke of his childhood but she had the impression that it wasn’t a particularly happy time for him. While his ancestry was no secret within the family, he would deflect remarks about his deep tan by outsiders with casual references to his passion for gardening or otherwise laboring outdoors. He never, as far as can be determined, spoke about it publicly…What is certain is that Karloff’s recasting as the epitome of the English gentleman, and the consequent concealment of his mixed-race status, allowed him a success that the racism of the time would have otherwise rendered unlikely. To confirm this one need only consider that the career of Merle Oberon provides another case in point.”
One thing Boris Karloff had was his kindness and gentleness. Those familiar will know that he was often referred to as 'Dear Boris.'
“He looked at you when he spoke to you,” Kennard will tell biographer Scott Allen Nollen years later. “He listened to you when you spoke…He was warm. He was the most gentle man I’ve ever known in this business.”
Please read on.
Being a fan of the many horror films of the 30s and 40s, especially those from Universal studios, since they first appeared on my parent's television in '57, sparked a passion in me. Even at the ripe old age of 5, I became fascinated with many of these films, after overcoming my initial fear of them....for many, if not most, of the 'monsters' were actually the victims.
When I first watched Boris Karloff in '31 Frankenstein, I had nightmares for several days. He truly terrified me. It took awhile but after watching '35 Bride of Frankenstein, some time later, I came to understand it all. The Monster was a victim...a victim of a 'father' (Henry Frankenstein) who abandoned him, and victim of a society who rejected him at every turn. He was 'the other' the outcast.
My enjoyment of these films went far beyond simply watching them. I wanted to know more...especially about the actors.
Boris Karloff was born in England. He had a lisp and because of it, he was teased by others and that caused him to withdraw.
Something else added to his woe. Both of his parents were of Anglo/Indian heritage. He had an olive skin tone.
"By the prevailing standards at the time of his birth, Boris Karloff would not have been considered white,” writes WB Reeves in The Daily Kos. “By providing a romanticized story of a young, aspiring actor rebelling against family traditions and expectations, Karloff obscured the fact that his parents, Edward John Pratt, Jr. and Eliza Sarah Millard, were both of Anglo-Indian descent…According to Karloff’s daughter Sara, he seldom spoke of his childhood but she had the impression that it wasn’t a particularly happy time for him. While his ancestry was no secret within the family, he would deflect remarks about his deep tan by outsiders with casual references to his passion for gardening or otherwise laboring outdoors. He never, as far as can be determined, spoke about it publicly…What is certain is that Karloff’s recasting as the epitome of the English gentleman, and the consequent concealment of his mixed-race status, allowed him a success that the racism of the time would have otherwise rendered unlikely. To confirm this one need only consider that the career of Merle Oberon provides another case in point.”
One thing Boris Karloff had was his kindness and gentleness. Those familiar will know that he was often referred to as 'Dear Boris.'
“He looked at you when he spoke to you,” Kennard will tell biographer Scott Allen Nollen years later. “He listened to you when you spoke…He was warm. He was the most gentle man I’ve ever known in this business.”
