Montclair, NJ – Just in time for Halloween, Sara Karloff visits Montclair, Tuesday, October 26 as part of a national tour celebrating this year’s 90th anniversary of Universal’s 1931 “Frankenstein.” While in town, she will host Montclair TV34’s annual Fright Film Fest and attend Montclair State University’s New Jersey premiere presentation of the critically acclaimed 2021 documentary film “Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster.”
As part of its 2021 Films and Filmmakers Series, Montclair State University Film Institute presents the NJ premiere screening of 2021 documentary “Boris Karloff: the Man Behind the Monster” at Montclair State University at 6 PM on October 26 at the School of Communication and Media’s Presentation Hall. Following the screening, Sara Karloff will participate in a panel discussion with the film’s executive producer, Edison, NJ-based historian Ron MacCloskey. The daughter of the legendary “Frankenstein” actor will share stories about the person she knew as Dad, reflect on her father’s legacy, and offer insightful anecdotes on the origins and enduring popularity of classic Universal Monster films.
“I am absolutely thrilled that ‘Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster’ is now playing to enthusiastic audiences in theaters nationwide, and receiving critical acclaim from coast to coast,” says Karloff. “It’s a perfect time to reflect on my father’s life and legacy, and this film re-examines his personal relationships, career accomplishments, and the horror genre which he helped to define, from a fresh and contemporary perspective.”
Ms. Karloff is one of a few remaining connections to classic Universal monster films. She is a popular guest at monster-themed events promoting and paying tribute to her father’s legacy as a horror film icon.
Sara is also a frequent commentator and interview subject in documentary films and TV programs, reflecting on her father’s life and career, and offering insights and anecdotes on the history and enduring appeal of Universal’s monster movies. More recently she was interviewed for the “Boris Karloff: the Man Behind the Monster” documentary.
Film Fright Fest
To honor “Frankenstein’s” 90th anniversary, TV34’s 2021 Halloween Film Fright Fest features six Boris Karloff films starting at 5 p.m. on October 31. This year’s broadcast is highlighted by introductions with Sara Karloff interviewed by local horror film aficionado Ilmar Vanderer, who served as a consultant on the making of “Boris Karloff: The Man Behind The Monster,” advising the filmmakers on production, promotion, and distribution.
The list of Boris Karloff films to be aired is provided below. The film fright fest begins at 5:00 p.m. on Halloween. Each film will be prefaced with a brief introduction. Stay tuned for a full evening of some of the best Hollywood horror classic films.
1 – The Old Dark House – 5:00 PM (1932, B&W, 1 Hour & 12 Minutes)
This model for spooky house movies and inspiration for The Rocky Horror Picture Show follows stranded travelers who spend a stormy night with a ghoulish household, and stars Boris Karloff as a monstrous butler. With Melvyn Douglas, Gloria Stuart, Charles Laughton, Raymond Massey.
2 – The Ghoul – 6:15 – 6:30 PM (1933, B&W, 1 Hour & 20 Minutes)
Boris Karloff’s first British horror film is a follow-up to The Mummy about an Egyptologist who vows to return from the grave and haunt those who have betrayed him and robbed his priceless treasures. With Sir Cedric Hardwicke, Sir Ralph Richardson, Ernest Thesiger, Anthony Bushell.
3 – House of Frankenstein – 7:55 – 8:05 PM (1944, B&W, 1 Hour & 10 Minutes)
Boris Karloff headlines this all-star monster epic and prototype for modern-day crossover films as a mad scientist who continues Dr. Frankenstein’s experimenting with Dracula, The Wolf Man and Frankenstein’s monster. With Lon Chaney, Jr., John Carradine, Lionel Atwill, George Zucco.
4 – The Haunted Strangler – 9:10 PM – 9:20 PM (1958, B&W, 1 Hour & 18 Minutes)
A fascinating variation on Jekyll & Hyde and Jack The Ripper features Boris Karloff as a novelist whose growing obsession with investigating the identity of a notorious strangler has bizarre and horrifying consequences. With Jean Kent, Anthony Dawson, Desmond Roberts, Elizabeth Allan.
5 – The Terror – 10:40 – 10:50 PM (1963, Color, 1 Hour & 19 Minutes)
Producer Roger Corman’s legendary, low-budget thriller casts Boris Karloff as a mysterious and macabre baron who inhabits an eerie castle where gruesome happenings attract the attention of a stranded Napoleanic soldier. With Jack Nicholson, Sandra Knight, Dick Miller, Jonathan Haze.
6 – The Comedy of Terrors – 12:00 AM – 12:15 AM (1964, Color, 1 Hour & 23 Minutes)
An all-star slapstick horror spoof and historic teaming of Boris Karloff, Vincent Price, and Peter Lorre as comically conniving undertakers who ghoulishly conspire to improve their business by creating their own customers. With Basil Rathbone, Joyce Jameson, Joe E. Brown, Alan DeWitt.
