Yes, between viewing horror movies and hunting for flies, old Renfield actually reads! Herein we present a review of books destined for any horror movie addict's bookshelves...
Boris Karloff: The Man Remembered, by Gordon B. Shriver. (2004, PublishAmerica, pb, 208 pages, $19.95) In Boris Karloff: The Man Remembered, author Gordon Shriver delivers a biography on the actor who first gained fame with his classic portrayal as the monster in the 1931 James Whale film, Frankenstein. While several books have already extensively covered the career of this icon among classic horror fans, Shriver’s entry concentrates on revealing the man behind the image.
Among the interesting items we read: of Karloff’s involvement in the genesis of what would become the Screen Actors Guild; a small, touching story involving a piggy bank which illustrates Karloff’s sensitivity toward "…having it all depend of the monster."; in-depth coverage of Karloff’s participation in perhaps his greatest theatrical achievement, The Lark; the actor’s work for and (surprising!) opinion of director Roger Corman; the courage and determination of the actor in spite of his suffering in the last years of his life. And the above list only scratches the surface of the number of revealing stories the reader finds within. While all the actor’s cinematic highlights are touched upon (including his associations with Lugosi, Price, Lorre, and Rathbone), a refreshing aspect of the book is the amount of pages devoted to Karloff’s theatrical work. This reviewer had never before known the extent of this particular aspect of Karloff’s career, and it’s nice to see the significant coverage the author devotes to it. While most of the information found within the book will already be known to most fans of the actor, it is the insight gained into Karloff the man that is the crowning achievement of the book. Through the incredible number of recollections shared, the actor’s "horror actor" persona is ripped away to reveal a warm, generous, and humble human being – as well one of the most respected and beloved performers of his day. Additional niceties include a selection of photographs that occupy the middle section of the book, and numerous appendices that detail Karloff’s film, television, theatrical, radio, and recording work. On the downside, the lack of an index is a particular hindrance, and one hopes a subsequent edition of the book will correct the high number of typographical errors found throughout (recognized as not being the author’s fault). It’s always when one thinks that everything there is to be uncovered concerning the films and players of the Golden Age of horror films has been that someone comes along with something new and exciting. So it is with Boris Karloff: The Man Remembered. By refreshingly presenting the entire broad range of Karloff’s life and career, author Shriver delivers a more complete and illuminating look into the enigma of Karloff--the man--than has previously been put to paper. An important book.--Reviewed by Jim Nemeth You can check out our previous reviews of horror film books in the Archives section here. Interested in submitting a book review? Just send it here!) Book reviews, unless separately by-lined, are copyright © Joe "Renfield" Meadows. By-lined reviews are the copyright property of the authors. "Book Rack" logo artwork by ERIK WEEMS. |
The result of over
thirty years of research and interviews, the book not only details the life and many
highlights of the beloved actor, but also delivers recollections of Karloff friends and
colleagues, among them: Tony Randall, Robert Bloch, Christopher Lee, Eli Wallach, Roddy
McDowall, Ray Bradbury, Julie Harris - and many others.