BORIS KARLOFF: Arsenic And Old Lace 

You know, I think my earliest memory of seeing "Arsenic And Old Lace" on TV was during an afternoon movie showcase in the early 1960s. That might've been the first time I ever saw Peter Lorre in anything. How cool is that? But then, there was that apparent imposter, who wasn't Boris Karloff at all -- but everybody said that he LOOKED like him. (hee-hee) In later years, I certainly came to regret that Karloff wasn't permitted to appear in Warner Bros.'s very enjoyable film adaptation, but (as legend has it) the play's producers insisted that -- without Karloff's name on the marque -- they'd lose too much money during their Broadway run. Interestingly, director Frank Capra is said to have wanted Boris Karloff and Bob Hope, but he ended up with Raymond Massey and Cary Grant. Oh well, they both did fine jobs in their own right. That leaves the two radio versions with Karloff, and the two TV versions with Karloff. When I first posted this tribute clip, the radio versions were still rather difficult to find. Happily, that's no longer the case, and they're out there to be had in their unedited forms. I've also seen the Boris Karloff / Tony Randall TV version here on YT, which was fun. Not sure if it's still up and running though. You know, I really related to what you said about searching for especially wonderful vintage movie stills. I used to frequent a small store on Hollywood Blvd. back in the '70s, and they'd have all of their 8X10s conveniently filed under movie titles and actors names. What a great place it was to spend an afternoon! I still have a couple treasured publicity pics that I bought there: Peter O'Toole from "The Ruling Class" and Bud Cort from "Brewster McCloud", safely stashed away somewhere in my bedroom closet. However, as you say, I'm sure that such businesses have passed into extinction with the advent of 300 DPI internet photo galleries. It's always a pleasure to welcome a new subscriber. Thanks so much for your thoughtful comments.

gothling1955 love this man too😊 I only realised some six months ago, that he even existed. Lol since then I can tell you I now have watch heaps. Have to wiki him as I don't know all of the things he has done. Am very happy I found him in internet land and his videos/movies😊

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So true. The part of Jonathan has surely been tackled by several actors of note, but Karloff is doubtless the standard by which everyone else is measured. Rightfully so, too. And as for bringing down the house with a single line, I know that for me, it has always been when Jonathan bitterly exclaims: "He said I look like Boris Karloff!" -- especially when it's delivered by Karloff himself. What a surreal moment that tends to be. That line might well have inspired other similar references in a couple movies of note: "Dick Tracy Meets Gruesome", when the detective comments about a disappearing corpse in the morgue resembling Karloff, and "Curse Of The Crimson Altar", when the supposed hero states that the house he's just arrived in looks to be so shadowy, you'd expect to find Karloff just around the next corner -- and the jokes were reinforced by Karloff's presence in both movies. I love stuff like that.

When Lugosi played the role the producers had to have slipped in a line like, "WHAT accent?"

Thanks so much. I really wanted the end result of this project to be kind of special. I vastly appreciate your kind compliment. Thanks for watching my humble tribute clip. Best wishes!

mike reyes Me, too. Boris Karloff live on stage, playing the legendary role written specifically for him -- what an event it would've been to have seen firsthand.

Me three! When the 'he said I look just like Boris Karloff' line was used in the movie, it totally lost any and all significance.