Book Description

Everyone knows Rudyard Kipling's animals are the ones most worthknowing anywhere. This collection—beautifully performed by Boris Karloff—includes Kipling's Just So Stories (where we meet the animals when the world was new—so new, in fact, that the Rhinoceros had not yet losthis buttons!) and stories from his timeless classic, The Jungle Book.

Customer Reviews (10)

Karloff is the best!
Boris Karloff is the best story teller and the comniation of his voice and Kipling's stories is magical for kids and adult!

sound problems
The sound on the CD was so low, it was hard to hear even if you push the volume up to the limit

The Inimitable Uncle Boris
Kipling is not my favorite author; his "Just So Stories," not my favorite from among his works. What puts this item over is the inimitable voice of William Henry Pratt, better known as Boris Karloff. One listens to this classic recording and wishes that Karloff had been unleashed before a microphone with Shakespeare, Dickens, English Romantic poetry, or even BBC weather forecasts. We embrace what we have, however, and Karloff's reading of Kipling's fey fables is pure gold. When producing his classic version of Dr. Seuss' "How the Grinch Stole Christmas!" animator Chuck Jones had in mind only one narrator.These were the recordings that convinced Jones there could be no voice other than that of Boris Karloff. There wasn't, and still isn't.

Poor sound quality
We like to listen to audiobooks in the car. The sound quality on this was very uneven, making car listening extremely difficult and unpleasant. Can I return it?

Many stories missing!
Missing are The Cat that Walked Alone, The Butterfly that Stomped, How the First Letter Was Written, and Mowgli's Brothers.

What's on the cd are the 7 stories: How the Whale Got His Throat, How the Camel Got His Hump, How the Rhinoceros Got His Skin, The Elephant's Child, The Sing-Song of Old Man Kangaroo, The Beginning of the Armadillos, How the Leopard Got His Spots.

I don't have the sound problems described in other reviews; the sound is indeed a bit low, but not low enough for me to complain about. ... Read more

Product Description
It is 1938 and there is murder afoot on the set of Son of Frankenstein Boris Karloff has been framed for murder!He joins forces with Basil Rathbone, in full Sherlockian mode,and a gleeful Bela Lugosi.It s a case of the legends ofhorror meet the three stooges asour daring heroes search for a missing movie mogul andend up crossing swords with the Hollywood Mob. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (7)

Poorly written, sloppily edited...
I wanted so badly to like this book because I'm a great fan of the horror classics, but this story was so poorly written and edited that it was tough to complete. I was astonished at the number of glowing reviews until I looked at the reviewers' past reviews and found most to be their first reviews, indicating to me that they were friends of the author.

So what's wrong with this book? For starters, the characters' "voices", with the exception of Rathbone, are very similar, if not exactly the same. The author has a habit of oversuing excamation points!!! to exhaustion. Often there are several per page. He also uses emphasis in CAPS most of the time, and a few times correctly in itlaics. Whomever edited this story should go back to editing school.

While the author obviously has great knowledge of the movie industry, he doesn't know much, if anything, about gangsters. Bugsy Siegal got homicidal if you called him "Bugsy" to his face, and certainly would never have referred to himself with the monicker. The mob guys were depicted as very cartoonish and did not suspend disbelief.

Evidently the author is writing a second in this series. I certainly hope he spins a better yarn and brushes up on his notes from Writing 101.

This book NEEDS to be a movie!
Who Framed Boris Karloff was a delightful read and enthralling until the very last page! For fans of the monster movie genre the final thought while closing the back cover is "This should really be made into a movie!".Dwight Kemper takes you to a place where movie stars, producers and gangsters run Hollywood and the amazing trio of Boris Karloff, Basil Rathbone and Bela Lugosi conspire to save the day, or at least save Karloff!
All around it's a stellar book and worth the read, BRAVO!

They're alive!
Who Framed Boris Karloff? was extremely enjoyable and the personalities were brought vividly to life.I didn't want it to end.These guys are my horror heroes and I look forward to Mr. Kemper's next book.
Highly recommended for both mystery fans and horror fans.

An Absolute Delight!
What can I say about 'Who Framed Boris Karloff?'The book captures yourattention as it opens with some wonderful tidbits of trivia concerning the screening of Universal's "Son of Frankenstien", and continues to build from there.Intrigue mounts from the very beginning, as the author establishes suspects before the crime is even committed and once it is committed, only continues to build towards a breathless and exciting finale that will surely please Universal Monster fans and Mystery fans alike.I think that the most pleasing aspect of this book is the fact that it does build so well.There's never a dull moment from beginning to end.The lead characters are well rounded and believable, working not only to provide pictures of the men this story was based on, but also capturing the essence of the Hollywood Icons they were believed to be in their day.The mystery is wonderful with lots of twists and turns, the actual Hollywood history mixes so well with the fiction that if not for the writer's notes at the end it would be hard to tell one from the other, and best of all this book is funny, and funny in a way that accentuates the rising tension instead of hindering it.Beyond the universal monster trivia, beyond the mystery, and even beyond the comedy, this is just a well written book.It is sure to please any fan of the afore named genres, and even if you are not a fan of the previously mentioned, the character story in and of itself is well worth the purchase price.'Who Framed Boris Karloff' is a masterpiece from beginning to end!

Reads like a "Lost" Universal Screenplay
BRAVO!! From the moment this tome arrived in my mailbox I found it almost impossible to put down! The PERFECT mix between a Universal screenplay & a Toby Peters mystery. VERY highly recommended!!

- Dan ... Read more

Book Description
Since his death in 1969, Boris Karloff remains one of Hollywood’s most famous figures. He is still revered for his talent, his many qualities that earned him admiration and respect,and,of course, his landmark role as the Monster in the 1931 movie classic Frankenstein.This biography, the result of many years of interviews and extensive research, examines Karloff the person, as well as the actor. His work (which lasted more than half a century) in films, radio, television, and the theater is covered in detail, highlighted with accounts by many who knew him and worked with him. Among the contributors are Robert Anderson, Peter Bogdanovich, Ray Bradbury, Julie Harris, Tony Randall, Ronald Reagan, Eli Wallach, and Jonathan Winters. With the support of the Karloff family, Gordon Shriver pays tribute to this much-loved performer who will never be forgotten. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Karloff Biography
A beautifully written biography, the author explores with much affection the actor whose personal life was juxtaposed to "the monster" he is best known for portraying.A must-read for horror/terror fans as well as theatre/movie buffs.

A Man to Remember
This is a detailed review of the life of Boris Karloff by an author who performed a vast amount of research and who has a true fondness for the person he was writing about.The picture of Karloff presented in this book changed my perception of the man greatly. Very well done.I recommend it highly to anyone who is only vagurely familiar with Mr. Karloff and his work.

A Must For Karloff Fans
The other day I was fairly well sure I was going to be having a bad day. I had an afternoon appointment to see a medical specialist for an exam; I was on pins and needles with anxiety. (Turns out I'm fine.) But did I have a bad day? No. I had just gotten in the mail a new book that cheered me and entertained me--Gordon F. Shriver's BORIS KARLOFF: THE MAN REMEMBERED. I read it all the way through the same day I got it! The basic facts of Karloff's life won't be new to anyone who has read other bios on The King Of Horror. But Mr. Shriver has painstakingly assembled a large gathering of anecdotes and details of Boris' personal and professional life that WILL be new to fans of Karloff, and has provided as well as a few photos that won't be familiar at all to Karloff aficionados.

Any Karloff kompletist will want this next to his/her copy of Cynthia Lindsay's DEAR BORIS. (I think of them as companion volumes.) You will know Boris better. You will also get a better sense of what Evie Karloff, Boris' last wife, was like, and for that we can be grateful as well. Really--if you like classic horror films, and enjoy biography, do yourself a favor and get this book!

A Lifetime Labor of Love
Evidently, Gordon Shriver has been a big fan of one of the greatest actors (not to mention human beings, as we discover) of the 20th Century. Apart from a few too many typos and other printer's errors, this book is an easy to read and thoroughly indexed work for your movie masters' shelves. I was alternately thrilled and awed by the sheer number of people Karloff touched - professionally and personally. Gordon Shriver managed to meet or otherwise correspond with literally dozens of them; their kind and candid obseervations and charming anecdotes bring a fresh perspective to a movie star much maligned. In light of the most recent retrospective of Boris' work, shown at the Film Forum, NYC, this loving tribute will be most welcomed by karloff fans old and new everywhere. ... Read more

Product Description
Being able to know and work with Sara Jane Karloff on this project has been a highlight of my career.Hopefully this book is the most thorough, accurate and entertaining chronicle of her father, Boris Karloff''s, fascinating life.Perhaps a few Karloff mysteries have been solved.—Scott Allen Nollen ... Read more

Customer Reviews (3)

A very well researched portrait of the gentle craftsman
The author has done a most commendable job researching and developing his central thesis: That Mr. Karloff was indeed not only a fine actor who was truly dedicated to the pursuit of excellence in his craft, but also aconcerned and active gentleman who pursued a dignified union to protect theprofession he loved. This book is highly reccomended for not only theexisting fans (who will already know much of the information present inthis volume) but also to the new Karloff fans as well as anyone interestedin the history of acting and Hollywood. The author also makes a strong casethat Karloff needs to be rightly placed along side the other greats ofHollywood and Broadway history. A good entertaining and enlightening read.

This is what BIOGRAPHY should be!
I long have been a fan of the great actor Boris Karloff, but I now have an entirely different perspective of him as a HUMAN BEING after reading Scott Allen Nollen's BORIS KARLOFF: A GENTLEMAN'S LIFE.One always thought of such stories as rumor, but Nollen's book PROVES what a WONDERFUL manKarloff was, while simultaneously scaring the hell out of us!Anyoneinterested in the power of film should read this book.What a fascinatinglife, as well as film career!

Revealing the man beneath the makeup.
Much has been written about Boris Karloff in terms of the characters he played. Until now,very few have known, much less understood, Karloff's passion for the craft and vocation of acting, his profound work ethic, andthe dedication, depth and humanity he brought to even his least celebratedroles. Until now, virtually nothing was known about the man's personal lifeand loves.

Scott Allen Nollen fills a deep gap in the legacy left to usby the distinguished British actor, who was instrumental in theestablishment of the horror genre of film, the Screen Actors Guild, andeven the popularization of television as an entertainment medium. And hedoes it beautifully.

"Boris Karloff: A Gentleman's Life" takesus behind the outlandish makeup jobs, the B-movie schtick and the"official" histories, to the place from which the essentialhumanity of Frankenstein's "creature" comes. It reveals a trulygentle - and genteel - soul, whose love for the theatre and for film wasthe source of both his greatest joys, and greatest sorrows.

This is avery important book for Karloff fans, film buffs, and readers whoappreciate solid biography tastefully done. A breakthrough book for anemerging author whose time has come. ... Read more

Book Description
An in-depth look at the film serials of the kings of horrorBoris Karloff, Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney, Jr.Includes information on The Hope Diamond Mystery, King of the Kongo, The Phantom Creeps, Undersea Kingdom and much more.Contains many rare photos.A must for fans of serials. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (4)

Dracula, the Wolf Man and Frankenstein's Monster...weekly, for your pleasure!
Leonard Kohl's book fills a much needed gap in my personal knowledge of cinema history.The serial is a form I remember with great fondness.As a child, it was a part of my first forays into the world on my own when my chums and I hoofed it to the Strand Theater on Saturday mornings for an hour of cartoons, a cowboy double feature, a humiliating go in the yo-yo contest and, of course, to catch the latest installment of .....Radio Patrol....Don Winslow of the Navy...Tim Tyler's Luck...Whatever! By then (circa 1950), the heyday of the cheap and keep-em-coming-back cinema serial was ending and the subjects of Mr. Kohl's excellent work had gone on to bigger things (except, sadly, for Bela Lugosi, who -- as I discovered in "Sinister Serials" -- began his American film career with bigger things, only to slide into the world of serials).

This book is clear, concise, and well written.Kohl spins out the stories of these three seminal film figures and provides us with an outstanding look at a now-past era in film history.An excellent piece of work!

If you're wearing a hat, hold on!!!
Because Mr. Kohl will blow you away!!!! This is a fine book. The research is impeccable. The photos are sublime. Kudos to the author!!! I saw Mr. Kohl give the commencement address at the University of Chicago and the crowd was mesmerized. Most likely, because he hadn't been invited by the school to give it.

Thumbs up for a fine job
Leonard Kohl's first book is a fine effort, a splendid purchase for any fan of the big three horror icons who made serials.It is loaded with interesting facts.Where else could you discover that silent comedy starHarry Langdon almost co-starred with Lugosi in THE WHISPERING SHADOW. Thebook is chock full of rare photos, and they are a genuine treat. Fans ofCharle Chan would be happy to find rare photos of Warner Oland from silentserials.This volume is a recommended purchase.As an author myself, Ican see the hard work and dedication that went ito this volume.

Agreat read, and handy reference, for movie buffs
Kudos to Kohl, who has done a fine job of presenting an informative, and always fair-handed, look at a fascinating period in movie making. This is clearly the product of painstaking research, resulting in a heaping-helping of historical data, elucidating testimonials, with a rich array of pictures to boot. Every true fan of "The Sreamsome Threesome"--Karloff, Lugosi, and Chaney--and the too-often overlooked serials genre, should get their hands on this. ... Read more

Amazon.com
Today, Boris Karloff is known principally for his portrayal of the Frankenstein monster and his narration of the television special How the Grinch Stole Christmas. He was, in fact, an amazingly talented actor whose characteristic lisp never kept him from playing a great variety of parts. Author Cynthia Lindsay was a personal friend of Karloff's for more than 30 years. As she tells the story of his life, she not only brings forth the consummate professional who felt that to act was to live but also describes Karloff as an extraordinarily warm and genteel man, the antithesis of the roles he is most famous for. A full filmography and hundreds of photographs are included in this loving biography. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (1)

A tender and insightful look into a craftsman's life.
William Henry Pratt aka Boris Karloff was perhaps one of the most underated and illused actors in film history. Cynthia Lyndsay's book provides a most personal and loving journey into this gentleman's life. Included too in her portrait is a concise history of acting in the early 20th century as well as a detailed portrait of the actor's craft. Karloff was the consumate professional on stage and screen and off. This book is highly reccomended for any interested in the craft of acting. ... Read more