A great costume

It was 45 years ago today, on Oct. 26, 1962, that actor Boris Karloff donned his famous Frankenstein's Monster make-up for the last time.

He died just a few years later at age 81 in 1969.

Karloff had joined fellow spooky acting greats Lon Chaney Jr. and Peter Lorre to appear as themselves on an episode of the CBS TV series "Route 66."

Chaney Jr. also agreed to get into his Wolf Man make-up for one of the scenes.

"Getting into that wonderful make-up and costume that Universal Studios make-up artist Jack Pierce created, wasn't any easy feat," said Sara Karloff, 68, the daughter of the Hollywood legend.

"But my father was always a good sport and always every bit the gentleman."

On Saturday, Karloff will follow in her father's famous, frightening footsteps for the first time, by allowing herself to be made up into Frankenstein's Monster.

When I interviewed Sara over the weekend at Hollywood Boulevard Movie Theater in Woodridge, Ill. (www.atriptothemovies.com), I asked her what inspired her to finally subject herself to the tedious task of sitting for more than two hours of make-up and latex after all these years.

The answer is: Hugh Hefner.

"I've known Hef for so many years, and he always gives the best Halloween parties," Karloff said.

"And so this Saturday, I finally agreed to come as my father's famous screen alter-ego for his party at the Playboy Mansion."

Even though Halloween is the holiday most often associated with Karloff's father's lasting image, Sara said her father was often even more pleased when people asked him about his cartoon voice-over work playing the green meanie the Grinch, for the Dr. Seuss TV special "How the Grinch Stole Christmas."

Before hosting at last weekend's Chicagoland screening of the 1931 classic "Frankenstein," Sara also surprised theater owner Ted Bulthaup by bringing a reel of "home movies," which included many rare moments of her with her father, including portions of her 1957 "surprise" tribute appearance with her father on Ralph Edwards' NBC series "This Is Your Life," as well as the only rare flickering color footage of her father in his original 1930s monster make-up joking around on the movie set with Pierce.

And yep, despite the black-and-white filming, the monster's make-up really was an eerie green.

As for career regrets, her father only had one.

He desperately wanted to star with Cary Grant and Peter Lorre in director Frank Capra's classic 1944 film "Arsenic and Old Lace," playing the sinister role of brother Jonathan, who because of botched plastic surgery "looks frighteningly like Boris Karloff."

After all, it was the role HE had ALREADY created so successfully (and was still playing at the time) on Broadway.

However, the Broadway producers refused to release him from his contract to shoot the film.

(Visit the online version of my column today at www.nwitimes.com for photographs of Sara Karloff, who really does look remarkably like her father.)

The opinions expressed are solely those of the writer. He can be reached at ppotempa@nwitimes.com or 219.852.4327.

celebBirthdays

Actress Shelley Morrison ("Will and Grace") is 71. Actor Bob Hoskins is 65. Author Pat Conroy ("The Prince of Tides") and actress Jaclyn Smith ("Charlie's Angels") are 62. "Wheel of Fortune" host Pat Sajak and guitarist Keith Hopwood of Herman's Hermits are 61. Sen. Hillary Rodham Clinton and singer Tom Osmond of the Osmond Brothers are 60. Musician Bootsy Collins and singer Maggie Roche of the Roches are 56. Actor James Pickens Jr. ("Grey's Anatomy") is 55. Guitarist Keith Strickland of The B-52s is 54. Actress Rita Wilson is 51. Actor Dylan McDermott ("The Practice") is 46. Actor Cary Elwes is 45. Singer Natalie Merchant is 44. Country singer Keith Urban is 40. Actor Tom Cavanagh ("Ed") is 39. Identical twin brother actors Jon Heder ("Blades of Glory," "Napoleon Dynamite") and Dan Heder ("Funky Town") are 30. Singer Mark Barry of

BBMak is 29.