We are about to embark on a journey to the past, to explore the unforgettable partnership of two cinematic icons - Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi. These two legends became stars in their own right. Bela Lugosi first, when he was cast as Dracula in his magnetic performance in 1931, and Boris Karloff later that year when he played the horrifying yet misunderstood monster in Frankenstein. You may also recognize Boris as another famous Universal monster: The Mummy.

Universal was excited to capitalize on the popularity of its two stars, and it teamed them up for six movies together at the studio. They also appeared in two more in the 1940s for RKO, but we’re not going to talk about those today, we’re just going to talk about the Universal films. Their six Universal films together were:

The Black Cat
Gift of Gab
The Raven
The Invisible Ray
Son of Frankenstein
Black Friday

And today, I’m going to rank them. I will be ranking on what I’m calling the three C’s:

Chemistry (How good were Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi in their roles, both together and on their own?)
Creeps (How scary was the movie? Did it make me cringe, did it make my mind churn? You get it.)
Caliber (Because I really wanted to round this out with another C and that’s all I could come up with. Basically, how good is the movie and how much do I like it?)

Let’s get ranking!

Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff sit together with their hands clasped, smiling — Name a more iconic horror duo than Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi…

6. Gift of Gab

Gift of Gab is about a radio announcer who can sell anything to anyone, and he gets hired to revive a failing show. It’s quirky and it’s cute, but it/s also disjointed. If I really think about it, I think this movie was probably just a vehicle for cameos and quick laughs, and that’s where Boris and Bela come in.

Chemistry
Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi are on screen for less than 3 minutes, as part of a murder mystery bit. They don’t really appear together in it, and they don’t have a ton to do. When I watched it, I was kind of like, “oh, haha…” and that was it.
Creeps
Bela Lugosi holds the smoking gun, and Boris Karloff is a Phantom, but it’s not particularly scary and unfortunately, it’s not really funny either.
Caliber
Hollywood loves laughing at itself, and I have to imagine that there were a ton of inside jokes and little nods that I just didn’t get, but Bela and Boris really didn’t have much to do. The film leaves something to be desired, and therefore, Gift of Gab is number six of six.

Black Friday was the very last film that Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi teamed up for at Universal, though not their last ever.

5. Black Friday

This was the very last film that Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi teamed up for at Universal, though, as I mentioned, not their last ever. Black Friday is part sci-fi, part gangster film, where a man experiments with a brain transplant in order to keep his friend alive, and to find the location of a hidden $500,000.

Chemistry
Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi don’t get screen time together in this movie. They both do a good job in Black Friday, but I mean Bela’s role is pretty small. If you’re going to watch this movie, I think it’s worth watching for Stanley Ridges’ performance. It’s honestly pretty outstanding.
Creeps:
This is one of those movies where the concept is interesting enough, but the execution just isn’t great. There are a couple scary moments like a car crash or a brain surgery, but overall, it’s not really a horror movie and there just aren’t a lot of creeps to be had.
Caliber
I didn’t love it, and unlike the next movie on this list, I don’t think I could grow to love it. So, I don’t think there’s much more to say, Black Friday comes in at number five.

The Invisible Ray directed by Lambert Hillyer.

4. The Invisible Ray

I spent many of my younger years thinking that The Invisible Ray was a sequel to The Invisible Man. So just an FYI, it’s not. Directed by Lambert Hillyer in 1936, who also directed Dracula’s Daughter that same year, The Invisible Ray follows a scientist who discovers Radium X from a meteorite. But after touching it, he glows in the dark and kills everything he touches…and he starts to go mad.

Chemistry
Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff get some good screen time in The Invisible Ray, both together and on their own. But, some movies you really feel like you’re getting 100, and this one feels a little more like 75%. Boris Karloff does a good job as a mad scientist, but Bela - I mean, it’s probably just the writing, he just doesn’t have as much to do. There’s no battle of the wills, no great rivalry, but sure - it’s good.
Creeps
The Invisible Ray is definitely more sci-fi than horror. And that’s probably kind of why I don’t get that wow factor from them. Yes, they have range, they can do anything, but they are electric when they’re doing horror and when they’re in their element. Here, the Invisible Ray is interesting, but it’s just not the same.
Caliber
There are some very futuristic elements to The Invisible Ray that make it fun to watch when you remember that it was made all the way back in 1936, but there are also some dreadful depictions of tribes in Africa. And in between, I get a little bored. For those reasons, The Invisible Ray is number four.

The Raven is a movie where you have to suspend your disbelief, but it’s a lot of fun!

3. The Raven

The Raven was the third of three films in the 1930s at least somewhat inspired by Edgar Allen Poe. In The Raven, Bela Lugosi plays a neurosurgeon obsessed with Edgar Allen Poe and torture, and who becomes enamored with a dancer he operated on. Boris Karloff plays an escaped convict who is disfigured by Bela Lugosi in an effort to coerce Karloff’s character into helping him with a little torture and murder.

Chemistry
Bela Lugosi makes for a fantastic villain in The Raven. He is so gleeful in his terror, and I love it. This is his movie. Boris Karloff brings so much heart and nuance to the role, despite being on screen for far less time than his co-star. You know, as an aside, Boris Karloff is probably on screen about half the time Bela Lugosi, but he’s the one who received top billing and twice as much pay.
Creeps
It’s creepy! I love the scene when Boris Karloff wake up after his surgery with Bela Lugosi. Despite the makeup and the deformities created by Jack Pierce, you can see the fear and despair coming through from Karloff. Bela, as I mentioned, is so happy, even when saying the darkest things, and that juxtaposition really gets me. Then the house in The Raven is a house of horrors, and some of the “features” totally unlocked new fears for me!
Caliber
The Raven is a movie where you have to suspend your disbelief, but it’s a lot of fun! More than anything, it’s worth watching for Bela Lugosi’s twisted maniacal performance, and also for all the insanity going on in that twisted house. The Raven comes in at number three.

2. Son of Frankenstein

Son of Frankenstein is the third Frankenstein film after Frankenstein and Bride of Frankenstein, though don’t expect a ton of continuity from the first two. Like, if you thought the monster was dead or destroyed, you’d be wrong. In the Son of Frankenstein, the aforementioned son of Frankenstein is returning to his hometown, hoping to rid himself of the stigma associated with the Frankenstein name and the monster his father created. Instead, he finds Ygor living in his father’s old laboratory, and he finds himself carrying on family tradition after all.

Chemistry
Son of Frankenstein gets bonus points for Boris Karloff’s reprisal of his most famous monster, and for Bela Lugosi’s fantastic portrayal as Ygor the lab assistant. The makeup was the work of Jack Pierce, again, and though for the monster there’s nothing necessarily new or exciting, Ygor is really where it’s at. I am pretty sure even that this movie, this Ygor, is what leveled up the importance of lab assistants in pretty much all of cinema for almost a century since.
Creeps
This isn’t the scariest film on the list, and it doesn’t have some of the depth or darkness of the first two Frankenstein films, but I also don’t think Son of Frankenstein intended to. And there is still a ton to appreciate in this category. Boris Karloff never says a word as Frankenstein, but he’s able to convey so much emotion without saying anything - fear, confusion, sadness. And Bela Lugosi as Ygor, just on another level. He’s so campy that it almost becomes creepy. I think this is up there as one of his best performances.
Caliber
It’s not often that the third film in a series is good, but Son of Frankenstein managed to do it! The sets are incredible, the acting is great, and it’s a supremely entertaining film. I would say that Son of Frankenstein is the most fun movie on this list and if you’re looking to start watching and you don’t want to start too dark or heavy, this is the movie for you. I went really back and forth on whether The Raven or Son of Frankenstein should have this spot, but ultimately, I have decided Son of Frankenstein is number two.

1. The Black Cat

The Black Cat follows a newlywed couple whose path crosses with the mysterious Dr. Vitus Verdegast. Vitus seeks revenge against the malevolent Hjalmar Poelzig, a sinister architect who holds dark secrets within his eerie mansion. If you’ve seen my Black Cat video, you already know how I feel about it.

Chemistry
They got the chemistry! I love Boris Karloff as the malevolent Poelzig, so evil that he sends shivers down your spine. And Bela Lugosi - a man consumed by vengeance. I love that in this movie they have so much shared history. And seeing them go head-to-head is such a treat. Do not miss it!
Creeps
The Black Cat is DARK! LIke, necrophilia, incest, someone skinned alive, and even though you don’t see a lot of it like you probably would in a modern horror film, the way that it’s filmed almost lets your imagination make it worse. And the atmosphere on this film is unparalleled. It is German Expressionism to the max, so you’re already kind of on edge going into it.
Caliber
If there’s one movie from this list that you’re going to watch, The Black Cat is it. I mean, I guess obviously, that’s why it’s number one. But I really can’t stress enough how good this movie is. If you want to hear in gruesome detail what makes this movie such a dark, delectable watch. Go watch my Black Cat video - I’ve got it linked here in the video.

Now I’m ready to hear your ranking. I think many will agree with me, but you know I’m not afraid of a fight. How would you rank Bela Lugosi and Boris Karloff’s Universal collaborations?

Ranking Every Boris Karloff and Bela Lugosi Universal Collaboration