Before he played Baron Victor von Frankenstein for Allied Artists International’s 1958 independent film “Frankenstein 1970,” William Henry Pratt aka Boris Karloff was living in Boulder City seeking a divorce from his wife, Dorothy Stein. According to the book “Boris Karloff: A Bio-Bibliography” by Beverley Bare Buehrer, Karloff married Stein, a librarian, years earlier when he was a bit actor. With fame rising, and a girlfriend on the side, Karloff headed to Nevada for a quickie divorce.
The law in Nevada at the time required a six-week residency before filing for a divorce. Being our lovely Boulder City is close to Hollywood, a short stay at the Boulder Dam Hotel appealed to Karloff. Not only did the actor live in Boulder City, but he embraced the musicianship of the late Tommy Nelson. As a 72-year resident of Boulder City, Nelson was a member of the 31ers who built Hoover Dam — that is before he moved on to being one of Karloff’s favorite trumpet players at the hotel.
Back in 1946, the Boulder Dam Hotel was one of the few hotels in Nevada to offer a bathroom inside each hotel room, along with air conditioning. For someone seeking a beautiful location without all the gambling and gangsters associated with Las Vegas, Karloff found the Boulder Dam Hotel to be a perfect hideaway.
Karloff was granted a divorce on April 9, 1946. Karloff married his English girlfriend, Evelyn Hope Helmore, a day later on April 10. Karloff and his new bride returned to California, setting up a new life at 12750 Mulholland Drive in Hollywood. However, the actor, who was known for playing monsters in movies like “The Strange Door,” “The Haunted Strangler” and “Black Sabbath,” probably had no idea that his new address was plagued by allegations of ghosts.
Karloff’s Mulholland Drive home was built five years before the couple moved in. Unlike much of Los Angeles, Mulholland Drive is one thing that hasn’t changed. Constructed in 1924, the two-lane road stretches from Hollywood to Ventura County. Its creepy curves are lined with hidden gated entrances that keep the secret lives of celebrities from spilling out onto the streets.
Mulholland Drive has unfortunately fostered car wreck after car wreck, leading to alleged ghost sightings and a “CBS This Morning” piece on the cars, dating back to the 1940s, that have gone off of its cliff and into Fryman Canyon. If you love to hike and love old Hollywood, the website ModernHiker.com will help you plan out a path to safely experience Fryman Canyon, and you can see Karloff’s home, too.
Much like David Lynch’s 2001 movie “Mulholland Drive,” there is mystery associated with living on Mulholland Drive’s untouched asphalt. Its steadfast ability to remain unchanged gives it a certain magnetism attracting homeowners, visitors and even — like Lynch — filmmakers. Without getting too political, sometimes the allure of untouched locations become more desirable and valuable.
For whatever the reason, maybe it was the constant car wrecks or the rumors of ghosts, Karloff left his Mulholland Drive home a few years after marrying Helmore. Karloff died in 1969. Forever associated with playing monsters, few knew he had a kind heart and often participated in fundraisers for disabled children.
Shortly after his stay here in Boulder City, Karloff went on to be in a 1947 noir film titled “Lured” starring Lucille Ball, who has considerable ties to Boulder City, which I’ll explore at a later date. Nonetheless, on this Throwback Thursday, both “Frankenstein 1970” and “Lure” are my movie recommendations. And, should you feel so inclined, “Mulholland Drive” remains a staple recommendation, too.
As Boulder City continues to consider growth options and potential tourist attractions, perhaps we should think about why stars like Karloff came here and why movies like “Mulholland Drive” remain bewitching. There is something to be said for the power of a good mystery amongst an unchanged landscape; perhaps a tribute night for Karloff films, or the many other movie stars tied to Boulder City, may be a consideration, especially at our beloved historic Boulder Theatre.
Tanya Vece is an entertainment and music writer who resides and volunteers in Boulder City. You can follow her adventures on Instagram @hollywoodwriter.