Boris Karloff, the English-born actor who brought life to Mary Shelly"s words - and chilling death on the screen - appeared in over 150 films over 50 years. The soft-spoken actor, whose lisping accent was a stock commodity in every impressionist"s repertoire, was one of the few screen actors billed by his last name only.His performance as the Monster in "Frankenstein" and similar roles made his very name synonomous with "horror," a term he disliked. Like his famous contemporaries, Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr., Karloff"s off-screen self was the antithesis of his screen image. Because of his personal, uphill struggle for recognition, he was constantly concerned for his fellow actors" welfare. In the thirties, he helped create the Screen Actor"s Guild.