In September 1954, with the first Ashes Test two months away, a crowd gathered at Tilbury Docks to see off England's cricketers on their voyage to Australia. The previous night's dinner at Lord's had been so lavish—with an endless supply of champagne and cocktails—that most players were unconscious as the boat departed. The man drawing signature-seekers was not a player but 66-year-old actor Boris Karloff, who said, "These are the chaps you want, I am in the background. I would give my boots to go."
Karloff's cricketing connections
Karloff, known for his haunting film roles, was president of the Hollywood Cricket Club. In May 2023, Jimmy Colabavala, former president of the club, died of cancer. His widow Meher Tatna contacted the MCC, mentioning Karloff's pads. Neil Robinson, MCC's head of heritage and collections, said, "As soon as I heard that name, I was interested." The pads are now set for display after assessment.
Hollywood CC was formed in 1932 by Aubrey Smith, a former England Test captain. In 1932, the touring Australians played a match: Australia scored 209 for five; Hollywood ended 99 for 17. They visited Karloff on the set of The Mask of Fu Manchu. Don Bradman remarked, "It spoils one to see how a simple thing in real life can be transformed into something dreadful in the films."
Karloff's life and foundation
Born William Henry Pratt in Peckham, Karloff had a troubled family history. Cricket was his passion. On This is Your Life, Jim Laker told of Karloff saying at Lord's, "Well, this is like dying and going to heaven." Karloff died in 1969. His fifth wife, Evie, set up the Boris Karloff Foundation, which distributes about £100,000 annually. Trustee Roger Ford said, "It's the performing arts, it's cricket and it's young people."
Windrush cricket festival
The Windrush cricket festival, hosted by Exmouth CC, is part-funded by the foundation. Organiser Krish Madray, whose father Ivan played Tests for West Indies, said, "Because of the consistency of the Boris Karloff funding, it's now in its fourth year." Sue Errington of Devon Development Education added, "We saw the Boris Karloff Foundation and we saw the word cricket and that was it."
Karloff's love of cricket endures through both the festival and his old pad at Lord's. Robinson concluded, "We'll find a way to display it, one way or another."
