John Boles

You know the old saying -- they just don't make them like this anymore? That's true with so many things, especially actors and actresses. As I've said in the past, I love older movies. I especially love the over-acting, if you want to call it that. I'm talking about the dramatic acting where you can tell they've been professionally trained or worked on Broadway. In addition to the acting, I love the singing, the costumes, and everything else that comes with older films. Movies today are too real. If I want that, I'll watch the news.

When it comes to great Hollywood actors John Boles is no exception. What an amazing man. I watched the 1931 version of Frankenstein recently and noticed he was in that film. He plays a character named Victor, who is friends with Dr. Henry Frankenstein. If you've read the original book by Mary Shelley, you'll notice the movie is based more on the theatrical play of the 1920s. In the book, Dr. Frankenstein's first name is Victor, but in the film he's called Henry and Boles plays Victor. Talk about confusing! However, you might recognize John Boles from other films such as Curly Top and The Littlest Rebel with Shirley Temple. For a list of his other films, click here.

To me, John Boles is the epitome of a classic Hollywood actor. He had it all -- acting talent, the ability to sing, and the tall, dark, and handsome look that made women swoon. He was born in 1895, so obviously he was a little before my time. He died from a stroke in 1969 at the age of 74. I was four. His parents wanted him to become a doctor, but John was more interested in acting and singing. He got married the same year he graduated from college. In WWI, he worked as a spy for the US. After the war, he moved to NYC to study music and began appearing on Broadway. He caught the eye of Hollywood producers and started his film career. Wiki claims his role as Victor Moritz in Frankenstein is his most well known because the film has been so widely available. However, if you're a Shirley Temple fan, you'll probably recognize John Boles right away.

I couldn't find any video clips from Frankenstein on You Tube that really showed John's part in the film. The trailer shows him, but not that much. He's awesome in that movie. He's totally in love with Dr. Frankenstein's fiancee, Elizabeth. Sadly, he never gets the girl, but that doesn't stop him from trying to woo her. Personally, I think Elizabeth is the crazy one, not Dr. Frankenstein. He's ugly and a loon, whereas Victor runs around tending to her every need, without a single hair out of place. Okay, so sure, his pants are a little high, but I can overlook that. It was 1931 after all. Here's a video I found of John Boles, obviously made by a fan loonier than me. That's John singing in the clip as well. It's not really my kind of music, but like his high-waisted pants, I can overlook it just with the Pretty Boy factor alone ...