Boris Karloff may have played a slew of scary characters on the silver screen, but that didn't change the fact that in real life, he was a pretty great guy.

According to Boris Karloff: More Than a Monster, written by Stephen Jacobs, Karloff kept himself incredibly involved in the film development process.

"I think he treated every character, every script with respect," said director Robert Day, director of the Karloff-centric picture, The Haunted Strangler. "I know that he was very much involved in the portrayal of the character in The Haunted Strangler."

Moreover, although the actor had starred in his fair share of hit films, he was a professional actor who approached each new role with love and care. "He didn't treat it as just another role," said Day. "He was very, very deeply interested in what he was doing. We discussed the characterization for hours and hours, the way he should look and everything."

In fact, Day and Karloff developed a friendship that lasted long after filming had wrapped.

"I met him for the first time on The Haunted Strangler, and he was a wonderful, wonderful man," said the director. "We were very close friends, and we used to eat together almost every weekend. He would come to my house or I would go to his...I just can't say enough good things about him. He was kind, gentle, not a bit like any of the characters he's played in movies."