Remembering Christopher Lee

Sir Christopher Lee, at the opening of the 62nd Berlin International Film Festival Photo: Siebbi

Of all the great horror actors who have come and gone over the years, only Vincent Price, Peter Cushing and Bela Lugosi have achieved anything like his legendary status, and when the death of Christopher Lee was announced today it was hard to shake the feeling that a whole era was being laid to rest. Yet this remarkable actor had a career that went far beyond horror, proving himself capable in any genre he turned his hand to. He also enjoyed a remarkable television career, wrote books, lent his distinctive voice to audio recordings of horror classics, and carved out a reputation as a singer of opera and symphonic metal. An Air Force volunteer who also served with the Ghurkhas and the SAS, he spoke nine languages and travelled the world before settling in London to embark on an acting career. Though he began slowly, with bit parts in theatre followed by television work, Lee was a keen observer and a prodigious talent. His screen career would ultimately last for 68 years and take in 230 films as well as episodes of iconic television series including Space: 1999, The Avengers, Charlie’s Angels and The Tomorrow People. A walk-on part in Laurence Olivier’s Hamlet led to him meeting Peter Cushing, and it was through their friendship that he would find his way into The Curse Of Frankenstein, where his mute performance impressed Hammer Studios so much that he was subsequently given the role that would make him an international star.

Sir Christopher Lee as Dracula

The Count

By the time Christopher Lee came to the role, Dracula was already well known to filmgoers, having been memorably played by Max Schreck, Bela Lugosi and Lon Chaney Jr. Lee has been widely credited with giving the character sex appeal for the first time, creating a new dynamic between the vampire and his victims. His first appearance as the Count came in Dracula in 1958 and he would go on to play the character a further six times, facing off against Cushing’s Van Helsing in films including The Brides Of Dracula and The Satanic Rights Of Dracula, and teaming up with a rubber bat in Scars Of Dracula. It was a role that he feared would overshadow his other work, but he clearly loved the character and also the genre. Whilst with Hammer, he also got the chance to play Rasputin, delivering an intense performance that only Tom Baker’s interpretation has ever come close to, and he also starred in two notable films by his friend (and celebrated author of occult tales) Dennis Wheatley: The Devil Rides out and To The Devil A Daughter.

Horror beyond Hammer

Lee as Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man

Lee’s personal favourite of all the films he starred in was Robin Hardy’s The Wicker Man, where he also sang on the soundtrack. He brought a mixture of the sinister and the sympathetic to Pagan reformer Lord Summerisle, whom he briefly reprised in 2010’s The Wicker Tree, though his health was then too fragile for him to manage speaking part. Hardy has nothing but praise for his talent and professionalism, and was clearly delighted to have the opportunity to work with him on a film whose now legendary status nobody anticipated at the time.

Lee also created the definitive version of popular pulp character Dr Fu Manchu, something which is talked about rather less these days as the awkwardness of the part being played by a white man has become more widely apparent. Racist aspects to the underlying stories mean the films are no longer shown, but for those willing to track them down and overlook their flaws, Lee’s work (and some beautiful cinematography) are worth a watch.

Later in his life, Lee became firm friends with Tim Burton and accepted a role in Sleepy Hollow as well as doing voice work for Corpse Bride and Alice In Wonderland (in which he played the Jabberwocky). He would return to Hammer briefly in 2011 to bring much-needed depth to The Resident, but he was back with Burton for his final horror role in the troubled comedy Dark Shadows

Saruman the White in The Lord Of The Rings

The stuff of legend

Lee was a lifelong fan of the fantasy genre. As a student, he once drank in the same room as JRR Tolkien, an author whose work her adored at the time but whom he was too shy to engage in conversation. Decades later, long after Tolkien’s death, he would have the chance to contribute to the big screen realisation of that work, playing Saruman in the Lord Of The Rings and Hobbit films. It was something of a dream come true for the actor, who was regarded with awe by some of his co-stars not just for his own reputation but also because of his encounter with the great man. For his own part, Lee saw it as an opportunity for a career revival, ensuring he could keep on getting interesting roles and remain at the forefront of the industry.

In the same period, Lee found a role in another famous story as he played the sinister Darth Tyranus in two of the Star Wars prequels, winning him a new generation of fans. With his military background a a history of doing his own stunts where the risk was not unreasonable, he soon got to grips with wielding a lightsaber. He also had a supporting role in The Golden Compass, which was initially expected to be the start of a series, and he voiced Death in the film adaptations of Terry Pratchett’s Discworld novels, something that the author, who also died recently, was very excited about.

Lee as Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun

Other work

Alongside his genre work, Lee appeared in numerous other notable films, including Stuart Burge’s Julius Caesar with John Gielgud and Charlton Heston; Jamil Dehlavi’s Jinnah, in which he felt he gave his greatest performance; and James Bond outing The Man With The Golden Gun. He revealed his gift for comedy in films like The Return Of Captain Invincible and Gremlins 2: The New Batch. As age took its toll he moved increasingly into voice acting work, contributing to video games as well as films and working more on his musical career, but he completed a live action film, Angels In Notting Hill, just last year, and made clear that he never intended to stop working. The loss of Christopher Lee has led to an outpouring of tributes from fans all around the world. Given how many vampires and other undead creatures he has played, several have said that they can’t escape the feeling he’ll come back, somehow. Whatever is the case, he has left a cinematic legacy that will live for many, many decades to come.