Leading Men Christopher Lee
Dracula/ Count Dracula
The Face Of Fu Man Chu/ Fu Man Chu
The Lord Of The Rings Films/ Saruman
Star Wars Episode 2/ Count Dooku
Per Quinlan's Film Stars:
Tall, imposing, dark haired British actor with faintly contemptuous air and deep resonant voice. Spent ten years in British films playing relatively minor ( often aristocratic) villains, then burst through to stardom with his fine portrayal of Dracula.
Christopher Lee was born in 1922 at Belgravia, London, England.
Lee attended Wellington College and then worked as a shipping clerk with a couple of London shipping companies.
He joined the RAF during World War Two. After the war the RAF were sending some of the former flyers who had an education as teachers but Lee felt that his Latin was just too rusty.
Lee said that he just could not get back to the office mind set of his former jobs and with the advise of his cousin Nicolo Carandini he decided to consider becoming an actor. With the help of one of his cousin's friends he was interviewed by a member of the Rank Organization who said that he was just what they were looking for and then joined the organization for training as an actor and was signed for a seven year contract.
His career beginnings began in 1947 with his debut the TV series Kaleidoscope and then in 1948 in the film Corridor of Mirrors..
Lee played in both British films and television however his big break came with his fine portrayal of Count Dracula in 1958.
He was associated with Hammer Studios from 1957 to 1976.
Some of the film roles of Christopher Lee were:
Corridor Of Mirrors (1948) as Charles
One Night With You (1948) as Pirelli's Assistant
A Song For Tomorrow (1948) as Auguste
Penny And The Pownall Case (1948) as Jonathan Blair
Scott Of The Antarctic ( 1948) as Bernard Day
The Gay Lady (1949) as Hon. Bongo Icklesham
They Were Not Divided (1950) as Chris Lewis
Prelude To Fame (1950) as Newsman
Captain Horatio Hornblower, R N (1951) as Spanish Captain
Valley Of The Eagles (1951) as Detective Holt
The Crimson Pirate (1952) as Military Attche Joseph
Bombay Waterfront (1952) as Sir Felix Raybourne
Babes In Bagdad (1952) as Slave Dealer
Innocents In Paris (1953) as Lt. Whitlock
Destination Milan (1954) as Svenson
That Lady (1955) as Captain
Police Dog (1955) as Constable Johnny
The Cockleshell Heroes (1955) as Sub Commander Alan Grieves
Alias John Preston (1955) as John Preston
Storm Over The Nile (1955) as Karaga Pasha
Port Afrique (1956) as Franz Vermes
Pursuit Of The Graf Spree (1956) as Manolo
Beyond Mombasa (1956) as Gil Rossi
The Accursed (1957) as Dr. Neuman
She Played With Fire (1957) as Charles Highbury
The Curse Of Frankenstein (1957) as The Creature
Bitter Victory (1957) as Sergeant Barney
The Truth About Women (1957) as Francois Thiers
A Tale Of Two Cities (1958) as Marquis St. Evremonde
Horror Of Dracula (1958) as Count Dracula
Missiles From Hell (1958) as Brunner
Corridors Of Blood (1958) as Resurrection Joe
The Hound Of The Baskervilles (1959) as Sir Henry
The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959) as Dr. Pierre Gerrard
Hot Money Girl (1959) as Jaeger
The Mummy (1959) as The Mummy/ Kharis
Uncle Was A Vampire (1959) as Baron Roderico de Frankurten
Playgirl After Dark (1960) as Novak
The Two Faces Of Dr. Jekyll (1960) as Paul Allen
Wilds For Kicks (1960) as Kenny King
The City Of The Dead (1960) as Alan Driscoll
The Hands Of Orlac (1960) as Nero The Magician
The Terror Of The Tongs (1961) as Chung King
Scream Of Fear (1961) as Dr. Pierre Gerard
The Devil's Daffodil (1961) as Ling Chu
Hercules In The Haunted World (1961) as King Licos
Secret Of The Red Orchid (1962) as Captain Alterman
The Pirates Of Blood River (1962) as Captain LaRoche
The Devil's Agent (1962) as Baron Ferdi von Staub
Sherlock Holmes And The Deadly Necklace (1962) as Sherlock Holmes
Katarsis (1963) as Mephistopheles
Horror Castle (1963) as Erich
The Whip And The Body (1963) as Kurt Menliff
The Devil Ship Pirates (1964) as Captain Robeles
Crypt Of The Vampire (1964) as Count Ludwig Karnstein
Castle Of The Living Dead (1964) as Count Drago
The Gorgon (1964) as Professor Karl Meister
Dr. Terror's House Of Horrors (1965) as Frank Marsh
She (1965) as Billali
The Skull (1965) as Matthew Phillips
The Face Of Fu Manchu (1965) as Fu Manchu
Dracula: Prince Of Darkness (1966) as Dracula
Rasputin The Mad Monk (1966) as Grigori Rasputin
Psycho Circus (1966) as Gregor
The Brides Of Fu Manchu (1966) as Fu Manchu
Island Of The Burning Damned (1967) as Godfrey Hanson
The Vengeance Of Fu Manchu (1967) as Fu Manchu
Blood Fiend (1967) as Philippe Darvas
Five Golden Dragons (1967) as Dragon #4
The Torture Chamber Of Dr. Sadism (1967) as Count Frederic Regula/ Graf von Andomai
The Devil Rides Out (1968) as Duc de Richleau
Eve (1968) as Colonel Stuart
The Blood Of Fu Manchu (1968) as Fu Manchu
Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968) as Count Dracula
Curse Of The Crimson Altar (1968) as Morley
Sax Rohmer's The Castle Of Fu Manchu (1969) as Fu Manchu
The Oblong Box (1969) as Dr. Newhartt
The Magic Christian (1969) as Ship's Vampire
Scream And Scream Again (1970) as Fremont
The Bloody Judge (1970) as Judge Jeffries
Count Dracula (1979) as Count Dracula
Taste The Blood Of Dracula (1970) as Count Dracula
Julius Caesar (1970) as Artemidorus
The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes (1970) as Mycroft Holmes
Scars Of Dracula (1970) as Count Dracula
The House That Dripped Blood (1971) as John Reid
I, Monster (1971) as Marlowe/Blake
Hannie Caulder (1971) as Bailey
Dracula A D 1972 (1972) as Count Dracula
Horror Express (1972) as Prof. Sir Alex Saxton
Nothing But The Night (1973) as Col. Charles Bingham
Dark Places (1973) as Dr. Ian Mandeville
The Creeping Flesh (1973) as James Hildern
Poor Devil (1973-TV) as Lucifer
The Satanic Rites Of Dracula (1973) as Count Dracula
The Wicker Man (1973) as Lord Summerrisle
The Three Musketeers (1973) as Rochefort
Raw Meat (1973) as Stratton-Villers, MIS
The Four Musketeers - Milady's Revenge (1974) as Rochefort
The Man With The Golden Gun (1974) as Scaramonga
The Butcher, The Star And The Orphan (1975) as Satanus/ Van Krig
Diagnosis: Murder (1975) as Dr. Stephen Hatward
The Diamond Mercenaries (1976) as Major Chilton
To The Devil A Daughter (1976) as Father Michael
The Night Of The Askari (1976) as Bill
Dracula And Son (1976) as Dracula pere/Le prince des Tenebres/ Prince Of darkness
The Keeper (1976) as The Keeper
Airport '77 (1977) as Martin Wallace
End Of The World (1977) as Father Pergado/ Zindar
Starship Invasions (1977) as Captain Ramases
How The West Was Won (1978-TV Miniseries) as The Grand Duke
Return From Witch Mountain (1978) as Victor
Circle Of Iron (1978) as Zetan
Caravans (1978) as Sardar Khan
The Pirate (1978-TV) as Samir Al Fey
The Passage (1979) as The Gypsy
Arabian Adventure (1978) as Caliph Alquazar
Jaguar Lives (1979) as Adam Caine
Captain America II: Death Too Soon (1979-TV) as Miguel
Bear Island (1979) as Lechinski
1941 (1979) as Captain Wolfgang von Kleinschmidt
Serial (1980) as Luckman Skull
Once Upon A Spy (1980-TV) as Marcus Valorium
The Salamander (1981) as Prince Baldasar, Director of Counterintelligence
Tales Of The Haunted (1981-TV) as Host
An Eye For An Eye (1981) as Morgan Canfield
Goliath Awaits (1981-TV) as John McKenzie
Steigler And Steigler (1981) as Dr. Carl Boxer
Safari 3000 (1982) as Count Borgia
Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story (1982-TV) as Prince Philip
House Of The Long Shadows (1983) as Corrigan
The Return Of Captain Invincible (1983) as Mr. Midnight
The Far Pavillions (1984-TV Miniseries) as Kaka-ji Rao
The Rosebud Beach Hotel (1984) as Mr. Chifford King
Howling II - Your Sister Is A Werewolf (1985) as Stefan Crosscoe
Jocks (1986) as President White
The Disputation (1986-TV) as King James Of Aragon
The Girl (1987) as Peter Storm
Dark Mission: Evil Flowers (1988) as Luis Morel Stuart
Mask Of Murder (1988) as Chief Supt. Jonathan Rich
Olympus Force: The Key (1988) as Filly
Around The World In 80 Days (1989-TV Miniseries) as Stuart
The Return Of The Musketeers (1989) as Rochefort
Fall Of The Eagles (1989) as Walter Strauss
Shaka Zulu (1989-1989) as Lord Bathurst
Murder Story (1989) as Willard Hope
Treasure Island (1990-TV) as Blind Pew
L'avaro (1990) as Cardinal Spinosi
Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990) as Dr. Catheter
The Care Of Time (1990-TV) Karlis Zander
The Rainbow Thief (1990) as Uncle Rudolf
Journey Of Honor (1991) as King Philip
Curse III: Blood Sacrifice (1991) as Dr. Pearson
Sherlock Holmes And The Leading Lady (1991-TV) as Sherlock Holmes
Incident At Victoria Falls (1992-TV) as Sherlock Holmes
Double Vision (1992-TV) as Mr. Bernard
Cyber Eden (1992) as Cedric
Detonator (1993) as Gen. Konstantine Benin
Funny Man (1994) as Callum Chance
Police Academy: Mission To Moscow (1994) as Commandant Rakov
A Feast At Midnight (1994) as Raptor
Moses (1995-TV) as Ramses
Princess Alicea (1996-TV) as Azaret
The Stupids (1996) as Evil Sender
Ivanhoe (1997-TV Miniseries) as Lucas de Beaumanior
Soul Music (1997-TV Miniseries) as Death
Tale Of The Mummy (1998) as Sir Richard Turkel
Jinnah (1998) as Mohammed Ali Jinnah
Sleepy Hollow (1999) as Burgomaster
Gormenhast (2000-TV Miniseries) as Flay
In The Beginning (2000-TV) as Ramses I
The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship Of The Rings (2001) as Saruman
Star Wars: Episode II- Attack Of The Clones (2002) as Count Dooky/ Darth Tyranus
The Lord Of The Rings: The Two Towers (2002) as Saruman
The Lord Of The Rings : The Return Of The King (2003) as Saruman
Crimson Rivers 2: Angels Of The Apocalypse (2004) as Heinrich von Garten
Star Wars: Episode III- Revenge Of The Sith (2005) as Count Dooku
Greyfriars Bobby (2005) as The Lord Provost
Charlie And The Chocolate Factory (200%) as Dr. Wonka
Pope John Paul II (2005-TV) as Cardinal Stefan Wyszynski
The Golden Compass (2007) as First High Councilor
Boogie Woogie (2009) as Mr. Alfred Rhinegold
Triage (2009) as Joaquin Morales
Glorious 39 (2009) as Walter
The Heavy (2010) as Mr. Mason
Burke And Hare (2010) as Old Joseph
Season Of The Witch (2011) as Cardinal D'Ambrose
The Resident (2011) as August
The Wicker Tree (2011) as Old Gentleman
Hugo (2011) as Monsieur Labisse
Dark Shadows (2012) as Clarney
The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey ( 2012) as Saruman
Night Train To Lisbon (2013) as Father Bartholomew
The Girl From Nagasaki (2013) Old Officer Pinkerton
The Hobbit: The Battle Of The Five Armies (20140 as Saruman
Angels In Notting Hill (2015) as The Boss, Mr. President.
This actor was amazing. From 1947 until 2015 the IMDB shows 278 credits from the mediums of film and television.
In the latter part of his career he became associated with the second trilogy of the Star War films , The Lord Of The Rings series and The Hobbit series.
Mr. Lee was working up until the time of his death at age 93.
He, along with Bela Lugosi, were the most famous of the Count Dracula character. However Mr. Lee performed this role many, many times in films. Lugosi played a vampire several times but not always as Dracula.
Mr. Lee was thought to have a very large library of books on the occult which he said that if he had four or five on the subject he was lucky.
Though many of his films were horror related, he also made a very fine Sherlock Holmes as well as being a good guy at times like in roles of priests, monsignors and cardinals..
Lee was active on both British and American television appearing in such programs as Chevron Hall Of Stars, Sailor Of Fortune, The Errol Flynn Theater, Assignment Foreign Legion, Ivanhoe, William Tell, Tales Of The Vikings, One Step Beyond, The Alfred Hitchcock Hour, The Avengers, Great Mysteries, Space 1999, Charlie's Angels, The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles, The Tomorrow People, Tales Of Mystery And Imagination, The Odyssey and The New Adventures Of Robin Hood among others.
He was appointed in 1997 as a Commander Of The Order Of St. John.
In 2001 , as part of the Queen's birthday, he was made a Commander Of The British Empire in recognition of his contributions to drama.
Lee was knighted by Price Charles but due to his advanced age he received his knighthood by standing rather than from the customary kneeling position.
The government of France made him a Commander Of The Order Of The Arts and Letters in 2011.
A most unusual award came from Trinity College Philosophical College when he was awarded the Bram Stoker Gold Medal of which Bram Stoker was a former president as well as the Collected Works Of MR James by the college's School Of English.
Lee was a very close friend of actor Peter Cushing and the two made several films together.
He was married to Gitte Lee since 1961 and the couple had one child.
An imposing figure at 6' 5", Lee and his wife were among the 50 best dressed over age 50 couples selected by The Guardian in 2013.
Lee was a step cousin of Ian Fleming the author of the James Bond works. He was also a distant relative of American general Robert E. Lee.
Christopher Lee passed away in June of 2015 shortly after celebrating his 93rd birthday from respiratory and heart problems.
I enjoyed every film that I have seen Christopher Lee in but I especially liked him in the following: Dracula, The Curse Of Frankenstein, The Gorgon, The Star Wars Films, The Lord Of The Rings films, The Wicker Man, Horror Express, The Oblong Box, The Face Of Fu Manchu, The Hound Of The Baskervilles, The Hands Of Orlac, The Mummy, Dracula Prince Of Darkness, Rasputin The Mad Monk, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, House Of The Long Shadows and Sleepy Hollow.
Great actor and human being.
Louie The Movie Buff
