A legend of 20th century cinema passed away recently. Christopher Lee, a British actor known primarily for playing various charismatic monsters and villains in low-budget but highly imaginative Hammer horror movies in the 1960s and '70s, passed away on June 7, aged 93.
For those who don't know, Hammer Films is a British film company founded in 1934 that became famous for producing Gothic horror films from the 1950s to the end of the '70s. Although highbrow film critics rarely took Hammer movies very seriously, the films were extremely popular for their eye-catching visual flair, imaginative budget-priced sets and spooky but slightly camp horror style.
Many notable actors and directors worked on Hammer movies at one time or another, but if there was an actor that could be called the "King of the Hammers," the title would surely have to go to Christopher Lee.
Lee's first Hammer film was The Curse of Frankenstein in 1957. He went on to star in countless others, including playing Dracula at least 10 times in classics like Dracula (1958), Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968), Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970) and The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973).
In addition to these half-remembered schlock-shock classics, Lee also starred in a number of genuinely great films such as The Wicker Man (1973), and many mainstream blockbusters like the 1974 James Bond movie, The Man With the Golden Gun, and more recently, The Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Hobbit trilogy and the Star Wars Prequel trilogy.
One of the things that I believe made Christopher Lee a truly great screen presence was the fact that he was something of a Renaissance man. His broad range of real-life experience included working on dangerous secret missions with the Special Air Service during World War II, and recording albums as a singer in styles ranging from folk music to heavy metal. He wrote several books, could speak several different languages, and was by all accounts a masterful storyteller.
Lee came from an era when movie stars weren't just actors — they were well-rounded people who had seen life and lived through many different experiences. That's what made them so charismatic and interesting, which in turn made the characters they played on the big screen believable, or at the very least fun to watch.
So cheers to Christopher Lee and thanks for the movie magic!
Ben Edwards
Editor
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