SIR CHRISTOPHER LEE REMEMBERED TODAY : FIVE YEARS ON . . .

SIR #CHRISTOPHERLEE remembered today. It is five years since the passing of Christopher Lee... but his huge legacy of work and life, reminds us all here very often, of how lucky we all were to have had such an impressive and talent individual with us then . . and who still continues to entertain and influence so many even today!

BACK IN 2015 when Christopher Lee passed, Bryan Adams posted this comment about his time with Lee, during their photo session :

 

'Singer Bryan Adams has paid tribute to veteran actor Sir Christopher Lee, who died aged 93 on Sunday. The Canadian rocker met Lee - famous for his chilling portrayals of screen villains from Dracula to the wizard Saruman in Lord of the Rings - when he took photographs of him for a book.The pair hit it off and Adams told how the actor used to leave funny phone messages for him.

"One I can sort of recall was sort of like...'Hello Bryan, I see you cut a swathe through Paris. Many people have called me to say they have seen you in various states of debauchery, and quite right too'... It was brilliant," he said.

Adams added Sir Christopher Lee was a "great character" who would be "greatly missed".

Back last year, I was sent a photograph of Christopher Lee, which I thought was really something! I loved the pose, the lighting and the attitude that the photographer had managed to get from Lee . . Little did I know that, the photograph was one of a collection of portraits in 2018 at exhibition called 'EXPOSE', by none other than singer Bryan Adams! His exhibition contains many really interesting portraits from Sir Ben Kingsley, Amy Winehouse, Michael Jackson, Louise Bourgeois, Lindsay Lohan and Dame Judi Dench. . . an impressive list, which also included 'Her Majesty The Queen', no less! I still think this is one of my most favourite portraits of Christopher Lee . . Lee would have loved the position of his frame in the gallery too 😉😊 - Marcus Brooks 

AS YOU HAVE no doubt spotted, I try to share something related to his work with Peter often, plus we do have a Christopher Lee theme EVERY Saturday here too!

RECENTLY FOUND interviews, clips and banner features...these posts, thanks to you are always well received and supported. I always take time to read the many comments and text messages from followers and members, who still miss his him and regularly watch his many many roles on TV and film!

ABOVE : OUR RECENT PCASUK FEATURE on the CONTENTS of THREE personal SCRAPBOOKS that belonged to #CHRISTOPHERLEE : CLICK HERE! 



AND IT IS HIS WORK, a great deal of it, that he would probably be most proud of and I think, want to be remembered for.. We can always enjoy that . . . in memory of one of the greatest!

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SIR CHRISTOPHER LEE REMEMBERED TODAY : FROM 2O15 FOUR YEARS ON . .

SIR CHRISTOPHER LEE remembered today. Four years on . . . It's still a little strange how there still isn't an official CHRISTOPHER LEE fan site on the net. Before his passing, there was an official site, that had slowed down, then a week after Lee's death, was closed to any updates and carried a banner of, being remodeled to re-appear soon. We are still waiting. Just two weeks ago, during the week of both Lee's and Cushing's birthday anniversaries, we shared the news of Lady Birgit Lee, donating several personal scrapbooks of rare photographs and clippings, from Sir Lee's archive to the British Film Institute.

MORE ON THE CHRISTOPHER LEE SCRAPBOOKS HERE! 

IN THE MEANTIME, I try to share something related, if only by a Cushing post. Plus we do have a Christopher Lee theme EVERY Saturday here! Posts about Christopher Lee here and at our PCAS Facebook Fan Page are always well received and supported. There are always lots of comments and text from followers and members, who still miss his presence and regularly watch the wealth of work, that we can always enjoy . . . in memory of one of the greatest!

ABOVE: The LATEST clip from the PCASUK series 'The Last Meeting of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee' posted to celebrate and mark the 106th anniversary of Peter Cushing birthday!

THE PERSONAL SCRAPBOOKS OF CHRISTOPHER LEE

THREE DAYS AGO it was announced that, Lady Lee, Sir Christopher Lee’s widow, had donated her husband's photographic archive, to the BFI National Archive. The collection, is presented in THREE scrapbooks. Lee would have been 97 years young on 27th May 2019'. The scrapbooks are made up of photographic prints compiled by Sir Christopher Lee himself.

ON DONATING THESE ALBUMS, Lady Gitte Lee in a press statement has said, “It was a great joy and an honour for my husband when he was awarded the BFI Fellowship in recognition for his lifelong contribution to the industry. I am therefore delighted that the BFI are helping to preserve the heritage of his legacy, by bringing Christopher’s photographic archive into the BFI National Archive. I am immensely proud of my husband’s achievements. One of Britain’s best-loved actors, he was a man who entertained audiences worldwide for more than 60 years. It gives me great pleasure that his photos will be seen and appreciated for generations to come.”

WELL, AS WE HOPED, the scrapbooks just about covers Lee's entire film career. It's a photographic archive which includes many previously unseen on-set photographs and contact sheets, plus photographic portraits from many of his roles including Hammer films 'Dracula / Horror of Dracula'  (1958) and its sequels, also The Wicker Man (1973) and The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001). Some interesting choices are included, such as one of Lee's earliest film roles in the Ealing Studios classic, Scott of the Antarctic (1948), and ends, as one would expect, in the 2000s. It's an interesting Lee archive which manages to present a unique personal account of a prolific career, and also features  annotated musings, revealing his crisp, dry humour.

SO, WHAT DO WE HAVE HERE? Well, it's three scrapbooks put together it seems in the early 1970s and annotated by Lee himself, all spanning the years from 1948-1972. ALBUM ONE covers Lee’s first decade and a half, as a jobbing actor. Here we see some of his earliest roles including the World War II drama They Were Not Divided (1950) and Captain Horatio Hornblower (1950) in which Lee played supporting parts, his annotation to They Were Not Divided quips “back to camera, as usual”. It's interesting to see, over a ten year period how he spent the time in his choices and casting opportunities, to enable him to hone his craft in supporting roles, before his breakthrough performance, as The Creature in Hammer Studios’ The Curse of Frankenstein (1957). It's no secret that, Lee at one time held the 'Guinness World Record' for the most on-screen sword fights! This album records an early and memorable example, with  Lee’s infamous sword fight with Errol Flynn in The Dark Avenger (1955). It was at this time, Flynn accidentally cut through Lee’s little finger! A story Lee loved to share! The album also includes a striking pair of portraits of Lee, where he is almost unrecognisable, during his screen test for John Huston’s Moby Dick (1956), a part that was ultimately played by another actor.

ALBUM TWO spans through the 1960s, and includes much of the horror and fantasy genre classics, such as his sequel to the successful 1958 Dracula film, Dracula Price of Darkness in 1965 and The Devil Rides Out (1967). It's also interesting to see Lee alongside other fellow horror legends, including Peter Cushing in Amicus films, The Skull in 1965, Vincent Price The Oblong Box, 1959 and Boris Karloff in The Curse of the Crimson Altar produced in 1968. Good to see Lee chatting and working on set, with Hammer director Terence Fisher during the making of The Gorgon in 1965. Included too are his appearances in two separate series of popular UK TV programme, The Avengers in 1967 and 1969 ALBUM THREE covers a much shorter period, from his role in Julius Caesar in 1970 to the low budget cult film Death Line, with Donald Pleasence in 1972. This scrapbook also has space to showcase some of the special make-up and make up artists like Wally Schneiderman and Pearl Tipaldi who were deployed in films such as The Scars of Dracula (1970) and includes many make up prep images with make up artist Harry Frampton from Amicus films, I, Monster (1971), a role that which Lee often described as ‘one of the best things I’ve ever done’. There are also a number of behind-the-scenes stills from Billy Wilder’s late masterpiece, and one of Lee’s favourite films, The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (1971).

LEE FELT TYPECAST for much of the period of time covered by these albums, but they nevertheless show his great versatility as an actor across a variety of characters, films and genres. So, it's interesting that alongside the iconic images showcased, he has chosen to include some quite surprising, often funny and interesting choices. Many of the photographs have never been published, so they are all the more special for being selected, arranged and annotated by Lee himself.

NATHALIE MORRIS, Senior Curator – Special Collections, BFI said, “We’re delighted to have been entrusted with this marvellous group of photographs which were collected and kept by Christopher Lee, one of the all-time cinema greats. These images wonderfully demonstrate Lee’s versatility and charisma as an actor, taking us on a journey from his early small parts through to his starring roles and then beyond, as directors sought him out for high profile supporting roles and cameos. The albums are fascinating for being assembled by Lee himself, especially as they also include his occasional, wryly-observed, comments. The BFI National Archive is incredibly grateful to Lady Lee for this generous donation.”

CHRISTOPHER LEE'S SCRAPBOOK collection will join other significant personal archive collections including those of Alfred Hitchcock, Alan Parker, David Lean, Ken Loach and Dirk Bogarde at the BFI National Archive John Paul Getty Jnr Conservation Centre in Berkhamsted, stored in optimal archival conditions. Once catalogued, the collection will be available to view by appointment, with selected material made accessible digitally through the BFI Reuben Library.

WHEN SARUMAN AND DOOKU PLAYED GOLF : ONE CLUB TO RULE THEM ALL!

ALONG WITH HIS FAMILY and work, CHRISTOPHER LEE ... had two other great passions in his life. Opera and golf! When he sang, he did it with much aplomb and emotion. His golf wasn't too bad either. Rather than making 'holes' as the Count, here he had much more fun, taking many a skilful swipe on the course , and showing good sportsmanship, even when his shot landed in the 'cabbage' . . . golfing term, I believe for rough grass 😉 Here is a mid 1960's pose with his clubs case, complete with, one of those weird little hat things, they slip onto the club end. Anyone know what these are called??? When they met for the last time, Lee gave Peter a gift of one, that was a Sylvester the Cat design... a reference to their love of one of their most favourite Warner Bros cartoon characters. Yosemite Sam and Foghorn Leghorn made them howl too!

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REMEMBERED TODAY : SIR CHRISTOPHER LEE JUNE 7TH 2015

SIR CHRISTOPHER LEE remembered today. Three years on . . . It's still a little strange how there still isn't an official CHRISTOPHER LEE fan site or even facebook page on the net. Before his passing, there was an official site, that had slowed down, to then a week after Lee's death, was closed to any updates and carried a banner of, being remodeled soon to reopepost. We are still waiting. In the meantime, I try to share something related, if only by a Cushing. Plus we do have a Christopher Lee theme EVERY Saturday here! Posts about Christopher Lee here and at our PCAS Facebook Fan Page are always well received and supported. There are always lots of comments and text from followers and members, who still miss his presence and regularly watch the wealth of work, that we can always enjoy . . . in memory of one of the greatest!

WATCH the candid conversations with PETER CUSHING and CHRISTOPHER LEE during their very lasst meeting! MORE clips being add to this PLAY LIST TODAY, on the anniversary of CHRISTOPHER LEE'S passing . . . CLICK HERE FOR THE PLAYLIST AT THE PCAS YOUTUBE CHANNEL

COME JOIN US AT OUR PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE WITH OVER 33 THOUSAND OTHER CUSHING FANS! UPDATED DAILY! KEEPING THE MEMORY ALIVE! JUST CLICK HERE

CHRISTOPHER LEE SATURDAY: SOME OF OUR FAVOURITE LEE INTERVIEWS AND CHATS

REMEMBER! IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA

NEW INTERVIEW: CHRISTOPHER LEE TALKS CUSHING, JAMES BOND, DRACULA AND TLOTR

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! A NEW NBC interview that has found it's way out of the vaults! Some new stories here, shared by Christopher Lee who is relaxed and in chatty mood... well worth a watch!

Christopher Lee and Ian McKellen in 'The Lord Of The Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring' (2001)

Francisco Scaramanga (Christopher Lee) meeting his end in the James Bond film 'The Man with the Golden Gun' (1974) with Roger Moore

#Christopher Lee as Count Dracula in his first appearance in the role for Hammer films in the 1958,  'The Horror of Dracula' / 'Dracula' . . .with Carol Marsh as Lucy Holmwood . . .

With good friend and sparring partner in a many a Hammer Horror film, Peter Cushing at a press launch for Dracula AD 1972.

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA  . .

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! FRIGHTENINGLY MUCH MORE THAN A FALL GUY . . GIFS

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! FALLING DEADLY! Under the heading of The Many Deaths of Christopher Lee In The Movies, should be a sub-heading . . . 'Falling and Falls' Can you name and count how many times one of Christopher Lee's Bad Guys or Monsters, FELL while dying??? Here's My favorite from 'Dracula Has Risen From The Grave' Hammer 1968 . . .

IT'S AMAZING when you stop and examine how many death's Christopher Lee's DRACULA experienced that also featured FALLING...! You would have thought after his giant 'Whoops-a-Daisy'  in '#DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE' in 1968, in his next adventure in 1969, 'TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA', he'd be watching his step... nope. That Church balcony was pretty high too. That's gorra hurt . . . all hail to the stuntman, the late Eddie Powell.

COME 1970 and 'THE SCARS OF DRACULA', he goes and falls head first,from the parapet of castle  DRACULA ...ON FIRE! In 1972 he still proved to be not that steady on his pins, when Van Helsing tricked him, in a pit of wooden stakes, in DRACULA AD 1972.

BACK IN 1966 Lee's Rasputin, fell  to his death, from a three story castle window, on to an ice covered moat, that  only three months earlier, he had slipped and slithered through, a ice hole to a watery death as DRACULA again, in DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS . . .

FLAMES AND A STAIRCASE, provided the 'out', when Lee played in an adaption of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, cunningly renamed 'Dr Marlow and Mr Blake' in Amicus films, 'I MONSTER'. When this film made its debut in 1970, audiences must have thought that the guys pushing the pens, got some weird pleasure seeing a 6ft' 5 guy hitting the deck...! 

FULL MARKS must be awarded to scriptwriter Michael Armstrong, who I am sure realised this too. When it came to writing 'HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS', the only film to star Lee, Peter Cushing and Vincent Price in scenes together, Armstrong was careful to litter the story with skip loads of visual references to the three 'Masters of Terror's' long careers. So when it came to offing Christopher Lee, you can take a guess at how his exit was dispatched. Armstrong decided that only a double nod would suffice . . . the falling down the stairs from 'I, MONSTER' and poleaxing and Shish kebab from 'DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE'... even down to the shocked expression on realizing he was impaled, was a nice touch.

AND FINALLY, perhaps the longest fall, was kept until last, with Christopher Lee's Saruman the White, from 'Lord Of The Rings : The Return Of The King' (2003), unfortunately cut from the theatrical version .  . . . but thankfully they can be seen in the extended version of the film, available on the blu ray release.

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA