JCC Christopher Lee, rest in peace

Very sad but oh, what I'd give to get to his age and having lived a life that rich.

 

And I will add here: a true talent and gentleman. Heaven welcomes Sir Christopher. He's lived a wonderful, full life and gave so much joy to so many.

Like many others, I've been a long time fan so I am grateful to have discovered him so young.

Thank you for the many happy memories Sir. Rest in Peace.

 

He had a magnificent voice. I love his singing in Magic of the Wizard's Dream, in both Italian and English.

 

The German version gives Cushy chills.

 

I always thought he was actually St. Germain...

 

Interesting fact: When he was a teenager and visiting friends in France in the 1930s, he attended the last public execution by guillotine France conducted.

 

My favourite Bond villain...

 

My favourite person on the Band on the Run album cover.

 

I mean this quite genuinely; he was one of the masters of elevating material. He could take a thinly written part and imbue it with menace and charisma and charm and really whatever else it might have needed. Beyond memorable and as we often say when some artistic legend passes, there's no one quite like him. A figure like Lee will quite simply never exist again.

 

Also, TCM will be running a Christopher Lee marathon on June 22nd. The movies are:

6:15 AM The Mummy (1959)
8:00 AM The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
9:30 AM Horror of Dracula (1958)
11:00 AM Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1966)
12:45 PM Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (1969)
2:30 PM Horror Express (1972)
4:00 PM The Three Musketeers (1972)
6:00 PM The Four Musketeers (1975)

 

One of Lee's lesser known roles, though he considered it his favorite: Muhammad Ali Jinnah, founder of Pakistan.

 

His career spanned several generations, and so many remember him as someone different. Despite his fear of being typecast, he has done a number of iconic roles.
To some he is Dracula, others he is Scaramanga, Lord Summerisle, or Saruman or Dooku.



Say what you will about the quality of the Prequels, Lee was a stand-out part and a good memory to take from Episode II especially. He made even mediocre material sound great, and effortless.

 

It's a shame The Man with the Golden Gun is so bad otherwise, because he's one of the best Bond villains actually. That scene at the circus where he's telling Bond that story about his childhood . . . what a great scene.

 

Jinnah is genuinely Cushy's fave Lee part ever. I imported a copy from England via his site after reading his fabulously moving account of the shoot and why he did it via Lord of Misrule.

 

Reading all the tributes reminded me of a couple of atypical roles he did. In the Western "Hannie Caulder", he played a friendly English gunsmith alongside Raquel Welch and Robert Culp. And in "Triage", he played an elderly psychiatrist treating a war correspondent (played by Colin Farrell) with PTSD. As I recall, both movies are well worth tracking down.

 

I've been silently paying my respects to Sir Christopher Lee over the last 2 days. One of the first actors for me where I said "My god that VOICE", when I was a wee kid watching The Last Unicorn. Only later to learn about his prolific career and life...I've thoroughly come to the conclusion that the Dos Equis "Most Interesting Man In The World" commercials are based on him to some degree. The man was amazing. And then as a fan of Heavy Metal, to find he was a fan, and then to hear him record his own albums...simply amazing
I'm Seriously heartbroken right now, but I am in awe and respect at the life he lived.
Rest In Peace Sir Christopher Lee. May you raise a pint with Peter Cushing, Vincent Price and J.R.R. Tolkein. You will always be remembered.

 

Oh my lord this just made my week. Thank you God!

 

Above is my favorite version of the song. I'm bringing in the second one for Cushy. Lee delivers it fabulously.

 

As I've said before, Lee is who the Most Interesting Man in the World wants to grow up to be.