Remembering the late, great Christopher Lee on his birthday ...
I know how most folks feel about the Star Wars Prequels -- truth be told, I struggled with huge parts of the films, myself -- but I enjoy a good villain as much as the next fan. Film legend Christopher Lee suited up in the guise of the dastardly 'Count Dooku' perhaps only the way a screen legend would, so at least fans can be thankful for small favors. A veteran of nearly three hundred different projects, genre fans have long loved this 'steward of scare' as he's been involved with such properties as many Dracula pictures, Space:1999, Starship Invasions (1977), Return From Witch Mountain (1978), Captain America II: Death Too Soon (1979), The Return Of Captain Invincible (1983), Gremlins 2: The New Batch (1990), The Tomorrow People, and Peter Jackson's The Lord Of The Rings trilogy adaptation. Though he's no longer with us, Lee was born on this day in 1922.
[Source:
IMDB.com]
For the record:
It should go without saying that -- in his day and for his generation of actors -- Christopher Lee was a force to be reckoned with. He leaves behind a professional resume that was nearing three hundred different screen appearances at the time of his death, and I doubt we'll see another talent like his in quite some time.
However, why stop there? Why not mention a few of his earned accolades? Why I'm more than happy to do so.
In 1979, the Academy Of Science Fiction, Fantasy, And Horror Films presented the actor with its Lifetime Career Award for his body of work in the related genre films.
The Bram Stoker Awards are normally reserved for writers in the fields of Horror and Dark Fantasy, but in 1995 the organization behind them gave Lee a Lifetime Achievement Award. It was entirely fitting as the actor played Count Dracula seven times across various films.
In 1996, Fangoria Magazine inducted Christopher Lee into its Fangoria Horror Hall Of Fame.
The Jules Verne Achievement Awards are given to artists, explorers, filmmakers, and actors who have encouraged the spirit of adventure through exploration; and -- in 2006 -- Lee received the Jules Verne Lifetime Achievement Award.
ExtraExtra Alert:
In 2025, I was provided the all-new home video release from Blue Underground and MVD Visual Entertainment Group of The Blood Of Fu Manchu -- in which Lee played a role -- in exchange for review coverage on
SciFiHistory.Net. Interested readers can find my review right here.
scifihistory.net/may-27.html