1 00:00:00,960 --> 00:00:04,280 Speaker 1: Welcome to Stuff You Missed in History Class fun stuff 2 00:00:04,280 --> 00:00:12,319 Speaker 1: Works dot Com. Hello, and welcome to the podcast. I'm 3 00:00:12,320 --> 00:00:16,480 Speaker 1: Holly Fry and I'm Tracy. And it has become a 4 00:00:16,560 --> 00:00:18,560 Speaker 1: little bit of a tradition since Tracy and I have 5 00:00:18,600 --> 00:00:21,360 Speaker 1: been hosting the show that UH as we head into 6 00:00:21,400 --> 00:00:24,280 Speaker 1: the Halloween season, we usually do an episode or two 7 00:00:24,320 --> 00:00:26,960 Speaker 1: about the life of a famous horror actor. And this 8 00:00:27,040 --> 00:00:29,720 Speaker 1: year we lost a man of incredible stature and fame, 9 00:00:29,800 --> 00:00:33,120 Speaker 1: Christopher Lee, And we don't usually cover someone that reaches 10 00:00:33,159 --> 00:00:36,320 Speaker 1: into the very recent past, but he was quite amazing 11 00:00:36,360 --> 00:00:38,680 Speaker 1: in a number of ways. Uh. He wasn't just a 12 00:00:38,720 --> 00:00:41,360 Speaker 1: famous star of the silver screen. He was, by any account, 13 00:00:41,440 --> 00:00:44,760 Speaker 1: a really amazing man. He spoke multiple languages, he was 14 00:00:44,800 --> 00:00:47,199 Speaker 1: an incredible singer, he was a skilled fencer, he was 15 00:00:47,240 --> 00:00:49,599 Speaker 1: great at golf. It's one of those things that when 16 00:00:49,640 --> 00:00:51,440 Speaker 1: he died, a lot of people asked us, oh, please 17 00:00:51,479 --> 00:00:53,159 Speaker 1: do an episode, and it didn't seem quite right to 18 00:00:53,240 --> 00:00:55,360 Speaker 1: jump on the dogpile of coverage of his life that 19 00:00:55,440 --> 00:00:59,080 Speaker 1: was going on. Then we didn't kind of do one 20 00:00:59,120 --> 00:01:02,560 Speaker 1: where it natchal more actually fit into our usual schedule 21 00:01:02,600 --> 00:01:05,800 Speaker 1: anyway of doing a horror actor. But He's so much 22 00:01:05,800 --> 00:01:07,840 Speaker 1: more than a horror actor. And what really makes him 23 00:01:07,920 --> 00:01:10,920 Speaker 1: interesting to me in context of this podcast is that 24 00:01:11,000 --> 00:01:14,040 Speaker 1: he was also at many intersections of sort of famous 25 00:01:14,080 --> 00:01:18,400 Speaker 1: historical events, and he was tied through family to numerous 26 00:01:18,480 --> 00:01:21,720 Speaker 1: famous historical figures. So today we're going to talk about 27 00:01:21,720 --> 00:01:25,160 Speaker 1: the life of Christopher Lee. Christopher Frank karendin E Lee 28 00:01:25,200 --> 00:01:28,440 Speaker 1: was born on May seven, nineteen twenty two, in London's 29 00:01:28,480 --> 00:01:32,560 Speaker 1: Bell Gravy neighborhood, and she would decidedly upscale household. His 30 00:01:32,640 --> 00:01:35,720 Speaker 1: mother was Italian and she was the Contessa Estelle Marie. 31 00:01:36,800 --> 00:01:40,399 Speaker 1: Through his mother's noble line in Italy, we had a 32 00:01:40,440 --> 00:01:44,280 Speaker 1: lot of connections that were basically as we just referred to, 33 00:01:44,520 --> 00:01:48,240 Speaker 1: went back to very important historical figures. Estella was a 34 00:01:48,280 --> 00:01:51,760 Speaker 1: distant relative through marriage of the Borges and Prince Alexander 35 00:01:51,800 --> 00:01:58,160 Speaker 1: of Battenberg. Queen Victoria's grandson was Christopher's godfather, and his father, 36 00:01:58,280 --> 00:02:00,760 Speaker 1: Jeffrey Lee, was a soldier that had served in the 37 00:02:00,760 --> 00:02:03,960 Speaker 1: Boer War and World War One, and Jeffrey and Estell 38 00:02:04,000 --> 00:02:07,080 Speaker 1: had two children together to Christopher and his older sister Xandra. 39 00:02:07,840 --> 00:02:10,880 Speaker 1: But Jeffrey had some gambling problems and because of those, 40 00:02:10,919 --> 00:02:13,760 Speaker 1: the marriage turned sour and the couple separated in nineteen 41 00:02:13,800 --> 00:02:16,680 Speaker 1: twenty six, so Christopher would have only been a small 42 00:02:16,720 --> 00:02:19,440 Speaker 1: boy of four at that point. Estelle moved to Sweden 43 00:02:19,480 --> 00:02:22,760 Speaker 1: with the children, and two years later the divorce was finalized. 44 00:02:23,080 --> 00:02:25,440 Speaker 1: The contessa and her children moved back to London and 45 00:02:25,520 --> 00:02:29,160 Speaker 1: leave mother remarried, taking Harcourt George sank Qui Rose as 46 00:02:29,200 --> 00:02:33,519 Speaker 1: her second husband. He was a banker, and when Christopher 47 00:02:33,560 --> 00:02:37,919 Speaker 1: was seventeen, his stepfather went bankrupt and his mother's second 48 00:02:37,919 --> 00:02:41,360 Speaker 1: marriage fell apart, kind of all presumably related, and he 49 00:02:41,480 --> 00:02:44,200 Speaker 1: ended his school at Wellington College, and he had actually 50 00:02:44,200 --> 00:02:47,240 Speaker 1: attended Wellington because the family was already having trouble before 51 00:02:47,240 --> 00:02:49,600 Speaker 1: this and couldn't afford to enroll him at Eton, even 52 00:02:49,600 --> 00:02:52,240 Speaker 1: though he had passed the entrance exams and had been 53 00:02:52,280 --> 00:02:55,800 Speaker 1: admitted there, And so once he stopped his schooling, he 54 00:02:55,840 --> 00:02:57,959 Speaker 1: got a job working as a city clerk to help 55 00:02:58,000 --> 00:03:02,200 Speaker 1: make ends meet. That's same year, which was nineteen thirty nine. 56 00:03:02,520 --> 00:03:05,560 Speaker 1: Lee was also present at a unique historical event which 57 00:03:05,560 --> 00:03:09,000 Speaker 1: was the last public execution by guillotine, and that took 58 00:03:09,000 --> 00:03:12,600 Speaker 1: place in France on June seventeenth of that year. Eugene 59 00:03:12,600 --> 00:03:15,840 Speaker 1: Wideman was put to death for multiple murders and kidnappings, 60 00:03:15,840 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: and Lee was there in the crowd. He apparently was 61 00:03:18,560 --> 00:03:22,080 Speaker 1: something of an execution buff and he allegedly memorized the 62 00:03:22,160 --> 00:03:26,720 Speaker 1: names of all public executioners employed by England going back 63 00:03:26,720 --> 00:03:31,320 Speaker 1: for centuries. Yeah, that's a whole interesting story in and 64 00:03:31,360 --> 00:03:33,920 Speaker 1: of itself, and I would kind of love to cover 65 00:03:34,200 --> 00:03:37,200 Speaker 1: that particular execution because it is unique and that we 66 00:03:37,240 --> 00:03:39,360 Speaker 1: have pictures of it, which is not normally the case. 67 00:03:40,240 --> 00:03:43,400 Speaker 1: Because the crowd was so unruly that it took longer 68 00:03:43,400 --> 00:03:45,440 Speaker 1: than expected and the sun came up so people could 69 00:03:45,480 --> 00:03:49,000 Speaker 1: actually get good photographs. Uh. So it's that's a whole 70 00:03:49,000 --> 00:03:52,080 Speaker 1: fascinating event and he was there for that. Uh And 71 00:03:52,160 --> 00:03:56,240 Speaker 1: in nineteen thirty nine, Christopher also volunteered with Finnish forces 72 00:03:56,280 --> 00:03:59,880 Speaker 1: that were fighting in World War Two. Many British soldiers did. 73 00:04:00,320 --> 00:04:02,600 Speaker 1: He didn't see any actual fighting. He was stationed in 74 00:04:02,640 --> 00:04:05,720 Speaker 1: said instead with the rest of the British volunteers at 75 00:04:05,720 --> 00:04:09,000 Speaker 1: a safely removed from the action guard duty assignment, and 76 00:04:09,040 --> 00:04:11,400 Speaker 1: he later worked in the military as an office clerk 77 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:15,840 Speaker 1: and switchboard operator. In two Lee enlisted with the Royal 78 00:04:15,880 --> 00:04:19,200 Speaker 1: Air Force. He couldn't fly because he had vision problems. 79 00:04:19,240 --> 00:04:22,159 Speaker 1: Though consequently he worked as an intelligence officer for the 80 00:04:22,240 --> 00:04:26,320 Speaker 1: Long Range Desert Control during World War Two. Primarily this 81 00:04:26,400 --> 00:04:30,520 Speaker 1: was in North Africa and Italy and during his time 82 00:04:30,520 --> 00:04:34,719 Speaker 1: and intelligence, after a while he was selected for Churchill's 83 00:04:34,760 --> 00:04:37,560 Speaker 1: Elite Special Operations Group, and this is known by the 84 00:04:37,560 --> 00:04:42,000 Speaker 1: best nickname of all time, the Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare. Uh. 85 00:04:42,080 --> 00:04:44,600 Speaker 1: And while the work of this unit is still classified, 86 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:48,359 Speaker 1: Lee did speak on several occasions throughout his life about 87 00:04:48,360 --> 00:04:51,360 Speaker 1: having witnessed some very terrible things during this time and 88 00:04:51,440 --> 00:04:54,640 Speaker 1: having had to harden himself to it. And he was 89 00:04:54,680 --> 00:04:56,960 Speaker 1: so sort of self aware that you could tell he 90 00:04:57,080 --> 00:05:01,240 Speaker 1: really trying to kind of reconcile this, you know, having 91 00:05:01,279 --> 00:05:04,400 Speaker 1: to to both be someone who was hardened to things 92 00:05:04,400 --> 00:05:07,600 Speaker 1: like that and also be very compassionate person. And it's 93 00:05:07,640 --> 00:05:10,719 Speaker 1: one of those things that, uh, it's easy to think 94 00:05:10,760 --> 00:05:14,280 Speaker 1: of sort of this kind of activity, this uh, you know, 95 00:05:15,200 --> 00:05:18,159 Speaker 1: Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare in terms of the Christopher Lee 96 00:05:18,200 --> 00:05:20,919 Speaker 1: that we've seen playing villains in films. But keep in 97 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:24,560 Speaker 1: mind that he was really barely out of you know, 98 00:05:24,600 --> 00:05:26,480 Speaker 1: boyhood at this point. He was in his very early 99 00:05:26,520 --> 00:05:29,960 Speaker 1: twenties during the war. After the war ended, he was 100 00:05:30,000 --> 00:05:33,040 Speaker 1: part of a unit that was tasked with investigating war crimes. 101 00:05:33,080 --> 00:05:36,880 Speaker 1: In part because his flew of his fluency and multiple languages, 102 00:05:37,440 --> 00:05:40,159 Speaker 1: his group was tasked with tracking war criminals, and in 103 00:05:40,240 --> 00:05:45,360 Speaker 1: nineteen forty six, his military career concluded. And coming up, 104 00:05:45,400 --> 00:05:47,560 Speaker 1: we're going to talk about the career that made Lee 105 00:05:47,600 --> 00:05:49,640 Speaker 1: a household name. But first let's have a word from 106 00:05:49,680 --> 00:05:51,760 Speaker 1: one of the great sponsors that keeps the show going. 107 00:05:53,400 --> 00:05:57,960 Speaker 1: In ninety seven, Christopher Lee switched fields completely when he 108 00:05:58,000 --> 00:06:01,160 Speaker 1: opted to pursue an acting career. And he had been 109 00:06:01,200 --> 00:06:03,680 Speaker 1: offered a desk job with his pre war employer when 110 00:06:03,720 --> 00:06:05,719 Speaker 1: World War Two had ended and he had finalized his 111 00:06:05,720 --> 00:06:09,000 Speaker 1: military career, but he actually turned that job down. And 112 00:06:09,040 --> 00:06:12,440 Speaker 1: this move into acting was against the wishes of his mother. 113 00:06:12,600 --> 00:06:15,760 Speaker 1: She really felt that acting was for people of questionable morals. 114 00:06:16,560 --> 00:06:19,919 Speaker 1: In part, this turn into acting was influenced by Christopher 115 00:06:19,960 --> 00:06:24,600 Speaker 1: Lee's relative, Nicolo Carandini. He used his business and political 116 00:06:24,640 --> 00:06:28,560 Speaker 1: influence as an Italian ambassador to Great Britain to convince 117 00:06:28,600 --> 00:06:32,000 Speaker 1: his friend Felippo del Gudach, who ran a film studio, 118 00:06:32,360 --> 00:06:35,520 Speaker 1: to get Christopher a seven year contract with the Rank 119 00:06:35,680 --> 00:06:38,800 Speaker 1: Entertainment Group. But even though Rank made the deal, the 120 00:06:38,839 --> 00:06:42,159 Speaker 1: prevailion of the prevailing opinion was that Christopher Lee was 121 00:06:42,200 --> 00:06:45,000 Speaker 1: too tall to be an actor. Later in his life 122 00:06:45,000 --> 00:06:46,960 Speaker 1: he would say like he would say that that's like 123 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:51,400 Speaker 1: saying you're too short to play the piano. Indeed, and 124 00:06:51,440 --> 00:06:54,200 Speaker 1: he was certainly handsome, and he was an English gentleman 125 00:06:54,240 --> 00:06:56,960 Speaker 1: to the core, but he really struggled to find leading 126 00:06:57,000 --> 00:06:59,520 Speaker 1: man roles. He was told, as we just mentioned, that 127 00:06:59,600 --> 00:07:03,200 Speaker 1: his high which was six five almost two meters and 128 00:07:03,360 --> 00:07:07,440 Speaker 1: his dark skin would not make him a believable English 129 00:07:07,480 --> 00:07:11,440 Speaker 1: gentleman in film. So he was cast constantly as outsiders 130 00:07:11,480 --> 00:07:14,400 Speaker 1: and villains. If there was a non Caucasian character in 131 00:07:14,400 --> 00:07:17,040 Speaker 1: a film. This was remember at a time when films 132 00:07:17,040 --> 00:07:21,000 Speaker 1: often did not seek out actors that were actually from 133 00:07:21,040 --> 00:07:26,240 Speaker 1: the um background that they were the character was, he 134 00:07:26,240 --> 00:07:28,240 Speaker 1: would always get cast in those. So if there was 135 00:07:28,280 --> 00:07:31,840 Speaker 1: an Arab, if there was a uh a Latino character, 136 00:07:31,920 --> 00:07:34,600 Speaker 1: basically anything that was not a white English gentleman, they 137 00:07:34,640 --> 00:07:37,320 Speaker 1: would just give it to Christopher Lee. To get an 138 00:07:37,320 --> 00:07:41,559 Speaker 1: acting education. Lee first performed in repertory theater productions with Rank, 139 00:07:41,960 --> 00:07:44,840 Speaker 1: but these stage pays, we're really not to his liking. 140 00:07:45,360 --> 00:07:48,160 Speaker 1: He floundered in front of a live audience and in 141 00:07:48,200 --> 00:07:51,600 Speaker 1: one instance got laughter when he wasn't supposed to, when 142 00:07:51,640 --> 00:07:53,600 Speaker 1: he accidentally put his hand through a part of the 143 00:07:53,600 --> 00:07:55,640 Speaker 1: set that was supposed to be a window with glass 144 00:07:55,640 --> 00:07:58,200 Speaker 1: in it. Yeah, it was just one of those moments 145 00:07:58,240 --> 00:08:00,880 Speaker 1: of absurdity and kind of confusion, and he really, as 146 00:08:00,920 --> 00:08:03,760 Speaker 1: you can, I can't imagine how how Christopher Lee would 147 00:08:03,800 --> 00:08:05,960 Speaker 1: react to being laughed at, particularly when he was a 148 00:08:05,960 --> 00:08:10,720 Speaker 1: younger man. Um And this next story I will explain 149 00:08:10,760 --> 00:08:13,560 Speaker 1: why I tell it because it's a little, uh, not 150 00:08:13,600 --> 00:08:16,680 Speaker 1: really off color, but it's it's body humor. As part 151 00:08:16,760 --> 00:08:19,960 Speaker 1: of the Rank Organization's youth company, which was also colloquial 152 00:08:20,040 --> 00:08:23,800 Speaker 1: called colloquially called the Charm School, he also appeared on 153 00:08:23,800 --> 00:08:27,080 Speaker 1: the BBC magazine program Kaleidoscope a couple of times, and 154 00:08:27,120 --> 00:08:30,680 Speaker 1: in these cases, these young actors would act out charades 155 00:08:31,040 --> 00:08:33,400 Speaker 1: that were designed to represent a word that viewers were 156 00:08:33,400 --> 00:08:34,959 Speaker 1: supposed to guess. It was kind of like an at 157 00:08:35,000 --> 00:08:38,480 Speaker 1: home play along part of the show. And apparently, uh 158 00:08:38,600 --> 00:08:40,160 Speaker 1: he only did this couple of times, but one of 159 00:08:40,160 --> 00:08:43,079 Speaker 1: the most famous and unintentionally funny appearances that he made 160 00:08:43,080 --> 00:08:45,680 Speaker 1: on the show happened because when Lee, who was playing 161 00:08:45,720 --> 00:08:49,000 Speaker 1: a police commissioner, stormed into the scene to chastise an 162 00:08:49,000 --> 00:08:52,400 Speaker 1: actor who was playing an inspector, the other actor, Richard Molinas, 163 00:08:52,760 --> 00:08:56,200 Speaker 1: had a terrible case of gas, possibly because he was nervous, 164 00:08:56,480 --> 00:08:59,200 Speaker 1: and he began farting audibly for several minutes while they 165 00:08:59,200 --> 00:09:01,760 Speaker 1: played the rest of the scene. And I don't usually 166 00:09:01,840 --> 00:09:04,680 Speaker 1: like like gassy bodily function humor, but the thought of 167 00:09:05,080 --> 00:09:07,880 Speaker 1: Taul Elegance or Christopher Lee, as a young man trying 168 00:09:07,880 --> 00:09:10,280 Speaker 1: to keep a straight face through such an ordeal kind 169 00:09:10,320 --> 00:09:13,640 Speaker 1: of cracks me up. It just seems so incongruous with 170 00:09:13,679 --> 00:09:18,120 Speaker 1: who he is in my mind. Lee also got swordplay 171 00:09:18,160 --> 00:09:20,440 Speaker 1: training as a member of Ranks Charm School, and he 172 00:09:20,480 --> 00:09:22,080 Speaker 1: was really good at it, so that would go on 173 00:09:22,120 --> 00:09:24,360 Speaker 1: to serve him for the rest of his theatrical career. 174 00:09:24,920 --> 00:09:27,320 Speaker 1: And The Many Faces of Christopher Lee, which is a 175 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:31,240 Speaker 1: biographical documentary that was released in he said that he 176 00:09:31,280 --> 00:09:33,600 Speaker 1: believed he had been in more sword fights on screen 177 00:09:33,600 --> 00:09:36,839 Speaker 1: than any other actor. He was also extremely frank that 178 00:09:36,920 --> 00:09:40,319 Speaker 1: in many instances he got carved up a bit. His 179 00:09:40,520 --> 00:09:43,520 Speaker 1: primary advice was that you always have to make things 180 00:09:43,640 --> 00:09:48,160 Speaker 1: feel like you'd truly like to harm the other person. Yeah, 181 00:09:48,200 --> 00:09:50,960 Speaker 1: in terms of physical acting, he really went for it, 182 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:56,120 Speaker 1: and he you know, that's dangerous, so sometimes he got hurt. Uh. 183 00:09:56,160 --> 00:09:58,480 Speaker 1: He got his first film work the year after he 184 00:09:58,520 --> 00:10:00,640 Speaker 1: had made the decision to become an act or. He 185 00:10:00,679 --> 00:10:03,080 Speaker 1: played a very small part in a film about sort 186 00:10:03,080 --> 00:10:07,000 Speaker 1: of this Gothic romance that crossed multiple reincarnations called Corridor 187 00:10:07,040 --> 00:10:09,520 Speaker 1: of Mirrors, and that same year he also had a 188 00:10:09,520 --> 00:10:12,960 Speaker 1: small uncredited role in the Lawrence Olivier adaptation of Hamlet. 189 00:10:14,400 --> 00:10:17,040 Speaker 1: He got his big break when he was cast in 190 00:10:17,160 --> 00:10:19,880 Speaker 1: his first Hammer film, which was the Curse of Frankenstein. 191 00:10:20,000 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: This was a nineteen fifty seven He acted alongside Peter Cushing, 192 00:10:24,040 --> 00:10:28,000 Speaker 1: who played Victor Frankenstein. The best of friends. The two 193 00:10:28,000 --> 00:10:31,240 Speaker 1: of them was star in numerous Hammer films together throughout 194 00:10:31,280 --> 00:10:34,280 Speaker 1: their careers. You know, the first ten years of his 195 00:10:34,400 --> 00:10:38,360 Speaker 1: career really he was just taking every party could, kind 196 00:10:38,360 --> 00:10:41,440 Speaker 1: of paying his dues, working in the trenches, doing all 197 00:10:41,440 --> 00:10:44,360 Speaker 1: the work. And then this opportunity came up and it 198 00:10:44,440 --> 00:10:49,160 Speaker 1: really made him instantly famous. Um later, when Christopher Lee 199 00:10:49,200 --> 00:10:51,920 Speaker 1: described the experience of getting into makeup for this part 200 00:10:52,160 --> 00:10:54,600 Speaker 1: to a journalist. He said, quote when I was in 201 00:10:54,679 --> 00:10:58,160 Speaker 1: full makeup as the creature, which was pretty unattractive. Somebody 202 00:10:58,200 --> 00:11:00,800 Speaker 1: said I looked like a road accident for a character 203 00:11:00,840 --> 00:11:03,240 Speaker 1: who's put together from bits and pieces of other people, 204 00:11:03,480 --> 00:11:07,160 Speaker 1: that's a very good description. In ninety eight, Least starred 205 00:11:07,160 --> 00:11:10,240 Speaker 1: in Horror of Dracula, which was released in Great Britain 206 00:11:10,320 --> 00:11:13,800 Speaker 1: simply as Dracula. This was the first of nine films 207 00:11:13,800 --> 00:11:16,120 Speaker 1: in which he would play the famous vampire, ten if 208 00:11:16,120 --> 00:11:19,440 Speaker 1: you count his uncredited appearance in the comedy One More Time, 209 00:11:19,480 --> 00:11:23,320 Speaker 1: which came out in nineteen seventy. But after the first 210 00:11:23,360 --> 00:11:26,120 Speaker 1: two of his Dracula films, he told his agent that 211 00:11:26,160 --> 00:11:28,640 Speaker 1: he just didn't want to do it anymore. He felt 212 00:11:28,679 --> 00:11:31,040 Speaker 1: like the writing was clumsy and it was just kind 213 00:11:31,040 --> 00:11:35,240 Speaker 1: of shoving the character into various scenarios without any real creativity. 214 00:11:35,400 --> 00:11:37,120 Speaker 1: And when he told the studio he didn't want to 215 00:11:37,160 --> 00:11:40,440 Speaker 1: play the famous vampire anymore, there was a huge uproar. 216 00:11:41,040 --> 00:11:44,160 Speaker 1: The head of the studio called the actor completely frantic. 217 00:11:44,720 --> 00:11:47,200 Speaker 1: So the person he's talking about here is is a 218 00:11:47,280 --> 00:11:49,960 Speaker 1: hammer big wig named Jimmy Carreras. And so he says, 219 00:11:50,040 --> 00:11:53,640 Speaker 1: I got a frantic telephone call from Jimmy Carreras, saying 220 00:11:54,240 --> 00:11:57,240 Speaker 1: I already sold it to the American distributor with you 221 00:11:57,360 --> 00:11:59,880 Speaker 1: playing the part, and he said something I've never for 222 00:12:00,000 --> 00:12:03,040 Speaker 1: gotten because it was sheer blackmail. Think of the people 223 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:05,480 Speaker 1: you're putting out of work. That's the only reason I 224 00:12:05,520 --> 00:12:07,800 Speaker 1: did the last few draculas. I didn't want to be 225 00:12:07,840 --> 00:12:12,040 Speaker 1: the reason for a hundred people not working. Yeah, that's 226 00:12:12,040 --> 00:12:16,920 Speaker 1: such a weasily way to pressure somebody. Um In Lee 227 00:12:17,000 --> 00:12:19,520 Speaker 1: started another Hammer film as the lead in the Mummy 228 00:12:19,800 --> 00:12:23,640 Speaker 1: and his nineteen sixty six performances Resputing in Resputing the 229 00:12:23,640 --> 00:12:26,520 Speaker 1: Mad Monk is also another one that is almost always 230 00:12:26,520 --> 00:12:29,040 Speaker 1: mentioned anytime you see like an abbreviated list of his 231 00:12:29,080 --> 00:12:32,400 Speaker 1: incredibly long career, and that's one that has a really 232 00:12:32,440 --> 00:12:36,080 Speaker 1: interesting and surreal historical connection because Lee had actually met 233 00:12:36,760 --> 00:12:40,080 Speaker 1: Prince Yusupov and Grand Duke Dmitri Pavlovitch, the two men 234 00:12:40,120 --> 00:12:43,440 Speaker 1: who assassinated Resputing in real life when he was just 235 00:12:43,520 --> 00:12:47,280 Speaker 1: a child. While Lee initially made his name in horror, 236 00:12:47,320 --> 00:12:51,000 Speaker 1: he was not enthusiastic about how that genre developed over 237 00:12:51,000 --> 00:12:53,920 Speaker 1: the years, and a two thousand one interview with The 238 00:12:53,960 --> 00:12:58,400 Speaker 1: Guardians Will Hodgkinson, he said there have been some absolutely 239 00:12:58,480 --> 00:13:03,559 Speaker 1: ghastly films recently physically repellent. What we did was fantasy, 240 00:13:03,840 --> 00:13:06,640 Speaker 1: fairy tales. No real person can copy what we did, 241 00:13:07,040 --> 00:13:09,120 Speaker 1: but they can do what Hannibal Lecter does if they're 242 00:13:09,120 --> 00:13:12,439 Speaker 1: so inclined, So people like Jeffrey Dahmer and Dennis Nilson, 243 00:13:12,920 --> 00:13:15,880 Speaker 1: and for that reason, I think such films are dangerous. 244 00:13:17,200 --> 00:13:20,040 Speaker 1: Christopher Lee often played villains. I don't think that's any 245 00:13:20,040 --> 00:13:22,880 Speaker 1: big secrets. But what really made him special is that 246 00:13:22,920 --> 00:13:26,400 Speaker 1: he had this uncanny ability to make viewers kind of 247 00:13:26,520 --> 00:13:30,240 Speaker 1: root for the bad guy. His his personas were always 248 00:13:30,320 --> 00:13:34,360 Speaker 1: so incredibly compelling. So he famously, of course played Scaramanga 249 00:13:34,440 --> 00:13:36,640 Speaker 1: in The Man with the Golden Gun, and he did 250 00:13:36,679 --> 00:13:39,480 Speaker 1: this in a way that was just this cool, unflappable 251 00:13:39,480 --> 00:13:44,240 Speaker 1: and refined uh characterization. And even as he's, you know, 252 00:13:44,280 --> 00:13:47,440 Speaker 1: in that movie, constructing a gun right in front of 253 00:13:47,440 --> 00:13:49,880 Speaker 1: a man he's planning to shoot, he's just completely chill 254 00:13:49,920 --> 00:13:53,160 Speaker 1: and relaxed, and he was so charming, and he is 255 00:13:53,200 --> 00:13:55,040 Speaker 1: often cited in that film is sort of playing a 256 00:13:55,160 --> 00:13:57,720 Speaker 1: dark counter to Roger Moore's Bond, So he's like the 257 00:13:57,760 --> 00:14:00,920 Speaker 1: anti James Bond. He has all the same attributes, but 258 00:14:01,040 --> 00:14:04,319 Speaker 1: he is on the dark side of it. Incidentally, Lee 259 00:14:04,400 --> 00:14:07,840 Speaker 1: was a cousin of James Bond author Ian Fleming through marriage, 260 00:14:07,840 --> 00:14:10,280 Speaker 1: and he was the author's first choice to play Doctor No, 261 00:14:10,520 --> 00:14:14,520 Speaker 1: although the studio had already made their choice before Fleming 262 00:14:14,559 --> 00:14:18,160 Speaker 1: made this desire known to them. Yeah, he's just connected 263 00:14:18,160 --> 00:14:22,000 Speaker 1: to everything. Uh. In one Lee married twenty six year 264 00:14:22,000 --> 00:14:25,920 Speaker 1: old Danish model and actress Brigie Cranky, and unlike many 265 00:14:25,960 --> 00:14:28,200 Speaker 1: showed his couples, they stayed together until the end of 266 00:14:28,240 --> 00:14:31,480 Speaker 1: Lee's life. They also had one daughter together, Christina, and 267 00:14:31,480 --> 00:14:35,280 Speaker 1: by all accounts, Christopher Lee was a completely devoted husband 268 00:14:35,280 --> 00:14:37,880 Speaker 1: and father, and he was very protective of his private life. 269 00:14:38,240 --> 00:14:41,440 Speaker 1: He definitely did not believe in voyeuristic celebrity culture, and 270 00:14:41,560 --> 00:14:43,520 Speaker 1: his wife and daughters survive him. So we are not 271 00:14:44,200 --> 00:14:45,600 Speaker 1: out of respect for him. We're not going to go 272 00:14:45,680 --> 00:14:49,880 Speaker 1: into their story too much. While filming Dracula Has Risen 273 00:14:49,920 --> 00:14:52,840 Speaker 1: from the Grave. In the nineteen sixties, Lee was deeply 274 00:14:52,920 --> 00:14:56,480 Speaker 1: dismayed when British government officials came to Pinewood Studios to 275 00:14:56,520 --> 00:15:00,080 Speaker 1: bestow an honor on the Hammer Pictures Company. As the 276 00:15:00,080 --> 00:15:03,200 Speaker 1: officials arrived, he was in full Dracula mode and he 277 00:15:03,280 --> 00:15:06,120 Speaker 1: was mounted on a giant cross, and that was what 278 00:15:06,160 --> 00:15:09,080 Speaker 1: they saw when they walked in. So he didn't feel 279 00:15:09,120 --> 00:15:14,360 Speaker 1: like that was really the ideal introduction for a gentleman. Yeah, 280 00:15:14,360 --> 00:15:17,360 Speaker 1: he was very dismay ad how that timing played out. Uh. 281 00:15:17,440 --> 00:15:20,200 Speaker 1: He did eventually use his standing and influence at Hammer 282 00:15:20,680 --> 00:15:23,400 Speaker 1: to bring in a cult thriller author Dennis Wheatley to 283 00:15:23,440 --> 00:15:26,560 Speaker 1: work on adaptations of his novels for the studio, and 284 00:15:26,560 --> 00:15:28,440 Speaker 1: this proved to be both a feather in his cap 285 00:15:28,480 --> 00:15:31,280 Speaker 1: and eventually something of a disaster. So the studio first 286 00:15:31,280 --> 00:15:34,480 Speaker 1: produced The Devil Rides Out with Wheatly. That is often 287 00:15:34,480 --> 00:15:37,240 Speaker 1: regarded as the best film the studio ever produced. It's 288 00:15:37,240 --> 00:15:40,120 Speaker 1: a tale based on satan worship among high society types 289 00:15:40,160 --> 00:15:43,640 Speaker 1: and men of diplomatic power, and it was intended, according 290 00:15:43,680 --> 00:15:46,440 Speaker 1: to Lee, to warn of the dangers of Satanism. But 291 00:15:46,560 --> 00:15:49,360 Speaker 1: in ninety six Hammer worked with Wheatly on a film 292 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:52,360 Speaker 1: called to the Devil a Daughter, and that project was 293 00:15:52,440 --> 00:15:56,160 Speaker 1: not a success. It made money, but Wheatley was unhappy 294 00:15:56,200 --> 00:15:59,360 Speaker 1: with it and distanced himself from the production. It was 295 00:15:59,440 --> 00:16:03,160 Speaker 1: also the last horror film and the glorious mid mid 296 00:16:03,240 --> 00:16:08,600 Speaker 1: century run that Hammer Studios had, and It's a common joke, 297 00:16:08,680 --> 00:16:10,960 Speaker 1: of course, that actors get a new script and the 298 00:16:10,960 --> 00:16:13,040 Speaker 1: first thing they do is count their lines before they 299 00:16:13,080 --> 00:16:14,720 Speaker 1: do anything else, Like they run through and see how 300 00:16:14,760 --> 00:16:17,680 Speaker 1: many lines your character has. But Lee really broke the 301 00:16:17,800 --> 00:16:20,120 Speaker 1: mold in this regard. He was known, in fact, for 302 00:16:20,160 --> 00:16:23,240 Speaker 1: cutting many of his lines in his horror roles. He 303 00:16:23,240 --> 00:16:25,320 Speaker 1: said that he would rather cut his own dialogue than 304 00:16:25,360 --> 00:16:28,200 Speaker 1: speak a line that he felt was poorly written, and 305 00:16:28,240 --> 00:16:30,920 Speaker 1: as a consequence, in the nineteen sixty six film Dracula 306 00:16:30,920 --> 00:16:34,680 Speaker 1: Prince of Darkness, he didn't speak a word, although he 307 00:16:34,720 --> 00:16:36,920 Speaker 1: did his from time to time. He just thought the 308 00:16:36,960 --> 00:16:39,040 Speaker 1: writing was so abysmal. He refused to say any of 309 00:16:39,080 --> 00:16:42,760 Speaker 1: those lines. But just the same he is still incredibly mesmerizing. 310 00:16:43,600 --> 00:16:46,760 Speaker 1: Writer Mark Kermode wrote in a Guardian piece after Lee 311 00:16:46,840 --> 00:16:49,160 Speaker 1: died that when they had worked on a project called 312 00:16:49,200 --> 00:16:52,080 Speaker 1: Fear in the Dark Together, for which Lee provided narration, 313 00:16:52,440 --> 00:16:55,280 Speaker 1: the actor wasn't the least bit shy about giving notes 314 00:16:55,320 --> 00:17:00,440 Speaker 1: about the writing. Hermode described the corrections as polite but strong, 315 00:17:00,760 --> 00:17:03,360 Speaker 1: which is the way many people seemed to characterize him 316 00:17:03,400 --> 00:17:07,360 Speaker 1: in a variety of different scenarios. Yeah, I think Lee 317 00:17:07,440 --> 00:17:10,880 Speaker 1: was a gentleman, but he really. Uh was willing to 318 00:17:10,880 --> 00:17:14,280 Speaker 1: to voice his opinion, especially when it was important to him. 319 00:17:15,160 --> 00:17:17,199 Speaker 1: In nineteen seventy three, he started a film called The 320 00:17:17,200 --> 00:17:20,359 Speaker 1: wicker Man, and this film became a cult classic. Uh 321 00:17:20,480 --> 00:17:22,480 Speaker 1: Lee considered it to be some of his best work, 322 00:17:22,560 --> 00:17:24,280 Speaker 1: and in it he played a man named Lord summer 323 00:17:24,320 --> 00:17:27,720 Speaker 1: Isle who ran an island of pagans where ritual practices 324 00:17:27,760 --> 00:17:30,280 Speaker 1: were part of the normal routine. And the setup is 325 00:17:30,280 --> 00:17:32,800 Speaker 1: that a policeman goes to investigate some of what's going 326 00:17:32,840 --> 00:17:35,560 Speaker 1: on in the island and things go very poorly from there. 327 00:17:36,560 --> 00:17:39,280 Speaker 1: But even though the movie gained a following, British Lion, 328 00:17:39,359 --> 00:17:42,240 Speaker 1: which is the production company behind it, had no love 329 00:17:42,359 --> 00:17:46,120 Speaker 1: for that particular child. Studio executives thought it was so 330 00:17:46,160 --> 00:17:49,200 Speaker 1: bad that they heavily edited it into a shorter version 331 00:17:49,280 --> 00:17:52,159 Speaker 1: and released it basically as a B film on a 332 00:17:52,200 --> 00:17:55,720 Speaker 1: double on a double bill with Don't Look Now. But 333 00:17:55,840 --> 00:17:58,639 Speaker 1: Lee really defended the film and he crusaded for it 334 00:17:58,680 --> 00:18:00,800 Speaker 1: to get the attention that he felt deserved. He felt 335 00:18:00,800 --> 00:18:02,800 Speaker 1: really strongly that they had made a great film and 336 00:18:02,840 --> 00:18:06,200 Speaker 1: what came out was not it. Years later, the film 337 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:08,680 Speaker 1: was partially restored thanks to his efforts, and it was 338 00:18:08,720 --> 00:18:11,280 Speaker 1: hailed as one of the most important and impressive horror 339 00:18:11,280 --> 00:18:14,800 Speaker 1: films of all time. But even so, Lee always felt 340 00:18:14,840 --> 00:18:16,920 Speaker 1: that there was a more complete cut of that film 341 00:18:16,960 --> 00:18:20,320 Speaker 1: that existed somewhere and was even greater than the one 342 00:18:20,359 --> 00:18:24,840 Speaker 1: that critics and audiences eventually loved. In nineteen seventy seven, 343 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:27,800 Speaker 1: Lee moved to Los Angeles to sort of change things 344 00:18:27,880 --> 00:18:31,640 Speaker 1: up and look for new opportunities. One of these opportunities 345 00:18:31,680 --> 00:18:34,199 Speaker 1: came in the form of hosting Saturday Night Live. This 346 00:18:34,320 --> 00:18:37,480 Speaker 1: was during the Belushi, Murray, and Ackroid era, and the 347 00:18:37,520 --> 00:18:40,440 Speaker 1: Englishman held his own with all of basically the people 348 00:18:40,480 --> 00:18:43,200 Speaker 1: who were regarded as the best comedians of the day. 349 00:18:43,680 --> 00:18:45,960 Speaker 1: It was calculated in a way because he wanted the 350 00:18:45,960 --> 00:18:49,240 Speaker 1: American entertainment industry to know that he could play funny. 351 00:18:49,600 --> 00:18:52,080 Speaker 1: It really paid off in part due to the Saturday 352 00:18:52,160 --> 00:18:54,760 Speaker 1: Night Live appearance. He landed a role in Steven Spielberg's 353 00:18:55,200 --> 00:18:58,680 Speaker 1: forty one. He was also offered the role that eventually 354 00:18:58,720 --> 00:19:01,879 Speaker 1: went to Leslie Nielsen and Airplane. He wound up turning 355 00:19:01,880 --> 00:19:05,560 Speaker 1: that down, which he later regretted. Yeah, it was kind 356 00:19:05,600 --> 00:19:07,679 Speaker 1: of a nice change of pace. I think, you know, 357 00:19:07,760 --> 00:19:09,800 Speaker 1: everyone had seen him in these horror roles, and they 358 00:19:09,800 --> 00:19:14,040 Speaker 1: took him very seriously and he was just frightening, villainous figure. 359 00:19:14,080 --> 00:19:16,399 Speaker 1: But he was very funny and if you can go 360 00:19:16,480 --> 00:19:19,119 Speaker 1: to YouTube and search for his SNL appearances, there are 361 00:19:19,119 --> 00:19:22,000 Speaker 1: a lot of small clips of it. And he's incredibly witty. 362 00:19:22,040 --> 00:19:25,960 Speaker 1: He has great timing, uh and he worked pretty consistently 363 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:28,600 Speaker 1: on TV and film projects after his move to the US, 364 00:19:28,680 --> 00:19:31,800 Speaker 1: So he worked in comedies and dramas alike, in everything 365 00:19:31,840 --> 00:19:34,199 Speaker 1: from Return to Witch Mountain to Sherlock Holmes in The 366 00:19:34,280 --> 00:19:37,639 Speaker 1: Leading Lady. And we're going to talk about his incredibly 367 00:19:37,680 --> 00:19:40,480 Speaker 1: prolific next stage of his career in just a moment, 368 00:19:40,480 --> 00:19:42,520 Speaker 1: but first let's have a word from one of our 369 00:19:42,560 --> 00:19:48,280 Speaker 1: fabulous sponsors. So one of the pivotal, although unseen by many, 370 00:19:48,520 --> 00:19:51,919 Speaker 1: roles in Lee's career, came in when he started as 371 00:19:51,960 --> 00:19:55,639 Speaker 1: the father of Pakistan. That's Mohammed al Ali Jenna and 372 00:19:55,680 --> 00:19:59,440 Speaker 1: the film Jenna. When he was speaking at the College 373 00:19:59,480 --> 00:20:02,080 Speaker 1: of dubl It in eleven, he said that this was 374 00:20:02,119 --> 00:20:04,680 Speaker 1: the most important thing he'd ever done. Although it wasn't 375 00:20:04,720 --> 00:20:09,000 Speaker 1: theatrically released outside of Pakistan, Lee believed that the limited 376 00:20:09,000 --> 00:20:11,600 Speaker 1: release was due to the fact that his character's speeches 377 00:20:11,760 --> 00:20:14,040 Speaker 1: told the people of Pakistan that they were free to 378 00:20:14,119 --> 00:20:18,359 Speaker 1: follow and practice whatever religions they wished, and some person 379 00:20:18,440 --> 00:20:21,360 Speaker 1: or group didn't want that information seen by the rest 380 00:20:21,400 --> 00:20:25,200 Speaker 1: of the world. For context in an inordinately simplified way. 381 00:20:25,240 --> 00:20:29,400 Speaker 1: It's not interminently for context, in an extremely simplified way. 382 00:20:30,400 --> 00:20:34,800 Speaker 1: Mohammed Ali Jenna separated Pakistan from India after religious conflict 383 00:20:34,840 --> 00:20:38,760 Speaker 1: between Hendy's and Muslims. Yeah, and there are copies of 384 00:20:38,800 --> 00:20:41,600 Speaker 1: that film floating about like you can't find it if 385 00:20:41,640 --> 00:20:44,360 Speaker 1: you really go looking, but it is difficult, uh. And 386 00:20:44,720 --> 00:20:46,680 Speaker 1: it's interesting because one of the other things he said 387 00:20:47,119 --> 00:20:50,320 Speaker 1: in interviews throughout the years about what was very difficult 388 00:20:50,359 --> 00:20:52,920 Speaker 1: about that was that it was a person who had 389 00:20:52,960 --> 00:20:56,080 Speaker 1: lived and lived recently, so he felt like there was 390 00:20:56,119 --> 00:20:58,480 Speaker 1: additional pressure to be really spot on and it really 391 00:20:58,560 --> 00:21:02,000 Speaker 1: raised his game and he is amazing in it. Uh. 392 00:21:02,080 --> 00:21:05,480 Speaker 1: In a nod tid Lee's Hammer career, director Tim Burton 393 00:21:05,560 --> 00:21:08,760 Speaker 1: cast a very tall actor in Sleepy Hollow, which came out. 394 00:21:09,920 --> 00:21:11,680 Speaker 1: And what's really great is that if you listen to 395 00:21:11,760 --> 00:21:14,840 Speaker 1: the director's commentary on that film, there is a large 396 00:21:14,960 --> 00:21:18,600 Speaker 1: chunk where Burton spends just all of this time sort 397 00:21:18,600 --> 00:21:21,320 Speaker 1: of being awed at the fact that the Christopher Lee's 398 00:21:21,440 --> 00:21:24,160 Speaker 1: in his movie, he's such a fanboy, and it's very charming, 399 00:21:25,320 --> 00:21:27,520 Speaker 1: and since Burton already at this point has had a 400 00:21:27,600 --> 00:21:31,360 Speaker 1: hugely successful career, it's a nice reminder of just how 401 00:21:31,400 --> 00:21:33,680 Speaker 1: big a star Lee was too many kids who grew 402 00:21:33,760 --> 00:21:38,280 Speaker 1: up watching Hammer Horror. In two thousand one, Lee famously 403 00:21:38,400 --> 00:21:40,639 Speaker 1: began his role as Saramon in the Lord of the 404 00:21:40,760 --> 00:21:44,080 Speaker 1: Rings trilogy. He had wanted for quite some time to 405 00:21:44,080 --> 00:21:46,679 Speaker 1: play Gandolf, and he had even approached Talking at one 406 00:21:46,720 --> 00:21:49,000 Speaker 1: point to make his case that he should have that role, 407 00:21:49,040 --> 00:21:51,320 Speaker 1: and he got the author's blessing that should there be 408 00:21:51,359 --> 00:21:55,520 Speaker 1: a film, he should be the choice to play Gandolf. 409 00:21:55,520 --> 00:21:59,040 Speaker 1: By the time Peter Jackson's project got off the ground, though, 410 00:21:59,119 --> 00:22:01,280 Speaker 1: Lee was believed to be too old to play Gandalf. 411 00:22:01,280 --> 00:22:04,120 Speaker 1: I think he actually thought this about himself their interviews 412 00:22:04,160 --> 00:22:06,600 Speaker 1: where he talked about realizing that all of the things 413 00:22:06,600 --> 00:22:10,400 Speaker 1: that Gandalf physically needed to do would have been particularly 414 00:22:10,520 --> 00:22:15,000 Speaker 1: risky by this point in his age. Yeah, I mean 415 00:22:15,280 --> 00:22:17,439 Speaker 1: I have heard him tell it to that way, as 416 00:22:17,520 --> 00:22:19,720 Speaker 1: well as saying like, oh, they kind of suggested that 417 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:22,800 Speaker 1: I might be too old and then yes, they were right, 418 00:22:22,840 --> 00:22:24,520 Speaker 1: And in a way it worked out because I get 419 00:22:24,560 --> 00:22:28,840 Speaker 1: to be the only villain since Suron is just an eye, 420 00:22:28,880 --> 00:22:30,840 Speaker 1: I'm really the only heavy and it's kind of a big, 421 00:22:30,920 --> 00:22:33,960 Speaker 1: juicy role in that regard. And Lee was really an 422 00:22:33,960 --> 00:22:36,920 Speaker 1: expert on J. R. R. Tolkien's work. He was more 423 00:22:36,960 --> 00:22:39,919 Speaker 1: than happy to advise the production department on designs and 424 00:22:39,960 --> 00:22:43,199 Speaker 1: logistics as well as playing his role of Saromon, and 425 00:22:43,240 --> 00:22:45,320 Speaker 1: the actor had made this habit of reading the Lord 426 00:22:45,359 --> 00:22:48,280 Speaker 1: of the Rings trilogy once a year for decades, so 427 00:22:48,320 --> 00:22:52,240 Speaker 1: he really did know his stuff. Saramon's death scene was 428 00:22:52,359 --> 00:22:54,399 Speaker 1: edited out of the third film and the trilogy and 429 00:22:54,400 --> 00:22:58,040 Speaker 1: the theatrical release, which really displeased Lead because he felt 430 00:22:58,040 --> 00:23:01,720 Speaker 1: like it took away from the story. He also said publicly, though, 431 00:23:01,760 --> 00:23:04,200 Speaker 1: that he had no ill will towards Peter Jackson for 432 00:23:04,240 --> 00:23:07,080 Speaker 1: the decision. Seen his back in there for the extent 433 00:23:07,280 --> 00:23:10,760 Speaker 1: edition and also a much repeated story about that whole 434 00:23:10,800 --> 00:23:14,480 Speaker 1: death scene, and Peter Jackson was sort of describing, uh, 435 00:23:14,600 --> 00:23:18,040 Speaker 1: the sound that would happen when someone was stabbed at 436 00:23:18,080 --> 00:23:21,439 Speaker 1: the back, and Christopher Lee explained that is not in 437 00:23:21,520 --> 00:23:24,280 Speaker 1: fact the sound that a person makes when they are 438 00:23:24,280 --> 00:23:29,840 Speaker 1: stabbed in the back and he knew this from experience, Yeah, 439 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:34,240 Speaker 1: presumably from his classified work in the war. There's another 440 00:23:34,560 --> 00:23:38,439 Speaker 1: uh kind of sidebar, because I couldn't find this particular interview. 441 00:23:38,520 --> 00:23:40,959 Speaker 1: I know I saw it, and it's so charmed me 442 00:23:41,000 --> 00:23:44,520 Speaker 1: regarding Christopher Lee a moment where he was talking about 443 00:23:44,520 --> 00:23:47,520 Speaker 1: playing Sargamon and how he was having this morning where 444 00:23:47,520 --> 00:23:49,280 Speaker 1: he was just out of sorts and he was it 445 00:23:49,359 --> 00:23:50,960 Speaker 1: was an afternoon and he was just out of sorts 446 00:23:50,960 --> 00:23:53,200 Speaker 1: and he was getting frustrated, and he had this sort 447 00:23:53,200 --> 00:23:55,159 Speaker 1: of mini tantrum where he was saying, Oh, it's this 448 00:23:55,280 --> 00:23:58,359 Speaker 1: damn costume. I can't walk without tripping on it. And 449 00:23:58,400 --> 00:24:01,240 Speaker 1: how Peter Jackson just said from behind the camera, you 450 00:24:01,280 --> 00:24:05,440 Speaker 1: did it this morning. Christopher Lee was like, that really 451 00:24:05,480 --> 00:24:07,359 Speaker 1: put me in my place. And I was always so 452 00:24:07,440 --> 00:24:11,560 Speaker 1: charmed that this man of you know, such incredible iconic stature, 453 00:24:12,320 --> 00:24:15,080 Speaker 1: Like what he was telling people in press junkets was 454 00:24:15,119 --> 00:24:17,200 Speaker 1: that he had been a diva and Peter Jackson had 455 00:24:17,200 --> 00:24:19,280 Speaker 1: fixed it. Like I just found that the most charming 456 00:24:19,320 --> 00:24:24,240 Speaker 1: story ever. I also like how while the films were 457 00:24:24,240 --> 00:24:27,160 Speaker 1: in production, like principal photography was done, but but all 458 00:24:27,200 --> 00:24:29,439 Speaker 1: of the editing was not done. He would say in 459 00:24:29,480 --> 00:24:32,080 Speaker 1: interviews that his goal was to live to see all 460 00:24:32,119 --> 00:24:35,359 Speaker 1: three films. Yes, and then he kind of did a 461 00:24:35,400 --> 00:24:38,280 Speaker 1: similar thing with Star Wars. So in two thousand two 462 00:24:38,359 --> 00:24:40,920 Speaker 1: he began his two film role of Count Dooku in 463 00:24:40,960 --> 00:24:44,120 Speaker 1: Star Wars Attack of the Clones. What's interesting about this 464 00:24:44,160 --> 00:24:47,119 Speaker 1: is the duel between Douku and Yoda featured Lee actually 465 00:24:47,119 --> 00:24:49,919 Speaker 1: making use of his skill at swordplay. If you've watched it, 466 00:24:49,920 --> 00:24:51,879 Speaker 1: you've seen that there's some doubling going on there, and 467 00:24:51,920 --> 00:24:54,520 Speaker 1: he was doubled from the waist down and for the 468 00:24:54,600 --> 00:24:57,480 Speaker 1: longer shots that included full body movement, but any of 469 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:00,000 Speaker 1: the shots that are just upper body are still Lee. 470 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:02,320 Speaker 1: He was still pretty angile despite his advancing age, and 471 00:25:02,359 --> 00:25:04,359 Speaker 1: he really wanted to do as much of the sword 472 00:25:04,400 --> 00:25:07,600 Speaker 1: play as he possibly could. Shortly before he turned to 473 00:25:07,640 --> 00:25:09,959 Speaker 1: eight e, Lee told a journalist that he wanted to 474 00:25:10,040 --> 00:25:12,399 Speaker 1: live long enough to see Star Wars Revenge of the 475 00:25:12,440 --> 00:25:15,159 Speaker 1: Fifth Open that was in two thousand and five, and 476 00:25:15,200 --> 00:25:19,240 Speaker 1: in fact he would live another entire decade. Lee was 477 00:25:19,280 --> 00:25:23,800 Speaker 1: actually knighted on October two thousand nine in recognition of 478 00:25:23,880 --> 00:25:27,240 Speaker 1: his contributions to the arts and to charity. Early the 479 00:25:27,280 --> 00:25:31,480 Speaker 1: next year, he released a symphonic metal concept album entitled 480 00:25:31,560 --> 00:25:34,200 Speaker 1: Charlemaine by the Sword and the Cross, and then later 481 00:25:34,240 --> 00:25:37,360 Speaker 1: that same year he received a Spirit of Metal Award 482 00:25:37,480 --> 00:25:41,040 Speaker 1: for it. Yeah, he was a fan of metal, which 483 00:25:41,119 --> 00:25:44,159 Speaker 1: is I think to some people so incongruous because he 484 00:25:44,240 --> 00:25:48,080 Speaker 1: is such a British gentleman. But he really was a 485 00:25:48,119 --> 00:25:50,320 Speaker 1: genuine fan of it. That wasn't just like a thing 486 00:25:50,400 --> 00:25:52,879 Speaker 1: he did for a lark. He loved. He loved metal. 487 00:25:53,240 --> 00:25:58,080 Speaker 1: Go figure And in uhleven he received another big award, 488 00:25:58,119 --> 00:26:00,960 Speaker 1: and that was an Academy Fellowship by the British Academy 489 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:03,480 Speaker 1: of Film and Television Arts, which is basically one of 490 00:26:03,480 --> 00:26:07,399 Speaker 1: the biggest act awards a British actor could receive, and 491 00:26:07,440 --> 00:26:10,040 Speaker 1: that was presented to him by his longtime fan and 492 00:26:10,240 --> 00:26:15,399 Speaker 1: at that point collaborator, Tim Burton. In he released A 493 00:26:15,480 --> 00:26:18,480 Speaker 1: Heavy Metal Christmas and then a follow up called A 494 00:26:18,600 --> 00:26:21,200 Speaker 1: Heavy Metal Christmas Too, which came out the following year. 495 00:26:22,960 --> 00:26:24,760 Speaker 1: Uh and then things slowed down a little bit. He 496 00:26:24,800 --> 00:26:27,639 Speaker 1: was still working when he could, but not at the 497 00:26:27,680 --> 00:26:31,160 Speaker 1: same pace. Uh and Lee passed away on June seven, 498 00:26:32,000 --> 00:26:34,200 Speaker 1: at the age of ninety three. He had been struggling 499 00:26:34,240 --> 00:26:37,720 Speaker 1: with some heart failure and some respiratory issues, and his 500 00:26:37,800 --> 00:26:40,560 Speaker 1: career actually spanned seven decades, and at that point it 501 00:26:40,640 --> 00:26:42,960 Speaker 1: was still going. He was scheduled to appear in a 502 00:26:43,000 --> 00:26:45,639 Speaker 1: movie about nine eleven with Uma Thurman when he passed, 503 00:26:45,640 --> 00:26:49,360 Speaker 1: so he never retired. He outlived his friends and colleagues, 504 00:26:49,359 --> 00:26:51,959 Speaker 1: Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, and Boris Carloff. They were all 505 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:55,399 Speaker 1: sort of a famous group of friends. And in his 506 00:26:55,520 --> 00:26:58,320 Speaker 1: sixty five year career, the longest break that he ever 507 00:26:58,440 --> 00:27:00,960 Speaker 1: took from acting was only four weeks, Like, that's the 508 00:27:01,000 --> 00:27:03,879 Speaker 1: longest vacation he had. I have a few bits of 509 00:27:03,920 --> 00:27:06,679 Speaker 1: trivia about him that didn't quite fit in any in 510 00:27:06,720 --> 00:27:09,480 Speaker 1: the chronological story of his life and work. And the 511 00:27:09,480 --> 00:27:12,480 Speaker 1: first is that because of his height, which one he 512 00:27:12,560 --> 00:27:15,280 Speaker 1: was once told would prevent him from having an acting career, 513 00:27:15,600 --> 00:27:19,960 Speaker 1: he holds the Guinness record for the tallest leading actor. Uh. 514 00:27:19,960 --> 00:27:22,439 Speaker 1: He also has the record for most screen credits for 515 00:27:22,480 --> 00:27:25,320 Speaker 1: a living actor, the Guinness Tract, which was two forty 516 00:27:25,320 --> 00:27:29,159 Speaker 1: four films. And he actually had many Guinness records to 517 00:27:29,320 --> 00:27:33,360 Speaker 1: his name, but those are just two. So many yes. 518 00:27:34,800 --> 00:27:37,760 Speaker 1: In two thousand two, Uh, in an interview with journalist 519 00:27:37,880 --> 00:27:40,520 Speaker 1: David Edelstein, Lie said, my whole life has been about 520 00:27:40,560 --> 00:27:44,680 Speaker 1: proving people wrong. And in his nineties three years Lee 521 00:27:44,720 --> 00:27:47,840 Speaker 1: was so incredibly prolific, and he was so fascinating that 522 00:27:47,920 --> 00:27:49,960 Speaker 1: we could never ever cover everything. It would have to 523 00:27:49,960 --> 00:27:51,920 Speaker 1: be like a dedicated month of shows, which would be 524 00:27:51,960 --> 00:27:55,080 Speaker 1: super fun, but uh, not really realistic in terms of 525 00:27:55,119 --> 00:27:58,000 Speaker 1: what we do. But in terms of his legacy, particularly 526 00:27:58,000 --> 00:28:01,800 Speaker 1: in horror, I thought it was best described in the 527 00:28:01,840 --> 00:28:03,639 Speaker 1: words of the actor himself, and this is from an 528 00:28:03,680 --> 00:28:06,639 Speaker 1: interview that he did. He says, quote, Hammer was an 529 00:28:06,680 --> 00:28:09,439 Speaker 1: important part of my life, and generally speaking, we had 530 00:28:09,440 --> 00:28:12,000 Speaker 1: a lot of fun. Fun seems to be a three 531 00:28:12,040 --> 00:28:14,679 Speaker 1: letter word these days, although it directors like Tim Burton 532 00:28:14,680 --> 00:28:17,480 Speaker 1: and George Lucas. It's fun, fun, fun, while also working 533 00:28:17,480 --> 00:28:20,480 Speaker 1: yourself to death. But if you compare those Hammer movies 534 00:28:20,520 --> 00:28:23,000 Speaker 1: to what's been made in the last twenty years, Brian 535 00:28:23,040 --> 00:28:26,840 Speaker 1: to Palma, Francis Ford Coppola, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, West Craven, 536 00:28:26,880 --> 00:28:29,920 Speaker 1: Tim Burton, and Peter Jackson have all said the same 537 00:28:29,960 --> 00:28:32,440 Speaker 1: thing to me. We were brought up on your movies 538 00:28:32,840 --> 00:28:37,280 Speaker 1: and it certainly shows in theirs. I love that, I 539 00:28:37,320 --> 00:28:39,280 Speaker 1: love that he was, so he was aware of his 540 00:28:39,320 --> 00:28:44,240 Speaker 1: own influence. At the same time, he seemed very um, 541 00:28:44,240 --> 00:28:49,960 Speaker 1: sort of down to earth, but also very proper. There 542 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:52,440 Speaker 1: will never be another Christopher Lee. I don't think he's amazing, 543 00:28:53,760 --> 00:28:57,520 Speaker 1: and I highly recommend hunting down any and all pieces 544 00:28:57,520 --> 00:29:00,080 Speaker 1: of his work you can. It's there's no end of 545 00:29:00,160 --> 00:29:03,360 Speaker 1: fun to it. Do you also have some listener mail 546 00:29:03,400 --> 00:29:07,160 Speaker 1: for us? I do. It's listener mail that we get 547 00:29:07,200 --> 00:29:09,160 Speaker 1: to say a big, fat thank you for because this 548 00:29:09,200 --> 00:29:12,080 Speaker 1: comes from our listener, Jennifer, and she sent us an 549 00:29:12,080 --> 00:29:14,959 Speaker 1: amazing package. She says, Tracy and Honley, I have been 550 00:29:15,040 --> 00:29:17,560 Speaker 1: enjoying the stuff you missed in History Class podcast for years, 551 00:29:17,600 --> 00:29:19,640 Speaker 1: and I've gotten so many hours of enjoyment out of 552 00:29:19,680 --> 00:29:21,400 Speaker 1: it that I wanted to send you a thank you 553 00:29:21,440 --> 00:29:24,160 Speaker 1: gift package. It's been a great podcast right from the beginning, 554 00:29:24,160 --> 00:29:27,520 Speaker 1: and it's only improved over time. I especially love some 555 00:29:27,560 --> 00:29:30,320 Speaker 1: of the newer episodes that YouTube ladies have done. You've 556 00:29:30,360 --> 00:29:32,880 Speaker 1: unearned some hidden nuggets history and tied them into popular 557 00:29:32,920 --> 00:29:36,160 Speaker 1: culture and daily life in different eras. Earlier this year, 558 00:29:36,200 --> 00:29:39,240 Speaker 1: I started a new company called Adventure Since making scented 559 00:29:39,240 --> 00:29:42,640 Speaker 1: products to match common Adventure locations in games, books, movies, 560 00:29:42,680 --> 00:29:45,040 Speaker 1: and other stories. We even have a line of Sense 561 00:29:45,080 --> 00:29:49,719 Speaker 1: inspired by historical locations. The funky fragrances range from the pleasant, 562 00:29:49,800 --> 00:29:52,920 Speaker 1: like the exotic exotic copal and spicy coco notes in 563 00:29:52,960 --> 00:29:56,000 Speaker 1: our Mayan Temple scent, to the odiferous, like the stench 564 00:29:56,040 --> 00:29:59,200 Speaker 1: of their indicaate in our multi crypt scent. At various times, 565 00:29:59,240 --> 00:30:01,720 Speaker 1: my house has read of every smell imaginable. I once 566 00:30:01,760 --> 00:30:03,880 Speaker 1: accidentally woke my daughter up at two am on a 567 00:30:03,920 --> 00:30:06,440 Speaker 1: school night with the odor of a vampire's layer. I'm 568 00:30:06,440 --> 00:30:09,840 Speaker 1: sure she's traumatized for life. Creating the Sense is tons 569 00:30:09,880 --> 00:30:12,280 Speaker 1: of fun, but making and packaging large quantities of them 570 00:30:12,320 --> 00:30:14,480 Speaker 1: can be time consuming and tedious. And the thing that 571 00:30:14,520 --> 00:30:16,480 Speaker 1: really makes the time fly by as I work is 572 00:30:16,560 --> 00:30:19,640 Speaker 1: listening to your podcast. So I have enclosed a selection 573 00:30:19,680 --> 00:30:21,880 Speaker 1: of Adventure Sense products that made me think of the 574 00:30:21,880 --> 00:30:24,760 Speaker 1: two of you, the past episodes you've done, and the 575 00:30:24,800 --> 00:30:27,840 Speaker 1: hobbies and interested interests that you've revealed along the way. 576 00:30:28,160 --> 00:30:31,320 Speaker 1: She sent us this incredible parcel, which it came to 577 00:30:31,320 --> 00:30:33,400 Speaker 1: the Atlanta office. So and Tracy is here next we 578 00:30:33,440 --> 00:30:36,040 Speaker 1: have to divvy everything up, but like it has these 579 00:30:36,080 --> 00:30:39,640 Speaker 1: cool scent jars. It has sent throws. They're sent lockets 580 00:30:39,640 --> 00:30:43,280 Speaker 1: that are beautiful. There are these two great little mini 581 00:30:43,360 --> 00:30:46,200 Speaker 1: fascinator hats that you can actually they have a little 582 00:30:46,240 --> 00:30:48,480 Speaker 1: receptacle that you can put these scent crystals in so 583 00:30:48,600 --> 00:30:53,360 Speaker 1: you can just smell fabulous and fashionable. Uh. They're amazing. Jennifer, 584 00:30:53,400 --> 00:30:57,240 Speaker 1: thank you so much. It's such a like, incredibly generous gift. 585 00:30:57,240 --> 00:30:59,280 Speaker 1: And I love it, love it, love it, and I 586 00:30:59,360 --> 00:31:03,520 Speaker 1: love the history inspires things like descent products. It's so cool. 587 00:31:04,040 --> 00:31:06,959 Speaker 1: So you can also check out her stuff for yourself 588 00:31:06,960 --> 00:31:09,680 Speaker 1: at adventure scents dot com and I hope you do 589 00:31:09,720 --> 00:31:12,600 Speaker 1: because they smell amazing. I love them. I love a 590 00:31:12,600 --> 00:31:16,000 Speaker 1: little non standard perfumery. So thank you, thank you, thank 591 00:31:16,040 --> 00:31:20,200 Speaker 1: you a million times over again. Our listeners are often 592 00:31:20,240 --> 00:31:22,480 Speaker 1: so generous, and I feel like we never get enough 593 00:31:22,520 --> 00:31:25,160 Speaker 1: time to publicly thank them for it. So thank you 594 00:31:25,200 --> 00:31:27,360 Speaker 1: to everyone who has sent us stuff, and today just 595 00:31:27,400 --> 00:31:30,239 Speaker 1: happens to be Jennifer's stuff that shuffled up. Uh. If 596 00:31:30,240 --> 00:31:31,720 Speaker 1: you would like to email us, you can do so 597 00:31:31,800 --> 00:31:34,440 Speaker 1: at History podcast at how stuff Works dot com, or 598 00:31:34,480 --> 00:31:37,080 Speaker 1: at Facebook dot com, slash misst in history on Twitter 599 00:31:37,200 --> 00:31:40,040 Speaker 1: at misston History at pinterest dot com, slash misst in 600 00:31:40,120 --> 00:31:43,440 Speaker 1: history at misston history dot tumbler dot com, and we 601 00:31:43,480 --> 00:31:46,720 Speaker 1: are on Instagram at misst in history. So if you 602 00:31:46,760 --> 00:31:50,040 Speaker 1: would like to uh do a little research on things 603 00:31:50,040 --> 00:31:51,920 Speaker 1: related to this, you can go to our parents site, 604 00:31:51,920 --> 00:31:54,600 Speaker 1: how stuff Works, typing Christopher Lee's name in the search 605 00:31:54,640 --> 00:31:56,280 Speaker 1: bar and one of the things that comes up is 606 00:31:56,280 --> 00:32:01,120 Speaker 1: a quiz about Frankenstein actors. So super fun, great for 607 00:32:01,120 --> 00:32:04,160 Speaker 1: the Halloween season. You can also visit us at mt 608 00:32:04,200 --> 00:32:06,960 Speaker 1: in history dot com for show notes and an archive 609 00:32:07,040 --> 00:32:09,960 Speaker 1: of every episode going way back to the original host 610 00:32:10,360 --> 00:32:13,840 Speaker 1: up to the modern era with me and Tracy and uh, 611 00:32:14,080 --> 00:32:16,200 Speaker 1: you should absolutely do that. Come and visit us at 612 00:32:16,240 --> 00:32:18,360 Speaker 1: mton history dot com and visit our parent site, how 613 00:32:18,400 --> 00:32:25,080 Speaker 1: stuff works dot com for more on this and thousands 614 00:32:25,080 --> 00:32:39,760 Speaker 1: of other topics. Because it hous toff works dot com