An Invitation to remember

Brian Johnston interviews Christopher Lee. From 1989. Love that moustache! Lots of talk of his different parts - clips from Wicker man. Lee speaks of when he met Rasputins murderers, his part in the Three Musketeers etc.

And he talks of playing Mycroft Holmes. "I am the only actor in history who has played both Holmes brothers, both Sherlock and Mycroft."

Nice to watch!

Beyond Mombasa

The film Beyond Mombasa was released in 1956 – the year before Curse of Frankenstein and international breakthrough. It is one of the first where Sir Lee has a proper role, he writes himself in Films of Christopher Lee.

He is a white hunter, Gil Rossi. He and the main character, Matt Campbell, is competing over the same woman, and at the same time leaves for the African jungle to discover an old mine. Matt Cambpell suspects the mine to contain uranium.

I thoroughly enjoy Lee in theese early roles. While he later on sometimes seems a bit constrained in his acting, this is a role of a womanizer and a charmer. He always does those types very easygoing and believable.

I can't help but find it utterly strange that he did not play roles like Casanova at a young age and made his breakthrough in that genre - but instead ended up in the horrorbox.

He always points out that he was too tall. Maybe that is it. I just find it very odd indeed. I don't think the filmindustry really realised his full potential at this time. Perhaps it never did, until he made his "comeback" if one might say so, after the millenium.

Well... maybe not that handsome...

Beautiful and chilling fanmade video this. One reviewer wrote "Christopher Lee looked like a road accident". I think it is bloody lucky that they had to invent a new make-up. Yes, it is a bit overdone. But... it is gruesome... and wahhhh... the creatures' chest is heaving!

Here is the dramatic revealing scene as it appeares in the film, Curse of Frankenstein (1957).