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!

The Disputation - one can't miss out on it

Next up is this rarely aired TV-film from Channel 4.

It is a chamber play, set in medieval times, during the reign of James I:st, King of Aragon. The Disputation was filmed in 1986, just right after Sir Lee had had a major heart surgery. (He looks a bit pale, I can't help thinking it might have something to do with it.)

I was lucky to catch it on TV as it was aried in Sweden a couple of years later, late 80's, but have seldom heard of it since.

I have understood that the marketing of this marvellous piece of acting on the behalf of Lee and all the others in the cast was virtually non-exsisting. Lee claims in Tall Dark and Gruesome that he was furious about this, nearly causing him a relaps of bad heart.

That is understandable. Forget all about sexy scoundrels, black magic, villains, Kurt Menliffs, or whatever he has played. This chamber play is, together with Jinnah, one of the finest piece of high-class acting I have ever seen him done. It most definitely has Shakespearian, or I Claudius - qualities about it:

The intelligent and proud character of Rabbi Moses ben Nachman (Alan Dobie) is summoned up to the court of the liberal but troubled King James to dispute wether Jesus was Christ or not.

King James gives the Rabbi all rights of free speech, and refuses to fold when the Church is protesting. ("I cannot and will not take back my word!")

The Rabbi easily outargues his opponent, much to the dismay of King James's wife, the narrow-minded and intriguing Queen Yolanda (Helen Lindsay).

I won't reveal anymore. You will have to see for your selves. The sound is, as usual, a bit off. But if you are a fan of Sir Christopher Lee's, and want to see him in a real high end production when it comes to acting - you simply cannot miss out on this. You just cannot.

IMDB on it.

Enjoy!

Part 1 :

Part 2:

Golf with Fred Astaire

Sir Lee on the Alan Titchmarsch show - april 2009. 

His voice is like hearing a tiger talk. And - he golfed with Fred Astaire. 

Excuse me, but I think this man has met with all of the 20-th century, and then some.

"I will hate you forever" says Titchmarsch. 

"I don't play golf, but gosh, would I like to have met with Fred Astaire."

Well, there are some of us that'd like to be in your shoes, Titchmarsch...

Lovely interview on Wogan

"Chuck Norris is absolutely leathal. When you get in front of a camera with a man like that, its every man for himself, I can assure you!"

Mr Wogan actually looks a bit intimidated.

This is the song from Captain invincible, which Lee sings in the beginning of this interview, in full. Hold on, it is absoutely hysterical!!

A look and a smile

The best evil laughter is none at all. Just a look, and a smile.
Ohhhh, don't we know it!!!

Getting Zeb Macahan into trouble

To me, the name of the Macahans is forever associated with long, light summer nights in the 80's. Vacation, Swedish midsummer, friends, gathering in front of the tv - to watch the adventures of the Machahans. What a great nostalgia this is! And it really holds up. A piece of golden tv.

This is the episode where the Russian party is hunting buffalos, getting themselves into trouble. Sir Lee is playing the Grand Duke, brother of the Tsar. He appeared in two of the episodes, 4 and 5 in 1978. (Of course a couple of years later here in Scandinavia.) This Russian visit to the American frontier apparently really happened.

This is the first  part of episode 4. Lee's intro line is: "Хорошо! Это пустая очень прекрасная портрета. Жарко здесь. Умираю Сергей, умираю."

Approx. meaning: Good! This [the landscape] is a beаutiful/wonderful/marvelous portrait of nothingness. It is hot! I am dying, Sergei, I am dying.

And it really looks damned hot in those uniforms.

BAFTA Fellowship Award

This is just beautiful. The clips on his career says it all.And so does the facial expression of Kevin Spacey!

Lee accepting the BAFTA Fellowship Award, 2011.

This is an interview behind scenes afterwards.
Edith Bowman looks pleased.

Here he is at Vienna Filmball!

Poor Devil

Yes! Yes! Yes! A couple of days ago, this film was not to find on You Tube. Now it is. Fantastic! The filming of Poor Devil (1972) started one day after The Wicker Man was finished. It is a tv- pilot, and never became a movie. I am sure I have watched it on Brittish tv nevertheless. The combo of Sammy Davis Jr and Lee is brilliant.

Sorry to say, the picture quality of this uploaded film is kind of crappy. But definitely better than nothing.

Sir Lee on Hitchcock Hour

This episode of Alfred Hitchcock hour: The Sign of Satan was filmed and broadcasted 1964 in US. It took until 1968 before it was aired in Great Britain. Lee got some pretty good reviews. Sunday Mail wrote: "Most gripping episode in the series so far. Christopher Lee was horribly superb." Glascow Evening Times: "Lee, of course, was the logical choice for a story about a horror movie actor, having captured the market."

I myself think it's OK, but sometimes it feels as Lee is restricted in his action because of the expectations on him. As always he is at his best when he is allowed outside of the "horror-acting". Well worth a look though - it is a legendary series with a legendary actor!

One step beyond

 All three parts of One Step Beyond - The Sorcerer

Part1

 

 Part 2

 

Part 3

 

One step beyond

One step beyond was a tv-show, aired in USA from 1959-61. Here Lee he plays a German who is convinced he has committed murder by beeing at two places at the same time. Again, you can watch this entire show on You Tube. One step beyond - Sorcerer. This is a shortened version. I quite like the portrait of a haunted man. It has been digitally enhanced, it is said. Farfetched, according to Lee. I've seen worse.
All three parts can be seen here.