Christopher Lee, 27 May 1922 – 7 June 2015

[AnotherFairportfan]

Should i be ashamed that my first thought (after the shock) was "It's a trick! Stock up on stakes, garlic and holy water!"?

Second thought was that since Pterry Pratchett has also left us, there was nothing to hold the last actor who could - without technical trickery - speak in SMALL CAPS here on Earth...

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A brilliant man in so many ways; looking 'round at what* i see on TV and cinema screens these days, i fear me we shall not see his equal in my lifetime.

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I remembered the story about the discussions between Lee and Peter Jackson as to how to play Saruman's death - Lee is reported to have finally asked "Have you ever heard the sound a man makes when he's stabbed in the back? I have."

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* "What", not "who", used with malice aforethought.

[TazManiac]

Just as I read this I called out the news across the barn to my friend;

"who was he?" came the reply.



"Hammer Films Dracula..." came my instant reply, (I got that right, right?)

[AnotherFairportfan]

Just as I read this I called out the news across the barn to my friend;

"who was he?" came the reply.



"Hammer Films Dracula..." came my instant reply, (I got that right, right?)

Among many many other things,

Opera singer.

Heavy metal singer.

[TazManiac]

But more so;




In time, we shall all pass on to what comes next...

[jwhouk]

And let's not forget: The Man with the Golden Gun.

[AnotherFairportfan]

And let's not forget: The Man with the Golden Gun.

I almost had till you reminded me.

[Jabberwonky]

I read a post today on Bookface where Peter S. Beagle, the writer of 'The Last Unicorn', shared some of his thoughts on knowing Sir Christopher Lee. Here's a couple of bits...

"Christopher Lee was the tallest actor I ever knew.

He was also, by far, the most literate. When we first met, in a Los Angeles studio where he was recording his lines as King Haggard in The Last Unicorn, he had just recorded Haggard's speech about his first sight of unicorns, and I mentioned that it was probably my favorite speech in the book. He immediately wanted to know, "Well, did I do it properly? We can always redo it right here." Of course, he'd handled the lines perfectly -- but writers, and writers' opinions about their work, mattered intensely to Christopher."

"He never failed to mention The Last Unicorn as one of his very favorite books, and as one of the movies he was most proud of having made. Indeed, he left my whopperjawed -- as Mark Twain would have put it -- when we were being interviewed together on Austrian television, and he announced, "Oh, yes, I simply couldn't resist a chance to play King Haggard one more time, even in another language. After all --" and he looked straight into the camera -- "it's the closest they'll ever let me get to playing King Lear." The camera swung toward me to catch my stunned reaction, and Chris looked across the studio at me, and winked."

"...I never saw him again after Munich, though we spoke on the telephone a few times. On the last occasion, when I had called to wish him a happy 90th birthday, I remember him assuring me that "if, by the time you come to make your live-action version of your movie, I have passed on, do not let it concern you. I have risen from the dead several times. I know how it's done."

[shadowinthelight]

I have risen from the dead several times. I know how it's done.

I sincerely hope he brings Vincent Price with him.

[Catawampus]

I read a post today on Bookface where Peter S. Beagle, the writer of 'The Last Unicorn', shared some of his thoughts. . .

Huh. For some reason I was thinking that Beagle was no longer around. Or did his ghost dictate the message to some raven, who typed it up?

[TazManiac]

(tenuously holding onto On Topic...)

According to Wikipedia, dude is still on the planet.

(I found the following partial entry particularly interesting - in part due to the convergence of Lee, Miyazaki, Rudolph the Red nosed Reindeer, and this story [the Last Unicorn] which I don't ever recall knowing about until the Wapsi-vese forum brought it to my attention...)

Rankin/Bass
Main article: The Last Unicorn (film)

In 1982 the novel was made into an animated film directed and produced by Rankin/Bass for ITC Entertainment, with a screenplay written by Beagle himself and animated by Topcraft (predecessor of Studio Ghibli). The music was composed and written by Jimmy Webb and performed by America. The voice actors include Christopher Lee, Angela Lansbury, Alan Arkin, Jeff Bridges, and Mia Farrow. The first DVD release of the film by Lionsgate was of poor quality,[8] but a "25th Anniversary Edition" DVD with superior quality was released in February 2007.[8][9] Beagle is currently in conflict with Granada International, successor to ITC Entertainment in terms of control and ownership of the film. Beagle seeks to be paid what he feels he is contractually owed for the film from video and DVD sales, other distribution and merchandising.[10]