From &#;Dracula,&#; &#;Frankenstein&#; to &#;Star Wars,&#; &#;Lord of the Rings&#;: Film Legend Christopher Lee Held Sway
Christopher Lee, who passed away in London June 7 at the age of 93 of heart and respiratory problems — will always be known for playing Dracula— but, oh, there was so much more.
His was a life in full—and sometimes, he surprised us after a period of absence by his re-appearance, better and bigger than ever. In this way, he was something like the movie, &#;Dracula.&#; He would always come back in yet another film, another sequel, another apparition for that matter.
Lee, who began life as a member of an aristocratic English military family, wanted to fly but an eye problem prevented it. He worked for British intelligence for a time. And then, he decided to become an actor. After stage stints and a small part in the Laurence Olivier’s black-and-white version of “Hamlet,” he emerged from the British horror movie works, Hammer Films, to play not only Dracula time and time again but also the creature in the Frankenstein epics which Hammer also made.
The Hammer style in the s and s was color—blood red, dripping from teeth, necks and Victorian low-cut bodic
5 Reasons Why Frank Langella Is The Best Dracula (& 5 Why It's Christopher Lee)
When it comes to the portrayal of Dracula on film, Bela Lugosi started the cape-wearing castle-dwelling aura in his film, Dracula. His Dracula is considered one of the best of the Universal Monsters. Francis Ford Coppola cast Gary Oldman as the bloodsucker in his Bram Stoker's Dracula and the actor gave his performance some nice touches, but fell prey to overacting. However, there are two actors who took the persona to new heights with their respective films.
RELATED: 10 Best Dracula Movies Ranked, According To IMDB
In the '60s and early '70s, Christopher Lee broke cinematic taboos as the most unique Dracula to date. In , Frank Langella took his Broadway portrayal to the cinema with John Badham's Dracula. Each actor brought something unique to the role, making their versions of the bloodsucker rise above the rest.
Frank Langella had only one shot at portraying Dracula on film and he approached the role with the dedication of a method actor. Langella agreed to sign onto director John Badham's only Horror film, 's Dracula. His stipulations were that he wouldn't have to wear fangs, and he'd
10 Actors Who Have Played Dracula Besides Nicolas Cage
Max Schreck
One of the first portrayals of Dracula wasn’t named Dracula at all. The classic German silent film Nosferatu was based the Dracula novel, but the filmmakers did not have approval from Stoker’s estate. As a result, several details were changed, and the lead character was renamed Count Orlok, played by the German stage actor Max Schrek.
Orlok’s look deviated greatly from Stoker’s Dracula, with his bald head, beady eyes, pointy ears, and rodent-like teeth. Schrek, whose name means “fright” in German, handled his own makeup and was so chilling in the role that myths arose that he was a real vampire, particularly after film critic Ado Kyrou falsely claimed in that the actor’s real name was unknown.
Bela Lugosi
Arguably the most famous and definitive performance of the character came from Bela Lugosi in the classic Universal Pictures film Dracula (). Portraying him as a suave and sophisticated aristocrat, Lugosi first played the titular vampire in the Broadway production of Dracula before resuming the role in the movie.
The filmmakers did not initially want Lugosi, but he so desperately desi
Who is your favourite Dracula? The Spooky Isles talks to horror film historian Alan Frank about the merits of two leading contenders for the King of the Vampires &#; Christopher Lee and Bela Lugosi.
The Spooky Isles is a British website, so when you ask your readers who is their favourite Dracula – the answer is kind of skewed.
A recent poll taken on our Facebook site revealed over 65% said Christopher Lee was their top Transylvanian bloodsucker. Poor old Bela Lugosi, the original vampire, was lucky to get 30% of folk saying he was fab. And don’t even ask about Gary Oldman or the countless other actors who donned the fangs and cape. They barely rated a mention.
Home town advantage put aside, why was Christopher Lee such a popular Count Dracula?
We asked Alan Frank, veteran film reviewer and prolific horror and science fiction book author, his opinion of the Lee/Lugosi divide.
“Dracula (), without a doubt is the best,” Alan says matter of factly. “I had the luck to see the film when it happened (at the theatre back in ). It was quite extraordinary. You might have seen the old Dracula, but this was full of atmosphere and it’s impeccably acted. Terry (director Terence
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