Modern audiences best know actor Christopher Lee for his imposing and villainous presence he brought to evil wizards in both Lord of the Rings and Star Wars. In his long career, he is best known as one of the great horror actors of the 20th century, especially as the dark and imposing Count Dracula.
Lee was far from a one-trick pony though, as he's brought historical figures to life, lent his talents to children's movies and animation, and even played heroes and villains in swashbuckling adventures. Horror and Star Wars fans will also notice that his close friend, Peter Cushing, appears in two of Christopher Lee's highest-rated films.
10 Captain Horatio Hornblower (1951) - 7.3
This beautiful Technicolor swashbuckling adventure stars Gregory Peck as the titular Captain and a young Christopher Lee as a Spanish Captain. Captain Hornblower's adventures in the waters of South America find him seeking help from Spanish forces while the British Empire was at war with Napoleon and France.
Not only is the film based on the Horatio Hornblower books by C.S. Forester, but he had a hand in writing the script. Star Trek fans may notice that Gene Roddenberry was a fan of the books and the character helped inspire Captian Picard.
9 Horror Of Dracula (1958) - 7.3
In this adaptation of Dracula, Jonathan Harker is a vampire hunter who fails in an attempt to kill the ancient Count Dracula and sets the wrath of Dracula on his unfortunate loved ones. It's up to Peter Cushing as Dr. Van Helsing to save their lives, or at least their souls.
This is the first of Lee's seven appearances as Dracula for Hammer horror movies and two other non-Hammer Dracula films, and it is the best of the lot. He reprised his role as Dracula for the French horror-comedy Dracula and Son (1976) and Count Dracula (1970) directed by Jess Franco. This makes Dracula Lee's longest-running character on the screen.
8 Corpse Bride (2005) - 7.3
A young man recites his wedding vows in the forest, after forgetting them at the rehearsal dinner and embarrassing both their families. At the end of the vows, he practices putting the ring on a tree root, which turns out to be the finger of a bride murdered and buried in the forest.
The young man has to deal with being married to the corpse, while her murderer has vowed to marry his living bride. Christopher Lee's distinct voice can be heard as Pastor Galswells, in Tim Burton's stop motion animated musical.
7 Sleepy Hollow (1999) - 7.3
Ichabod Crane is a constable sent to the small town of Sleepy Hollow to solve a series of decapitations. The culprit appears to be the vengeful spirit of a headless horseman, but the intelligent and modern Crane is naturally skeptical and suspects a more human culprit.
One of Tim Burton's better movies and certainly scarier than many of his other films, in this gothic-inspired retelling of the classic story, Christopher Lee has a small appearance as the judge who sends Crane to Sleepy Hollow.
6 Scream Of Fear (1961) - 7.4
A young woman who uses a wheelchair returns to her father's estate after being away for 10 years. She meets a welcoming new stepmother, who tells her that her father was suddenly called away on business.
The problem is she swears she saw her father's dead body and is beginning to suspect that her mother and the family doctor (Christopher Lee) are plotting against her. This is a suspenseful thriller from the kings of British horror movies, Hammer Film Productions.
5 The Last Unicorn (1982) - 7.4
A unicorn learns that she is the last of her kind and sets out on a quest to find any others. She learns that they've been driven to the edge of the earth by a fire creature called the Red Bull. Along the way, she faces many perils, like a witch, being turned into a human woman, the Red Bull, and mortal love (the most dangerous of them all).
Christopher Lee performs as what he's best known, a dangerous villain named King Haggard. This Rankin and Bass animated classic stands among their highest achievements and has a cast that included Jeff Bridges and Mia Farrow.
4 Hugo (2011) - 7.5
Martin Scorsese's Academy Award-winning adventure film follows a boy who lives alone in a railway station and keeps the station's giant clock working. His quest to repair an automaton made by his father, who passed away years ago, comes to some surprising revelations when he meets filmmaker George Melies and his goddaughter Isabelle.
The talented cast includes Ben Kingsley, Sacha Baron Cohen, Chloe Grace Moretz, Jude Law, and of course, Christopher Lee.
3 The Wicker Man (1973) - 7.5
A Puritan police investigator travels to a small Scottish island in search of a missing girl, only to encounter complete denial of her existence.
If that wasn't enough, he's appalled to discover that the residents practice paganism, thanks to Lord Summerisle's father. Christopher Lee plays the charming and mysterious Lord Summerisle in this musical horror cult classic.
2 Hamlet (1948) - 7.6
Legendary actor Laurence Olivier starred in and directed this adaptation of the Shakespearian drama. Hamlet deals with murderous intentions towards his uncle when he discovers that he was the one who killed his father, thanks to a visit from his father's ghostly spirit.
Early in his career, Lee has a small, uncredited role as a palace guard, but featured a little more prominently is actor Peter Cushing as Osric.
1 Jinnah (1998) - 8.0
Christopher Lee stars as Mohammed Ali Jinnah in this biopic about the founder of the nation of Pakistan, through the use of flashbacks conducted by a guide at the end of his life to his most pivotal moments in his life and in the founding of Pakistan.
Jinnah was the leader of a movement to found a Muslim state with the support of Gandhi in the aftermath of British withdrawal from the Indian subcontinent and the ensuing conflict between Hindus and Muslims. This superior and artistic biopic documents a piece of history not talked about nearly enough.
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May 11, 2021 at 05:30AM
