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50 Reasons Christopher Lee Arose A Knight

Posted on Monday June 15, 2009, 12:23 by Chris Hewitt in Off The Wire

Christopher Lee is a legend, an icon, a bona fide walking all-time movie great. And now, thanks to the Queen and her Birthday Honours List, he’s also set to become Sir Christopher Lee. And about bloody time, too – here are 50 reasons why his knighthood is long overdue…

1. He was Ian Fleming’s cousin, don’t you know.
2. He met J.R.R. Tolkien once, in Oxford, at a pub called The Eagle And Child.
3. He played Saruman in The Lord Of The Rings trilogy.
4. He fought in World War II, in the RAF and the intelligence services. Did you fight in World War II? No, you didn’t. Therefore, Christopher Lee is better than you.
5. He has been known to call up the Empire office and complain when he disagrees with something we’ve written about him. I know – I once took one of the calls. It was terrifying but oddly thrilling.
6. Forget Gary Oldman, or Bela Lugosi, or even Leslie Nielsen – Lee is the ultimate screen Dracula.
   
7. He’s a fine opera singer – and has been known to break into song during round table interviews. Which makes transcribing a real bitch.
8. In fact, he’s sung on film many times, most notably in the bonkers superhero film, The Return Of Captain Invincible. Check out the extraordinary ‘Name Your Poison’…
   
9. This album, which may well be the greatest album ever made.
10. One of his middle names is Frank, which shows that he’s just one of the lads.
11. But the other is Carandini, which highlights his aristocratic background.
12. Along with Chandler Bing, his Bond villain, Scaramanga, did much to highlight the plight of those born with a third nipple.
13. He has a powerful weapon. He charges a million a shot.
14. He was in Gremlins 2: The New Batch, as the wonderfully-named Dr. Catheter. He also has a fantastic double take when a Gremlin sprouts bat-wings…
    
15. He is one of only two actors to appear in both the Star Wars saga and the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Bruce Spence is the other (as far as we know).
16. He’s also a CBE, which was awarded to him in 2001.
17. He’s played Sherlock Holmes – in 1962’s Sherlock Holmes And The Deadly Necklace – and his smarter brother, Mycroft, in The Private Life Of Sherlock Holmes.
18. After years of trying, he finally got his big break in 1957’s The Curse Of Frankenstein, playing the Creature. And unlike Robert De Niro, he managed to keep his lad in his pants.
19. He burned Edward Woodward alive, and got away with it.
20. His hairstyle – slicked back to within an inch of its life – is a damned difficult one to pull off. Lee manages it with aplomb. Only Ray Reardon has come close since.
21. His autobiography is called Lord Of Misrule, which is a damn sight more inventive than ‘Christopher Lee: Fangs For The Memories.” It’s also a great read.
22. He was born on the same day – May 27th – as fellow horror legend, Vincent Price.
23. He appears on this album cover.
    
24. He was one of the judges for the 1995 Miss World beauty pageant. This is beyond awesome.
25. He claims to have been involved in more on-screen swordfights than any other actor.
26. He’s 6’ 5”, which makes him a massive Count.
27. He’s starred in nearly 230 films, which makes Samuel L. Jackson look lazy.
28. He doesn’t often play the hero, but he got his day in the sun with Hammer’s wonderful The Devil Rides Out.
    
    
29. This official website: www.christopherleeweb.com - although it hasn’t been updated in a while. His Christmas message, in particular, is worth checking out.
30. He kicked Yoda’s arse.
31. He witnessed the execution of Eugen Weidmann, the last person to be publicly executed in France, in 1939.
32. He was a member of the Special Operations Executive during World War II – which means whatever actions he undertook for King and country are still classified.
33. He’s also played Dr. Fu Manchu – five times, no less.
34. He supplied uncredited voice work for the English translation of Monsieur Hulot’s Holiday.
35. He’s played Terry Pratchett’s Death several times – the first time in a short in 1996, while he most recently supplied the voice for last year’s The Colour Of Magic on Sky.
36. He also played a character called Mr. Death on a Saturday Night Live sketch back in 1978.
37. This quote: “Lon Chaney and Boris Karloff didn't like the word ‘horror’. They, like I, went for the French description: ‘the theatre of the fantastique’.”
38. He can say lines like this: "For it is written: the inhabitants of the Earth have been made drunk with her blood. And I saw her sent upon a hairy beast and she held forth a golden chalice full of the filthiness of fornications. And upon her forehead was written: 'Behold I am the great mother of harlots and all abominations of the Earth.'" – with a straight face.
39. He’s lent that mellifluous voice of his to several video games including several Star Wars games, and Kingdom Hearts II.
40. He’s recorded a variety of audiobooks, including this unknown gem. Frankly, we’d pay to hear him narrate a Dominos pizza menu.
41. Bit of a cheat, this, but his movies have made more money than any other actor’s: almost $5 billion, to be precise. Helps to be in Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, doesn’t it?
42. He’s a fan of the heavy metal bands, Rhapsody and Manowar.
43. He speaks eight languages, not including Elvish.
44. He was playing golf with Ian Fleming when Fleming came up with the famous Goldfinger golf game.
45. He appeared in 1982’s House Of The Long Shadows, alongside fellow horror icons, Vincent Price and Peter Cushing.
46. When he kneels before the Queen, it won’t be the first time as he’s played a Knight on six different occasions, starting with Sir Felix Raybourne in Bombay Waterfront in 1951.
47. He’s still going at the ripe old age of 87 – in fact, he’s got no fewer than six projects on the go at the moment.
48. Including a return to Hammer with a role in Invasion Of Privacy…
49. He’s also played Lords, Majors, Captains, Ducs and, of course, Counts.
50. He’s Christopher motherf**kin’ Lee. Actually, he’s Sir Christopher motherf**kin’ Lee.