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Summary
Christopher Lee ’s final sentence playact Hammer’sDraculasaw the headliner basically auditioning for his eventual James Bond villain role . Lee ’s filmography is littered with not bad performances , with some of the most renowned being Lord Summerisle fromThe Wicker ManandThe Lord of the Rings ' Saruman . One of Lee ’s most famous parts is Count Dracula , a character he played no less than ten times . Christopher Lee ’s HammerDraculamoviesmake up seven of these efforts , with the 1958 original being the histrion ’s breakout . He bring a menace and a sexuality to the role that had n’t been attempted onscreen before .
Lee had a mixed sight of Dracula guide , feeling frustrated with his later typecasting in the roleand disappointed over the sequel ’s increasing deficiency of connection to Bram Stoker ’s novel . He also claims to have been emotionally pressure into most of his appearances in theHammer Horror filmseries , with producers state that if hedidn’tplay Dracula , the funding would come down through and crews would lose work . Outside of Hammer , Lee take on the lamia in 1970’sCount Dracula , the comedyOne More Timeand his final coming into court was in Gallic comedyDracula and Son .
The Satanic Rites Of Dracula Turns Christopher Lee’s Count Into A Bond-Style Villain
The Satanic Rites of Dracula marked Lee’s final turn as Hammer’s bloodsucker
Every HammerDraculaMovie
Release yr
Dracula Actor
Horror of Dracula
1958
Christopher Lee
The Brides of Dracula
1960
N / A
genus Dracula : Prince of Darkness
1966
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
Custom image by Yailin Chacon
1968
Taste the Blood of Dracula
1970
The Satanic Rites of Dracula is a horror film featuring Professor Van Helsing called in by police and British security forces to investigate sinister satanic rituals connected to a mysterious property tycoon. The tycoon, revealed to be Dracula, seeks to unleash a deadly plague in a destructive plot.
The Scars of Dracula
Dracula advertizement 1972
1972
The Satanic Rites of Dracula
1973
The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires
The Satanic Rites of Dracula is a horror film featuring Professor Van Helsing called in by police and British security forces to investigate sinister satanic rituals connected to a mysterious property tycoon. The tycoon, revealed to be Dracula, seeks to unleash a deadly plague in a destructive plot.
1974
John Forbes - Robertson
One ofTim Burton ’s favored films isDracula advert 1972 , a dispiritedly dated horror sequel that attempted to update The Count for younger audiences . Tellingly , Lee barely appear in the film , with Dracula pass 90 % of his screentime hiding out in an abandoned Christian church while his minions do the heavy lifting . Lee follow up with 1973’sThe Satanic Rites of Dracula , a foreign blend of James Bond - inspire spy thriller with a standard Hammer Horrorouting .
The sequel was film under the titleDracula is idle … and Well and live in Londonbut after vocal protests from Lee , it was renamedThe Satanic Rites of Dracula .
The plot involves MI5 looking into a mystifying cult , who have raise Dracula once again and are developing a computer virus capable of wiping out the planet . Lee is largely absent fromThe Satanic Rites of Dracula , where the titular vampire is make believe to be a reclusive man of affairs name Denham . The first enceinte meeting between Lee ’s Dracula and his nemesis Van Helsing ( Peter Cushing ) could have been ripped from aJames Bondmovie , with The Count conceal in shadow and explaining his fiendish , world - ending plot of ground .
In trueness , The Satanic Rites of Draculais more a undercover agent movie than a revulsion . It opens with a secret agent escaping from a mansion , and there are legion car / bike chase and fistfights throughout . Sometimes Dracula ’s brides attack , but the plate is still tipped towards being a spy thriller . For all intents and purposes , Lee ’s Dracula in this Hammer sequel is a Bond baddie in the vein of Dr No or Hugo Drax . The openhanded difference is that , instead of trying to hold the world to redeem , he aims to destroy world , so he can in conclusion rest in peace .
Christopher Lee Would Play An Actual Bond Villain The Year After The Satanic Rites Dracula
Christopher Lee became The Man with the Golden Gun in 1974
In real life-time , Lee was the step - cousin of Bond author Ian Fleming , with the latter even having paint a picture his friend could play the villain inDr . No . That did n’t follow to exit , but in 1974,Lee star as the assassin Francisco Scaramanga in the 007 adventureThe human with the Golden Gun . In the story , Scaramanga is a fabled assassin who always kills with one shot , with his next target area being Roger Moore ’s James Bond . In the true , The Man with the Golden Gunnearly ended Bond , with the film ’s half-hearted reviews and boxwood office signaling the serial was in hassle .
Christopher Lee encounter Count Dracula many clock time throughout his long career , and during one year in exceptional , he had four Dracula flick released .
irrespective , Lee is as cracking as Scaramanga , being both very charming and formidable . The Satanic Rites of Draculaactually proved a good examination ground for Lee to toy a dim megalomaniac being targeted by British agents , though the star is clear having more sport inThe Man with the Golden Gun .
The Satanic Rites Of Dracula Convinced Lee To Quit The Series
Christopher Lee counted himself out of more Dracula
It ’s tentative Lee ever regretted his conclusion to pass on what would prove to be Hammer ’s finalDraculaeither , sinceThe Man with the Golden Gunled to more outside workplace for the stager star .
Lee ’s dissatisfaction with the later HammerDraculafilms came to a headspring withThe Satanic Rites of Dracula . WhileHammer made one more Dracula pic withThe Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires , Lee reject the projectafter reading the playscript . alternatively , the purpose was recast with John Forbes - Robertson , while Cushing returned once again as Van Helsing . The sequel was unique for its earned run average , withThe Legend of the 7 Golden Vampiresbeing a co - production between Hammer and Shaw Brothers Studio .
This intend it ’s a gothic horror film that just happens to feature multiple martial arts sequences . The sequel was still poorly received but has since become a cult favorite . It ’s doubtful Lee ever regret his determination to cash in one’s chips on what would leaven to be Hammer ’s finalDraculaeither , sinceThe Man with the Golden Gunled to more international work for the veteran star . It speaks to how wild a journeying Lee had with the lamia that he start with a square adaption of Stoker ’s work , and closed with aJames Bondknockoff .
The Satanic Rites of Dracula is a repulsion celluloid feature Professor Van Helsing called in by law and British security department forces to inquire forbidding satanic ritual touch base to a mystifying prop tycoon . The tycoon , revealed to be Dracula , essay to loose a deadly plague in a destructive secret plan .
