The British actor Sir Christopher Lee (1922-2015) is perhaps best-remembered for his screen appearances as, for many, the definitive Count Dracula. However, as is pointed out in a preface to this superb new book, vampire-related films accounted for only about 5 per cent of Lee’s filmography over eight decades. The Encyclopedia is a revised and is an expanded second edition of Pohle and Hart’s (1983) The Films of Christopher Lee. It is intended to incorporate Lee’s splendid later years, by the end of which the authors claim that their subject had made “far more films than any other major star in film history” (p. 19). Lee himself, in one of the new volume’s three forewords, states that this is the only authorized account of his long film career. If so, it is a pleasure that this dignified and multilingual actor has been accorded an elegant volume that is a worthy monument to his many talents.
Preliminary features of the Encyclopedia are numerous and of interest in their own right. In addition to Lee’s contribution, which showcases his ability as an entertaining raconteur, there are additional forewords by early and late collaborators Douglas Fairbanks Jnr and Tim Burton with Johnny Depp. An expansive introduction emphasizes the breadth of Lee’s filmography outside the horror and even fantasy fields: his work encompassed every genre from bedroom farce to swashbucklers and included titles in French, German and Italian, as well as English. The authors have sought to strike a balance between catering for the tastes of amateur film enthusiasts and serious scholars of cinema history. Of particular interest to the latter will be the cross-section of review excerpts gleaned from diverse sources, particularly regional periodicals from the late 1940s to the early 1970s, collected by Lee and included at his request.
The core of the book is of course the listing of titles, now sensibly alphabetical rather than chronological. The organization of this feature, for researchers or casual browsers, is faultless. Titles are given in bold, followed by year and country or countries of production in parentheses. Alternate titles are also clearly listed, for example, Il Trono di Fuoco or Night of the Blood Monster for the 1970 film, The Bloody Judge. Key information relating to a film’s production, including director, screenwriters and cast, follows, together with – extremely usefully for researchers – its availability on DVD. A brief synopsis of the plot is then given, with review excerpts; notes by the authors on production and significance; and usually although not universally, Lee’s own comments or recollections. Whether read at one siting or used for reference, the list conveys the length of Lee’s career, from his film debut in Corridors of Blood (1948) to his final, voice-only work in Angels in Notting Hill (2016), and the actor’s seeming ubiquity and sheer versatility. Even those reasonably familiar with Lee’s work are likely to be surprised and fascinated by some entries, for instance, his involvement in Umbracle (1970), an experimental Spanish film, or his turn as a homosexual American biker in Serial (1980). Neither the authors nor Lee stint on criticism: the Canadian Star Wars rip-off Starship Invasions (1977) and Zimbabwean exploitation picture Whispering Death (1976) are given short shrift. Despite the authors’ intention to prioritize films considered less well-known, this laudable intention is not always accorded to. For example, while Lee’s first career-milestone outing as Dracula (Horror of Dracula, 1958) is not accorded undue weight here, the epic The Lord of the Rings: The Fellowship of the Ring (2001) is given by far the longest entry at ten pages, including a reprinted interview with Lee by Lawrence French. This is, however, a minor quibble, and the entries are also accompanied by a small but judiciously chosen number of black and white illustrations.
The encyclopedic entries are supported by compendious supplements. These include an essay on Lee’s many television appearances, and six other appendices, devoted to the actor’s short films; theatrical releases from the television series Douglas Fairbanks Presents (1953-57) and The Vise (1954-61); Lee’s voice work, including for video games; and alternate titles and non-English language film titles. There is a substantial selected bibliography, covering books, periodicals and the publications, mainly reviews, consulted for specific films. The book concludes with a comprehensive 16-page index of persons and works, the latter in italics. Altogether, these features reflect the conscientious and thorough approach that the authors have maintained throughout their enterprise. This handsome Encyclopedia will be of equal value to film school libraries and to fans of Christopher Lee.
