Memoriam: Christopher Lee

We learned today of the passing of Sir Christopher Lee, the iconic British actor who gained fame for his many films roles, beginning with Frankenstein's monster (1957) and Count Dracula (1958), continuing with Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond film The Man with the Golden Gun (1974), Saruman in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy (2001–2003) and The Hobbit film trilogy (2012–2014), and two films of the Star Wars prequel trilogy (2002 and 2005).

Lee considered his best film to be the British horror film The Wicker Man (1973) wherein he played Lord Summerisle. The memorable ending of the film includes the cast (most of it, anyway) joyfully singing the Middle English folk song, Sumer Is Icumen In. Bellairs himself referenced that song a few times in his writing as we pointed out back in 2012.  (And here's another comment about that hand in The Wicker Man.)

We know Isaac Izard never had any lines in The House with a Clock in its Walls, but Lee was always our first choice for Izard in any adaptation of House that gave the cloud-counting wizard a chance to speak.

Sir Christopher was 93. The hour grows late.


Image: Ashley Thorpe