CHRISTOPHER LEE
Di mmm DM w mm mm
Vsak žanr ima svoj obraz, po katerem ga ločimo od drugih in po katerem ga konec koncev prepoznamo kot žanr: če pomislite na vestem, se vam prikaže obličje Clinta Eastwooda, ki vas hkrati spomni na triler; ninja-fu vigilance imajo podobo Chucka Norrisa, ki hkrati odslika-va tudi »missing in action« vietnamiade; »bloodsport« se po Sylvestru Stalloneju seli v Jean-Clauda Van Damma, čistokrven akcioner se zadnje čase skriva za ozkim pogledom Stevena Seagala, prav tako kot melodramo najlažje prepoznamo v nedolžni pojavi Julie Roberts; komedija pa je že itak najbolj podobna Stevu Martinu. Če bi nadaljevali z naštevanjem, bi vsekakor prišli tudi do grozljivke, hororja, ki so ga ne glede na njegovo razvejanost zakoličile klasične pošasti. Ena takih je vampir, največkrat imenovan Drakula, ki ima še dandanes samo en obraz — tistega, ki mu gaje posodil Christopher Lee; to pa zato, ker je Bela Lugosi prezgodaj odšel v kraljestvo senc, mi pa smo bili še premladi, da bi se od njega lahko dostojno poslovili; Max Schreck se je spremenil v Klausa Kin-skega, John Carradine in Lon Chaney, jr. sta se od Drakule dokaj hitro oddaljila, Michael Johnson, Louis Jourdan in Frank Lagella pa so si itak samo mislili, da so tisto, kar smo si mi mislili, da bodo. Ostal je samo Christopher Lee. Najbolj senzualni, arhetipski in postavni Drakula je bil rojen v Londonu 27. maja 1922 z imenom Christopher Frank Lee Carandini, kot sin angleškega polkovnika in kontese iz Modene, Marie Estelle Carandini. Do dneva, ko je Nicolo Carandini, italijanski ambasador v Londonu, v svojem bratrancu prepoznal markantno filmsko osebnost, je Christopher študiral na Wellington Collegu, postal pilot angleškega RAF in nekaj časa delal celo v obveščevalni službi. Filippo Del Giudice, mož iz hiše Two Cities Films, ga je predstavil producentom, ki jih je motilo ravno to, da je velik:- koščena, suverena in 190 centimetrov visoka postava je že tedaj v sebi skrivala lik, ki ga drugi niso mogli upodobiti, vampirja za vse čase, večnega nega-tivca, ki ga je Christopher srečal šele po manjših vlogah v Hamletu (Laurence Olivier, 1948) in Captain Horatio Horn-blower (Raoul Walsh, 1951). Leta 1957 pride Curse of Frankenstein, takoj za njim, leta 1958, pa Dracula (a. k. a. Horror of Dracula); oba filma je režiral Ter-
ence Fisher, hišni režiser kultnega Hammer Film-, s slednjim je Leeju odprl pot v večnost; Lee paje v zahvalo takrat Hammer Filmu, Drakuli in žanru samemu dal svojo podobo.
Legendarnega vampirja je Christopher Lee podoživel še sedemkrat (za Hammer Film samo še prvih pet): Dracula, Prince of Darkness (Terence Fisher, 1966), Dracula Has Risen From the Grave (Freddie Francis, 1968), Taste the Blood of Dracula (Peter Sasdy, 1970), Scars of Dracula (Roy Ward Baker, 1970), Dracula A.D. (Alan Gibson, 1972) in Satanic Rites of Dracula (a. k .a. Count Dracula and His Vampire Bride, Alan Gibson, 1973). Ker je že ustaljeno, da tudi žanr prepozna svoja karizmatična utelešenja, je Leejeva impresivnost segla tudi prek meja britanske horor produkcije: s Christopherjem Leejem so hoteli med zvezde še režiserji, kot so Steno (Tempi Duri per i Vampiri, 1959, Italija), Je sns Franco (El Conde Dracula, 1970, Španija) in Edouard Molinaro (Dracula, Père et Fils, 1976, Francija). Vsem ni uspelo, medtem ko Christopherju Leeju je: pred vami je njegova pot, monu-mentalna filmografija, ki jo sestavlja več kot sto stopnic — in vsaka stopnica je nov obraz, nov značaj in nov ugriz v sočno tkivo žanra—izberite torej tudi tiste, kijih do sedaj še niste.
FILMOGRAFIJA CHRISTOPHERJA LEEJA
(v njej so našteti vsi filmi Christopherja Leeja, ki v uvodu niso bili omenjeni):
Corridor of Mirrors,
Terence Young, 1948 One Night With You,
Terence Young, 1948
Saraband a. k. a Saraband for Dead Lovers,
Basil Dearden, 1948 Scott of the Antarctic,
Charles Frend, 1948
The Gay Lady a. k. a Trottie True, Brian
Desmond Hurst, 1949
Valley of the Eagles,
Terence Young, 1951
The Crimson Pirate,
Robert Siodmak, 1952
Babes in Bagdad.
Edgar G. Ulmer, 1952
Moulin Rouge,
John Huston, 1952
Innocents in Paris.
Gordon Parry, 1953
That Lady,
Terence Young, 1955
The Warriors a. k. a The Dark Avenger,
Henry Levin, 1955 Storm Over the Nile., Zoltan Korda, 1956 The Cockleshell Heroes, Jose Ferrer, 1956 Port Afrique, Rudolph Maté, 1956 Private's Progress, John Boulting, 1956 Beyond Mombasa, George Marshall, 1956
The Pursuit of the Graf Spee a. k. a The Battle of the River Plate,
Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1956 Night Ambush a. k. a III Met by Moonlight, Michael Powell & Emeric Pressburger, 1957 She Played With Fire a. k. a. Fortune is a Woman,
Sidney Gllliat, 1957
The Accused a. k. a. The Traitors, Michael
McCarthy, 1957
Bitter Victorv,
Nicholas Ray, 1957
The Truth About Women,
Muriel Box, 1958
A Tale of Two Cities,
Ralph Thomas, 1958
Missiles From Hell a. k. a. The Battle of V-l
a.k.a. The Unseen Heroes, Vernon Seweli, 1958 The Hound of Baskervilles,
Terence Fisher, 1959
The Man Who Could Cheat Death, Terence Fisher, 1959 The Mummy,
Terence Fisher, 1959
Playgirl After Dark a. k. a. Too Hot To Handle.
Terence Young, 1960
Wild for Kicks a. k. a. Beat Girl, Edmond T. Greville, 1960
House of Fright a. k. a. The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll,
Terence Fisher, 1960
Horror Hotel a. k. a. City of the Dead, John
Moxey, 1960
The Hands of Orlac,
Edmond T. Greville, 1960
The Puzzle of the Red Orchid a. k. a The Secret
of the Red Orchid,
Helmut Ashley, 1961
The Devil's Daffodil a. k. a. The Daffodil Killer,
Akos Rathony, 1961
Scream of Fire a. k. a. The Taste of Fear,
SethHolt, 1961
The Terror of the Tongs.
Anthony Bushel!, 1961
Hercules in the Haunted World.
Mario Bava, 1961
The Pirates of Blood River,
JohnGilling, 1962
Corridors of Blood,
Robert Day, 1962
Castle of the Living Dead.
Herbert Wise (Luciano Ricci), ¡963
Horror Castle a. k. a. Terror Castle, Anthony
Dawson (Antonio Margheriti), 1963
Devil-Ship Pirates,
Don Sharp, 1964
The Gorgon,
Terence Fisher, 1964
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors,
Freddie francis, 1965
She,
Robert Day, 1965 The SkulL
Freddie Francis, 1965 The Face of Fu Manchu. Don Sharp, 1965 Rasputin — The Mad Monk, Don Sharp, 1966 The Brides of Fu Manchu. Don Sharp, 1966
Psycho-Circus a. k. a. Circus of Fear, John Moxey, 1967
Theatre of Death a. k. a. Blood Fiend, Samuel Galu, 1967
The Blood Demon a, k. a. The Torture Chamber of Dr. Sadism.
Harald Rein!, 1967
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The Vengeance of Fu Manchu,
Jeremy Summers, 1967
Five Golden Dragons,
Jeremy Summers, 1967
Island of (he Burning Doomed a. k. a.
Night of the Big Heat,
Terence Fisher, 1967
The Devil's Bride a. k. a.
The Devil Rides Out,
Terence Fisher, 1968
The Crimson Cult a. k. a.
Curse of the Crimson Altar,
Vernon Swell, 1968
Blood of Fu Manchu a. k. a. Kiss and Kill a.k.: Against All Odds a. k. a. Fu Manchu and the Kiss of Death,
Jesus Franco, 1968
The Oblong Box,
Cordon Hessler, 1969
The Magic Christian.
Joseph McGrath, 1969
The Castle of Fu Manchu a. k. a.
Assignment Istanbul,
Jesus Franco, 1970
Scream and Scream Again,
Gordon Hessler, 1970
One More Time.
■Jerry Lewis, 1970
Night of the Blood Monster a. k. a.
Throne of Fire,
Jesus Franco, 1970
Julius Caesar,
Stuart Burge, 1970
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, Billy Wilder, 1970
The House That Dripped Blood.
Peter Duffell, 1970 Hannie Caulder, Burt Kennedy, 1971 I, Monster, Stephen Weeks, 1971 Horror Express, Eugenio Martin, 1972 Raw Meat a. k. a. Death Line, Gary Sherman, 1972
Nothing But the Night a. k. a Devil's Undead a. k. a. The Resurrection Syndicate,
Peter Sasdy, 1972 (tudi izvršni koproducent)
The Wicker Man,
Robin Hardy, 1973
The Creeping Flesh,
Freddie Francis, 1973
The Three Musketeers,
Richard Lester, 1974
The Man With the Golden Gun,
Guy Hamilton, 1974
Dark Places,
Don Sharp, 1975
Diagnosis: Murder,
Sidney Hayers, 1975
Killer Force a. k. a. The Diamond Mercenaries.
Val Guest, 1975
The Four Musketeers,
Richard Lester, 1975 To The Devil a Daughter, Peter Sykes, 1976 Airport '77, Jerry Jameson, 1977 End of the World, John Hayes, 1977
Starship Invasions a. k. a. Alien Encounters,
Ed Hunt, 1977
Return From Witch Mountain,
John Hough, 1978 Caravans,
James Fargo, 1978
The Pirate a. k. a. Harold Robbins' The Pirate,
Kenneth Annakin, 1978 (TV film)
The Passage,
Lee J. Thompson, 1979
Jaguar Lives,
Ernest Pintoff, 1979
An Arabian Adventure,
Kevin Connor, 1979
Bear Island,
Don Sharp, 1979
Captain America II,
IvanNagy, 1979 (TV film)
1941,
Steven Spielberg, 1979
Circle of Iron a. k. a. The Silent Flute,
Richard Moore, 1979 Serial,
Bill Per sky, 1980
Once Upon a Spy,
¡van Nagy, 1980 (TV film)
The Salamander,
Peter Tinner, 1981
An Eye for an Eye,
Steve Carver, 1981
Goliath Awaits,
Kevin Connor, 1981 (TV film)
Safari 3000 a. k. a. Rally,
Harry Hurwitz, 1982
Charles & Diana: A Royal Love Story,
James Goldstone, 1982 (TV film)
The Return of Captain Invincible a.k.a. Legend
in Leotards,
Philippe Mora, 1983
House of the Long Shadows,
Pete Walker, 1983
The Rosebud Beach Hotel.
Harry Hurwitz, 1984
The Howling II: Your Sister Is a Werewolf,
Philippe Mora, 1985 Jocks,
Steve Carver, 1987
The Return of the Musketeers,
Richard Lester, 1989
Treasure Island,
Fraser Heston, 1990 (TV film)
Gremlins 2: The New Batch,
Joe Dante, 1990
Honeymoon Academy,
Gene Quintano, 1990
Curse III: Blood Sacrifice a. k. a. Panga.
Sean Barton, 1990
Incident at Victoria Falls a. k. a. Sherlock Holmes and the Incident at Victoria Falls,
Bill Corcoran, 1991
P.S.: Mogoče tudi to ni vse; ena od vampirjevih lastnosti je tudi sposobnost spreminjanja forme, kar mu omogoča, da se znajde pred vami, ko to najmanj pričakujete; zato se ne smete čuditi, če boste Christo-pherja Leeja opazili tudi v kakšnem filmu, ki zgoraj ni naveden.
MAX M0DIC
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