Christopher Leewas a horror movie icon thanks to his depiction of Dracula, even if not every film he starred in as the famous blood-sucker was created equally. Long beforeChristopher Lee’s famous villain roleslike Saruman or Count Dooku, the English actor rose to prominence as none other than Count Dracula himself. Appearing in the flesh as Dracula in nine different films, Christopher Lee left behind a vampire legacy matched by few other performers, even if not every Dracula movie he starred in was the best.
Christopher Lee’s Dracula rose to prominence thanks to his casting in theesteemed Hammer horror filmsof the 1950s and 60s. While Dracula was far from Christopher Lee’s only horror character, it was by far his most influential, with crimson red eyes and a fanged laugh that sent shivers down the spines of 50s audiences. His Dracula appearances differ in quality heavily thanks to their varied directors, premises, and cohesion.
9Dracula And Son
1976
An egregious outlier in Christopher Lee’s Dracula filmography,Dracula and Sontook the already famous imagery of Lee as Dracula and morphed it into a humorous parody. This affable, goofier version of Dracula sees himself evicted from his own castle, getting separated from his son in the move only to become a famous horror movie star in London. When the two finally reunite in Paris, they soon find themselves in conflict, vying for the affections of the same woman.
Much of the humor results from Dracula’s frustrations with the modern world and human society in general, a novel joke at the time which has since been recreated far better in movies likeRenfieldortheHotel Transylvaniamovies. The film has a few good chuckles to be had, particularly in Lee’s performance as a hammy, over-the-top caricature of his iconic role. That being said, the movie isn’t as strong of a comedy to contend with the iconic horror movies that inspired it. It doesn’t help that much of the plot revolves around Dracula’s boring son, Ferdinand.
8Count Dracula
1970
Another rare Dracula picture Lee starred in that wasn’t actually a Hammer horror production,Count Dracularepresents and interesting twist in judgment for an adaptation of the iconic vampire story. Lee had a lot of frustrations with Hammer’s frequent and comprehensive changes to the original Bram Stoker book, leading to him eventually taking on a low-budget independent Spanish film that sought to create the most faithful adaptation ofDraculaever put to screen.
To its credit,Count Draculamanages to do just that, with Lee’s Dracula matching Stoker’s original descriptions to an eerie T, with fangs poking out from under a gray mustache. An interesting novelty,Count Draculadoes unfortunately inherit some of the original novel’s pacing issues, feeling like more of a gothic melodrama than a horror movie at times. The cheap production value doesn’t help the final product either, with Lee tolerating some almost insultingly poor makeup and special effects in the pursuit of his idealized book-accurate Dracula.
7Dracula A.D. 1972
1972
Christopher Lee’s misgivings with Hammer’s handling of the source material could likely be summed up byDracula A.D. 1972.Seen by many fans as the moment that the originalDraculaseriesjumped the shark, this project hurled Dracula forward in time and into the “modern day” of 1972. As he stumbles into the 70s, Dracula is forced to do battle with the descendants of his classic nemesis, the vampire hunter Van Helsing.
Dracula A.D. 1972has an infamous reputation among Hammer horror fans for a good reason, being almost as comedic as a parody movie likeDracula and Son.The film attempts to derive a lot of humor out of Dracula’s interactions with the groovy pop culture subgroups of the decade, traipsing through the same London that could’ve forged Austin Powers. While it utterly fails as a scary movie, Dracula’s showdown with the Van Helsings is at least fairly entertaining, and there’s a certain amount of ironic enjoyment to be wrung out of the film’s bold new direction.
6The Satanic Rites Of Dracula
1973
The last of Lee’s appearances in Hammer Films' horror movies as Dracula,The Satanic Rites of Draculasaw his vampire career end with not a bang, but a whimper. Here, Dracula is begrudgingly forced to split the billing as a villain alongside a dangerous satanic cult, hence the title. Peter Cushing also put in his final performance opposite Lee as Van Helsing here, marking the end of an era.
In truth, the idea to split a horror movie’s focus between Dracula and an almost wholly unrelated supernatural enemy doesn’t bode well for the final product, with Lee’s Dracula feeling like an afterthought stapled into the script at the last minute. Still,The Satanic Rites of Draculaoffers some exciting individual sequences that stand out enough to make the finished product worth a watch, including a scene in which Lee imitates Bela Lugosi’s famous Dracula accent. One of the more unremarkable Hammer Dracula films, The Satanic Rites Of Dracula still at least outdoesDracula A.D. 1972.
5Scars Of Dracula
The first Hammer Dracula film to herald in the 70s,Scars of Dracularepresented a win for Lee in his constant struggle to increase the series' faithfulness to the source material.Scars of Draculaexamines one of Dracula’s most absurd resurrections yet, as a bat that vomits blood over the remains of the count manages to somehow restore him to profane un-life. From there, Dracula is free to enact yet another rampage into the already devastated Transylvanian countryside.
Scars of Draculawas originally imagined as a way for the series to continue with a fresh start without the presence of Christopher Lee, a fact which sadly shines through in the awkward re-introduction of the Count when Lee ultimately did return. Even if the plot is a bit standard for a Dracula movie, the gorgeous production design, rich color correction, and darker tone keepScars of Draculajust a hair above average. Visually stunning if narratively rote,Scars of Draculastill reminds audiences why Lee is one of the scariestmovie Dracula performancesever.
4Taste The Blood Of Dracula
Releasing the same year asScars of Dracula,Taste the Blood of Draculawas made by Hammer with even more knowledge of Lee’s growing contempt for the series. Once again, the story clearly envisioned a Dracula resurrection that specifically allowed for a new actor to take the reins as Dracula, only for Ralph Bates' Lord Courtley to morph into Lee upon drinking Dracula’s cursed blood when Lee reluctantly agreed to return. From there, Dracula gets revenge on Lord Courtley’s enemies, apparently still acting on his behalf.
Despite the confusing setup for Dracula’s return,Taste the Blood of Draculahas a lot going for it, with a stellar supporting cast to surround Lee and Hammer’s best attempts and balancing sleazy visuals with subtle gallows humor. Lee’s performance in this entry is somewhat uneven, sometimes representing the character with terrifying aplomb, but sleepwalking through other scenes. A heavy mix of strong visuals and performances with a weak, confusing story,Taste the Blood of Draculaleaves a mixed final impression.
3Dracula Has Risen From The Grave
1968
After being seemingly defeated beneath a frozen lake inDracula: Prince of Darkness,Dracula Has Risen from the Gravemakes good on the promise of its title, with the blood of a misguided priest bringing Dracula’s body roaring back to life. From there, Dracula vows to take revenge on the exorcist that cleansed his corruption of a local church by turning his innocent niece. It’s up to the exorcist, his niece, and her burly boyfriend to ward away Dracula’s evil advances.
Barry Andrews and Veronica Carlson provide some of the most chemistry ever seen by aHammer Films horror moviecouple, making for protagonists that are easy to get invested in. Of course, Lee’s Dracula is as menacing as ever in the more stripped-back, lower stakes story that rolls the character back into being an appropriate folklore villain. Stacked up against the rest of his Dracula appearances,Dracula Has Risen from the Graveis a welcome change of pace.
2Dracula: Prince Of Darkness
1966
Interestingly enough, despite first playing the character in 1958, Lee wouldn’t return to a sequel as Dracula until 1966, in which he reprised the role for the first time inDracula: Prince of Darkness.In his first Hammer Films resurrection, Dracula is brought back thanks to the efforts of his evil familiar Klove, who mixes the blood of an innocent with his master’s ashes, bringing him back from the grave. Oddly, Lee has no spoken lines inDracula: Prince of Darkness,which works surprisingly well in stirring up the gradual terror the character inflicts.
Even without the benefit of words, Lee’s performance here is still quite hungry and ferocious. He goes on to haunt a rarely likable coterie of protagonists, using some of Hammer’s strongest art direction yet as a stunning background. With some of the best pacing in the series, there are few faults to find withDracula: Prince of Darkness,even if Lee remained silent for it.
1Horror Of Dracula
1958
The first film to cast Christopher Lee as Count Dracula,Horror of Draculais still easily the best. While arguably an adaptation of Bram Stoker’s original novel,Horror of Draculatakes some grand liberties with narrative and characterization, much to Lee’s own annoyance. That being said, the first Hammer Dracula film to star Lee launched a franchise for a good reason.
Hammer’s genius art direction is perhaps at its strongest here, nailing the gothic aesthetic and bright-red blood that might spring to one’s imagination upon readingDracula.Lee is phenomenal as the profane vampire, at once alluring, clever, charismatic, and blood-curdling, with Peter Cushing’s Van Helsing providing a strong opponent for him that other films couldn’t top.Horror of Draculais one ofChristopher Lee’s best filmsin general, let alone the bestChristopher LeeDracula movie.
