Dimensions
180 x 243 x 36mm
The remarkable autobiography of one of our most distinguished actors, 'Lord Of Misrule' reviews Lee's astonishing life and career which spans nearly 60 years and culminates in his starring roles in 'Star Wars' and 'Lord Of The Rings'
After several years in secondary film roles, the skeletal, menacing Christopher Lee achieved horror-flick stardom as the Monster in 1958's 'The Curse Of Frankenstein', the second of his 21 Hammer Studios films. In Laurence Olivier's 'Hamlet' (1948), in which Cushing played the minor role of Osric, Lee appeared as the cadaverous candle-bearer in the "frighted with false fires" scene, one of his first film roles.
Other Lee roles of note include the title characters in 1959's 'The Mummy' and the 'Fu Manchu' series of the 60s, and the villainous Scaramanga in the 1974 James Bond effort 'The Man With The Golden Gun'. Established as a legend in his own right, Lee continued working steadily throughout the 80s and 90s, appearing in films ranging from 'Gremlins 2: The New Batch' (1990) to Tim Burton's 'Sleepy Hollow' (1999).
In 2001, after appearing in nearly 300 film and television productions, the 79-year-old actor undertook the role of Saruman, chief of all wizards, in director Peter Jackson's eagerly anticipated screen adaptation of JRR Tolkien's 'Lord Of The Rings".
Thought by many to be the millennial predecessor to George Lucas's 'Star Wars', audiences thrilled to the wondrous battle between Saruman and Gandalf (Ian McKellen) atop the wizard's ominous tower, though Lee didn't play favourites between the franchises when Lucas shot back with the continuing saga of Anakin Skywalker's journey to the dark side in mid-2002.
Wielding a light-sabre against one of the most powerful adversaries in the 'Star Wars' canon, Lee proved that even at 80 he still had what it takes to be a compelling and demanding screen presence.
