Before Christopher Lee played nefarious villains in both Star Wars and Lord of the Rings, audiences knew him best for playing the ancient bloodsucker, Count Dracula. Lee would dawn Dracula's scarlet-lined cape in a total of 10 pictures throughout his career.
The actor's height made him an imposing figure, his natural charm made him alluring to his victims and the audience alike, and his intensity as a villain made him just as frightening as he was attractive. Though not all hits, Lee always played the character of Dracula to his fullest.
Dracula And Son (1976) - 5.4
Dracula and his son Ferdinand have grown tired of angry villagers ransacking their castle and decide to move elsewhere. Dracula moves to London and becomes a horror movie star, but his son is ashamed of his heritage and goes to Paris to become a night watchman.
Making a Dracula movie that's a comedy about a father and son becoming interested in the same woman is a strange gamble to make, and this French film isn't much loved among Dracula fans. The highlight of the film is getting to see Christopher Lee dawn Dracula's cloak for what was his final time playing the titular vampire.
The Satanic Rites Of Dracula (1973) - 5.6
In London during the '70s, Scotland Yard investigators come across an apparent case of vampirism and call in Professor Lorrimer Van Helsing (Peter Cushing), whose family has dealt with such occurrences for generations. Helsing's investigation leads him to a powerful and mysterious property mogul (Lee).
The Satanic Rites of Dracula is the final Hammer film to feature Lee as Dracula, and the final Hammer production to feature both Lee and Cushing, who became a famous horror duo, thanks to Hammer. Not only does this entry lacks the usual gothic atmosphere of the typical Hammer horror film, it even more importantly lacks any energy to engage the audience.
Count Dracula (1970) - 5.7
Jonathan Harker travels to the castle of Count Dracula in order to finalize Dracula's purchase of some real estate and instead becomes his prisoner. Harker escapes and wakes to find himself in a psychiatric hospital in London under the care of Dr. Van Helsing, but the ill health of Harker's loved ones shows that Dracula isn't finished with him.
Count Dracula was made to be as close to the original Dracula novel as possible, as were a number of other more accurate Dracula movies. This is seen with Lee's Dracula starting off as old and growing younger from drinking blood. However faithful, this film is rather slow and lacks the genuine tension of Spanish director Jess Franco's earlier gothic horror films.
Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) - 6.0
In 1972, the descendent of a servant of Dracula and the granddaughter of the current Van Helsing (Cushing) who hunts vampires, accidentally raise Dracula from the dead. The resurrected Dracula begins hunting down the descendants of Van Helsing, who killed him 100 years before.
This is the first Hammer Dracula movie to drop Lee's bloodsucker into a contemporary setting, and the one fans prefer to The Satanic Rites of Dracula. In this case, Hammer managed to transplant the gothic atmosphere to a modern setting and even started with a classic victorian era battle between Dracula and Van Helsing.
Scars Of Dracula (1970) - 6.2
Paul Carson is falsely accused of sexual assault and flees from angry villagers, but when he seeks shelter in Dracula's castle, he is killed by the titular villain. His brother Simon and his fiancee arrive in town looking for Paul, unaware of the danger that lies ahead.
The break in continuity weighs down this entry in the Hammer Dracula series, which usually sets Hammer apart from the competition. Dracula is resurrected in Transylvania, instead of England, where he died at the end of the previous entry. The story is very basic but it is elevated by the presence of Lee's Dracula.
Taste The Blood Of Dracula (1970) - 6.4
A trio of wealthy but bored men have formed a pact to enjoy all of life's pleasures, no matter how filthy, and agree to meet Lord Courtley, who has promised a one-of-a-kind experience. Courtley ingests the dried blood of Dracula and is transformed into the vampire, who plans to dispatch with the three men through their families.
Christopher Lee's Dracula takes a back seat in this film, and his seldom utilized power of influencing people's thoughts is used to great effect. This is a refreshing change and it allows these self-destructive characters to be the driving force behind the demise of their families.
Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968) - 6.6
A Monsignor travels to Dracula's castle to excise his evil spirit and calm the villagers. In doing so, he accidentally resurrects the evil vampire, who stalks the holy man to his home. Dracula targets his niece for revenge, and the Monsignor is forced to work with his niece's boyfriend (an atheist) to save her from Dracula.
This entry in the Hammer Dracula series leans heavily on the religious implications of Dracula. Both the Monsignor and the atheist's worldview comes into question as their mutual loved one is terrorized by the ancient evil. Lee is also given some of the better Dracula material to come from Hammer, partially thanks to director Freddie Francis.
Cuadecuc, Vampir (1971) - 6.7
This film is part visual retelling of the classic Dracula story and part behind-the-scenes documentary about the making of Jess Franco's Count Dracula. This surrealistic film combines different angles of shots from Count Dracula with behind-the-scenes footage, music, and even construction noises.
This is easily the strangest of Lee's Dracula movies. It is largely silent and the combination of movie scenes with behind-the-scenes footage combines to make a haunting experience. The only dialogue is in the last few minutes, and it is Christopher Lee reading the ending of Dracula as written by Bram Stoker. His reading is the perfect tone for Stoker's writing, and may prove Lee is an even better Dracula than Bela Lugosi.
Dracula: Prince Of Darkness (1966) - 6.7
Two couples are traveling in Eastern Europe when they are warned to avoid the village of Karlsbad. Naturally they are even more enticed to visit the village and find themselves guests at a castle, where they are treated well by the mysterious Klove, who is a servant of Dracula.
The third Hammer Dracula movie and the second to feature Christopher Lee as Dracula, Dracula: Prince of Darkness gains the second spot through its atmospheric and tension-filled interpretation of a typical monster movie story. This entry is unique for Lee's Dracula films because he doesn't utter a single line throughout the film, showing just how exactly Lee can be seen as the best Dracula on screen.
Horror Of Dracula (1958) - 7.3
Doctor Van Helsing (Cushing) is forced to battle the ancient monster known as Dracula after his protege is killed by the bloodsucker and Dracula targets the dead Harker's loved ones out of spite. However, the vampire hunter may have met his match, and may not even save their souls.
One of Hammer's early horror films, they intentionally deviated heavily from the book and the Universal classic starring Bela Lugosi. Lee was a tall and attractive Dracula as opposed to Lugosi's short and hunched stature, not to mention it was filmed in Technicolor and ends with Van Helsing being forced into a physical fight with Dracula.