Here's every Hammer Dracula movie starring Christopher Lee, ranked from worst to best. Lee's screen career spanned decades and he appeared in a wide variety of genres and roles, from wacky comedies to deathly serious dramas. Some of his most famous parts include Lord Summerisle in The Wicker Man, Scaramanga from Bond adventure The Man With The Golden Gun and Saruman in The Lord Of The Rings franchise. Easily his most iconic role was that of Dracula, which he first played in 1958's The Horror Of Dracula. This Hammer adaptation was a landmark success - but it was never intended to become a series. In fact, Lee's Dracula - who once played the role FOUR times in one year - sat out the first follow-up The Brides Of Dracula entirely.
Lee brought both menace and sexuality to his take on the Count, but he had a troubled relationship with the series. He disliked how the sequels completely ignored the novel and generally gave him little to do as an actor. He later claimed he was essentially blackmailed into making most of the Hammer Dracula films, with producers claiming if he didn't return, they won't get made and he would be putting film crews out of work. Lee would eventually sit out what turned out to be Hammer's final Dracula movie, which was the kung fu-infused The Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires; John Forbes-Robertson ended up playing the part in that 1974 outing. Here are Christopher Lee's Hammer Dracula movies ranked.
7. Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968)
The fourth entry in the series Dracula Has Risen From The Grave sees a priest accidentally resurrect Lee's - who appeared in The Thing remake Horror Express - bloodsucker from the frozen lake he was left under in Prince Of Darkness. While the film has some full-blooded setpieces and creative visuals - plus one of the franchise's coolest posters - it's a thoroughly by-the-numbers effort. Lee is visibly disengaged with the sequel, the middle section drags on and most of the cast of characters aren't terribly interesting.
6. Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966)
Dracula: Prince Of Darkness is the third entry in Hammer's series, and marked Lee's return following the original film almost a decade prior. Lee didn't exactly jump into the project with enthusiasm, claiming the reason the Count doesn't speak at all is due to him hating the scripted lines and refusing to speak them; screenwriter Jimmy Sangster later disputed this, claiming Dracula was always mute. Prince Of Darkness - no relation to the John Carpenter movie - is competently made by director Terrence Fisher, but it feels like a reheated take on the original, and Lee's lack of passion appears to have seeped into the movie itself. None of the supporting players - bar Quatermass And The Pit's Andrew Keir - make much of an impression, and outside of a unique demise for the Count, there's not much innovation.
5. The Satanic Rites Of Dracula (1973)
The Satanic Rites Of Dracula was part of Hammer Horror's attempts to freshen up the saga for younger audiences. This results in a tonally bizarre mix of spy thriller and horror movie, with Peter Cushing's Van Helsing descendant trying to stop Dracula's attempts to end the world with a weaponized plague. While Lee's screentime is limited he seems more enthused than usual, especially in scenes with Cushing - who killed Lee's Dracula in many different ways. Freddie Jones steals the film with his one scene while young Joanna Lumley is wasted as Van Helsing's granddaughter. The Satanic Rites Of Dracula is a lively, but messy final outing for Lee as Hammer's Dracula, and while it has some intriguing concepts - like the Count wanting to end the world so he can finally rest - they're mostly left underdeveloped. It also features possibly the lamest Dracula death of all.
4. Scars Of Dracula (1970)
Scars Of Dracula has a poor reputation among fans of Hammer's Dracula franchise. It features some of the weakest effects - like an obviously fake bat prop that recurs throughout - while heroic lead Dennis Waterman is badly miscast. It's also much gorier and sleazier than the rest of the franchise. All that said, this lends Scars Of Dracula a scuzzy charm. It lacks the drabness of entries like Prince Of Darkness, Lee - who co-starred with Cushing in three Dracula movies - is given far more to do and even gets to act as a host, like in Stoker's novel. There's also a mean streak that gives the violence more bite.
3. Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972)
Dracula A.D. 1972 is either a campy disaster and the worst of the series, or a cult gem depending on the Hammer fan being asked; it's kind of both at the same time. The film dropped Lee's Dracula into London in the 1970s, where his obsessed follower Johnny Alucard (Christopher Neame) brings him back to life via a black magic ceremony. Alucard is the subvillain of the film, bringing Dracula victims from his pool of "hippie" friends like Stephanie Beacham and Caroline Munro. This seventh entry also features Cushing as Lorimer Van Helsing, who is the real MVP. Dracula A.D. 1972 - which is one of Tim Burton's favorite horror movies - feels risible dialogue for its "hip" young characters and Lee never actually leaves the church he's resurrected in, limiting Dracula's role. That said, decades on it's kind of an artifact of '70s London in itself and with the right mindset it's quite fun.
2. Taste The Blood Of Dracula (1970)
Taste The Blood Of Dracula - which was released the same year as Scars Of Dracula - was initially intended to introduce a new vampire character to replace Lee's Count. The fifth film was written so that Ralph Bates Lord Courtley would drink Dracula's blood and be possessed by his evil essence, but after Lee (reluctantly) agreed to return, the character morphs into Dracula instead. The film was directed by The Stone Tape's Peter Sasdy, with the film being an atmospheric and darkly comic twist on the standard Hammer Dracula formula. It's bolstered by a game cast - including Peter Sallis of Wallace And Gromit movie fame - and while it's never actually scary, it's got a zippy pace. The ending - while definitely an inventive take on vampire lore - is confusingly executed, however.
1. Dracula (1958)
Dracula is the film that changed Hammer's fortunes and made Lee a screen legend. In terms of story, Dracula is really a badly condensed take on Stoker's novel and while its scares might be ineffectual on modern audiences, there's an elegance and craft to the way the film is put together. Lee is still the most imposing and regal of the big screen takes on the Count, Cushing is perfect casting as his nemesis Van Helsing and Jack Asher's cinematography makes it visually lush. While not a flawless film it's a classic for a reason, and certainly Lee's Hammer Horror Dracula highlight.