Though violence in film seems like an essential component in a horror movie, it's an element that has frequently been derided by the very fans it is meant to cater to. Frequently, a movie can overdo violence, and it’s a mistake that has the capability to ruin a film forever.

A frequent actor in horror films, Lee was no stranger to on-screen violence. The British actor appeared in popular films like The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) and Dracula Has Risen from the Grave (1968). Lee frequently portrayed the sympathetic protagonist in horror films that had no shortage of violence. But during a 1970 interview, Lee defended the more gruesome elements of the horror genre, particularly in supernatural film.

“It’s only fantasy violence,” Lee said during an interview with The Deseret News. “Nothing real. However, I’ll never turn my back on these macabre films. I’m going to make them for my own company. It’s important, though, to have a specialty, and that’s why I make the horror films.”

While Lee wasn’t willing to turn his back on the macabre, he was more than willing to fight against subpar writing. According to an article with the Associated Press, Lee told the BBC that he refused to read from the script during shooting for Dracula: Prince of Darkness (1966). “I’m not saying any of these lines,” said Lee. “It’s impossible. They’re ridiculous.”

In the final cut of the film, Lee has no dialogue.