Here's what Christopher Lee had to say about Dracula Has Risen from the Grave
The third entry was crucial to the franchise, but how did its star feel?
Dracula Has Risen from the Grave was made during a time of flux for Hammer Studios. The production company left its former home at Bray Studios, adopting a new base of operations in the iconic Pinewood Studios, just west of London. It was a location that Dracula star Christopher Lee would leave an indelible mark on, both with this role and later as Francisco Scaramanga in the James Bond adventure The Man with the Golden Gun.
With its new home, Hammer Studios was ready to proceed with its most famous franchise. The company had just been given The Queen’s Export Award for its efforts in bringing millions of dollars from what was an otherwise Hollywood-dominated film industry. The award was presented on the steps of Dracula's castle, a location Hammer wagered audiences were eager to revisit.
They were right— Risen from the Grave was the most commercially successful Hammer film to date. This was, of course, due in no small part to the title star. Sir Christopher Lee gamely donned the cape once more, and his third outing proved a favorite among many fans.
How did Lee feel about the movie and this series' continuation? A 1979 issue of Fantastic Films reported the actor's thoughts on the matter.
"The third Dracula film, which I have not dared look at as I am convinced it is a very indifferent film, is making fantastic sums of money on the London circuit," said Lee. "In its first day of general release in the Southern area of London, it grossed over $25 thousand."
Nobody can argue the numbers, but what of the movie's artistic merits? Surely Lee, an actor of the highest degree by anyone's measure, would have something to say about the film and how it fared critically. As it turns out, he may not have been as rapturous as his fans at the box office.
"The story is just adequate, but the production values and direction are good and I even manage to say something occasionally. I still look more or less the same as I did in Dracula (1958), but of course I can't leap about any more like I used to and several scenes were done by my double, Eddie Powell, who has been with me for several years."
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