The Christopher Lee Filmography: All Theatrical Releases, 1948-2003

Rating:
Summary: One of McFarland's finest
Review: Individually, film historians Tom Johnson and Mark A. Miller already have several books and articles to their credit. Now they've pooled their talents to collaborate on what will stand as the definitive account of Christopher Lee's film career. Documenting Lee's cinematic output is a daunting challenge; he appeared in many films that were never released in the U.S.--or anywhere else--making them extremely difficult to track down, even in this wonderful age of DVD and satellite television. Fortunately, Johnson and Miller--with valuable assist from Mr. Lee himself--come through with flying colors. This is cinematic scholarship of the highest order, which is not to imply it's dry and academic. Hardly. Thanks to Johnson, Miller, Lee and many interview subjects, it's a lively, accessible, and at times fall-down-funny look at the career of someone who could be cited as the ultimate example of a "working actor."
McFarland books tend to be very high priced, and since most of them never make it to a bookstore shelf, consumers don't have the luxury of checking out the goods before hand. So you're never really sure of what you're getting until the money has left your wallet. At $55, THE CHRISTOPHER LEE FILMOGRAPHY may seem pricey, but it's well worth the investment; the book is beautifully written and McFarland has done a bang-up job of laying out the text and (rare) photos. For Lee fans, it's a must-have item.