The late Christopher Lee was in the middle of some arduous fencing rehearsals during the making of Richard Lester's swashbuckling diptych for Alexander Salkind and based on Alexandre Dumas' literary classics when he was interrupted by the host of this long-running TV show and whisked off to a studio to meet friends and family alike. This provided a then-rare opportunity to watch the Horror genre icon appear not only relaxed (when meeting his wife, daughter, mother, brother and sister) but genuinely amused (when meeting his WWII cronies he had not seen in 30 years) and even humbled at times (upon learning that his friend and genre rival from across the pond, Vincent Price, is there to greet him in person).
Some of his other fellow actors – Charlton Heston and lifelong friend Patrick Macnee (who would himself die just a few days after Lee!) – could not make it to England but have recorded special messages for the genial star. Another co-star from THE THREE MUSKETEERS saga is, however: Oliver Reed and, reminiscing on his early days at Hammer Films where Lee would give him a ride (at a price!), the notorious hellraiser is on his best behaviour. There are some surprising invitees, to be sure – golfing partner Trevor Howard, and the trio of female conquests (including future NEW AVENGERS star Joanna Lumley) in his latest (and last for Hammer) Dracula fling, THE SATANIC RITES OF Dracula (1973). Needless to say, the show would not have been complete without the intervention of Lee's regular sparring partner Peter Cushing, who effortlessly provides the best jokes of the evening in describing his first encounter with Lee under all that make-up of The Creature on the set of THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957). The oddest thing about the entire show was the set design which featured an array of divans for the guests to sit after they've said their piece and basically forgotten thereafter! In fact, Price barely makes it into the studio and he is still standing when the host declares the 27-minute programme to be over!
Some of his other fellow actors – Charlton Heston and lifelong friend Patrick Macnee (who would himself die just a few days after Lee!) – could not make it to England but have recorded special messages for the genial star. Another co-star from THE THREE MUSKETEERS saga is, however: Oliver Reed and, reminiscing on his early days at Hammer Films where Lee would give him a ride (at a price!), the notorious hellraiser is on his best behaviour. There are some surprising invitees, to be sure – golfing partner Trevor Howard, and the trio of female conquests (including future NEW AVENGERS star Joanna Lumley) in his latest (and last for Hammer) Dracula fling, THE SATANIC RITES OF Dracula (1973). Needless to say, the show would not have been complete without the intervention of Lee's regular sparring partner Peter Cushing, who effortlessly provides the best jokes of the evening in describing his first encounter with Lee under all that make-up of The Creature on the set of THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN (1957). The oddest thing about the entire show was the set design which featured an array of divans for the guests to sit after they've said their piece and basically forgotten thereafter! In fact, Price barely makes it into the studio and he is still standing when the host declares the 27-minute programme to be over!