Christopher Lee's Dracula rose to prominence thanks to his casting in the esteemed Hammer horror films of the 1950s and 60s. While Dracula was far from Christopher Lee's only horror character, it was by far his most influential, with crimson red eyes and a fanged laugh that sent shivers down the spines of 50s audiences. His Dracula appearances differ in quality heavily thanks to their varied directors, premises, and cohesion.

9 Dracula And Son

1976

An egregious outlier in Christopher Lee's Dracula filmography, Dracula and Son took the already famous imagery of Lee as Dracula and morphed it into a humorous parody. This affable, goofier version of Dracula sees himself evicted from his own castle, getting separated from his son in the move only to become a famous horror movie star in London. When the two finally reunite in Paris, they soon find themselves in conflict, vying for the affections of the same woman.

Much of the humor results from Dracula's frustrations with the modern world and human society in general, a novel joke at the time which has since been recreated far better in movies like Renfield or the Hotel Transylvania movies. The film has a few good chuckles to be had, particularly in Lee's performance as a hammy, over-the-top caricature of his iconic role. That being said, the movie isn't as strong of a comedy to contend with the iconic horror movies that inspired it. It doesn't help that much of the plot revolves around Dracula's boring son, Ferdinand.

8 Count Dracula

1970

Another rare Dracula picture Lee starred in that wasn't actually a Hammer horror production, Count Dracula represents and interesting twist in judgment for an adaptation of the iconic vampire story. Lee had a lot of frustrations with Hammer's frequent and comprehensive changes to the original Bram Stoker book, leading to him eventually taking on a low-budget independent Spanish film that sought to create the most faithful adaptation of Dracula ever put to screen.

To its credit, Count Dracula manages to do just that, with Lee's Dracula matching Stoker's original descriptions to an eerie T, with fangs poking out from under a gray mustache. An interesting novelty, Count Dracula does unfortunately inherit some of the original novel's pacing issues, feeling like more of a gothic melodrama than a horror movie at times. The cheap production value doesn't help the final product either, with Lee tolerating some almost insultingly poor makeup and special effects in the pursuit of his idealized book-accurate Dracula.

7 Dracula A.D. 1972

1972

Christopher Lee's misgivings with Hammer's handling of the source material could likely be summed up by Dracula A.D. 1972. Seen by many fans as the moment that the original Dracula series jumped the shark, this project hurled Dracula forward in time and into the "modern day" of 1972. As he stumbles into the 70s, Dracula is forced to do battle with the descendants of his classic nemesis, the vampire hunter Van Helsing.

Dracula A.D. 1972 has an infamous reputation among Hammer horror fans for a good reason, being almost as comedic as a parody movie like Dracula and Son. The film attempts to derive a lot of humor out of Dracula's interactions with the groovy pop culture subgroups of the decade, traipsing through the same London that could've forged Austin Powers. While it utterly fails as a scary movie, Dracula's showdown with the Van Helsings is at least fairly entertaining, and there's a certain amount of ironic enjoyment to be wrung out of the film's bold new direction.

6 The Satanic Rites Of Dracula

1973

The last of Lee's appearances in Hammer Films' horror movies as Dracula, The Satanic Rites of Dracula saw his vampire career end with not a bang, but a whimper. Here, Dracula is begrudgingly forced to split the billing as a villain alongside a dangerous satanic cult, hence the title. Peter Cushing also put in his final performance opposite Lee as Van Helsing here, marking the end of an era.

In truth, the idea to split a horror movie's focus between Dracula and an almost wholly unrelated supernatural enemy doesn't bode well for the final product, with Lee's Dracula feeling like an afterthought stapled into the script at the last minute. Still, The Satanic Rites of Dracula offers some exciting individual sequences that stand out enough to make the finished product worth a watch, including a scene in which Lee imitates Bela Lugosi's famous Dracula accent. One of the more unremarkable Hammer Dracula films, The Satanic Rites Of Dracula still at least outdoes Dracula A.D. 1972.

5 Scars Of Dracula

1970

The first Hammer Dracula film to herald in the 70s, Scars of Dracula represented a win for Lee in his constant struggle to increase the series' faithfulness to the source material. Scars of Dracula examines one of Dracula's most absurd resurrections yet, as a bat that vomits blood over the remains of the count manages to somehow restore him to profane un-life. From there, Dracula is free to enact yet another rampage into the already devastated Transylvanian countryside.

Scars of Dracula was originally imagined as a way for the series to continue with a fresh start without the presence of Christopher Lee, a fact which sadly shines through in the awkward re-introduction of the Count when Lee ultimately did return. Even if the plot is a bit standard for a Dracula movie, the gorgeous production design, rich color correction, and darker tone keep Scars of Dracula just a hair above average. Visually stunning if narratively rote, Scars of Dracula still reminds audiences why Lee is one of the scariest movie Dracula performances ever.

4 Taste The Blood Of Dracula

1970

Releasing the same year as Scars of Dracula, Taste the Blood of Dracula was made by Hammer with even more knowledge of Lee's growing contempt for the series. Once again, the story clearly envisioned a Dracula resurrection that specifically allowed for a new actor to take the reins as Dracula, only for Ralph Bates' Lord Courtley to morph into Lee upon drinking Dracula's cursed blood when Lee reluctantly agreed to return. From there, Dracula gets revenge on Lord Courtley's enemies, apparently still acting on his behalf.

Despite the confusing setup for Dracula's return, Taste the Blood of Dracula has a lot going for it, with a stellar ing cast to surround Lee and Hammer's best attempts and balancing sleazy visuals with subtle gallows humor. Lee's performance in this entry is somewhat uneven, sometimes representing the character with terrifying aplomb, but sleepwalking through other scenes. A heavy mix of strong visuals and performances with a weak, confusing story, Taste the Blood of Dracula leaves a mixed final impression.

3 Dracula Has Risen From The Grave

1968

After being seemingly defeated beneath a frozen lake in Dracula: Prince of Darkness, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave makes good on the promise of its title, with the blood of a misguided priest bringing Dracula's body roaring back to life. From there, Dracula vows to take revenge on the exorcist that cleansed his corruption of a local church by turning his innocent niece. It's up to the exorcist, his niece, and her burly boyfriend to ward away Dracula's evil advances.

Barry Andrews and Veronica Carlson provide some of the most chemistry ever seen by a Hammer Films horror movie couple, making for protagonists that are easy to get invested in. Of course, Lee's Dracula is as menacing as ever in the more stripped-back, lower stakes story that rolls the character back into being an appropriate folklore villain. Stacked up against the rest of his Dracula appearances, Dracula Has Risen from the Grave is a welcome change of pace.

2 Dracula: Prince Of Darkness

1966

Interestingly enough, despite first playing the character in 1958, Lee wouldn't return to a sequel as Dracula until 1966, in which he reprised the role for the first time in Dracula: Prince of Darkness. In his first Hammer Films resurrection, Dracula is brought back thanks to the efforts of his evil familiar Klove, who mixes the blood of an innocent with his master's ashes, bringing him back from the grave. Oddly, Lee has no spoken lines in Dracula: Prince of Darkness, which works surprisingly well in stirring up the gradual terror the character inflicts.

Even without the benefit of words, Lee's performance here is still quite hungry and ferocious. He goes on to haunt a rarely likable coterie of protagonists, using some of Hammer's strongest art direction yet as a stunning background. With some of the best pacing in the series, there are few faults to find with Dracula: Prince of Darkness, even if Lee remained silent for it.

1 Horror Of Dracula

1958

The first film to cast Christopher Lee as Count Dracula, Horror of Dracula is still easily the best. While arguably an adaptation of Bram Stoker's original novel, Horror of Dracula takes some grand liberties with narrative and characterization, much to Lee's own annoyance. That being said, the first Hammer Dracula film to star Lee launched a franchise for a good reason.

Hammer's genius art direction is perhaps at its strongest here, nailing the gothic aesthetic and bright-red blood that might spring to one's imagination upon reading Dracula. Lee is phenomenal as the profane vampire, at once alluring, clever, charismatic, and blood-curdling, with Peter Cushing's Van Helsing providing a strong opponent for him that other films couldn't top. Horror of Dracula is one of Christopher Lee's best films in general, let alone the best Christopher Lee Dracula movie.