'Dracula' - Death Scene with Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing

The 1958 Technicolor remake of "Dracula" launched a series of Hammer horror movies, usually starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, which were a world-wide success. An unsung hero of many of those films was James Bernard, composer of their soundtrack music. He wrote the scores for such movies as "The Quatermass Experiment", "X - The Unknown","The Curse of Frankenstein", "The Gorgon" etc., and not only "Dracula" but its several sequels. The final scene of "Dracula" shows just how James Bernard enhanced the visual decay of the eponymous Count with music as scary as anything written for Hitchcock by Bernard Herrmann! Also in this clip are Melissa Stribling, as one of Dracula's victims, and Michael Gough who plays her husband.

[randallrona]

Fun Fact: Christopher Lee originally play for Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars but he rejected it which the role gave to Peter Cushing. He later regretted it and he got redeemed when he played Count Dooku in the Prequels years later.

Funny that both actors are real-life best friends.

RIP Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing. ♥️

[Helen-sj]

No one who watches this film for the first time today can understand the wallop it packed when it came out in 1957. There was nothing like it ever see on the screen before, and this scared the daylights out of audiences. REALLY! My brother and I saw it back then and can attest to how powerful and frightening this film was for everybody - teenagers as well as adults. No one expected this kind of film, so well done, in Color too!

[kaljathpanthermage]

Count Dooku vs Grand Moff Tarkin. Rest in peace to both men.

[gavinpuli]

You want to talk about legends, Sir Christopher Lee, and Peter Cushing. Can't get better than these two boys. Gone too soon, especially Peter.

[FullFatVideos]

My powers have doubled since the last time we met, Count!

[Alex-]

I love how Dracula was just running away until he was like, “wait, I’m Dracula” and just started fighting.

[shihanUKS]

I attended a festival screening of this film years ago with Christopher Lee there for a Q and A afterwards. A stately gentleman seated in a plaid fireside smoking chair onstage, he was greeted and applauded like a sports legend. He sat graciously puffing his pipe for the next three minutes waiting for the applause to end. He discussed his beginnings in the business, what a fan he was of Peter Cushing and how Cushing fought to get him the Dracula role. He was Boris Karloff's neighbor! Lastly, an audience member swore he saw a tear streak Dracula's left cheek as Van Helsing forced him back into the sun's rays and asked about it. Lee agreed it was. Dracula crying? Lee attested Dracula was a soul in constant pain not from vampirism but from condemnation to commit compulsive acts that saddened and repulsed him. He finds redemptive qualities in any character he plays. If he didn't, how did Dracula's decaying demise leave some audience members sobbing ( I heard them sniffling too). The effects were state of the art in 1958 and Lee was the first Dracula who showed fangs, blood, and reddened eyes onscreen. He said he couldn't see a thing wearing those red contacts. Landmark shock in those days.

[LPJack]

RIP Peter Cushing (May 26, 1913 – August 11, 1994), aged 81
RIP Michael Gough (November 23, 1916 – March 17, 2011), aged 94
RIP Sir Christopher Lee (May 27, 1922 – June 7, 2015), aged 93
RIP Melissa Stribling (November 7, 1926 – March 22, 1992), aged 65
You will be remembered as legends.

[jonathanmcvay]

It’s so funny reading the comments and seeing how the young look at these two as Star Wars actors playing Dracula and Van Helsing. I saw each Star Wars movie when it first came out and MY thought was “oh look there’s Van Helsing!” and later it was “well there’s Dracula”. I am now 62; I was a big fan of all the Hammer movies starting when I was about 7 and saw Star Wars when I was 15.

[terryweir]

The best ever Dracula films ever in my opinion, loved Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, when it comes to Van Helsing and Dracula nobody can touch these two actors, period!! 😀 😀

RIP Sir Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing 🙏🙏

[axevader]

Such an incredible duo, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee

[iestyndavies]

One of my all time favourite scenes. Cushing and Lee were the masters of gothic horror, they’ve never been surpassed!

[KGBBooks]

When I was a kid, I only ever knew Peter Cushing as Tarkin. It’s a trip to see him play a hero.

[billjannusch]

The Hammer Christopher Lee Dracula movies were absolutely outstanding. No one has ever done Dracula better in my opinion..These films were the best gothic horror ever made..

[ktong]

No other Dracula compares to Christopher Lee..R.I.P

[altdoom]

Christopher Lee & Peter Cushing are legends.

[stevenmcnicoll]

The creativity and ingenuity of the talented people at Hammer is demonstrated here beautifully. The final chase through Dracula's castle utilises only one set, redressed and relit for each shot. One large room with a single staircase.That's all. It also doubles for the cemetery earlier in the movie. Just amazing what they did with very little money.

[colinireson]

The Hammer films have stood the test of time because of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. Both were fine actors.

[DarkPreepers]

My deepest, heartfelt sympathy to this great artist, Maestro Dracula always remember his films

[marypagones]

The expression on Peter Cushing's face. God, what a brilliant, complex mixture of horror, pity, and relief. Yes, it's Hammer, yes it's campy, but the acting is head and hands above what you'll see in many straight-up dramas today. I love the fact that Cushing doesn't celebrate, he just seems profoundly sad at the existence of evil in the world. And all of this after a pulse-pounding, intensely cinematic fight scene.