A Ghost Story for Christmas: "A Warning to the Curious", with Sir Christopher Lee

[@charleslaughton8092]

Sir Christopher Lee could read a telephone book and I would be captivated.

[@rubycass-p4m]

😂😂 Ditto!!

[@christofferthunberg5479]

Yeah i agree :D

[@From-thought]

Lee's voice is a pleasurable flight to far off places.

[@charleslaughton8092]

@@From-thought ❤❤❤

[@Hypnobunny1]

Absolutely agree 💖

[@jeffwarren6906]

Rest In Peace Sir Christopher Lee ... You lived the life of a true man's man amongst the greatest generation in a world full of danger at every turn . God Bless You Sir Christopher Lee

[@martinayates9427]

To be in a room lit by candle light and a fierce fire sitting listening to Mr Christopher Lee is a long wished for dream of mine i have long admired him

[@Rebel9668]

I've done something similar, except instead of candle, I had kerosene lamp and a good fire crackling away. But for as dark as the room was naturally as the walls were old bead board finished with boiled linseed oil and the ceilings were bead board as well, but black from coal dust which the former owner had heated with, the lamp didn't provide much more light than a candle. It was a cozy little 4 room house I rented from the former owner's son. A primitive sort of place with exactly one electric outlet in each room and a well house with an electric pump, but no indoor plumbing, the "facilities" being an outhouse a good 20 yards away behind the place which I only minded in winter when needing to go in the middle of the night, lol. I had an old floor model radio and could tune in a station that played OTR (Old Time Radio) broadcasts and would occasionally play stories like these as well. It was a pretty rural area with the closest neighbor being about a quarter mile away in northwest Tennessee. That's been about 26 years ago now. The rent was a pittance of $25 a month, and I think he just wanted someone there to keep an eye on the place and keep it from falling into ruin.

[@peterbamforth6453]

M R James's little group used to listen to him reading his stories in candlelight. It's a toss up between the 2 :}

[@pyrettablaize205]

Of course it would be better without constant commercial interruption

[@vickithompson7503]

Just sitting with Sir Chris would be my dream.😊

[@merlapittman5034]

Bloody marvelous! The extremely talented Christopher Lee and the excellent author M. R. James - a marvelous combination!

[@lindamaclean7941]

What an awesome rendition of this short story.

[@asa1973100]

This is something of the past. They always used to have a ghost story on a Christmas always Christmas Eve and they used to be brilliant again something that’s no longer done.

[@kevinwoplin9322]

I remember being scared out of my wits with The Woman in Black one Christmas

[@karehhartig7287]

Oh yes ! So sad that the best oral story telling Rituals have been losing momentum each passing year. Have a hope We are keeping them alive Lol Happy Christmas in July 🎉😅

[@karehhartig7287]

​@@kevinwoplin9322That's a great 👻 ghost story !

[@janeys8006]

They always have a ghost story on Christmas Eve on the BBC. Usually M.R. James.

[@WalkingSideways]

Maybe not strictly ghost stories now, but they've done murder mysteries (Agatha Christie), Dickens, and even horror like the recent Dracula which was brilliant. But yes, these storytelling ones with the narrator doing a kind of talking head performance is rarely seen now. Speaking of talking heads, I always go back to Alan Bennetts *Talking Heads* monologues:)

[@Kjdjrh]

Wonderfully told tale by Christopher Lee. You will always be considered an immortal by your fans, Sir. Godspeed. J-Philadelphia

[@shireboundscribbles]

Monty James and Sir Christopher Lee This is peak ghost story.

[@sandrarickards886]

I remember the Christmas Eve ghost stories. Loved them .

[@janeys8006]

They're still on the BBC on Christmas Eve.

[@beachcomberbob3496]

Over the years, I've managed to gather as many as are available in digital format, and it's my tradition now to watch a selection every Christmas. They help to invoke happier times, and M.R.James was the master of those short stories, and presented by actors with the flair for dramatic monologue, back when the BBC were trusted to be the nation's broadcaster.

[@bluenose1744]

@@beachcomberbob3496I do the same 😅I purchased the collection dvd of Christmas ghost stories from the BFI. Watch it through December, in the evenings. Perfect.

[@rayvance5999]

One wonders if the young actors in this presentation were aware of how fortunate they were to be in the presence of greatness.

[@E-Kat]

Who that might be, I wonder? 😊

[@CynthiaPhillips-l3b]

@@E-Kat M. R. James, of course.

[@fraserihle4847]

What a dumb comment…this was filmed well into his fame of course they knew who he was

[@kategray9]

Brilliantly told by Christopher. So atmospheric.

[@michaelperdue4540]

Captured the essence of the James ghost story, the unsettling atmosphere created by this master of storytelling....wish they had done the full catalogue

[@IndieAnnieJones1]

This is stunning I have never seen it before, Lee like Price had such an air and manner that are inimitable. The "cozy" dark library reading is superb!!! TFS

[@GlenBencivengo]

His voice adds to the story. Excellently told

[@mastersadvocate]

Sir Christopher Lee has a most wonderful and haunting voice! I enjoyed this story very much! ~Janet in Canada

[@duncanpaton8227]

I agree🎉 duncan in scotland😎

[@tonithenightowl1836]

While Lugosi made the Dracula character famous on screen I could watch him and was never scared. First time I saw the Horror of Dracula with Christopher Lee at 9 yrs old in 1962 I was scared shitless. I even slept with a rosary for a week. lol Loved him as an actor and he didn't disappoint here, either. Loved this. :o)

[@FredDude27]

Imagine being a kid and having Christopher Lee as your grandfather.

[@treyowen9213]

I would listen to whatever story he would have to tell, even the ones from WWII. 🤘🏻🥰

[@sarahcastle7244]

Oh my god, YES!!

[@robnewman6101]

R.I.P Sir Christopher Lee.

[@nicoles5852]

That was very atmospheric. Thanks for this

[@AndriyValdensius-wi8gw]

Very atmospheric. This is better than the dramatised version, because Christopher Lee is reciting the story itself. Seaburgh is Aldeburgh in Suffolk. The beach is shingle. I've been there. I've driven through Suffolk and Norfolk at night on small roads and been caught in a sea mist at one o'clock in the morning. It is terrifying Long wisps of mist going across the road like fingers of a giant ghostly hand. I was a bit lost and stopped to look at a small road sign, in the middle of the night on this lonely unmarked road. I was terrified tbh. It was a relief to finally find the "A" road again. M R James was born in Suffolk. He knew what he was writing about.

[@willamsandell1082]

Lee is so amazing

[@Hypnobunny1]

I have always loved Sir Christopher Lee one of our finest actors 💖

[@Nikodymus]

Sir Christopher Lee was such an incredible man. A life full of amazing yet fearsome experiences, and he remained humble and poised. Such excellent diction in a deep voice only adds to his whimsy. I dare say I would have loved to have had the pleasure of meeting him, but I fear that I would have bored him. 😅

[@AntPDC]

Oh no. Sir Christopher was always a true gentleman of the kind we rarely see these days.

[@Talalansardeen33]

Good story telling and the candle surroundings 👍👼💯❤️🤍🩶

[@Carnivor131]

When i think of the best example of a British Gentleman, who seems always calm and with an air of friendliness and dignity, Sir Christopher Lee (among others) always comes to mind. Rest in peace, Sir.

[@Sestra_Prior]

By the weirdest coincidence, I've just watched a very old TV version of this story! Never heard of it before, now twice in ten days!

[@geoffreyevans6965]

So have I. Very odd.

[@jamesalston4531]

Nice atmosphere of light,shadow,and colour.

[@TheChrisofe]

Fabulous from start to finish.

[@Len0Grady]

While ghost stories were popular, in Ireland we’d recall the dead, both recently passed and long gone ancestors.

[@Richard-vu7kh]

Wonderful…thank you for this.

[@shaistakhalid7415]

Christopher Lee RIP was a great actor…..Great stories

[@barriolimbas]

M R James. Christopher Lee actually met him. How cool is that?

[@margaretwalker969]

Remember that , Xmas eve ghost stories, saw The Woman In Black on there late 80s best version ever, got it on DVD .

[@nikitavalantasis7010]

I felt like Halloween crossed over Christmas because ghosts wandered the earth for eternity

[@chivalrousjack]

Splendid! Absolutely wonderful. Much obliged. 🎩

[@personabc8765]

Christopher Lee was a wonderful actor and narrator . A great story, thank you.

[@hollyanderson4329]

Wonderful production! Thank you

[@neilschmid4991]

Just imagine Christopher Lee reading H. P. Lovecraft!

[@cynthiahawkins2389]

I arrived here thanks to a wonderful FB fellow member, who after I mentioned Sir Chrisopher Lee's great love for reading ghost stories - sent me to this broadcast. Thank you. It was every bit as chill inducing and scary as I had hoped....

[@JamesDaffyBenderDonald]

Brilliant!

[@BenStevenson-c4z]

❤ Sir Christopher Lee he is a Legend 🌟

[@ambarrose]

This is such a precious pearl. I'm always up to hearing him do these jobs. Have anyone here heard him reading The Raven? It's incredible, the depth he puts into the poem.

[@rubber_chicken]

That looks and sounds like a perfect night for me!

[@lynnallen935]

What a superb performance by the gentleman that was Sir Christopher Lee. He never failed to captivate his audience. I was fascinated to hear he had met the author but not surprised. As an avid Tolkien admirer he was such a a great choice for Saruman too and relished the role having met him when a student and reread Lord of the Rings every year. Sadly missed both as an actor, a gentleman and a singer. This was a great choice of story and thank you for it.

[@AntPDC]

Well said!

[@Bartok1946]

Marvelous

[@doveboyz857]

Wonderful ❤

[@tamarabaluyut3030]

That was so awesome, I would love to hear and watch more stories like that

[@leonaheraty3760]

RIP Sir Christopher Lee. 🙏

[@deborahdarling1799]

Bravo!!!

[@shelleymcafee8197]

Wonderful!!!

[@rosannavitale9922]

Simply resplendent. Deep gratitude.

[@warptek]

That opening theme music is reminiscent of King Crimson - The Court of the Crimson King.

[@mwilson7842]

That takes me back 😊

[@missjoshemmett]

Scarily wonderful! Thank you.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for this. What a superb narrator. These never age, from a time when the BBC was more interested in producing quality content than in shoe-horning in ethnic minorities and 'colour-blind' casting.

[@Nai61a]

A bigot round every corner, it seems.

[@AndriyValdensius-wi8gw]

MRJ was brilliant at word painting. His descriptions are so very evocative, and deeply unsettling.

[@karaperrio-du5gs]

I.e. The current awful BBC has no idea of merit or quality anymore it is KFC of tv instead of the finest food by Heston Blumenthal, no class or intelligence

[@shelleymcafee8197]

Thank-You for this!

[@HonaMalta]

Beautiful interior, decorations, lights, sound effects. Sigh. It's one of the things I adore about Great Britain.

[@maxelldenomie6131]

Would like to hear him read, _The Turn of The Screw_.

[@Kitty_mcPurr]

Wow this is so good!!

[@shelleymcafee8197]

Learning that Britons has a tradition of telling ghost-stories at Christmas helps Me to better understand Charles Dickens choices for The Christmas Carol.

[@janetstevenson9580]

Captivating great storytelling

[@Mrwmrwmrwr]

Thanks, love this series.

[@eddiegould6091]

The English language Beautiful

[@Floey-b1c]

Lovely stuff ❤

[@TheOverlordOfProcrastination]

Superb.

[@leonaheraty3760]

So spooky! Thank you! 🍁👻😄🎃

[@jeffgreen7629]

I’m scared now and don’t want to have nightmares, can I sleep in your bed tonight?

[@johnturner1073]

Does anyone remember a mystery and imagination series presented by Christoper Lee in the 70s/80s, where his preamble included the words...''I love September, when the nights really start drawing in''? I have tried to find it on YT, but cannot remember its title.

[@beachcomberbob3496]

For those connoisseurs of the 'Ghost Story For Christmas', might I recommend 'The Mezzotint' with Robert Powell narrating.

[@chellebadita]

Chris is an absolute legend

[@Iron_Wyvern]

Pure excellence.

[@Meow_1992]

Hogwartz looks interesting with Christopher Lee in it. ❤

[@beachcomberbob3496]

I fear that Christopher Lee is the last of the old actors (real actors that actually had to learn their lines) that had gravitas for decades.

[@davidandrews8963]

ITS 16TH AUGUST 2024 ELVIS DIED ON THIS DAY 47 YEARS AGO AND I WAS SEARCHING FOR SOMETHING TO WATCH THIS STORY CAME UP OUT OF SEASON I KNOW BUT A GHOST STORY NARRATED BY THE GREAT CHRISTOPHER LEE IS WORTH A LISTEN ANY TIME OF YEAR HE DID A LOT OF THESE AND THEY'RE JUST SUBLIME THANKYOU MR LEE FOR ALL YOUR YEARS OF BRILLIANT WORK REST IN PEACE FROM DAVID EAST ANGLIA COAST 🌊🌈🙏♥️

[@jimharrison748]

From a time when quality was paramount and virtue signalling was rightly a lot less important. Coincidentally the BBC was a lot more popular and actually respected for these types of adaptations, funny that eh...

[@Mlisse95]

While watching it I was Very invested in it.

[@peterbamforth6453]

A warning to the furious ?? is a superb modern retake very much a homage to the great M R James.

[@garryferrington811]

More fun to just read the story. Too much work for most people, I suppose.

[@DuchessBirdie]

I'd seen this story as an ArmChair Thriller or something like it from BBC and nice to get a Sir Lee Performance ty! In time for our Halloween 🎃

[@BenStevenson-c4z]

❤ Sir Christopher Lee Voice he is so Cool 😎

[@catweasle5737]

Well told, but @28:49 says the narrator is Crawford Logan. R.I.P. Mr Lee.

[@AntPDC]

And indeed the narrator is Crawford Logan. His is the first voice we hear in this story.

[@yasuke0003]

Saruman, I see you 😂

[@sahomerepairremodeling276]

Wonderful story and wonderful telling of the story by Sir Christopher Lee. However the production values leave a lot to be desired.

[@mackenzieneal1660]

I miss Sir Christopher Lee.😢

[@GemaEnriquez]

I'm sure I will enjoy this, but question: how did ghost stories become associated with Christmas? What is the connection? I would think Halloween, All Souls' Say....???

[@AntPDC]

The series was inspired by the success of Whistle and I'll Come to You (1968), based on an M. R. James story and directed by Jonathan Miller for the BBC One documentary strand Omnibus. As James originally wrote his stories to be read aloud as Christmas entertainment when he was Provost of King's College, Cambridge, and of Eton College, and Later Vice-Chancellor at Cambridge, in line with the oral tradition of telling supernatural tales at Christmas, A Ghost Story for Christmas was intended to be a part of this tradition.

[@ronindave_ytgaming6333]

Telling ghost stories was popular in the Victorian Era even before Dickens' Christmas Carol. Some think it goes back to observing the Winter Solstice which was a time for the dead in Ancient Britain.

[@janeys8006]

Christmas has always been associated with a telling of good ghost story in Britain.

[@AHelm-fr2we]

Sadly the BBC is gone so downhill that there are simply no films / series to watch anymore...... See Doctor Who or indeed Sherlock, all being sold off. Why pay TV license fee 😢😢😢😢😢

[@janislohman8125]

Oh my , i loved this are there more?

[@martywood8543]

Three more.

[@janislohman8125]

@@martywood8543 cant wait😁👏👏👏👏👏

[@inesborstel5592]

❤

[@jonnytootall1239]

Didn’t he do a complete series of these stories one Christmas? I seem to remember watching them on the BBC

[@SoniaSantosSoniaSantos]

Please put subtitles en french.

[@dazzfromaus4797]

Isn't it sad that.all this rich history is now permanently lost under the new Regeme that is the new Britten.

[@pietjepuk7009]

No subtitles available

[@MrAronRobinson]

No captions for hard of hearing. Boo 😮…

[@andrewtyler881]

10:06

[@sscot720]

Having a little hot toddy of adren a chrome they are they?....

[@seaglasskaz6314]

Couldn't watch it through, spoilt by all the Ads

[@AntPDC]

AdBlock is a good choice.

[@seaglasskaz6314]

@@AntPDC Thank you 😊

[@lotrec100]

Bloody adverts! I give up!

[@MartyHarrison-cx4gu]

It's a shame it wasn't at least a scary one . The British just don't do scary well. But great to hear

[@garyfrancis6193]

Slow

[@plasticweapon]

ghost stories need to be slow. make sure you belong here.

[@ronindave_ytgaming6333]

yes you are

[@beachcomberbob3496]

Stories from another time, when the language was more thought evoking, and people were expected to have a decent vocabulary.

[@Lot_2023]

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