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

[@Satellite_Of_Love]

The Internet may have its flaws, but at least it can preserve something as wonderful as this for generations to come.

[@rubenskiii]

Fully agree, great stories never pass away, they pass on, to be told and retold.

[@CharlesLaughtonFan]

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

[@rubycass-p4m]

😂😂 Ditto!!

[@christofferthunberg5479]

Yeah i agree :D

[@FreudianSlipandSlide-s5g]

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

[@CharlesLaughtonFan]

@@FreudianSlipandSlide-s5g ❤❤❤

[@Hypnobunny1]

Absolutely agree 💖

[@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.

[@lizh7777]

The thing Charles Dickens did that was new was make a happy ghost.

[@leavingitblank9363]

Dickens has other Christmas ghost stories that aren't as cheery.

[@Adamguy2003]

@@leavingitblank9363 Wow, I didn't know that!

[@the-reclining-roleplayer]

@@Adamguy2003 The Signalman is wonderfully eerie and sad. It might even have been based on a personal experience of Dickens'!

[@thequietestengine]

@@the-reclining-roleplayer Hallo!!! Below there!!!

[@veldawells2839]

It's Christmas Eve and here I am sitting with my daughter listening to Sir Christopher Lee raise hairs on the back of our necks. Enjoyable.

[@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.😊

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

@@vickithompson7503 I saw a documentary with him & it was all too short, or so I thought.

[@m_d1905]

To be there in person would have been grand. Ghost stories at Christmas needs to come back as a tradition.

[@velvetalex4766]

I believe they put one out every year. There is one this Christmas.

[@christopherpeace2093]

Mark gates does one every xmas eve

[@dougcull8644]

They’ve brought it back this year! Xmas eve bbc2 22:15 🎉

[@tammystoudt5137]

I always thought the reason the line "scary ghost stories" is included in the Christmas song was just because of the Dickens story A Christmas Carol.

[@ruggernutter03]

I have beeen either reading or watching a ghost story every Christmas for the last few years. I heard about this British tradition from a good friend and have thought this to be a great thing. Brought a new sparkle to the Christmas festivities.

[@kirbymarchbarcena]

Sir Christopher Lee has been a great storyteller, a rockstar, a military veteran, a Knight, a Wizard, a vampire, a Sith Lord, a dentist, a spanish ship captain, a french post-impressionist artist, and a lot more.

[@crimsonpride9975]

...and a Bond villain.

[@lawdogattorneyatlaw4886]

So an actor?

[@CharlesTaylor-o9p]

Don't forget his best performance of all: Dracula. 😉👍

[@EliteAngelofHeaven]

Don't forget a cult leader

[@Adamguy2003]

And a judge/ burgomaster ('Sleepy Hollow').

[@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

[@kevinjamesparr552]

This old Nazi killer and actor could tell a tale of depth and horror as easy as breathing. RIP Sir .

[@jeffwarren6906]

@@kevinjamesparr552 - You are so correct Kevin . They don't make men like that anymore ... RIP Sir Christopher Lee , you will never be completely forgotten

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

@@kevinjamesparr552 As long as there is audiovisual media he'll be with us in a surrogate fashion, to warmly haunt us.

[@kimberlyjohnson1371]

Nice 👍🕊️❄️

[@JhadeSagrav]

He DIED?!!?! 😫

[@MrClawt]

I'd trade half of modern day Hollywood for another Sir Christopher Lee if I could.

[@Adamguy2003]

Heck yeah!

[@CHRISMED2]

This man was a treasure

[@ltdannichols]

At least 3/4 of them

[@timothymckane6362]

Just watching Sir Christopher Lee narrating something spooky on Christmas makes it more enjoyable.

[@shirleyac12]

Rich clear voiced man and strikingly handsome . A national treasure . An actor from a particular era . Irreplaceable.

[@kimberlyjohnson1371]

I agree 😊

[@stevenbrown8857]

These were my childhood. I'm 51 and am re watching. M R James, Robert Powell, Christopher Lee ... classics

[@Witchofthewest09]

I'm over 73yrs old and wonder why you mention Robert Powell . No contest in my humble opinion .

[@jackspring7709]

There is a BBC adaptation of this story 'A Warning to the curious' that was broadcast around Christmas in the 1970s, part of their Ghost Story For Christmas' season. Its available on DVD and very well made. 'The Signalman' is another excellent one broadcast at Christmas 1976 - also on DVD and well worth a watch.

[@stevenbrown8857]

@jackspring7709 the signalman is genuinely creepy

[@leipzigergnom]

If only school and college could have a bit more of this ancient air of mystery and magic about them nowadays.

[@kents.2866]

Indeed.

[@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.

[@CptNemo-l3s]

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:)

[@lindamaclean7941]

What an awesome rendition of this short story.

[@MarkPayne-ss6yu]

Good thought his was, the on-site filmed dramatic version starring Peter Vaughan was considerably superior for its atmosphere of menace.

[@geoffreyfyfe2248]

When he talks at the beginning about the friend he had who had since died, I can't help but picture that friend being Peter Cushing.

[@KittyCraic]

I remember how fondly he spoke of Cushy 🖤

[@MarkPayne-ss6yu]

Lee wrote a lovely eulogy in the Radio Times of all places for his great friend Cushing. It was masterly and heartfelt.

[@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.

[@martinholmes-ue9ko]

Agreed!

[@MarkPayne-ss6yu]

Sid James too?

[@Carnivor131]

@MarkPayne-ss6yu Well i like the Carry On movies and their actors, too. So He and the Carry On Crew are also legends imo.

[@DavidSimpson-d3t]

Sid james was South African.but still a British gentleman to me.

[@Carnivor131]

​@@DavidSimpson-d3ti didn't know that. Interesting, thank you. 👍

[@Witchofthewest09]

Sir Christopher Lee . War hero and rather underated by those who only see him as Dracula . Incredibly brave yet modest .

[@KIC-7766]

Saruman ... this is how I shall remember him, thank you Sir C. Lee, peace in your rest.

[@Daniel.W.Bridge]

Yes, very right, thank you .

[@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!!

[@jyostnaahmed5457]

That would be fabulous

[@merlapittman5034]

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

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

There are some things that we should be grateful for, this is one of them.

[@robnewman6101]

R.I.P Sir Christopher Lee.

[@iangrant3615]

Thanks for uploading. What is wonderful about this performance is that he isn't just reading out the story, he is inhabiting the characters and the telling of the tale so completely, acting as narrator to the audience he is supposed to be talking to, but also becoming the characters he is describing. It's a very versatile and rounded acting performance.

[@KneeCapHill]

No WAY. LEGENDARY youtube find. On christmas no less

[@HzHz]

Adore Christopher Lee what a gentleman. Thank you. Christmas eve 2024. Merry Christmas everyone ✨🎄✨.

[@marvinc9994]

Love the way Christopher Lee pronounces _golf_ the old-fashioned way, as _goff_ , back in the day when _waistcoat_ was pronounced _wescott_ by the gentlemanly classes. It's little subtleties such as this that add to the authenticity of such pieces, and which aspiring young actors and directors should be aware of! Would it be too much to say that there's something rather _cool_ about 'Old School'?

[@judic7723]

Beautifully spoken, even so I need captioning. Anyone have this with captions?

[@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.

[@soca0111]

We have lost all the sweet beauty of Christmas... This is sooo beautiful .. These Christmas stories brought family and friwnds together..

[@1toshi32]

We have youtube to thank for bringing these stories back at this time of the year. I'm enjoying watching all the old films this year.

[@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

[@feralbluee]

Of course they were. !! 🫤

[@annnichols3091]

I first started reading Mr. James' ghost stories the summer after 5th grade, back in 1965. I had no idea that "consumption" was tuberculosis back then. (The collected ghost stories scared me so much that I was 18 before I finished the book.)

[@feralbluee]

What an incredible reading of this story. God, he’s so effing good. 🕯️🌷🌱

[@Kjdjrh]

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

[@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

[@kimberlyjohnson1371]

I didn't get to watch much TV @ a young age..seen all of the Grinch Christmas cartoons etc..and the Bible stories of the birth of Christ..classics but never have I been lucky to see this until now 🙏🕊️✨☃️❄️💒🎄 this is much better than any tangible 🎁.. Thankyou.

[@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

[@shireboundscribbles]

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

[@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!

[@deborahcamden2691]

Sir Christopher Lee was an amazing a actor and he had the most wonderful voice. I loved his reading of The Raven, by Edgar Allen Poe. His voice gave me goosebumps of the best kind.

[@edainari]

This is the BEST, most creative Ghost Story I've EVER heard. I love that it was wraiths, barrows & ancient history, not the usual spirits from the 1800s. The ending reminded me of the "No you didn't" from Appalachia here in America.

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

It would be better if it was in a group. You wouldn't have these commercials biting into it every 20 seconds.....

[@bradbarnett5464]

Peter Straub's 'Ghost Story' invokes an odd suspense. Similarly here, a group of men known as 'The Chowder Society' gather to exchange ghost stories. I'd recommend reading the novel's descriptive twists, before viewing the movie's failure to link separate plot summaries. Beloved spook, Lee must have been aware of such.

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

@@bradbarnett5464 I would've LOVED to have seen / heard that. My time machine is in for repairs.....

[@geoffreyfyfe2248]

​@@bradbarnett5464Straub was an acknowledged M.R. James fan, so you can bet "Ghost Story" took inspiration from James's work.

[@JhadeSagrav]

i always feel a bit lost with old ghost stories. 😞 i know the intention was to create an atmosphere and the feeling of unease, but my brain doesn't work that way. A story is a puzzle to me and i throw away anything flowery that isn't another brick on the path. So... A guy dug up a crown, started being followed by the crown's ghost, found some mates who said they'd help him put it back, they do, something about a coat (i was sending an email and missed that bit), and then they all go home, but brother looks out the window, thinks it's his pals, follows them... for ...some reason? they chase after him, homie fell down a cliff. 😐 I just... i dunno!! i just feel like... i can't get into these. 😞 Can you help describe it better? What did you find creative in it? What am i missing? 😣😣 I even have unsettling music playing quietly in the background for the ambience. WHY ISN'T THIS WORKING?? I REALLY WANT TO ENJOY THESE, WHY ARE YOU LIKE THIS, BRAIN?!?!

[@MyelinProductions]

Amazing. Very Well Done. Great traditional story from a long standing CHRISTMAS tradition in the British Isles. Very Christmas winter eve fire side telling of lore. Have a Wonderful Blessed Peaceful CHRISTMAS always. ~ Be Safe out there folks ~ Peace & Health to Us All. ~ You Matter ~ We All Matter.

[@kategray9]

Brilliantly told by Christopher. So atmospheric.

[@jonclynch5387]

Excellent! Sir Christopher was a national treasure. I'm honoured to say that I've actually been in the room where this was filmed (at Elton Hall) several times!

[@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)

[@angelaclements1244]

I made my mother put garlic up my window. It was a clove (?)of garlic rather than the flower so not sure it would have worked. I always shut my eyes rather than look into his red ones. Just the music was menacing

[@tonithenightowl1836]

@@angelaclements1244 I never thought of garlic. My Mom would come in and take the rosary off around my neck so I wouldn't strangle myself in my sleep. I agree I don't think a clove would have been enough. LOL :o)

[@Cat-Tiger-Taegi-Cult]

I've never clicked a video, so fast in my life, one of the greatest actors in my lifetime ❤ he's sorely missed.

[@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.

[@trinovantian1]

Sir Christopher and that other master of horror, Peter Cushing, were great friends when not trying to kill each other on screen.

[@margueritegarner6796]

Met him briefly in Los Angeles at a convention. Very kind. Gentlemanly. I was in my teens. Somewhere there's a photo of me with Forrey Ackerman and Lee. Lee holds a drawing I gave him.

[@Hypnobunny1]

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

[@jamesalston4531]

Nice atmosphere of light,shadow,and colour.

[@Akiawa1]

I love his dark voice..A truly English gentleman❤...Rest and peace sir

[@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😎

[@GlenBencivengo]

His voice adds to the story. Excellently told

[@jillthompson1248]

Christopher Lee could make a grocery list sound terrifying.

[@paulamcclure3402]

😂 So true... good one! Merry Christmas! 🎄🌟🕊

[@jillthompson1248]

@ and to you and yours as well may Santa bring you everything you want

[@prometheusr]

Grocery lists are terrifying.

[@LauraAllen-nm9ws]

What a fabulous Christmas present! Thank you so much for this posting. ❤

[@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.

[@lrbarrowlrb]

In the spirit of ghost stories...perhaps you will find the crown.

[@Sestra_Prior]

@lrbarrowlrb here's hoping!

[@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

[@Len0Grady]

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

[@shaistakhalid7415]

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

[@carloslionel1653]

Count Dooku reciting old ghost stories ? What a gem this is !!

[@leonaheraty3760]

RIP Sir Christopher Lee. 🙏

[@nikitavalantasis7010]

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

[@donaldmccleary9015]

Excellence at his finest. He is sooo good. Miss him a whole bunch. What a colorful life and career! Thank you for sharing this!

[@Talalansardeen33]

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

[@BenStevenson-c4z]

❤ Sir Christopher Lee he is a Legend 🌟

[@rubber_chicken]

That looks and sounds like a perfect night for me!

[@kennym5898]

I agree with all the above comments. Fantastic BBC production. Brilliantly read with such perfect diction and dramatic timing. What really helps are the F**king adverts randomly screaming in mid sentence.

[@Gillian-x4m]

How wonderful!!! Christopher Lee is a legend ❤ and always will be

[@purplejanew]

That voice, that presence! Moving at any time of year. Thank you for sharing.

[@robertbruce7686]

Classic M. R. James. Disturbing yet fascinating. Search "Whistle and I'll come to you" (at the expense of your composure, Stranger 🤭)

[@jasonriseborough1391]

The location and that voice….perfection💯💯

[@melanieb7903]

I was very lucky to hear an actor tell this tale, by just the light of a large fire, in the old sitting room of Otley Hall, Otley, Suffolk. I went twice, both times were magican.......silent but for the crackling fire and voice ❤

[@elaineisabelle427]

Christopher Lee is always brilliant, love his voice.

[@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.

[@lorenzodicapo6305]

Christopher Lee should read all of the stories

[@Richard-vu7kh]

Wonderful…thank you for this.

[@TheChrisofe]

Fabulous from start to finish.

[@BobHourigan]

Marvelous

[@personabc8765]

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

[@chivalrousjack]

Splendid! Absolutely wonderful. Much obliged. 🎩

[@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....

[@pedroervert]

Kids would benefit from this gold today.

[@marvinc9994]

IF they could drag themselves away from their iPhone!

[@Iron_Wyvern]

Pure excellence.

[@JamesDaffyBenderDonald]

Brilliant!

[@cptnkaos5994]

A well told story, by a true story teller, RIP Sir Christopher

[@deborahdarling1799]

Bravo!!!

[@barriolimbas]

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

[@orkleth]

Is there an author he hasn't met?

[@hollyanderson4329]

Wonderful production! Thank you

[@DanielAppleton-lr9eq]

He had a voice & delivery easily equaling Sir Patrick AKA " Sir Patstew ". He delivers this wonderful story as if he was ACTUALLY THERE ! Bravo, Sir Christopher !

[@rafiqadarr6217]

I love these stories and the settings and of course, the sublime Christopher Lee. I also liked Robert Powell reading them. I love M. R. James but I really wish the unsuspecting individuals in his stories would not do silly things like digging up an ancient crown or relic, or going off somewhere without telling people where they are going, they seem to court danger without realising it. Stay safe and leave relics alone. 😮

[@janetstevenson9580]

Captivating great storytelling

[@theplayers7434]

What a masterful use of the voice!

[@lindablindt7265]

wonderful storytelling

[@elaineheath1962]

Excellent

[@peterbamforth6453]

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

[@margaretwalker969]

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

[@doveboyz857]

Wonderful ❤

[@rosannavitale9922]

Simply resplendent. Deep gratitude.

[@Meow_1992]

Hogwartz looks interesting with Christopher Lee in it. ❤

[@michellefrancis6521]

Amazing. Truly felt the story

[@littlefaith8063]

Love it! And all your memories, dear Brit’s! We feel the same here. Missing the people and ways of times past.

[@shelleymcafee8197]

Wonderful!!!

[@vernonwatts4259]

Christopher Lee, never short of wonderful