Bernard Lee (1908–1981) was an English actor who performed in many light entertainment media, including film, television and theatre. His career spanned from 1934 to 1981, although he made his first appearance on the stage at the age of six. He is perhaps best known for playing M in the first eleven Eon-produced James Bond films.
Lee trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art, before making his professional stage debut in 1924. He appeared on film for the first time in 1934 in the Leslie Howard Gordon-directed comedy The Double Event, where he played the part of Dennison. Although he was in wartime service with the Royal Sussex Regiment between 1940 and 1946, he had already been in several films, which were released between 1939 and 1943. He returned to acting after the war and was offered a role in the play Stage Door while awaiting his demob.
Lee appeared on stage and television dramatisations, as well as in more than 100 films. He was known for his roles as authority figures, often playing military characters, policemen or officials. Highlights in his career included The Third Man, The Blue Lamp, The Battle of the River Plate, Whistle Down the Wind and the James Bond series. Suffering from stomach cancer, Lee died in 1981; in his obituary The Guardian noted that Lee was a "solid and reliable character actor" who displayed "a rugged dependency".
| Production | Date | Role | Theatre | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| White Cargo | Longford | UK tour | |||
| – | Hull Grand Theatre | ||||
| – | Grand Theatre, Derby | ||||
| – | — | Rusholme Theatre, Manchester | |||
| East Lynne | – 31 May 1929 | Regent Theatre | |||
| – | Regent Theatre | ||||
| Journey's End | UK tour | ||||
| – | — | Alexandra Theatre, Harwich | |||
| – | — | Alexandra Hall, Dovercourt | |||
| On the Spot | – | Regent Theatre | |||
| – | Regent Theatre | ||||
| Appearances | – | Fortune Theatre | |||
| Heritage | – | Fortune Theatre | |||
| Love for Sale | – | Pip | Fortune Theatre | ||
| Tudor Wench | – | Embassy Theatre | |||
| – | Lyceum Theatre | ||||
| Take Heed | – | Roman | Piccadilly Theatre | ||
| – | Kingsway Theatre | ||||
| Without Witness | – | Saunders | Duke of York's Theatre | ||
| Murder in Motley | – | — | Royalty Theatre | ||
| Ten Minute Alibi | – | Phoenix Theatre | |||
| Root of all Evil | – | — | St Martin's Theatre | ||
| Murder in Motley | – | Kingsway Theatre | |||
| – | Piccadilly Theatre | ||||
| – | Arts Theatre | ||||
| Distinguished Gathering | – | Embassy Theatre | |||
| Murder Gang | – | Embassy Theatre | |||
| Red Night | – | Queen's Theatre, London | |||
| – | Ambassadors Theatre | ||||
| – | Heartfree | Embassy Theatre | |||
| Young Madam Conti | – | Savoy Theatre | |||
| And the Music Stopped | – | — | Streatham Hill Theatre | ||
| Night Sky | – | Savoy Theatre | |||
| Tavern in the Town | – | — | Embassy Theatre | ||
| Young Madam Conti | – | — | Music Box Theatre, New York | ||
| And the Music Stopped | – | New Theatre | |||
| – | Clarence, the Dodger | Prince's Theatre | |||
| If I Were You | – 1 February 1938 | Arthur Blunt | Mansfield Theatre, New York | ||
| People of Our Class | – | Henry Hayes | Manchester Opera House | ||
| People of Our Class | – | Henry Hayes | New Theatre | ||
| Blind Man's Buff | – | Arts Theatre | |||
| Number Six | – | Aldwych Theatre | |||
| Without Motive? | – | Richmond Theatre | |||
| – | — | Haymarket Theatre | |||
| – | Oxford Playhouse | ||||
| Penny Wise | – | Gordon | Richmond Theatre | ||
| Stage Door | – | Saville Theatre | |||
| Fools Rush In | – | Paul | UK tour | ||
| Fools Rush In | – | Paul | Fortune Theatre | ||
| Peace in Our Time | – | Lyric Theatre | |||
| Seagulls Over Sorrento | – | Apollo Theatre | |||
| – | Hippodrome Theatre | ||||
| Act of Violence | – | — | St Martin's Theatre, and subsequent UK tour | ||
| Norman | – | Charlie | Royal Court Theatre, Liverpool | ||
| Norman | – | Charlie | Duchess Theatre | ||
| – 27 October 1973 | Royal Court Theatre | ||||
| – 8 December 1973 | Mayfair Theatre | ||||
| Jingo | – | Bernard | Aldwych Theatre |
| Film | Year | Role | Notes | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Dennison | ||||
| Rhodes of Africa | Cartwright | |||
| Love from a Stranger | Cast Member | Uncredited | ||
| William of Orange | ||||
| Murder in Soho | ||||
| Let George Do It! | Oscar | US title To Hell with Hitler | ||
| Spare a Copper | Jake | |||
| Once a Crook | ||||
| Interviewing Officer | Uncredited | |||
| This Man Is Mine | ||||
| US title Kathy's Love Affair | ||||
| Dusty Bates | US title The Adventures of Dusty Bates | |||
| Quartet | (segment "The Kite") | |||
| Elizabeth of Ladymead | ||||
| Morning Departure | US title Operation Disaster | |||
| Last Holiday | ||||
| Odette | Jack | |||
| Cage of Gold | ||||
| Jack O'Connell | US title Fortune in Diamonds | |||
| White Corridors | Burgess | |||
| Calling Bulldog Drummond | ||||
| Appointment with Venus | Brigadier | US title Island Rescue | ||
| Mr. Denning Drives North | ||||
| Gift Horse | US title Glory at Sea | |||
| Single-Handed | US title C.S. Forester's Sailor of the King | |||
| Beat the Devil | ||||
| Racketeer | Uncredited | |||
| Father Brown | US title The Detective | |||
| Seagulls Over Sorrento | US title Crest of the Wave | |||
| Out of the Clouds | Customs Officer | |||
| US title PT Raiders | ||||
| US title Pursuit of the Graf Spee | ||||
| Fire Down Below | ||||
| Across the Bridge | ||||
| High Flight | ||||
| Dunkirk | ||||
| Nowhere to Go | ||||
| Kidnapped | ||||
| Danger Within | US title Breakout | |||
| Beyond This Place | US title Web of Evidence | |||
| Clue of the Twisted Candle | ||||
| Sink the Bismarck! | Firing Officer | Uncredited | ||
| Cone of Silence | US title Trouble in the Sky | |||
| Partners in Crime | ||||
| Clue of the Silver Key | ||||
| Fury at Smugglers' Bay | Black John | |||
| The Secret Partner | ||||
| Whistle Down the Wind | ||||
| Dr. No | M | |||
| Charlie | ||||
| From Russia with Love | M | |||
| Ring of Spies | US Title Ring of Treason | |||
| Saturday Night Out | ||||
| Goldfinger | M | |||
| Dr. Terror's House of Horrors | Hopkins | (segment "Creeping Vine") | ||
| Two Left Feet | ||||
| Patmore | ||||
| Jeremiah | ||||
| Landlord | Uncredited | |||
| Thunderball | M | |||
| O.K. Connery | (Bond Parody) US title Operation Kid Brother | |||
| You Only Live Twice | M | |||
| Journey to Midnight | (episode 'Poor Butterfly') | |||
| Crossplot | Chilmore | |||
| On Her Majesty's Secret Service | M | |||
| Uncle Bob | US title Long Ago, Tomorrow | |||
| Dulcima | ||||
| Diamonds Are Forever | M | |||
| Danger Point | Captain | |||
| Live and Let Die | M | |||
| Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell | Tarmut | |||
| Percy's Progress | Barraclough | US title It's Not the Size That Counts | ||
| M | ||||
| Bons Baisers de Hong Kong | (Bond Parody) Also known as From Hong Kong with Love | |||
| M | ||||
| Moonraker | M |
| Programme | Date | Role | Channel | Notes | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Television Playhouse, "The Golden Fleece" | ITV | Television production of a J. B. Priestley play | ||||
| Theatre Royal, "The Stolen Pearl" | ITV | |||||
| Douglas Fairbanks, Jr., Presents, "A Borderline Case" | ITV | |||||
| Playdate, "All Correct, Sir" | Cast Member | ITV | ||||
| Television Playhouse: Cornelius | Cornelius | ITV | Television production of a J. B. Priestley play | |||
| Armchair Theatre, "Ernie Barger is 50" | Ernie Barger | ITV | ||||
| Play of the Week, "Family on Trial" | ITV | |||||
| Sunday Night Theatre, "Crime Passionnel" | Hoederer | BBC Television | Television production of a Jean-Paul Sartre play | |||
| Armchair Theatre, "Cold Fury" | Aaronson | ITV | ||||
| Armchair Theatre, "Nest of Four" | Tom | ITV | ||||
| BBC Television | ||||||
| BBC Television | ||||||
| Who Was Maddox? | ITV | Television production of an Edgar Wallace thriller | ||||
| Espionage, "Snow on Mount Kama" | ITV | |||||
| Thursday Theatre, "Flowering Cherry" | BBC Two | |||||
| Danger Man, "Whatever Happened To George Foster?" | ITV | |||||
| ITV | ||||||
| Thirty-Minute Theatre, "The Passenger" | BBC Two | |||||
| Danger Man, "The Man with the Foot" | Derringham | ITV | ||||
| Armchair Theatre, "The Night Before the Morning After" | ITV | |||||
| King of the River | BBC One | |||||
| ITV | Part 1 of a 2-part story: part 2 is called "The Killing" | |||||
| Talking to a Stranger | — | BBC Two | Four-part series | |||
| ITV | Part 2 of a 2-part story: part 1 is called "Masquerade" | |||||
| Half-Hour Story, "Friends" | Frank | ITV | ||||
| Man in a Suitcase, "Girl Who Never Was" | Kershaw | ITV | ||||
| – | ||||||
| Sir James | BBC Two | Television production of the Noël Coward play Post-Mortem | ||||
| Baxter | ITV | |||||
| BBC One | ||||||
| Journey to the Unknown: Poor Butterfly | Loker | ABC | Also broadcast on ITV 19 May 1969 | |||
| BBC Two | ||||||
| ITV | ||||||
| Air Vice-Marshal | ITV | |||||
| Cast Member | – | First broadcast in the USA | ||||
| Once Upon a Time: Silver | ITV | Based on the Robert Louis Stevenson story Treasure Island | ||||
| Crime of Passion: Emile | ITV | |||||
| Vienna 1900 Games With Love And Death: Story 1 Mother And Son | BBC Two | |||||
| Play of the Month, "The Skin Game" | Hornblower | BBC One | Television production of a John Galsworthy play | |||
| Father Brown The Quick One | ITV | Based on G. K. Chesterton's Father Brown stories | ||||
| Play of the Month, "The School for Scandal" | Cast Member | BBC One | Based on The School for Scandal, by Richard Brinsley Sheridan | |||
| Affairs of the Heart: Kate | ITV | |||||
| Against The Crowd: Murrain | Beeley | ITV | ||||
| What A Turn Up | Cast Member | ITV | ||||
| Warship, "Knight Errant" | Yachtsman | BBC One | ||||
| Killers: The Chalkpit Murder | ITV | |||||
| Hallmark Hall of Fame, "Beauty and the Beast" | Beaumont | NBC | US television production | |||
| Cast Member | ITV | Nine-part television series | ||||
| Ghost of Christmas Present | BBC Two | |||||
| Saint Joan | BBC One | Television production of a George Bernard Shaw play | ||||
| Star Games | On-screen Participant | ITV | ||||
| Dangerous Davies – The Last Detective | Sergeant Ben | ITV | Part of the Dangerous Davies series |