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John Bernard Lee, known as Bernard Lee, was an English actor, best known for his role as M in the first eleven Eon-produced James Bond films. Lee's film career spanned the years 1934 to 1979, though he had appeared on stage from the age of six. He was trained at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art in London. Lee appeared in over one hundred films, as well as on stage and in television dramatisations. He was known for his roles as authority figures, often playing military characters or policemen in films such as The Third Man, The Blue Lamp, The Battle of the River Plate, and Whistle Down the Wind. He died of stomach cancer in 1981, aged 73.
Birth Name
John Bernard Lee
Born
Friday, 10 January 1908
Died
Friday, 16 January 1981
Actor Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
Everything or Nothing | M | 2012 |
Best Ever Bond | M | 2002 |
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories | Self / Self (archive footage) | 2000 |
The James Bond Story | M | 1999 |
Peter Cushing: A One-Way Ticket to Hollywood | Black John | 1989 |
James Bond: The First 21 Years | M | 1983 |
Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective | Sergeant Ben / Sgt. Ben | 1981 |
Moonraker | M | 1979 |
A Christmas Carol | Ghost of Christmas Present | 1977 |
The Spy Who Loved Me | M | 1977 |
Actor Filmography
Title | Character | Year |
---|
Everything or Nothing | M | 2012 |
Best Ever Bond | M | 2002 |
Sir John Mills' Moving Memories | Self / Self (archive footage) | 2000 |
The James Bond Story | M | 1999 |
Peter Cushing: A One-Way Ticket to Hollywood | Black John | 1989 |
James Bond: The First 21 Years | M | 1983 |
Dangerous Davies: The Last Detective | Sergeant Ben / Sgt. Ben | 1981 |
Moonraker | M | 1979 |
A Christmas Carol | Ghost of Christmas Present | 1977 |
The Spy Who Loved Me | M | 1977 |
Beauty and the Beast | Edward Beaumont | 1976 |
From Hong Kong with Love | M | 1975 |
Against the Crowd | Beeley | 1975 |
The Man with the Golden Gun | 'M' / M | 1974 |
Affairs of the Heart | Mr. Drury | 1974 |
Father Brown | John Raggley | 1974 |
It's Not the Size That Counts | Barraclough | 1974 |
Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell | Tarmut | 1974 |
Vienna 1900 | Herr Welponer | 1973 |
Live and Let Die | 'M' / M | 1973 |
Warship | Yachtsman | 1973 |
The Man in a Looking Glass | Morgan Travis | 1972 |
Diamonds Are Forever | 'M' / M | 1971 |
Dulcima | Mr. Gaskain / Mr Gaskain | 1971 |
The Persuaders! | Sam Milford | 1971 |
Follyfoot | Woodman | 1971 |
Long Ago, Tomorrow | Uncle Bob | 1971 |
Crime of Passion | Marcel Amiot | 1970 |
On Her Majesty's Secret Service | 'M' / M | 1969 |
Crossplot | Chilmore | 1969 |
Strange Report | Arthur Pater | 1969 |
Journey to the Unknown | Ben Loker | 1968 |
The Expert | Harry Kirby | 1968 |
The Champions | Squires | 1968 |
City '68 | Baxter | 1967 |
Man in a Suitcase | George Kershaw | 1967 |
You Only Live Twice | 'M' / M | 1967 |
Operation Kid Brother | Commander Cunningham | 1967 |
King of the River | Joss King | 1966 |
The Baron | Morgan Travis | 1966 |
Thunderball | 'M' / M | 1965 |
The Incredible World of James Bond | M (Vice Admiral Sir Miles Messervy KCMG) | 1965 |
BBC Play of the Month | Hornblower / Sir Peter Teazle | 1965 |
Thirty-Minute Theatre | The Man | 1965 |
Mogul | Bernard Hart | 1965 |
The Spy Who Came in from the Cold | Patmore / Mr. Patmore - Grocer | 1965 |
The Amorous Adventures of Moll Flanders | Landlord | 1965 |
Two Left Feet | Mr. Crabbe / Mr Crabbe | 1965 |
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors | Hopkins (segment "Creeping Vine") | 1965 |
Public Eye | Detective Sergeant Davidson | 1965 |
Secret Agent | Lord Ammanford / Derringham | 1964 |
The Wednesday Play | Frank Lanton | 1964 |
Goldfinger | 'M' / M | 1964 |
Who Was Maddox? | Superintendent Meredith | 1964 |
Saturday Night Out | George Hudson | 1964 |
Ring of Treason | Henry Houghton | 1964 |
From Russia with Love | 'M' / M | 1963 |
Espionage | John Neary | 1963 |
A Place to Go | Matt Flint | 1963 |
Love Story | Henry Golden | 1963 |
The Human Jungle | Jim Garner | 1963 |
The L-Shaped Room | Charlie | 1962 |
Dr. No | M. / M | 1962 |
The Brain | Dr. Frank Shears | 1962 |
The Share Out | Det. Supt. Meredith | 1962 |
Ghost Squad | Villager: unknown name | 1961 |
Clue of the Silver Key | Superintendent Meredith | 1961 |
Whistle Down the Wind | Mr. Bostock | 1961 |
The Secret Partner | Det. Supt. Frank Hanbury / D.S. Frank Hanbury | 1961 |
Partners in Crime | Inspector Mann | 1961 |
Fury at Smugglers' Bay | Black John | 1961 |
Clue of the Twisted Candle | Superintendent Meredith | 1960 |
Trouble in the Sky | Capt. Gort / Capt. George Gort | 1960 |
The Angry Silence | Bert Connolly | 1960 |
Sink the Bismarck! | Firing Officer | 1960 |
Kidnapped | Captain Hoseason | 1959 |
Web of Evidence | Patrick Mathry | 1959 |
The Edgar Wallace Mystery Theatre | Superintendent Meredith / Inspector Mann / Det. Supt. Meredith | 1959 |
Breakout | Lt. Col. Huxley / Lieutenant Colonel Huxley | 1959 |
The Third Man | Angus Meyrick | 1959 |
Nowhere to Go | Victor Sloane, alias Lee Henderson | 1958 |
The Man Upstairs | The Inspector / Inspector Thompson | 1958 |
The Key | Cmdr. Wadlow | 1958 |
Dunkirk | Charles Foreman | 1958 |
High Flight | Flight Sergeant Harris | 1957 |
Across the Bridge | Chief Inspector Hadden | 1957 |
Fire Down Below | Doctor Sam | 1957 |
The Spanish Gardener | Leighton Bailey | 1956 |
The Battle of the River Plate | Captain Dove - M.S. Africa Shell | 1956 |
Armchair Theatre | Tom / Ernie Barger / Daniel Whittaker / Aaronson | 1956 |
ITV Play of the Week | Det. Insp. Lunt | 1955 |
Lilli Palmer Theatre | Candleblow Smith | 1955 |
ITV Television Playhouse | William Lotless / Prison Governor / Cornelius | 1955 |
PT Raiders | Sam Brewster,The Customs Officer / Customs Officer Brewster | 1955 |
Out of the Clouds | Customs Officer | 1955 |
The Magical World of Disney | Captain Hoseason / Jeremiah | 1954 |
The Purple Plain | Dr. Harris | 1954 |
Crest of the Wave | Able Seaman 'Lofty' Turner / Lofty Turner | 1954 |
The Detective | Inspector Valentine | 1954 |
The Rainbow Jacket | Racketeer | 1954 |
Beat the Devil | Insp. Jack Clayton | 1953 |
Sailor of the King | Petty Officer 'Stokes' Wheatley | 1953 |
The Yellow Balloon | Constable Chapman | 1953 |
Rheingold Theatre | Rudi Lankert | 1953 |
Glory at Sea | A.S. 'Stripey' Wood / Able Seaman 'Stripey' Wood | 1952 |
Mr. Denning Drives North | Inspector Dodds | 1951 |
Island Rescue | Brigadier | 1951 |
Calling Bulldog Drummond | Col. Webson / Colonel Webson | 1951 |
Fortune in Diamonds | O'Connell | 1951 |
White Corridors | Burgess | 1951 |
Odette | Jack | 1950 |
Cage of Gold | Inspector Grey | 1950 |
Last Holiday | Inspector Wilton | 1950 |
Operation Disaster | Commander Gates / Cmdr. Gates | 1950 |
The Blue Lamp | Divisional Detective Inspector Cherry / Inspector Cherry | 1950 |
The Third Man | Sgt. Paine / Sergeant Paine | 1949 |
Elizabeth of Ladymead | John Beresford in 1903 | 1948 |
Quartet | Prison Visitor (segment "The Kite") / Ned Preston, a Prison Visitor | 1948 |
The Fallen Idol | Detective Hart | 1948 |
Katy's Love Affair | Colonel Gascoyne | 1947 |
The Adventures of Dusty Bates | Captain Ford | 1947 |
Once a Crook | Duke | 1941 |
Spare a Copper | Jake | 1940 |
To Hell with Hitler | Oscar | 1940 |
The Frozen Limits | Bill McGrew | 1939 |
Murder in the Night | Roy Barnes | 1939 |
The Outsider | Reporter | 1939 |
The Terror | Ferdy Fane / Ferry Fane | 1938 |
The Black Tulip | William Of Orange | 1937 |
Rhodes | Cartwright | 1936 |
The River House Mystery | Wade Belloc | 1936 |
The Double Event | Dennison | 1934 |