LONDON -- Bernard Lee, who appeared in more than 100 films including 'The Third Man' and was the spy chief 'M' in James Bond pictures, died Friday night. He was 73.
Lee died of cancer of the prostate in London's Royal Free Hospital, a hospital administrator said.
Lee began his theatrical career at the age of 6 with his father in a London music hall and attended the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. He made frequent appearances on television and appeared in more than 100 films.
One of his most memorable roles was that of the secret intelligence chief 'M' in James Bond spy thrillers, starting with the first Bond picture, 'Dr. No,' starring Sean Connery in 1962.
But his screen career also encompassed such memorable post-World War II pictures as 'Quartet' and the Carol Reed-Graham Greene classics 'The Fallen Idol' and 'The Third Man.'
Lee was admitted to the hospital last November.
