A very rare contact sheet still showing the originally cast Three Blind Beggars at the gates of the Strangways house on Kinsale Avenue, Kingston. You can see Easton Lee as the second beggar. - 22nd of January, 1962.
Reverend Father Easton H. Lee was born on the 21st of February, 1931, in Wait-a-Bit, Trelawny, Jamaica.
He was a highly respected Jamaican author, actor, radio producer, photographer and religious minister.
Born from a Chinese father and a Jamaican mother, Lee spent much of his youth working with his parents in their shop: ‘LYN’S GROCERY‘, which sold all types of produce and necessities to the local community. The shop relocated several times but he spent much of his time around the area of Siloah, St. Elizabeth. He attended the local primary school, as well as Duncans Primary and eventually Windsor High School. As he grew up, he developed a fascination for the cultural heritage found on his native island and decidedly explored much about his own roots, which ultimately led to him exploring a range of creative endeavours.
Following high school, Lee’s passion for acting and theatre was at the forefront of his pursuits. He immediately joined the Caribbean Thespians Dramatic Society, which was at the time the leading theatre group in Jamaica. During a time that theatre on the island was very much in it’s infancy, Lee quickly became one of the most promising talents on stage. He eventually attended drama school at the Pasadena Playhouse in California, as well as working for the BBC in London for his broadcasting training. Unknown to many people, he worked on the iconic James Bond adventure “Dr. No”, the first official 007 production by Eon Productions in 1962. Working on such a major film clearly inspired Lee onto even greater things as several years later in 1965, he produced and directed Jamaica’s first ever televised theatre play named ‘Paid in Full’. He went on to become one of the most revered figures in theatre; writing, directing and performing in a number of other plays including ’12 Million Dollar Man’, ‘The Rope and the Cross’ (1979), ‘Anancy & Magic Mirror’ and ‘Anancy & Pandora’. He was also elected the Drama Officer with the Social Welfare Commission.
Easton was a prominent figure in the field of broadcasting, which remained one of his longest professional careers. He worked for a number years with the Jamaica Broadcasting Commission as a radio announcer, as well as a journalist and television announcer for several channels. To add to those accolades, Lee also became the director of audio-visual programming at the Jamaica Information Service and was also a special assistant to the Prime Minister of Jamaica.
As an author, Easton wrote a number of beautiful poetry books which reflected his early life and the Chinese culture found in Jamaica. His first book named “From Behind the Counter: Poems from a Rural Jamaican Experience” was published in 1998. This was followed by “Heritage Call: Ballad for Children of the Dragon” (2001), “Encounters: Voices and Echoes” (2003) and “Run Big ‘Fraid” (2008).
After a lifetime of culturally enriching experiences, it was only natural for Easton Lee to inspire others. In the year 2000 he was ordained a deacon in the Anglican Church and became a priest the following year, serving at St. Margaret’s Church in Liganuea. He also became the director of the Hillcrest Diocesan Retreat Centre in Brown’s Town, St. Ann. He combined his love of theatre with his faith and frequently put on plays as a way to spread his teachings. He nurtured a significant following and helped thousands of people, both in Jamaica and in Florida, where he retired in his later years.
Easton Lee passed away on the 18th of January, 2021, aged 89.
In "Dr. No", the Three Blind Beggar assassins are one of the principal villains in the story.
Local Jamaican theatre actor, Easton Lee, portrayed the 2nd Blind Beggar for just one day on the production.
On the 22nd of January, 1962, his name can be seen on the copy of the call sheet No. 6 for the production. Shown below courtesy of USC Cinematic Arts Library.
On this particular day, several shots were filmed on the street outside the Strangways residence, located at number 5 Kinsale Avenue. It is believed that the shot showing one of the beggars opening the gate with the mailbox attached, was filmed on this particular day.
Unfortunately Easton's appearance in the film was not shown in the final version of "Dr. No", but he does appear in several contact sheet stills, and these will be displayed in the "Dr. No" gallery, courtesy of the Dan Willis collection.
The rare autograph displayed below is on the inside cover of Easton Lee's book: "From Behind The Counter".
It is signed 'Sincerely, Easton H. Lee, 1999'.
Any signed material from Easton Lee is hard to find and is considered very valuable due to his status.
The only examples that have been seen so far, have been in his books.
The Bond Archives is the first and only source to showcase Easton Lee's very little known work on the first James Bond film "Dr. No".
It is not known why Easton Lee was not used throughout the production as the 2nd Blind Beggar.
Charles Edghill replaced Easton Lee several weeks later, when the scenes were filmed in the streets of Kingston and for the interior shots of the Strangways house.
Easton Lee was the recipient of numerous awards, including: 'Order of Distinction from the Government of Jamaica' (1991), 'Silver Musgrave Medal for contribution in the field of culture' (1988), 'Jamaica Press Association Award for Radio Production' (1983) and 'Jamaica Press Association Award for TV Production' (1970).
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