Showing posts with label auction. Show all posts
Showing posts with label auction. Show all posts

Sunday 6 October 2019

ONE MAN AND HIS PASSION FOR TOYS WITH THEATRES FULL HOUSE AND SOLD OUT!


PETER CUSHING was certainly a man of hobbies. MANY hobbies. Collections, books, stamps, coins, figures, soldiers, trains, cigarette cards, models .. and toys! After Peter's passing, it took two major auctions and several smaller charity sales, to clear a vast collection of passions. Toys were something he had a great love for and the older and simpler it was, the more he liked it 😀 Eighty years after it was purchased and given to him . . he still owned his first and most favourite toy... Piglet!






This weeks quote is taken from Peter Cushing: Past Forgetting' Weidenfeld and Nicolson 1988.

Wednesday 11 September 2019

HEY! YOU WANNA BUY A MAHAR???!


HEY! WANNA BUY A MAHAR?? Hmm the PERFECT PET! No? 😊Those of you who remember Peter Cushing's film 'At the earth's Core' with Caroline Munro and Doug McClure back in 1975, will remember these terrifying telepathic flying reptiles who lived deep in a Welsh mountain . . I know them well 😉


THIS PUPPET IS ACTUALLY made made from latex over a heavy steel armature, with metal wires protruding from the back and hooks on the wings for use during flying shots. It is hand-painted for additional detailing, including faux blood over the claws and beak, as well as the outline of a ribcage on the chest. There appears to be some considerable wear from production use and age. The rubber latex has cracked and broken away in some areas, revealing the metal skeleton. The left foot is no longer present. Dimensions: 110 cm x 56 cm x 96 cm (43 1/4" x 22" x 37 3/4") and has a £1,000 - £1,500 tag! This and many OTHER props and goodies are all part of the amazing Treasures from film and Television LIVE auction from Sept 30th until 1st Oct 2019! With all It's all bids online.... wouldn't this look great in a kennel in your back garden?? 😉 Good luck 🙂 - Marcus


HERE IS A LINK to the PCASUK REVIEW and GALLERY on Amicus Films 'AT THE EARTH'S CORE'! JUST CLICK HERE! 


 

Wednesday 12 December 2018

A WAR GAME RARE GIFT FOR A HAMMER FILM SCRIPT WRITER PLUS THE AMICUS COLLECTION


ITEMS LIKE THIS, dont come along that often, these days. When they do, it's one or two items in an auction, like Peter Cushing smoking jacket, that he wore in Amicus Films, 'The House That Dripped Blood' or a one off item of clothing from his persoanl wardrobe, purchased originally, in the THREE Cushing auctions that happened a year or so after his passing. You would think, that an item like the one we feature today maybe, was part of the whole mountain of lots, in one of those said auctions, arranged by Peter Cushing personal assistant and close friends, Joyce or Bernard Broughton. But nope. According to the description that accompanies this item on EBAY, it is  . .. 'A collection of military flags for war gaming / display / diorama use, hand painted / finished by the actor and Hammer Horror star Peter Cushing as a gift for his friend Don Houghton, the British television screenwriter...'


CURRENTLY WHILE WRITING THIS, 'Rare One-Off Collection covering mainly Waterloo era' has 22 bidders arm wrestling and uping the lolly, to a handsome £435.00 UK pounds already! AND there is another whole day to go, before the bidding wraps! Peter would have been gobsmacked! It's no secret now, but probably after an initial scrum of Women's Magazines reporters and Tidbits (!) tabloid newspapers photographers turned up at Peter and Helen Cushing's home in the 1950's and 60's to take snaps and interview the couple about Peter's 'Hobbies', everyone forgot, about the painter artist and crafts man, who studio attic BULGED with hundreds of items of his work. His love of painting and creating everything from working model theatres, aircraft, thousands of model soldiers and figures, all sadly came to an end, when his wife Helen died in 1971. Peter made personal hand painted and crafted birthday cards for his wife, and their many friends. It appears that his made gifts for them too!




AS HE WAS on the studio floor, in his many performances, so he was in his off screen life and his creative hobies. Nothing was not studied, all prepared and created with style and acurate! Not being a player of WAR GAMES, I have no idea how this game that Peter created works! But he had many friends who DID. One being scriptwriter and good friend Don Houghton. Houghton had worked on several of the Hammer films, that Peter starred in too. Houghton had a career that first took him into the worlds of BBC's DOCTOR WHO in 1970, he wrote the screenplay for TV's 'The Flaxton Boys' in the late 60's, and cut his teeth on 38 episodes of 'Emergency Ward 10' soap for ITV. Houghton was also producer on a few of his Hammer film scripts. He penned for Peter Cushing's last three Dracula Hammer movies, 'Dracula AD 1972', Christopher Lee's final fanged fling in 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' and Cushing's two bow outs from the Hammer world on the big screen, with 'The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires' and 'Shatter' both made in Hong Kong. 


ONE CAN ONLY TAKE a guess, at why Peter made this particular themed gift for Houghton, but it seems likey that his friend was a fan of playing the 'LITTLE WAR GAMES' too! The seller's description gives us somew clues: 'This collection has obviously been a labour of love for Peter for his good friend Don Houghton, the delicate handpainted flags/standards are so colourful and detailed. The boxes that house all the military flags also look to be handmade and each item is compartmented and carefully wrapped in tissue paper. Peter's love of art, military games and attention to detail are all apparent here. This is really a one-off museum piece. ......The only slight downside is that somewhere along the line a few of the flags/standards are not in the box anymore possibly from being played with by Mr Houghton or his family! 64 out of the original 75 made by Peter are still present and wrapped in their original tissue paper. 


ONE OF THE MANY ATTRACTIVE THINGS  about this very attractive item is that EVERYTHING that needed text, lettering, headings... with exception of a few words on the cover of the game instruction booklet, which look to be maybe transfer Letrasets... are ALL in Peter's beautiful handwriting. This is an amazing piece! Whoever wins the auction, will own a fantastic example of Peter's very skillful and artistic ability.. and of a man who genuinely cared and loved his close friends. Good luck to all the bidders! 

Many thanks to  Chris Hill and J Edward Scott who brought this to my attention! Thank you guys!


AND NOW, ONTO THE COLLECTING of the thing, that seems to be within the reach of most of our budgets! A blu ray box set of PETER CUSHING films. SEVERIN released what was hoped to be, a very popular set of THREE films and a quite extensive documentary in an interesting CUSHING and AMICUS box set last year. THE AMICUS COLLECTION, including The Vault of Amicus documentray. This documentary must be the third or fifth release, be it on blu ray, dvd's or a book, that has juggled and tried to get another DEFINITIVE Amicus title, using the word VAULT, in connection with the 1973 Amicus film, Vault Of Horror . ..  which by the way, isn't included in the THREE films that make this set.


ABOVE: COLLECTOR CAMERON JONES PERSONAL BOX SET OF THE AMICUS COLLECTION

ANY BROWSE THROUGH the net for reviews of this box set, will sadly bring up a real mixed bag. Seems many reviewers had set their hopes for something EXTRA special. When they felt they didn't get that, they gave the release an EXTRA special booting and mauling! IF you are a fan of Amicus, and want the most recent release, on a blu ray, with LOTS of ok to very good extras, THIS is YOUR BAG! IF you are a collector of Cushing, Amicus feature films, and you like to some improvement, if not THE definitive cleaned, remastered version, you maybe a little disappointed. These titles would probably not be seen by most Cushing fans, as THE cream of the Amicus / Cushing bunch, and some might even say, that if asked, they would have opted for 'Tales from the Crypt', 'Dr Terror's House of Horrors' and the still missing from the action, of being in ANY Amicus Blu Ray collection, 'From Beyond The Grave', to be the selection! 


ABOVE: CAMERON'S COPIES  of the BLU RAY TITLES in SEVERIN'S Amicus Collection Box Set! 

WELL IN A PERFECT WORLD and not the one where 'fan boy hopeful types' post endless lists to nag distributors on their facebook page, about THEIR shopping list and demands and titles, the REAL world of small time distribution is not for the faint-hearted.  The putting together of even the smallest of deals for a 500 units package, without remastering, cleaning and the expensive packaging, can be frought with frustration, crushing compremise and LOTS of spending! 




WHAT WE MAY HAVE HERE, in the SEVERIN package, is not really something for die hard fans, but maybe a great selection of bits and pieces, that many would never have seen or heard before, in the extras and a bit of a hit and miss on the discs holding the three feature films. One can't help wondering, if that at the beginning, the distributors had the idea of making an outstanding documentary about Amicus, where they dredge EVERYWHERE for long forgotten BBC clips from their film programes, find all those filmed interviews and trailers, in excellent quality, get masses of lesser seen rare photographs from BIG fans... and THEN... the feature films, will of course take care of themeselves! Except sadly, THAT didn't happen.


AS MENTIONED, the reviews are plenty and most, not too kind. I am not going to plough my ten-peneth worth into that, for me the documentary element and extras are the BEST of this package. As for the feature films? I am not a quality of picture expert nor do have the ears that would tell a superior sound track from one recorded down a drian-pipe on the hard shoulder of the M4, just outside Hammersmith! BUT some cleaning and basic dusting with a dust pan and brush, wouldn't have gone a miss. We didn't do a PCAS Competition with this box set, when it was released, as I honestly wasn't prepared to fight off comments from the winners who were offering a 'FREE FACE MASSAGE with a size FIVE FIST'. BUT there are those who DO like the package, and are very happy, with it! 


ONE HAPPY CHAP, is CAMERON JONES, who you will probably remember is a collector who shared images of his films and LOVELY Cushing items displayed in a spot light, GLASS CASE! Cameron, wrote this week to tell me he had purchased the SEVERIN Amicus release and was VERY happy with it! He enjoyed all THREE films, and mentions nothing of lack of  audio or visual quality. Asylum has been targeted as the print that most are not happy about, BUT Cameron was watching his Severin disc of the film, in what his FIRST viewing of the film, ever! No problems. If he had to pick favorite, 'And Now, The Screaming Starts' gets his vote! So, it seems even though, for some, Severin's Amicus box set, doesn't meet their expectations, there are those who are quite happy with their purchase. A statement that could be said of many Cushing blu ray and DVD releases today. 



PURCHASING THE AMICUS COLLECTION isn't cheap, but much of the quality of the films sadly, doesn't reflect the shelling out of the customer investment. The EXTRAS, would have made an excellent and cost effective release, without the feature films bolted on, films which MANY already have on good quality DVD's. If you are wondering if there is a market for an Amicus Documentary, one only need take a look at Donald Fearney's Amicus EPIC! Over TWO hours of the complete history... and with visual clips of producer Milton Subotsky to boot! However,  it's YOUR personal choice AND tastes which makes any collection, box set or film entertaining, fun and worth the purchase. And we are ALWAYS keen to hear about ANY you have discovered or own! Keep them coming in!


PART FIVE OF OUR The AMICUS FILMS OF PETER CUSHING series, which features Cameron Jones favorite of the BUNCH, AND NOW, THE SCREAMING STARTS'  CLICK HERE FOR A DIRECT LINK TO THE FEATURE!


Friday 27 July 2018

RARE COLOUR PHOTOGRAPH FROM THE ZOO GANG PLUS THE SMOKING JACKET CONNECTION!


PETER CUSHING AND JAQUELINE PEARCE in THE ZOO GANG! Peter Cushing appeared in an episode of the UK ITC series called 'THE ZOO GANG' back in 1974. In 'THE COUNTERFEIT TRAP', CUSHING plays Judge Gautie and appears with the very neat cast of actors who play the 'GANG', which included John Mills, Brian Keith, Lili Palmer and Barry Morse... the majority CUSHING had much experience of working with in previous productions, like Amicus films to Sherlock Holmes and theatre too! The Zoo Gang was released in a blu ray box set earlier this year. I would love to hear from anyone who also purchased it and hear what they think of the great extras and episodes. . .



THE SMOKING JACKET that Peter Cushing wore in this episode of THE ZOO GANG, was also worn by Peter in Amicus films, 'THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD' (1970). The jacket also went up for sale at auction back in April 2016. The auction house, Bonham's had a problem, in that they knew Peter had worn it, but were not sure in which tv show or movie. When they purchased the jacket, they were told that Peter wore it in a Sherlock Holmes episode for the BBC back in 1969! They dropped us a line and asked if we knew. I immediately recognised it from The House That Dripped Blood... and The Zoo Gang! They generously gave us a credit in the auction catalogue, and the jacket went for a great price! You can read the whole story HERE!  




YOU CAN READ all our posts and extra photographs, along with comments and debate, at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE COME AND JOIN US! Just CLICK HERE and CLICK LIKE THERE! 

Thursday 17 May 2018

VALUE OF AD DRACULA CINEMA POSTER EXPECTED TO BRING IN FRIGHTENING BIDS!


NEWS: Are you a COLLECTOR? Have any original stills from Hammer or Cushing films? Maybe a cinema poster or two? IF you have a mint copy of Hammer films DRACULA AD 1972 UK quad poster . . you might be sitting on a little mint! According to the press release on the London Odeon BFI IMAX FILM and MEMORABILIA AUCTION taking place on JUNE 28th this year, one of their lots is this very poster and they are expecting the hammer (!!) to go down on at least, EIGHT THOUSAND POUNDS for the lucky bidder who wins it. PCAS also actually owns an original item of this poster too. It was purchased from cinema poster and stills trader Greg Edwards back in 1980. I actually bought the poster for the collection as part of a double purchase deal... a quad of THE BRIDES of DRACULA cost £40...but the DRACULA AD one cost.... £18!!!!


FOR MANY YEARS the AD 1972 memorabilia had very little value, along with the Satanic Rites of Dracula, but times have changed. A quad featuring bot AD and the 1970 film TROG has been sold many times for anywhere from £100 to £300 UK pounds..but it's RARE you get to see the poster from then film's original release. SO...do YOU own any Cushing / Lee / Hammer posters and have you ever purchased an expensive Cushing memorabilia item??

READ the SOURCE NEW item on this : HERE!
 


IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach all lovers of Peter Cushing's work AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

Wednesday 31 January 2018

ANOTHER HORROR OF DRACULA CINEMA POSTER READY TO GO UNDER THE HAMMER


#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! For most Hammer fans it's known as THE cinema poster. It's a 30 x 40 inch sheet of vintage paper, that encapsulates every thing that was magical about British Horror films and the studio that not only rebooted the horror film genre in the late 50's, but made Christopher Lee a star and a household name. The studio was Hammer films, the named star was Peter Cushing, the film was Dracula aka Horror of Dracula (1958) The credits rolled, the title appeared, the blood splashed on the stone tomb... and things were never the same again...If you want to own this piece of that story and cinema history, it will set you back somewhere between Five and Seven thousand pounds sterling, at an auction taking place at WHYTE'S Auction House on February 3rd 2018. The last time another Dracula / Horror of Dracula poster was valued, it hit the over the 5000 pound sterling mark. (See Clip Below!) So, got your credit card ready??? Very cool . . .



REMEMBERING : Sir James Carreras, born today in 1909. Son of Enrique Carreras, the co-founder of Hammer Films and the Blue Hall theatre chain... and father of Hammer film producer and director, Michael Carreras. It was JC who hit on the formula of '..design a poster for a potential film, for the backers to actually see!' A simple but very effect method.  It is said that he, '..judged the success of his films not by critical plaudits, but strictly on the basis of box office returns.' Maybe so, but for a long time his approached worked, making very large profits for the backers, giving Hammer films the Queens Award to Industry Award back in 1968 and a loyal fan base that remains to this day. He is remembered each year by Variety: The Children's Charity, with The Sir James Carreras Award. '...This Award honors the name of Sir James Carreras MBE, who served Variety International with great distinction as one of its past International Presidents. It is presented annually to a physician who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and skill in the field of pediatrics'.


STARTING TOMORROW here at the WEBSITE and at the PCASUK FACEBOOK FAN PAGE #CUSHINGCOLLECTORSWEDNESDAY! Every week, a chance to download a piece of British Horror Cinema History. Some weeks rare CONTACT SHEETS, other weeks rare hi res colour transpaencies. Some weeks several items, others rare one off items. But ALL FREE!


AND FINALLY . . . Above this week's TUESDAY TOUGHY . .  ANSWERS FRIDAY!


REMEMBER! IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA  

Wednesday 13 September 2017

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: CHRISTOPHER LEES MEDALS GO UNDER THE HAMMER AND ITS FREDDIES 90TH!


NEWS: Sir Christopher Lee's awards, including WW2 medals, will go on sale for as little as £100! Here's a feature from a UK newspaper TODAY. What do you think?? 'The widow of Sir Christopher Lee is to sell the honours he amassed during his lifetime, from wartime medals to film accolades and the badge he received upon being knighted.


Around 50 awards will go under the hammer, representing a remarkable screen career that took Sir Christopher from Hammer Horror to Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and a role as one of the great Bond villains, Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun. The actor died in June 2015, aged 93. In interviews he was reticent about his war record, but he kept a certificate recording the fact that he was mentioned in dispatches in 1944. It will be offered for auction alongside his campaign medals.


Christopher Lee ,  Peter Cushing, and Veronica Carlson with the cast of Hammer films, 'Dracula Has Risen From The Grave' being presented with the Queen's Award for Industry at Pinewood studios.

The lots include the British Film Institute Fellowship Award presented by Johnny Depp in 2013 (estimated to fetch £2,000-£3,000) and the Knight Bachelor badge bestowed by the Prince of Wales when Sir Christopher was knighted in 2009. The star's Bafta Fellowship is the one award that will remain with the family. They will be offered with no reserves, allowing fans the opportunity to acquire a piece of memorabilia for a relatively modest price. The evening auction will take place at Spink's in London on November 1. Lady Lee said: "Christopher was greatly appreciative of the recognition of his fans and his peers, and these honours and awards adorned our apartment for many years, bringing him great pleasure. "It's fitting that now a wider audience might have the opportunity to enjoy them, and to celebrate so many high points of his life.


Christopher Lee was  awarded the BAFTA FELLOWSHIP in 2011 

"These awards represent a lifetime of dedicated work and diverse experiences, starting with his role as a young RAF officer in the Second World War, a period that went on to influence him throughout his life. "He remains sorely missed but his family hope that the forthcoming auction will be a celebration of his life and achievements, and a catalyst for future owners of his awards to have many happy memories of their own."


 Bestowed by Prince Charles, he became Sir Christopheri Lee Knighted in 2009

A percentage of the sale proceeds will be donated to Denville Hall in north London, a retirement home for actors.


Please join us in wishing #Happybirthday to the one and only Freddie Jones, who is the grand age of 90 TODAY! Freddie is an actor who is always a joy to watch. Always surprising and entertaining. His voice and delivery are unique, as is, his style and the line he follows in all his performances. Never the obvious, always the unpredictable path. There are have been many highs in the Freddie Jones career, but for us here today, we focus on his roles where working with Peter Cushing, brought us EXTRA value and entertainment. 


As the wrecked and manipulated, Professor Julian Keeley in Hammer films, 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' in 1973, to the pathetic and trapped Professor Richter in 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' in 1969.



Freddie Jones still works, as busy as ever...some would say wasted in a disposable soap opera... but disposable or not, Freddie has played the role of Sandy Thomas since 2005, and in all 552 episodes of ITV's 'Emmerdale', with the same level of authenticity and investment, as any role he has played since he began his long career back in 1960. Fifty six years, and still you can't take your eyes off him! Happy Birthday Freddie From Us All!



#TOOCOOLTUESDAY:! I LOVE it when you send in pics, comments, reviews...candy! This was sent in today by Mark Waddington from the UK. How many of you remember this magazine and this PETER CUSHING GALLERY????
 

 IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA 
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