Showing posts with label doctor death. Show all posts
Showing posts with label doctor death. Show all posts

Sunday 12 August 2018

MADHOUSE : FIRST GALLERY OF RARE PHOTOGRAPHS : ON SET BEHIND THE SCENES : PART ONE


NINETEEN SEVENTY THREE was a busy year for Peter Cushing, and on January 4th he recorded two BBC television shows, in one day! The first was an invitation to the Michael Aspel children's show. A relaxed Cushing, chatted about requested clips children asked to be shown again. In the evening, a spot of promotion and an interview, centred on his most recent films on the news and magazine programme 'Nationwide'. Just a week later, Cushing took the stage of the National Film Theatre in London, to take part in a John Player Lecture. Cushing talked at length to a packed house about his childhood, his trip to Hollywood and his stage career. Strangely, there was little about his time with Hammer films or any of his fantasy genre movies. Later a transcript of this interview would form part of the body of his first autobiography. A project he began, after his wife's death, as 'a form of therapy' . . .





FEBRUARY brought an appearance on the BBC MORECAME AND WISE SHOW. Singing and dancing! April, he visited Paris to attend the Second International Horror Film Festival and was presented with the Licorne D'Or award, for his role as Arthur Grimsdyke, in Amicus films, 'Tales from the Crypt' plus special for his horror film work over the last decade. While in France, he also filmed an episode of the ITC television show, 'The Zoo Gang' entitled, 'The Counterfeit Trap' with direction from John Hough, who Cushing had worked with, in Hammer films 'Twins of Evil', just a sixteen months before.





MAY 14TH. Cushing arrived at the tiny Twickenham studios, to begin another film for Amicus. It's title would be MADHOUSE. Producer Milton Subotsky, had bought the rights to a book by Angus Hall entitled, Devilday, which upon adapting and completing into a screenplay, wasted no time in pulling together a cast and crew, using his own very successful and unique 'value for money' balancing and budgeting. Jim Clark was his director of choice and the more appropriate shooting title of 'The Revenge of Doctor Death', was rolled out to attract and entice a leading cast. Peter Cushing was signed to play Herbert Flay, a twisted, bitter, revengeful actor and screenwriter, who forms a nightmare of quite diabolical revenge! Vincent Price stars as a very successful horror film actor, Paul Toombes, who is also not without HIS problems, but not as many as he thought!


ONE OF THE VERY ENDEARING and well planned features of the film, are several sequences of film clips, from Paul Toombes many Doctor Death, horror film features, also starring Boris Karloff and Basil Rathbone! These clips are in fact, genuine pieces from the Roger Corman films, that Price actually appeared and starred in, now being convincingly passed as jewels from Toombe's successful career! MADHOUSE plays something akin to the successful formula that was adopted in Price's 'Theatre of Blood' and the Phibes movies. Horrible and yet, amusing deaths, with more than a sprinkle of black comedy. Here however, it's played quite straight and the whole thing swings into a fight to the death and a climax, that not only comes as a surprise, but even after several screenings, might leave you wondering, just who is who?





 
THE MADHOUSE of the title, doesn't really refer to a particular building, but more to a state of chaos and the unsettling manner of Cushing's character Flay and the unravelling of Price's character's mind. There are lots of red herrings, and not wanting to give any plot pieces away, all that can be said is, fans of Cushing and Price, should enjoy the twisting of the plot and the way both actors spare no cobwebs or spiders and go all out, when the cheating and horrors are revealed! Check out the cast in the rare photographs of this gallery, and you'll see Subotsky did his 'sums' well, and managed to gather quite a gathering of a company! Up until this time, Amicus were enjoying quite a successful run of releases, their portmanteau films were extremely popular and Price, who was managing almost a hit a year, from his contractual annual yearly production visit to the UK.  Which makes it confusing, as to why the box office was not as expected. Even today, reviews are mixed and the jury of Cushing and Price fans, are mostly still out . . . 



MADHOUSE is film that seems always to get a mix bag of comments, whenever it is featured at our FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE. A regular response and routine, that always confuses me. I can think of half a dozen or more films, from the careers of both Price and Cushing, that fall well below the standard of this film, and yet excuses are aired, failings thought out - so forgiven, praise and mostly positives garnishes dress the mess, of what is often a film of less meat and too much gravy. It's true, everyone can and does have their own and personal tastes and takes on any film, but a film that plays up the real and the fantasy world of film making, the ego's and off set going on's, I would have thought, had little chance of failing. Here today and back then, we are dealing with true nightmares and often quite crazy people! With tongue in cheek, for all those who can see it, MADHOUSE is a worthy addition to the other Price 'amusing slay and display' black comedies, mentioned previously. The extra value here is, we have the very entertaining  and unique chance to watch two actors, who sadly rarely had the opportunity to work on screen together. It's MADNESS it didn't happen more often . . .. 
 

























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Wednesday 8 August 2018

COMIC TURNS AND MAGAZINES WEDNESDAY : WORLD OF HORROR SHORT LIVED BUT LONG REMEMBERED!


TWO GREAT PAGES, from a UK magazine, that made it's mark and sadly vanished, WORLD OF HORROR. It only made it to just nine issues, and vanished from the newsagents shelves in less than a year. It was launched in 1974 by the Dalruth Publishing Group / Gresham Publishing company and edited by, Gent Shaw. What happened to either of those, I have no idea. I  know I was not the only young teenager, who awaited each new issue, with much excitement. The range of subject matter and films covered in the magazine all fell under the 'horror and fantasy' banner, I suited my appetite and interest very well. Yes, Monster Mag, sits on the top of the pile, with those amazing posters, but because of the format, they only had eight pages, the other and underside of the poster, with limited panels, to write. So info was always limited, but the posters made up for that!    




WORLD OF HORROR also provided some excellent covers, not all nine issue covers images were wonderful, but several colour pages within, gave us some very impressive stills and portraits.  They always seem ed to have a good supply of both Hammer and Amicus films, NEW photographs. You have to remember, all three actors, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price AND Christopher Lee were still working, and in 1974, were still appearing in the films, that made companies, lots of lolly at the box office. The two page feature on Amicus films, MADHOUSE appeared just as the film was being released, so press offices, were keen to give synopsis's and lovely pics. It was a golden era for some TV shows too, that appeared in the magazine, like the BBC Dr Who, with Tom Baker. There was something to please everyone. We'll be posting more on this magazine and many others, over the next few weeks, as we turn our WEDNESDAY theme here at the website, to comics and magazines, that included and covered the films of Peter Cushing and friends. COMIC TURNS AND MAGS WEDNESDAY, has started today!


MEANWHILE this SUNDAY, you'll be getting more than the few images as included in the feature above from the Amicus film, MADHOUSE.  A TWO PART feature, with a mega gallery in each, MADHOUSE : ON SCREEN AND BEHIND THE SCENES, with Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, Robert Quarry, Adrienne Corri, Natasha Pyne, Linda Hayden, Barry Dennen, Jenny Leigh Wright, Julie Crosthwaite, Michael Parkinson and Director Jim Clark, all appear! PART ONE can be found here at the website, with selected extracts at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE!


IF YOU WANT to discuss, chat or debate the content of any of our posts, here at the website, please come join us at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE  There are over 33 thousand other friends and fans of Peter Cushing's work, who have joined the page, and it's a busy place. BUT we are always happy to meet new friends and chat. Photos, features, themed daily posts and competitions, lots to see! You will be MOST welcome!

Thursday 14 December 2017

WAXWORKS DR DEATH DOCUMENTARY AND DEATH BY WEDDING CAKE!


#HORRIBLEDEATHWEDNESDAYS: Philip Grayson (Peter Cushing) meeting his end at the hands of the Waxworks Proprietor (Wolfe Morris) ..... This is a wonderful example of Peter's talent of expressing terror . . .


PART THREE OF OUR The AMICUS FILMS of PETER CUSHING features, WAXWORKS Peter Cushing's story in THE HOUSED THAT DRIPPED BLOOD, with GALLERY RIGHT HERE!

 
FUN FACT: Wolfe Morris co-starred with Peter Cushing in an Hammer film years earlier do you know the TITLE of that film and the NAME OF THE ROLE part Wolfe Morris played?
ANSWER LATER


#HORRIBLEDEATHWEDNESDAY! From the moment DR DEATH's face appears, between those elevator doors...you just know, this ain't going to end well.... A nice touch though! I just love how in Amicus films, MADHOUSE, the good doctor pops up anywhere and everywhere... just like, here! When the film does reveal just WHO is behind that mask, it makes Dr DEATH's actions, all the more interesting, I thought. Mind you, I might be on my own here...but I NEVER guessed who was behind that mask, until the reveal....

..
ABOVE: PETER CUSHING and VINCENT PRICE in AMICUS FILMS 'MADHOUSE' is covered in detail in Donald Fearney's 'THE AMICUS VAULT OF HORRORS' documentary PART FOUR, which you'll find above! ALL FOUR other PARTS CAN BE FOUND at our PCAS YOUTUBE CHANNEL HERE!


#HORRORIBLEDEATHWEDNESDAY!  Death By Wedding Cake, must be one of the oddest of demises in the Amicus films canon. Well, I know it was the knife, and the strange hex that was placed on Ian Bannen's lying Christopher Lowe in this weird little tale 'An Act of Kindness' in 'From Beyond the Grave' (1974). 


A FILM THAT is certainly in the top three of many a Cushing Fan's listings. This death seems all the more sad, when you consider that all Lowe wanted was reputation, respect and a loving wife. Poor guy must have blinkers on, the day Donald and his 'mad as a tea pot' daughter, stepped into his life...Cake, anyone?


MORE. MUCH MORE On Peter Cushing and 'FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE' in PART FOUR of 'The AMICUS FILMS of PETER CUSHING'HERE!



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Tuesday 16 August 2016

#MONSTERMONDAY : HERBERT FLAY MONSTER OR VICTIM?


#MONSTERMONDAY Over at OUR PCASUK FACEBOOK FAN PAGE we are getting ready to load up this week's #MONSTERMONDAY post. This week, Peter Cushing's HERBERT FLAY, from Amicus films, MADHOUSE is in the dock! Madman? Monster, Victim? ...YOU decide...



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