CHARLES AND DIANA : A ROYAL LOVE STORY : CHRISTOPHER LEE AS THE DUKE!?

#CHRISTOPHERLEESaturday! . . It's our weekly dip into rare images and quotes from Peter Cushing's long time friend and often dueling partner on the BIG SCREEN, acting legend, Christopher Lee. I guess Lee had a very good point here? His appearance in the dreadful then, dreadful AND dated now tv movie of 'Charles and Diana : A REAL Love Story' was all part of a lean time for Lee. There were several projects and films he committed to, while waiting, unknown to him, for the arrival of his participation in two juggernaut movie franchise, that would favourably reboot his career once again! Over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE, we have asked the question, 'What would you say is maybe the strangest role Christopher Lee played for either film or television??' There are some very interesting answers...

THERE'S NO DOUBT about it. Those words  Do  look very odd on the screen! The film was released for a short time in the US on  home cinema, but it wasn't long before that vanished . . !

RARE FILM CLIP OF PETER CUSHING'S FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER ON SET PLUS THE 'EVIL' EXTRA US TV FOOTAGE!

RARE FOOTAGE! Following the popularity of the rare behind the scenes The Gorgon clips I shared with you a short while ago, here's another one! We are going back to October-November 1963 and the golden age of Hammer films, when the company, based at the tiny studios, along with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee were making some of the best of the Hammer British Gothic bunch ...and above, here is a rare glimpse inside the legendary Bray Studios, in the Make up room of Roy Ashton . .

If you ever wondered, just how Cushing's Baron Frankenstein 'Creature' make up was applied... below is your answer.

BELOW IS actor Kiwi Kingston, with Roy Ashton, showing his solution to the problem of 'How to save the producers time and money, when it comes to applying make up when making a monster, who is ready for the camera and walk on set, in ten minutes!!' The studio hated the fact that prep, applying and daily making up a monster, took time...and time costs money. This solution, for the producers it worked . . but for Roy and the fans of Hammer horror, it was a compromise that sadly effected the credibility of the film...it's a complete over-head mask... and the audience knew it too. 

THE GIF CLIP ABOVE IS QUITE RARE, not often seen and proves even for a film like 'The Evil of Frankenstein' ...with a superb performance of the Baron by Peter Cushing, tight directing of Freddie Francis, very entertaining support cast of Sandor Elès , Katy Wild, Peter Woodthorpe, Duncan Lamont and Kiwi Kingston..and amazing sets, also used in Hammer films 'The Gorgon' from Bernard Robinson and Don Mingaye...even Universal Studios on-board... if you ain't got a great Monster...it's like a firework, that promises to shock...but fails when it doesn't that have THAT bang!

HAMMER TOOK A CHANGE in direction, with the making of 'The Evil of Frankenstein'. When the camera clogs first turned on Hammer's concept of a Frankenstein movie, they were very aware of having to start their concept from scratch. On hearing of Hammer's plans, Universal films wasted no time in despatching a warning to the producers, that if anyway Hammer's 'monster' resembled the famous Jack Pearce Boris Karloff creation in any way, they would be despatching a writ, with teeth, that would for sure make a real meal of their plans and production. Universal was also clear that their script and concept was also their property, and that Hammer should tread carefully. So make up artist Phil Leakey got to work creating a 'monster appearance' on Christopher Lee, that in no way could possibly be connected with the Pearce monster. So, was the case in the Hammer sequel, 'The Revenge of Frankenstein' too.

AFTER TWO MOVIES of managing quite well in creating the 'look' of a new monster appearance, with stories too that resembled little if anything in common with the Universal Frankenstein films, fate somehow took hold of the steering wheel and tiller, and Universal relaxed their hold on the 'monster look' and story concepts, and invited Hammer films into their party. Hammer films, Anthony Hinds wrote a script that rebooted the series, no connection to either 'Curse' or 'Revenge'  . .  and a 'monster', after weeks of designing and drawing, that gave more than a wobbly nod, to the Universal creation. The bolts, the flat top and big boots, were all in! 



AFTER THE SUCCESS of 'The Curse of Frankenstein' and 'The Revenge of Frankenstein', Universal wanted IN, along with Peter Cushing as part of the deal. 'Evil' would contain many of the Universal 'Frankenstein Tropes', and after it's cinema release would also be spread across the US television screens too. The problem was that 'The Evil of Frankenstein' came up short of duration of only 84 minutes and some scenes were deemed a little too intense for family viewing . .  so a whole new back-story was shot at Universal studios, where new and quite unrelated characters were slipped into the film. None of the film's established cast were included in the footage.. and Frankenstein's monster is seen by his boots only . . .

FREE RARE VINTAGE CONTACT SHEET PHOTOGRAPHS : FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED : PETER CUSHING

 

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY! 😀 Here is a NICE freebie! Today is Frankenstein Friday here at the PCASUK Facebook Fan Page AND and at our website... We have a quite a few NEW FREE TOP PRIZE competitions coming up soon and what better way to pave the way, to 'giving goodies, blu rays and stuffs away..' than another free contact print, from a fav Peter Cushing Hammer film.

THIS SCENE with Peter Cushing from 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' where these rare and hi res contact prints / photographs were taken, was VOTED your favourite Peter Cushing Frankenstein Scene, a few years ago...

ABOVE are TWO very large exposures, featuring Peter as Baron Frankenstein in that scene... unwater-marked, in hi res and ready for you to copy, edit and add to your digital collection OR print off and maybe frame... I know many of you have done that before😉What a great way to end the week and start the weekend.. Thank FRANK it's Friday 😀 Have fun 😄 - Marcus

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MARK HAMILL : VIDEO 'WHEN SKYWALKER MET TARKIN!'

IT'S A VERY Happy Birthday to actor Mark Hamill we post today 😃 Hamill who is probably best known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the Star Wars Films and the role of providing the voice behind the animated BATMAN series of The Joker .

HAMILL co-starred with Peter Cushing in the first Star Wars film 'A New Hope' (1977) However, Hamill was disappointed to learn that he had no scenes with Peter's character Grand Moff Tarkin, so he took the time to visit the set on the days Peter was working, to meet with him.

PACKED WITH CLIPS interviews, rare behind the scenes footage, films and EXCLUSIVE features. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society YOUTUBE CHANNEL is now OPEN and FOR YOU! Just CLICK HERE!

THE COMFORT OF CAT AND SLIPPERS : HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEVIN CONNOR DIRECTOR OF 'FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE'!

PETER CUSHING: The Comfort of Slippers and a CAT! I am sure many of you will enjoy this rare photograph, of Peter relaxing, not at home... but sitting in the study of his long time friend and secretary, Joyce Broughton, in Herne Bay, near Peter's home in Whitstable, Kent. For those of you who know Peter's work well, I am sure you'll see the interesting connections in this photograph . . despite the terrible time his character Wilbur Gray endured in the 1977 film 'The Uncanny', personally he did have quite a passion and love of animals, birds, cats, dogs and wildlife. This cat lived in Joyce's home, a family pet...along with a dog too.

TO MY KNOWLEDGE, neither Peter or his wife Helen, ever had pets at home . . they preferred to enjoy the children and pets of their friends . . and have a quiet life! The slippers...well, we ALL know the connection there, I am sure . . 😊 This photograph was taken by and is the property of photographer Colin Bourner. 😉 Marcus *NOTE the book on the foot stool 😉

HAPPY BIRTHDAY director KEVIN CONNOR . .born today in 1937. He joined the Amicus films train, a little late in their journey, but in his very first outing as director, did amazing job on 'From Beyond The Grave' in 1974. It was also the first time he worked with Peter Cushing. Connor's timing, having served as an editor, brought a tighter beat to the Amicus style, managing to create what certainly looks like much higher production values, but I am sure the budget was as tight as ever. Released during the opening tip -toe, death march steps, of the collapse and fall of the British film industry.. From Beyond The Grave arrived a little late, when horror and fantasy films had moved on from spooky supernatural to full on exorcisms and gore . . though it did feature the lifting of nasty and mischievous Elemental demon . .

IT WOULD TAKE until the arrive of Home Cinema and the arrival of VHS and BBC double bills on TV, before it started to get the praise and recognition it deserved. Conner was also director and working with Peter on the last Amicus film, 'At The Earth's Core', managing to make a good ol family feature and get the best from Peter's almost second cousin to his Dr who. It was a huge production to manage.. at the time filing most of Pinewood studios lots with staggering jungle sets, caves, lava and men in suits! Hey! It's for the kids!

SOMEWHERE around this time, Peter stepped in with a guest appearance in another Connor directed feature called, 'Trail By Combat' aka 'A Dirty Knights Work' with John Mills... Connor also directed other very popular Amicus / AIP fantasy films too.. The Land That Time Forgot (1975), The People That Time Forgot (1977), Warlords of Atlantis (1978) by this time, Connor was certainly off Milton Subotsky's Christmas card list... but he did manage one more with Peter Cushing, 'Arabian Adventure' in 1978, with Peter making a guest appearance alongside it's star, Christopher Lee with...Milo O'Shea, Oliver Tobias, Emma Samms and...Mickey Rooney!

SINCE THOSE DAYS, Connor now spends most of his time and working and living in Hollywood directing films like Motel Hell (1980), The House Where Evil Dwells (1982), Sunset Grill (1993) and Domestic Import (2006), as well as many TV miniseries and films, including Goliath Awaits, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, Great Expectations, Diana: Her True Story, Liz: The Elizabeth Taylor Story, Mother Teresa: In the Name of God's Poor, In the Beginning, Frankenstein, Blackbeard, Marco Polo and many more, as they say... 

TODAY, we thank Kevin Connor for bringing out some very entertaining films which thankfully also included Peter, if not starring, certainly in the mix. Beyond The Grave for many, is in their top three of the Amicus portmanteau productions, and deservedly so...as we will all see when it is released on blu ray by Warner Brothers next month.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY KEVIN CONNOR, have certainly entertained us, took us BEYOND the grave, into the CORE, all while certainly making your mark as part of the Amicus adventure !!

A REMINDER: BACK LAST WEEK we shared the news that Warner Archive had just announced that the Amicus films 'From Beyond The Grave' (1974) . . . . .starring Peter Cushing, Donald Pleasence, David Warner plus a rostra of other stars names, in the true Amicus portmanteau tradition, and directed by Kevin Connor . . was coming to blu-ray. Warner have also announced that this release will be a NEW 2019 1080p HD MASTER too! The SPEC as we have right now is as follows: FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE (1973) Running Time 98:00.Sound Quality DTS HD-Master Audio 2.0 - English Aspect Ratio 1.85:1, 16 X 9 WIDESCREEN: Product Color COLOR Disc Configuration BD 50. TO PLACE YOUR PRE-ORDER JUST CLICK : HERE!

VERONICA CARLSON AND PETER CUSHING: THE HORROR OF FRANKENSTEIN

HERE'S A RARELY SEEN  photograph of Peter Cushing and his good friend, Veronica Carlson . . they both appeared in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed in 1969 and The Ghoul in 1975... Veronica was one of a very close selection of people who knew Peter well and stayed close to him for many years, long after their work connections. I am going to be using Sunday's on here and the website to share stories and images of Peter's friends and the friendship they shared . . Next week, we'll be getting know Peter's very close friend, Peter Gray . . .

FIND OUT MORE about VERONICA CARLSON and her work also featuring Peter Cushing, the PCAS series 'WOMEN IN GOTHIC'  HERE! 

ABOVE: TWO RARE COLOUR IMAGES of Peter Cushing and Veronica Carlson in #Hammerfilms 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' 

ABOVE: A RARE LOBBY STILL AND MOMENT OF TERROR GIF, FROM 'THE GHOUL' with Veronica Carlson and Peter Cushing.

FIND OUT MORE on Peter Cushing and JOIN our daily posts at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE HERE!

 

HMV RELEASES EXCLUSIVE WARNER BROTHERS DRACULA HAMMER FILMS REMASTERED BLU RAYS AT BARGAIN AT PRICES!

HMV ARE RELEASING DRACULA AD '72 and THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA as part of their Premium Collection on Blu-Ray 🙂 The deal includes a slip jacket for each Blu ray, 4 color postcards and a poster! The blu ray will be released from HMV on 14th October 2019. £14.99 each Blu ray OR 2 for £25.00. A bargain 🙂 Thanks to Rob McKenna for the heads up! ORDER HERE AND HERE

READ PCASUK REVIEW OF WARNER BROTHERS REMASTERED BLU RAY OF DRACULA AD 1972 STARRING #PETER CUSHING AND #CHRISTOPHERLEE WITH GALLERY AND GIFS : HERE!

READ THE PCASUK REVIEW OF WARNER BROTHERS BLU RAY OF THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA STARRING #PETERCUSHING AND #CHRISTOPHERLEE WITH SCREEN CAPS, GIFS AND GALLERY : HERE!