SHERLOCK HOLMES TAKES ON THE MASKS OF DEATH! #WATCHWITHCUSHING #WATCHPARTY!

DON'T THINK FOR A MINUTE THAT YOU CAN'T take another post of a Cushing Sherlock Holmes adventure? Snap out of it.😉😀 This one... is different 😉 #SirIanMckellen was 75, when he made that amazing Mr Holmes feature back in 2015. #PeterCushing was 71 when he appeared in what would almost be his 'swan song' for the big screen, and he pours just about everything he has in it 😊'Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death' (1984) is a pretty clever film, with a very cool cast to help make it work. 

THE THREE FACES OF Peter Cushing's Sherlock Holmes 

'The Hound of the Baskervilles' (Hammer films 1959)

Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC Television series of 1968

Cushing's Holmes in semi retirement in 'Sherlock Holmes and the 

Masks of Death (1984)

THERE ARE MANY very nice touches in this film and despite Peter's obvious age and his belief he was too old to play it, it works, helped by Cushing's good friend, John Mills who fills the role of Dr Watson confidently and with a few well timed 'matured-creaks and groans'. Roy Ward Baker directs also Ray Milland, Anne Baxter and #AntonDiffring are all lovely to watch and help put the cherry on what could have been quite a stale and mouldy cake! 

I VERY MUCH LIKE the story in this film. At times it's bleak, quite dark and uses one of the 'world's darkest of times' to under pin the evil and threats' in this #Sherlock and #Watson drama, written by Hammer's Anthony Hinds and N.J Crisp. It is a shame Cushing thought himself not fit enough or capable to nail another Holmes film, which was planned for production after this one. But, he did wait while Tyburn were trying to source funding.  

CUSHING MADE '#Biggles' (1986) while waiting, which would be his last cinema role. I think he more than managed to do his last Sherlock justice and finally bow out from one of his most accomplished and always most confidently performed roles in his long and varied career. I hope you enjoy this too 😊Marcus

CATCH UP on ALL the PCASUK '#WATCHWITHCUSHING! 'watch parties' at the FACEBOOK UK PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY FACEBOOK PAGE HERE!

#WATCHWITHCUSHING! IN THE PARIS SEWERS THEY CAN HEAR GROWLING! #SELFISOLATEANDWATCH!

TODAY'S  #WatchWithCushing is 1975's 'LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF' at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! Along with Tyburn's 'The Ghoul' these were films that were produced in a style from another time...and that was the producers intention. Hope you enjoy it! If you have not seen it before, we'd love you to  post your opinions and views on the news thread.

HERE IS PART ONE of our PCAS 'THE MAKING OF THE LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF' feature which includes rare images, quotes and interviews with actor David Rintoul on playing the role of Etoile and the task of applying the make up. There is also quite extensive details from Peter Cushing on how he prepared for the role of Parisian pathologist, Paul Catafanque. Along with details from producer, Kevin Francis it makes an impressive first look into the huge task of making a movie...

ABOVE: THE UK 'LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF' TRAILER, with DANISH subtitles and a narration by the wonderful tv, radio and film veteran, Valentine Dyall!

NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT : THE HUMAN FACTOR : #WATCHWITHCUSHING! PCASUK 2020

ANOTHER TWO PCASUK GREAT #PETERCUSHING TREATS at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE  to maybe entertain you! FIRST a 1970's Peter Cushing and #ChristopherLee film, directed by Peter Sasdy that almost got away from everyone, the strange but very interesting 'NOTHING HUT THE NIGHT' (1973), Sadly, this was the only movie produced by Charlemagne Films, which was created by Christopher Lee and Hammer film producer, Anthony Nelson Keys. UK distributors Fox and Rank made a real botched and half hearted job of promoting this film, even at one point offering some 'cash prizes' for letters from readers of the Sunday Mercury newspaper, describing their real-life experiences with terror and the supernatural! A very dated publicity device that went out of fashion in the 1950's! 

IT SADLY MADE LITTLE BOX OFFICE in the UK though did fair a little better with a different publicity campaign with title change and snazzy poster design for it's US release.'THE RESURRECTION SYNDICATE, title probably gives away more, than is helpful. BUT if you haven't seen this film before, I think you'll find much to your liking. 

THERE IS ALSO a supporting cast including Fulton Mackay (from Cushing's 'Return of the Cybernauts' : The Avengers tv episode) a young Michael Gambon ( who starred with Cushing in Amicus films, 'The Beast Must Die) and a quite a few of vivid  and interesting female characters for a change! The quite stylish Georgia Brown as the dogged newspaper reporter, who has some good scenes with Cushing a nice surprise of Diana Dors, playing one of her 'dressed down, nasty wig and tarty ol scrote roles, which she did a few of in the 70's and 80's. Kathleen Byron, who appeared as Cushing's Gustav Weil's long suffering wife, in Hammer films 'Twins of Evil' wife get just about enough to do, but she is wasted really.. What an amazing and quite beautiful actress. wasted as usual. Even as a Nun, Sister Ruth in the 1947 classic 'Black Narcissus', I thought she looked quite stunning and a fine actress that really captured the imagination. 

SO AN USUAL CAST, a plot that in it's climax leans towards  towards another Christopher Lee film, that also suffered in the beginning from a more than limp release, BUT picked up when Home Cinema VHS / Beta Calvary, came to the rescue! ENJOY and please let me know what you make of it? 

ANOTHER INTERVIEW GEM from quite a few programmes and hour length features Peter Cushing did after he retired in 1987. On June 1st that year, the UK TODAY newspaper quietly announced, Peter was hanging up his coat, for a well deserved rest. 'After making some of the world's best known horror films during  his 50 year career, Peter Cushing has decided that he will never make another film. He's just finished filming two television advertisements and he says the experience is enough to make him realise enough is enough. 'I did them because I had been offered two film parts and didn't know if I would be up for the work' he admits, ' I didn't want to let anyone down, so I thought I thought I would 'cut my teeth' on these two commercials. But having spent four days shooting, I've decided  not to do any more films These adverts will be my swan song. It's too much for me.'

BUT 1990, NOW TAKING THINGS in his stride #PeterCushing gave an interview to 'The Human Factor' a  UK #TV programme made by TVS, where he talked about his love for his wife, his belief in an afterlife, his suicide attempt, his cancer, and the key moments from his childhood and his long and successful acting career. He covers many of these themes and more in the two volumes of his autobiography, but this is the first time I'd seen him talking very openly about them. It's a revelation. Never before had Peter appeared so genuine and profound in his answers. It's an inspiring and revealing piece indeed. This too is now UP as a #WATCHWITHCUSHING! post for the viewing at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE,  where many of you have commented on the frankness of Peter's answers during the interview. There were quite a few stories and facts I had not heard before. There will be MORE posts tomorrow too! This up load along with many of the other 'Watch With Cushing' post have proved to be very popular, with many watching through out the day . . I hope you enjoy some of the posts too!? - Marcus