ROY ASHTON MAKE UP ARTIST REMEMBERED

REMEMBERING Master Make Up Artist, Roy Ashton, who was born today 17th April 1909! There is so much you could say about Roy, but his work kind of says it all! So many amazing creations in what was the golden era of Hammer films, Amicus and Tyburn too! I was very humbled to spend time with him at his home and while he was working, and during these times saw at first hand what a true gentleman he was and quite the perfectionist, with a lovely dry wit and friendly character. Roy sadly left us in 1995, but left behind for us, a wonderful and original body of work, that still entertains and frightens us today! Personally, his letters I still treasure, his work I still very much am in awe of, for sure

OVER AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE I have asked everyone to tell us and share their favourite 'Ashton Creation' in the comments below. BELOW is an impressive filmography of Roy's work. A #HappyBirthday, Roy Ashton a true magician and creator of things of nightmares and dreams too 

The Curse of Frankenstein (1957)
The Horror Dracula (1958)
The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958)
The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959)
The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959)
The Mummy (1959)
The Stranglers of Bombay (1959)
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960)
The Curse of the Werewolf (1960)
The Terror of the Tongs (1961)
These Are the Damned (1962)
The Phantom of the Opera (1962)
Night Creatures (1962) Captain Clegg
The Pirates of Blood River (1962)
 

ABOVE: A WHILE AGO in one of our weekly PCASUK TUESDAY TOUGHY questions, we celebrated ROY ASHTON'S work with PETER CUSHING in 'Tales from the Crypt' (1972)

Paranoiac (1963)
The Old Dark House (1963)
The Crimson Blade (1963)
Nightmare (1964)
The Evil of Frankenstein (1964)
The Kiss of the Vampire (1964)
The Gorgon (1964)
 

Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1964)
The Curse of the Mummy’s Tomb (1964)
The Devil-Ship Pirates (1964)
The Skull (1965)
She (1965)
The Plague of the Zombies (1966)
The Reptile (1966)
The Devil Rides Out (1968)
The House That Dripped Blood (1970)
Hands of the Ripper (1971)
The Devils (1971)
Tales from the Crypt (1972)
The Creeping Flesh (1972)
Asylum (1972)
The Vault of Horror (1973)
The Ghoul (1975)

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RARE THE GORGON BEHIND THE SCENES COLOUR PHOTOGRAPH PLUS CUSHING IN OZ!

HERE'S A VERY NEAT colour photograph of Peter Cushing and actress Barbara Shelley during the making of The Gorgon at Bray studios. I purchased the original negative for this publicity photograph back in the late 1970's, it's been posted here once before, but it's a good one.

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WHEN THIS PIC WAS POSTED at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE yesterday someone asked if I wasn't worried about posting such a rare pic, on Facebook... So I explained, I post pics for people to do exactly that, to share. Anything I have, own or is sent to me by good folk out there I share. BUT I also include a bit of promo text on the pic, to share where it has been cleaned and repaired if necessary... here. In the majority of cases these are pics on which, we do not own the copyright, this is a hobby, no money exchanged or made. :) There are authors and collectors out there though, that are under the impression that the little watermark is implying I or we own them... nope. This pic today I do own, hence my name. Happens rarely. If you post something on the net, it's gone, the world owns it today. If anyone wants to repost or share a pic that's wonderful. If you want to take it and take off the watermark, that's not really the game.. but your choice, so many here are posted for the first time, so people who know their stills... know where it has come from and that someone has lifted the watermark. Weird that people would do that, unless they maybe dislike or hate the page 😄😉... or us having fun and a reward for working so hard on the posts for fans and keeping the memory of Peter Cushing alive and relevant. . . who knows???  But, I am sure... some do 😉😊

THE LATEST painting by artist, #DARYLJOYCE 😊 This one is a cracker, you think? 😊 After the not so roaring success of the sequel to #DrWho and the Daleks (1965) film, 'Dalek Invasion Earth 2150 AD' (1966) the planned next #Dalek / Dr Who / #PeterCushing feature film, based on the #BBC tv episode 'The Chase' sadly didn't happen... BUT what a treat it could have been, if it HAD! Congrats to Daryl on another fine piece of work! 😊😉

REPOST : CUSHING IN AUSTRALIA 1977!  The text taken from Cushing's second book Past Forgetting: Memoirs of the Hammer Years published in 1988.

'In western Australia, where I thoroughly enjoyed working with John Izzard of swan television in 1977, I had quite an extraordinary experience with an ostrich, a tobacco addict! It stalked me, its beady eyes watching my every move and each time I lit a cigarette, it shot its neck out (like a chameleons tongue catching some runaway insect) and snatched the fag from my lips!! Perhaps Rod Hull encountered that same bird, and got the idea for his act with emu?'

CHRISTOPHER LEE once said that Peter Cushing had a laugh that could clear a restaurant in 30 seconds flat! And it must be said, if you ever get the chance to catch a clip of Peter laughing, it was a belter!

Photos in panel:
Top Left:#PeterCushing and close, life time friend,Peter Gray.
Next right: Cushing in costume with lead actor Robert Stack on the set of John Paul Jones (1959)
Next Right : With CEO of #Hammerfilms, James Carrreras at the premier of The Curse of Frankenstein in 1957
Middle: Peter and wife #HelenCushing on holiday in #Norwich.
Far Right: Peter and #ChristopherLee, on set at Bray studios during the making of Hammer films, 'The Gorgon' (1965)
 

BEHIND THE SCENES ON HAMMER FILMS 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' a full feature with #contactsheets and press stills! RIGHT HERE!

GIFS WEDNESDAY WITH VINCENT PRICE ON ACTORS : CLYTIE JESSOP : A LIFE IN THREE ACTS!

WE HAVE not had a quote or post about Peter Cushing's dear pal, VINCENT PRICE in a while. So, I just made this. It's well noted that both Vincent and wife, Coral Browne LOVED parties and loved their fellow actors too. Never suffered fools, hated pompousness . . loved people and had a deep appreciation of life and art . . .

DANNY FULCE pointed out on the thread at the PCASUK FACEBOOK FAN PAGE that VINCENT PRICE was to have played RONALD WYATT in Amicus films TORTURE GARDEN in 1967. I wonder how that would have turned out?? 

'TIS A GREAT PITY both he and Peter didn't get the chance to work and appear on more things together. Just TWO movies Madhouse, House of the Long Shadows, TWO radio shows 'The Man Who Hated Scenes' - part of the 'Price of Fear' series and 'Aliens In The Mind' . . Of the four, which do you enjoy the most? 

CUSHING'S BARON FRANKENSTEIN was never someone to let things get in the way of what he wanted. There was always a way. Even the barred door of a jail call, couldn't hold him. It's always amazing how quickly 'something in a rag or handkerchief' works in a Hammer film....! ('The Evil of Frankenstein' 1964)

IT'S THAT WOMAN! As an actress, you would think CLYTIE JESSOP'S heart would have sank when she heard that her role in a new Horror Film with Amicus, was as the forture telling, STATUE / FIGURE of Atropos, in 'TORTURE GARDEN'. Thankfully, ROBERT BLOCH'S script, also called for her to make some creepy cameos in each of the four separate stories and there was MUCH MUCH MORE to CLYTIE, than we today, would ever have imagined. Born CLYTIE LLOYD-JONES in 1929 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. 

CLYTIE JESSOP: MEAT ART AND FILM : A LIFE IN THREE ACTS
COMING SOON!

AS AN ADULT she lived feminism as a catalytic woman on three continents. Always writing, painting, she also directed, as well as playing the occasional acting role. She produced three films in the 1970's and 80's, 'CONRAD MARTENS' (1978) with directorial duties too, produced 'EMMA'S WAR' (1987) and 'FLAMINGO PARK' (1981), which she made with assistance of the Women's Film Fund and the Creative Development Branch of the Australian Film Commission.  

"In London, she caught the legendary eye of cinematographer Freddie Francis, and attention from acclaimed director Jack Clayton. She quickly got notice as a ghost in their classic The Innocents, with Deborah Kerr, filmed in 1961. Francis wrote: "There is one particular sequence in the film of which I am very fond, and indeed proud. It is the appearance in among the bulrushes of the dead governess (played by Clytie Jessop, who would become one of my regulars when I became a director). The scene is one of the most effective and chilling in the film, and it all happens in bright daylight."

THREE OF THE FOUR theatrical films that she appeared in were 'fantasy horror genre'  The Innocents (1961), Nightmare (1964) and 'TORTURE GARDEN in 1967'. Sadly, CLYTIE died in May 2017 in London, England.  

There is a LOT MORE CLYTIE than meets the eye! Look out for our #FEMMEFATALE FEATURE on Jessop soon! 

WE ARE GOING OUT with a SCORCHER of CUSHING GIF. Requested by Symms Morris. From Hammer films, THE BRIDES OF DRACULA, Peter Cushing as Van Helsing, makes the decisions between living in a state of UNDEAD following the result of being bitten by one of Hammer best OR burn and CAUTERISE the wound with a red hot branding iron. Hmm tough choice. Hats oiff to LES BOWIE and his Special Effects dept. STILL makes me whince.     

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   

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! THE GORGON GOES BLU DOWN UNDER!

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! #NEWS: #HAMMERFILMS 1964 Classic THE GORGON had a BLU RAY release in the US back last year and now AUSTRALIA gets its dip too! It's the same master that was used for the US Mill Creek Entertainment release last year. What Australian label Via Vision Entertainment is giving us, is pretty much the same, it's cheap and cheerful packaging, there are no supplemental features on the disc. Audio is English, without optional English SDH subtitles for the main feature. BUT it is Region-Free. 

It appears that Sony Pictures has only one master of The Gorgon that is available for licensing, right now. The master is a not restored or remastered and judging by our YOU REVIEW from Frank Turturici we posted here about the Mill Creek release, there's some we posted here about the Mill Creek release, there's some room for improvement, but the film looks good in high-definition. So, if you want to fill that gap on your shelf, holding your Cushing / Lee / Hammer Horror collection now. . . . This REGION FREE Australian release could be the very thing for you!

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

THE BARD AND PETER CUSHING: MARKING 400 YEAR ANNIVERSARY

It's 400 years ago today, that as Shakespeare, ' shufflel'd off this mortall coile...!' an often quoted line from his 1602 crowd puller, 'Hamlet'. And it's his drama, Hamlet that also provides our Cushing Connection! As many of you may know, Peter Cushing to great success, played Osric in the 1948 Olivier film production, see pic above!. Cushing was no stranger to Shakespeare, having tackled many a role while touring with the Olivier company and in several productions during the 1930's and 40's.

In fact, had not fate intervened, playing several of Shakespeare's characters in a production entitled 'Heritage of Horror' would probably have been his swan-song. Unfortunately, it was a real 'Shakespearian tragedy' that Tyburn and Kevin Francis, could not secure the funding. Peter even grew a beard in preparation for the role, and maintained it until his final day... just as in Shakespeare's time, today some 400 years on, financing drama is in the hands of... '...cream faced loons..' Tis a pity. Rest easy Will . . .

Peter and Helen Cushing, Sir Laurence Olivier and Vivien Leigh arrive at Freemantle, Australia with the Old Vic Theatre Company....during their tour of Australia and New Zealand in 1948.... they performed Shakespeare's Richard III and Sheridan's 'School for Scandal'.... (A: Helen Cushing B: Peter Cushing C: Laurence Olivier.

 

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THE TOBACCO ADDICTED OSTRICH AND PETER CUSHING

When Peter Cushing was in Australia in 1977 working on the documentary 'A Land Looking West', he had an unusual encounter with an Ostrich, who was quite fond of his cigarettes!

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A LAND LOOKING WEST : CUSHING DOWN UNDER

CUSHING IN OZ: Peter Cushing flew to Australia to make a documentary about the history of the permanent European settlement of Western Australia known as "The Swan River Colony". It was part of the 150th anniversary of this event. The documentary entitled, 'A Land Looking West' went into production, after Peter's work on shooting his role of Grand Moff Tarkin in 'Star Wars' at Elstree studios from May 8th -12th 1976 . The documentary was broadcast on Australian several TV stations. The filming took place in locations throughout the state of W.A. and throughout Australia. We'll be posting a feature about this rarely seen documentary soon!

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