AND FROM SHERLOCK HOLMES TOO! RARE BBC SHERLOCK VINTAGE AUTOGRAPHS!

#PETERCUSHING #AUTOGRAPHS : The 'going rate' for Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee autographs has always been quite heathy, for those who trade in such memorabilia. After BOTH Cushing's and Lee's passing, as one would expect, the value of their signed notes and 'best wishes' certainly went UP in value. For the past 20 years a signed photograph of Cushing has remained steady, with prices from £150 to £250. Many would include, after the passing of his wife, Helen in 1971 to include the sentiment of 'May God's Blessing Be With You Always, In All Sincerity,  Peter Cushing' That's NOT Force but God's Blessing' 😉 IF the signature also included a dedication of, for example 'To Fred' or 'To Aunty Mary', it would carry a value of  LESS than a autograph WITHOUT a dedication! All autographs, without the 'May God's Blessing' inscription, pre-1971 always carry more value, even if the autograph is JUST his signature, on a piece of paper or a photograph!

THE AUTOGRAPH that most are seeking these days of course is Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin from 'Star Wars' ... most desirable, with a dedication. These have sold for between £2,500 and £3,000.. again, in all these 'market-places' something is only worth, what I guess what they WILL actually pay for it.. unless either person sadly gets duped..and there are many, like THIS example of a .... FAKE!

ABOVE ANOTHER SHADY FAKE!... If you have a Peter Cushing autograph, enjoy it, look after it and keep it safe 😉A Tale of Caution : A few years ago, a very dedicated Hammer film and Cushing fan got in touch wanting some advice, on what I thought MAYBE the value of his EIGHT signed photographs of Peter Cushing... 'Well, I am no expert but I can take a look' says I 😊 So, I asked him how did he come across them, 'I bought them years ago from collectors!' he said. 'Are they in good condition' I asked. 'Oh yes...!' said he, 'I will take a photograph of them all now, laid out on the table, for you too see them' he replied. After twenty minutes, an email arrived of a grand display of all eight colour 10x8 photographs, laid out and all catching the light, from the living room window, upon their... plastic lamented SEALED covering!!! Eight colour photographs : Signed amazing! Sealed in plastic, every one of them : worthless.... 😮☹️😖 😢- Marcus

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PLEASE COME JOIN US at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE now with almost 34 thousand friends and followers. Daily posts, rare photographs, features, prize competitions and friends! Anyone and everyone welcome, wherever you are, whoever you are! JUST click here to FIND us : WELCOME!

FACE TO FACE 'WHEN BATES TRIED ON THE BARON'S BOOTS'

#PETERCUSHINGGEMS!  Here is a amazing pose photograph, posted at the  Facebook PCASUL Fan Page of both Peter Cushing and actor Ralph Bates...taken during a visit by Peter on set, for promo opportunities... 'A Younger Actor Takes Over The Role'! They posed for several, on the set of #Hammerfilms 'Horror of Frankenstein' (1970) but this SIGNED photograph is I think, the best I have seen of the bunch. For sometime during the release and years after, by some 'off target individuals', it was thought that Cushing wasn't really in favour of Bates 'taking over' the role... In our next post, we have some amazing evidence of quite the contrary, which I will be posting tomorrow!😉 Many thanks to Mr G for his assistance with excellent photograph 😊

#ChristopherLee Saturday! Here is a pic you don't get to see that often at all! In this movie, he once again played the opposite to Peter Cushing's characters good nature.... Over at the Facebook PCASUK Fan Page I asked everyone, if they can name the movie .. and if you can, the plot.... do you think it was all real or just all happening in the mind of PC's character?? 😊 There's been quite a reaction and lost of theories! Why not join us and tell us your take on quite a puzzler! - Meanwhile, please take care everyone, and look after yourselves and loved ones 😊- Marcus

ABOVE: Peter Cushing and director Freddie Francis, on set during the making of Tigon films, 'The Creeping Flesh' (1973)

STILL ON THE STEPS OF POPULARITY WITH AUTOBIOGRAPHIES THAT STILL ENTERTAIN!

#PETERCUSHING : Sherlock HOLMES! This rare photograph was shared this weekend at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE to an enormous response of LIKES and comments! Once again, proving that Cushing's interpretation of  probably the most popular detective in the world... is still just as popular as ever!

PETER CUSHING 'Past Forgetting' . . the publishing of Cushing's First autobiography . . 'Peter Cushing An Autobiography' in 1986.. was such a surprising and success to both him and his publishers, that another volume was quickly written and published in 1988, 'Past Forgetting' contained stories and anecdotes from his career before and after his time with Hammer films and his success appearing in fantasy genre cinema. 

MANY READERS FELT they wanted more, and maybe had his health improved, we may have also have received a third volume? A short time after the Peter Cushing Centenary in 2013 both the volumes were repackaged and published as 'Peter Cushing : The Complete Memoirs', with some new photographs... this book sold out within days, copies flew off the shelves in bookshops and drained the publisher!

ONE OF THE MANY positive things about the publishing of Peter autobiographers was, for both volumes he 'stepped out' and made signing sessions at book stores around the country. After a what was almost a 15 year period of quite reclusive living, leaving home in Whitstable only to work... Cushing was shocked by the love, affection and gratitude he received from the his public.

ABOVE: A LOVELY STORY from one of our followers and friends at the FACEBOOK fan page,  Jake! : RIGHT HERE!

FOR THE NEXT FEW YEARS, it was common to see him on his bike in his home town, eating in public and appearing on chat shows and radio.. writing the books would be and were indeed, as his good friend Sir John Mills told him, 'Wonderful therapy'! . .. So, I am curious as to how many of us at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE actually own a copy, of either or both or the combined book..and have read it? I have therefore, requested everyone to feel free to snap a selfie of you or your book and share with us at the page! Who would have thought, so many copies! 😮😀 Stay Safe everyone... love and take care 😉 - Marcus

 

ACTRESS AND HAMMER GLAMOUR GIRL CAROLINE MUNRO CELEBRATES BIRTHDAY TODAY!

PLEASE JOIN US in wishing actress CAROLINE MUNRO a VERY Happy Birthday today! A wonderful actress and an absolute sweety! Her Peter Cushing connection is of course her appearance in Hammer films Dracula AD 1972' in which Peter Cushing played Van Helsing and her co starring role in Amicus films 'At The Earth's Core' with Peter Cushing and Doug McClure. I know of no one who works harder on the convention circuit to make meeting her a special event! Many Happy Returns and Have Smashing Day, Caroline!

CAROLINE was made a PCAS FRIDAY FEMME FATALE back a few months ago!! HERE is the link to our MUNRO DRACULA AD 1972 GALLERY : HERE!

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! COMPETITION WINNER AND ROLL OUT OF NEW PCAS COMPETITION VINTAGE PRIZES!

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! CONGRATULATIONS to JENNY ALLAN the winner of our SHE Peter Cushing Autographed photo prize!! A very popular competition. Many thanks to everyone who took part and entered 🙂 There will be quite a few comps between now and Christmas here at PCAS. Lots of opportunities to win yourself a signed photograph of Peter and much more besides. Again, CONGRATS to JENNY and thank you all for your support..!

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: PCAS ROLLS OUT VINTAGE PRIZES! MARCUS BROOKS: 'When I took over the reigns of PCAS back in 1979, I also purchased the entire PCAS collection from PCAS secretary Gladys Fletcher, who founded the society, upon Peter Cushing's request back in 1956. Many of the items in the collection we have doubles and triples of. All of these 'vintage collectables' came through Peter himself to the society, so they could be used in the posted members journals and newsletters. Everything we have multiple sets of or doubles, I am now offering up as prizes, for you to win !! There are press books, lobby sets, individual stills. No copies or reprints. Most come with stipes or press info from the time. As well as those vintage memorabilia prizes, there are dvds and blu rays, collectable magazines, original contact sheets from Peter Cushing films . .. a LOT of items, so lots of prizes, some of which will be bundled. I am sure we are going to have a lot of fun together, me compiling competitions, and you cracking those Cushing questions and puzzles. It's going to be a busy time here between now and Christmas, so hang in there, stay in the loop and join in the fun..and good luck'

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  

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: HAMMER FILMS GARDEN PARTY

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#‎toocooltuesday‬ : On May 29th 2000.... just a few days after Peter Cushing's B'day... Bray Studios, the home of Hammer films was once again buzzing with the actors, directors and technicians who had once worked there and helped produced some of the finest films in the Hammer heydays. Only on this day, there was no film or work. Hammer had long moved on...

All the guests had gathered under the watchful eye and co-ordination of documentary maker, DONALD FEARNEY. This was the second of his BRAY Studios Garden Parties..Don went on to do one more even bigger event there...held on the lawn of Down Place, the very scene of the tussle with Peter and Christopher Lee in 'The Mummy' of 1959. The event was a hot ticket...only 200 places... if you were lucky to get one. It was also the 50th anniversary of Hammer films with all proceeds going to ‘The Ralph Bates’ Pancreatic Cancer Fund’. Over a staggering 80 Hammer guests attended, and the fans were kept busy collecting getting mostly free autographs and having snaps taken with the cream of the industry. Here is the roll call of just some of the guest who attended on the day: Veronica Carlson, Ingrid Pitt ,Freddie Francis, Julie Ege, Yvonne Monlaur, Andrée Melly, Michael Ripper, Suzanna Leigh, Caroline Munro, Oscar Quitak, Martine Beswick, James Bernard, Ray Harryhausen, Ian Scoones, John Forbes-Robertson, Francis Matthews, Aida Young (Hammer producer), Eddie Powell (Christopher Lee’s stunt double), Freddie Francis, Renee Glynne (Continuity Manager), Ralph Bates’ widow Virginia Wetherell (DEMONS OF THE MIND), Edward De Souza (KISS OF THE VAMPIRE), Dame Thora Hird (THE QUARTERMASS XPERIMENT) and many many others.

It was a day of glorious sunshine, though ironically, thunder and lightning finally struck at the end of the day. Very spooky, but how very appropriate and very cool! ! The perfect end for a perfect day at Hammer Studios. Sample the atmosphere of the day in this tv news report broadcast of the event. Were you there?





Footnote: This was sixteen years ago, and at that time the shaky future of Bray still being used as a production facility was as ever in doubt, but it had been just thrown a life line, which kept the studio open for a further fourteen years. Sadly, the studio lots have now been torn down, the studio is no more and in recent times the mansion house and grounds have been purchased by a private developer. The development of several apartments is on going, Down Place is also now in private ownership.

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#MONSTERMONDAY RETURNS WITH REQUESTED VINTAGE IMAGES AND STILLS

First request for our REBOOT of #monstermonday comes from PAUL CHADWICK who has requested images from TWO Peter Cushing films, HORROR EXPRESS (1972) and THE CREEPING FLESH (1973). Hope you like the images, Paul!

A SIGNED promotion photograph from The Creeping Flesh. Spot Hammer film regular, Michael Ripper in the foreground here!

Christopher Lee plays  Peter Cushing's brother, James Hildren in The Creeping Flesh. Here we see him trying to piece how he can...well, that would be giving away the story....!

A terrified Peter Cushing in The Creeping Flesh...and if you had seen what he has seen, you would be terrified too!

A RARE PHOTOBUSTA from The Creeping Flesh (1973)

Christopher Lee takes on a zombie Cossack in HORROR EXPRESS. The excellent zombies in this film gave us our first new convincing undead frighteners, since Hammer films, 'PLAGUE OF THE ZOMBIES' .

Peter Cushing poses for a promotion photograph  on board the footplate of the train that was used in the film, Horror Express.

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