REMEMBERED IAN SCOONES: EFFECTS WIZARD AND CUSHING OBE

TO MANY IAN SCOONES is a name that would be associated with film and television special effects, working with the LES BOWIE Special Effects team and at the BBC. TV shows like the Hammer House of Horror show, Dr Who. Films like 1984, Thunderbirds working for Hammer films Bray studios, many films in which Peter Cushing appeared like, Frankenstein Created Woman, She, Night Creatures. Ian graduated from the Medway College of Art in 1960 and finding himself without employment, made some inquiries to Peter Cushing, who he had been a fan of, since he was a child. Cushing, in turn after meeting Ian, was instrumental in helping him gain employment with Les Bowie . . and the rest as they say, is history.

IT WAS SOMETHING THAT IAN NEVER FORGOT, that had Peter not helped him on his way, he may never have got a foot in the door, let alone employment, in such a competitive area. It was Ian's idea to sponsor the application, for Peter to be award an OBE, an 'Order of the British Empire' Medal, awarded by the Queen and government of the day, for services to the entertainment industry . . . Here for the first time on this page, is the actual letter that Ian received from the Prime Minister's office, telling him, that Peter Cushing was to be award the OBE . . . quite an achievement! Peter Cushing was extremely surprised and very humbled to receive the news of his award and Ian Scoones made all that possible! From 1994, Ian lived in retirement, first in Spain, then in Bulgaria, where he died on January 20th 2010, aged of 69. We remember Ian today, with thanks. . . 

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   

#HAMMERFILMSATURDAY: ROYAL APPROVAL FOR THE BARON THE COUNT AND CO

#HAMMERFILMSATURDAY: In a few weeks time, it will be almost 50 years since Hammer films were awarded the Queens Award to industry Award, a highly sort after and respected acknowledgement of a company's efforts towards the country's economical well being.

THE EFFORTS and contributions of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee were certainly a contribution to all that lolly in the UK's coffers. Here is a lovely GIF taken from news footage shot at the award ceremony, which Peter, Christopher lee, Veronica Carlson and many others from Hammer films attended...It was certainly a day to celebrate. 

THE AWARD is now in a private collection. Look out for our own celebration to mark that day 49 years ago, in a few weeks time!

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 reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

#SILENTBUTDEADLY: GAZOOKS A TRIPLE BILL OF GIFS!

#SILENTBUTDEADLY : HERE IS a great triple post of requested GIFS by you our friends and followers from here and our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE for this week's #SILENTBUTDEADLY! Above Christopher Lee is ready for business, and if you have seen the film 'The House of the Long Shadows' you'll know, all hell breaks loose from this point. 'The House of the Long Shadows' (1983 which marks first time stars Peter, Vincent Price, and Christopher Lee appeared in a film sharing scenes together! John Carradine and Shelia Keith also star in...despite what some say... a great little film, that has some classic moments, all four stars get their moment, it's camp, it's black, it's creepy, it has a wonderful ending, and it's worth seeing. This of course, is my personal opinion... what do you think???

IN 2012 We Celebrated  the HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS in style, sharing a BBC interview with you, recorded from the set of the film, during it's production!

#SILENTBUTDEADLY: This aint gonna be pretty! Vincent Price braces himself for the unexpected...or is it?? A great GIF requested by Paul Barton for this week's #SILENTBUTDEADLY GIF Gallery.

DID YOU KNOW ALL FOUR actors, Peter Cushing, Vincent Price, John Carradine and Christopher Lee ALL JOINTLY won the BEST ACTOR AWARD in 1983 at the SIGES FILM FESTIVAL? The Sitges Film Festival, is one of the world's foremost international festivals of film...

#SILENTBUTDEADLY: GAZOOKS! He just keeps coming. We KNEW there was something spooky about Peter Cushing's shop keeper in ''FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE' Turns out he is what he seems after all! A great addition to our GIF gallery requested by Phil Cooper UK.

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 reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: PEAS AND PICKLES, BRAM STOKER AND ERIC AND ERNIE!

IT'S A PRETTY PACKED #TOOCOOLTUESDAY THIS WEEK: We start with a #NEW feature, that will be appearing #DAILY here on the website and our PCASUK FACEBOOK FAN PAGE!A New One Every Day !Tell Us True or False and be Our Cushing Geek of the Day! ANSWER TOMORROW, WHEN WE POST TOMORROW'S ... Cushing Geek of the Day!

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY BORN TODAY November 8th 1847 in Clontarf, Dublin, Republic of Ireland… BRAM STOKER, creator of Dracula and a hundred thousand nightmares! Happy Birthday, Mr Stoker! #TooCoolTuesday

#TOOLCOOLTUESDAY: It's February 3rd 1972 and "Live" on television, all glitter and glamour, is the once-a-year event, held in the Albert Hall, when the film and television industry presents awards covering the whole range of the industry . . .. and Peter Cushing is there to present his pals, Morecambe and Wise with their Best Light Entertainment Performance Award, along with their writer, Eddie Braben . . . and no, they didn't bring him his money!

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: Here is a very 'cool' video where Vincent Price is advertising 'Haywards Pickled Onions' from 1977

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A SPECIAL DAY : A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY GIRL : GIFS PICS GOODIES AWARDS AND WATER HORROR!

A SPECIAL DAY.. A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY: Join us in wishing VERONICA CARLSON a VERY Happy Birthday TODAY!

ITS A WATER-HORROR MOMENT for Veronica Carlson in Hammer films 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) starring Peter Cushing, Freddie Jones and Simon Ward.

An AMAZING PORTRAIT of  Peter Cushing as Baron Frankenstein,  a great  example of Veronica Carlson's skill as an artist.

Probably the most suspenseful scene in the entire movie 'The Ghoul' (1975) with Veronica again cast with Peter Cushing . . . 

VERONICA CARLSON'S contribution to our 

Women In Gothic series : RIGHT HERE

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#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: ROY ASHTON RARE SIGNED PIC, FRIENDS SOLVE A CUSHING PUZZLE AND SPENDING TIME WITH PC IN WHITSTABLE

#‎TOOCOOLTUESDAY‬: PHOTOGRAPHS OF PETER CUSHING in his award winning role of Arthur Grimsdyke from the Amicus films, 'Tales From The Crypt' are quite desirable. I got this one signed in 1980, during the filming of our PCAS interview with the great Roy Ashton who was responsible for this 'ground breaking;... for the time... make up, . . Roy still found the fact the gauze material in PC's eye-sockets, was a swatch of nylon hacked out of a pair of sockings!!

#‎TOOCOOLTUESDAY‬: DURING THE LAST FEW YEARS of his life, living in sleepy Whitstable, Peter Cushing befriended a young couple called Judith and Nic Gadd. They wrote a book and published it through Peter Cushing's own small publishing company entitled, 'Spending Time With Frankenstein' and it's certainly worth looking up...though it is a toughie to find.. Here is Judith with PC taking a walk through town . . . I LIKE that hat!

#TOOCOOTUESDAY : HERE'S A COOL LITTLE PIC, in the file with no credits. In THIS WEEK'S #TOOCOOLTUESDAY, we asked if any of you out there might have an idea as where this pic was taken. I was guessing it could be a Spanish television programe..and then we got some very cool feedback on the thread where this  was posted on ourPeter Cushing Appreciation Society Facebook Fan Page  

Rafael Martinez wrote to tell us, 'The program was in the spanish television, when Peter was in Spain filming "Horror Express". The program was named "Opened Studio" (Estudio Abierto) and hosted by José María Iñigo (on the left)It was at the time of "Horror Express", not "Monster Island" for sure. The TV program ended about 1975. "Monster Island" was filmed in 1981. I knew Peter briefly on original locations in Northern Spain, when he was filming "Monster Island" with Terence Stamp. Peter was a dear man. He often smoked on location, with a white glove to avoid nicotine stains.

'Peter was here only a few days, for a brief sequence in a beach (Terence Stamp was a few days filming too). The film had a very low budget. The rest of his brief participation was filmed in a studio in Madrid (The beach was Otur, Asturias, Spain)' 

 

ALSO EMPTY HEAD wrote to us with further info on the programme and a Christopher Lee connection, 'Incidentally, the late Sir Christopher Lee was also a guest on the programme "Estudio Abierto", though I don't know whether it was this particular episode or not. (see ABOVE) Those of us here who know our Spanish TV shows will probably be aware of José María Íñigo as a regular participant on "Que Tiempo Tan Feliz" (hosted by the legendary María Teresa Campos). I believe he also does the commentary for the Spanish transmission of The Eurovision Song Contest.

 

SO ALL IN A PRETTY PRODUCTIVE and cooL Tuesday! MORE NEXT WEEK HERE and at our FACEBOOK PAGE . CLICK HERE AND JOIN US NOW!