FLASHBAK SADDEST FEATURE : STUNTMAN SUPREME EDDIE POWELL AND OSCAR QUITAK BIRTHDAYS!

A HEADS UP! Thank you to the several friends out there who sent me a link to a feature that has turned up on the nostalgia site FlashBak . . on Peter Cushing 😉 Here is a link to the feature HERE!

IT'S LOVELY HERE to see all the past clubs mentioned and a hand written letter from our founder and friend, the amazing Gladys Fletcher 😊 Also I've had a quite a few messages asking how to become a 'member' of PCASUK? Gosh, 'members' . . those were the days🌝 Sadly those days have also long gone, we do though have a this fab Facebook Fan Page fan page and super website 😉 ... and very lucky to have the support and interest of over 30K very friendly followers 😃😉Here below in the comments thread, for those of you who asked for info is the PCASUK promo trailer  HERE!... four years old now! Time for a new one? - Marcus

REMEMBERING EDDIE POWELL TODAY 😃 Here is a guy who who appeared in many many Hammer films...was Christopher Lee's favorite stuntman and stand in for the majority of his horror films. Dracula Prince of Darkness, The Mummy's Shroud, he appeared in several BOND films, Cushing's Dr Who, Daleks Invasion Earth. Later, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Batman in 1989... and not many of the fans of Ridley Scott's ALIEN, realise it was Eddie in the costume during many of the scenes and stunts!  

BLESS YOU EDDIE, you were a master and genius! PLEASE help us celebrate his birthday today, he sadly left us in August 11th in 2000. He has left behind a real archive of work and many friends and people who still miss him 😊 HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDDIE!

PLEASE JOIN US in wishing actor, 94 years young Oscar Quitak today! Quitak has a huge CV of performances and work which started in 1946, in As You Like It, to 1993 in the BBC TV series 'Every Silver Lining'! His Cushing connection was playing Karl in Hammer's sequel to 'The Curse of Frankenstein', The REVENGE of Frankenstein in 1958. In quite limited screen time, he successfully squeezed every last drop of pathos for a man who wanted to be cured. Thereafter follows a carrer that saw him appear in some classic television dramas and british movies. From the BBC Colditz serial, ITC's Man In Suitcase, Doomwatch, Ace of Wands in the 1970's, BBC's Z Cars series, and in 1976, 'The Last of The Cybernauts' New Avengers episode, picking up where Peter Cushing's Paul Beresford left off in 1967 with 'Return of the Cybernauts'.   

QUITAK also appeared in Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil', the Hammer return TV series, Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense episode, 'Black Carion' in 1984. The same year, he appeared as 'a doctor' in Kenny Everett's 'Bloodbath In The House of Death' black comedy, which also starred Vincent Price! Over four years, he turned up in various roles in Everett's BBC TV series and a total of eight shows!

OSCAR was married to actress Andree Melly (who is probably most famous for her role as Gina in Cushing's 'The Brides of Dracula' (1960) she sadly passed away on 31st January 2020.

FROM US ALL, a VERY Happy Birthday Oscar Quitak . . and many more to come😊

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL ASPEL : WAS IT GOOD FOR YOU TOO?

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MICHAEL ASPEL! 😀😃 Here's a man who has such a well known face and reputation on UK television, that when he appears on the screen, it's almost like your favourite Uncle, has come to tea! Aspel's career has been a prolific to say the least! Starting in working as a reporter for the local press, by the early sixties, he had become one of four regular newsreaders on BBC national television, along with Richard Baker, Robert Dougall and Corbet Woodall. Then becoming a regular face presenting BBC flagship programming like 'Come Dancing', 'Crackerjack', 'Ask Aspel', and the Miss World beauty contest, which he covered 14 times.

IT WAS ON A EPISODE of his weekly children's tv show Ask Aspel, where children requested clips of their favourite tv shows, that Aspel first worked with Cushing on January 7th 1974. The next time would be quite 'unexpected' and yet quite an event! After a long spell fronting his own very popular ITV talk show and the horrendous 'never ending' afternoon programme 'Give Us A Clue' that Aspel took over fronting ITV's long running favourite, 'This Is your Life' when host Eamonn Andrews died in 1987 until its run ended in 2003.

ABOVE: ACTRESS JOANNA LUMLEY and actor FREDDIE JONES, both who appeared in Hammer films 'THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA' (1973) with Cushing! Freddie starred with Cushing in Hammer films, 'FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED' (1969) Lumley also starred with Cushing in the very first episode of 'THE NEW AVENGERS' called 'the Eagle's Nest' in 1976.

DURING THAT RUN, Aspel surprised Peter Cushing, with his 'Big Red Book' on 21st February 1990. Cushing's 'This Is your Life' episode almost didn't happen, when the secret cover of surprise was blown a few weeks before the recording. Cushing never let on he knew 'he was coming!' and Aspel did a great job steering Cushing, who at this time could be quite unpredictable during live recordings, through an army of guests who had worked with Peter over the years. One surprise guest was Ursula Andress, who had flown quite a journey to be there for Cushing's evening. When she was announced and grandly made her way onto the set to hug Peter, he welcomed her with hugs when she made a reference to the film they made together.. 'She' in 1965. 'She who must be obeyed!' said Andress. Cushing suggestively replied with glee, 'Oh and you still are darling...What would you like me to DO?' which got a big laugh.

I BELIEVE IT WAS quite a task for the 'This Is Your Life' team, after much research and study to decide on guests for the show. Guests had to be special, entertaining, engaging and guaranteed not to run away from Aspel when he shock surprised them with the book and the evening's planned recording before a live audience, of their lives shared with the public. Aspel had specially requested Peter Cushing be used in the series, several times. The start of preparation and plans were almost uncovered each time and the shows were cancelled. Eventually, Aspel got his wish and Peter Cushing had an evening he would never forget! Thank you for that Mr Aspel ...and a VERY Happy Birthday to YOU!

TWO PAGES from Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee's scripts. BOTH from Hammer Dracula films. Cushing's from 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' (1973) and Lee's 'Taste the Blood of Dracula' (1970) BOTH films had a trying and difficult 'birthing' process . . I think for both Cushing and Lee, making a Hammer Dracula film, was a different experience. . . but it is now, both interesting and quite amusing how Lee and Cushing dealt with prep for the role, short-falls of the script, the detail, the dialogue... Cushing as we know, loaded his scripts with yards of notes, references, costume suggestions and anything that would aid him in doing his best on the screen.. he was quite meticulous.

LEE IN THIS INSTANCE, makes no secret of again being not at all happy with the contents of the page... or any page I would guess. Linda Hayden's Alice lines of 'Master, Master, you are back!' and her '(Whimpering Passionately: Love me! Love Me!) are given the short shrift note with ' Ridiculous Lines!' and another 'NO!' ... for Lee, it must have been extremely frustrating.

ABOVE AND BELOW : The PCASUK guide to 'Hammer's Dracula Franchise' PART ONE HERE and PART TWO HERE

I HAVE SHARED many times that personally I feel Hammer's Dracula's are 'films of moments' 😊😉 Some scenes are very good indeed. Others cringing. I am sure you have watched them all many times..so over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE I am asking, is there any scene, line of dialogue or sequence, that if you hand a magic wand, you would change today?? Marcus 
 

 

LUCKY PCAS WINNERS ANNOUNCED AND COMPETITION FIVE STILL LIVE!

FOUR OF THE FIVE PCAS CUSHING CHRISTMAS COMPETITIONS LUCKY WINNERS have now been drawn and you will find the WINNING ENTRIES and the COMPETITION ANSWERS here on the LINKS below and at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE, which was posted on JANUARY 2020! Congratulations everyone who was lucky to bag yourselves some superb PRIZES this Christmas 😀 There is ONE Cushing Christmas Competition that is STILL LIVE, Competition FIVE,  but it closes at MIDNIGHT GMT. So if you have not entered, there is still time to get YOUR ENTRY IN NOW! GOOD LUCK! 😮😀

THE LINKS TO THE FOUR COMPETITION RESULTS AND WINNERS NAMES ARE HERE: COMPETITION ONE!   COMPETITION TWO!  COMPETITION THREE!   COMPETITION FOUR! 

CUSHING CHRISTMAS COMPETITION FIVE can be found HERE at the Facebook PCASUK Fan Page and is OPEN and LIVE until MIDNIGHT TONIGHT GMT! Good Luck! 😊😉 - Marcus 

PCASUK CHRISTMAS COMPETITION NUMBER FOUR NOW LIVE WITH BUMPER PRIZE!

PCASUK CHRISTMAS COMPETITION 4#! IS NOW LIVE at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FACEBOOK PAGE HERE! You can ONLY enter the COMPETITION THERE! A reminder . .  these competitions are open to everyone... whoever, wherever you are! 

THIS PRIZE comprises of SEVEN DVD's... 1) Sherlock Holmes! A box set of FOUR episodes on dvd of #PeterCushing's BBC series from 1968. Included is 'The Hound of the Baskervilles', though by many to be the best tv adaption of the #Doyle story. Each episode comes in it's own case with sleeve. These are believed to be the only remaining episodes from the Cushing 16 episode series, as it was standard practice at the time for the #BBC to wipe tapes and reuse them. Win this competition, and they are yours!

2) 'The Amicus Vault of Horrors'! (region 0) Directed and produced by Donald Fearney, this 146 minute documentary has to be the most comprehensive doc on the history of Amicus films. Narrated by Roy Hudd and featuring interviews with Milton Subotsky, John Carson, #DavidWarner #LindaHayden and many others, you'll find masses of rare footage, rare stills and publicity material, with a script by John Hamilton and editing by Jim Groom, this fear feast leaves no Amicus stone, unturned! 

3) 'The Legend of Hammer Vampires' (region 0) Narrated by Edward (Kiss of the Vampire' & 'Phantom of the Opera' De Souza, directed and produced by Donald Fearney, this 96 minutes of exclusive interviews with many of the key personalities, along with unseen footage and rare stills, that cover the entire history of Hammer's Vampire films and the Dracula franchise. All sales stocks of this documentary are now gone . .. WIN your copy HERE!

WE HAVE TWO batches of this PRIZE for you to WIN. All you have to do is answer the COMPETITION FOUR QUESTION below, send your ANSWER to us, as usual VIA the #PCAS #Facebook MESSAGE BUTTON ONLY! If your answer is correct, it will be dropped into the hat and fingers crossed, pulled out as a WINNER on January 2nd 2020! Good Luck!

COMPETITION QUESTION: Peter Cushing first played the character of Van Helsing, in Hammer films first 'DRACULA' film in 1958... also known as 'The Horror of Dracula'. This was also Christopher Lee's first performance for Hammer as Dracula... for many the climax of the film, is the dramatic slaying of the Count, with Cushing's Van Helsing crossing TWO CANDLE STICKS, forcing Dracula into the light of the rising sun! Cushing is on record to have actually suggested the 'candle stick' idea on the set, during the filming . ..
but he has also given credit to ANOTHER feature film, where he believes he FIRST saw the 'crossed candle sticks' idea used.

YOUR TASK: NAME THAT FILM 😃😉

A) Laurel and Hardy meet Dracula? B) The A to Z of Vampire Killing? C) Home Hobbies: Making Candles? D) Berkley Square? E) Candle Square? F) Candle Shoe?

CHOOSE your answer and send it to us as your entry ONLY using the PCAS Facebook Message Button ONLY!

Have Fun and Good Luck 😉
Marcus

'THE NIGHT THEY TERRIFIED THE WHOLE COUNTRY' : BBC ORWELL'S 1984 INTERVIEWS

FROM 1960, Peter Cushing, Yvonne Mitchell, writer Nigel Kneale and director Rudolph Cartier reflect on the huge reaction to the live broadcast of the BBC Sunday Night Drama, '1984' aired 12th December 1954. For any television broadcast to prompt any reaction from the government at this time, was indeed quite rare. But watching Peter, Yvonne Mitchell and Morell here, gives a pretty good idea of THEIR fears too... To an extent it changed drama on the BBC and put Cushing into a another area of work all together, for many years to come... It's a short feature and certainly worth watching... 

BARBARA SHELLEY IN GORGON MAKE UP : THE FILM FATES OF CUSHING AND CENTENARY OF SHERLOCK'S NIGEL STOCK

FOLLOWING ON from the rare behind the scenes clips we shared with you last week...here's a question for you, again concerning Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee's Hammer film the 1964 'THE GORGON' . .. it's known that actress Barbara Shelley who played Megaera's 'other side' Carla Hoffman, was quite happy to also play the make up laden, three pound head-dressed Gorgon Megaera too! She also stated she wasn't afraid of 'snakes' if they had to be used in the head-dress too! It was Shelley's contractual commitment to other work, that prevented her from playing the role. The whole planning and design of the Gorgon make up had taken much longer than planned.. she HAD to leave and move on to other work.

BUT LOOKING at her in the make up, makes you wonder . . what kind of Gorgon do you think she would have made on the screen. A point that is often made on the hit miss results of the big reveal and drama of the ending of the film... has been, would it have been easier to except the dual identity, if The Gorgon DID look a little like her other identity played by Shelley.... Over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE, we've asked what do YOU think?

THE MANY FILM FATES OF PETER CUSHING . . . in his own words, text from his second autobiography 'Peter Cushing: Past Forgetting' 1988, Weidenfeld & Nicholson. Cushing had many a dramatic ending for some of his roles, not as many as his good friend, Christopher Lee though 😮😃 . . AGAIN, over at our Facebook PCASUK Fan Page, we are asking . . which PC character 'bow-out' do you find the most interesting, dramatic, emotional? - Marcus

A HEADS UP! a VERY popular series that kicked off  when PCASUK first came to FACEBOOK, 'The Twenty Two  Screen Deaths of Peter Cushing', wrapped through lack of time, quite sometime ago. For those  who enjoyed these posts, you'll be pleased, maybe . . to hear we are  picking up where we left off, in just a few days time 😀😃 Look out for additions to the series soon . .

TODAY ALSO MARKS the Centenary of the birthday of actor, NIGEL STOCK! Stock, played a superb Watson in the BBC 'Sherlock Holmes' television series of the 60's, with Peter Cushing as Holmes. Sadly, Stock left us in 1986, aged 66. The marking of remembering Stock today, is being well supported with comments and opinions at the PCASUK Facebook Fan Page. .  

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! Ok... The last time two of these people were on screen together, the set up was quite different...there was a table then too, but the 'lady' was the meal 😮What film was that? Who are the two sitting at the table and name THIS film too! Btw.. we posted the little insert photograph a few weeks ago, but no one then could site where that strange photograph car from...well, today you just might find the answer 😉 At the PCASUK Facebook Fan Page we are suggesting to Lee fans, they SHOULD now nail this quite quickly . . yes? -Marcus

MARKING THE BIRTHDAYS OF A SIR AND A LORD WITH PC CONNECTIONS!

TODAY 22ND OF MAY, has brought us the opportunity to celebrate the BIRTHDAY of one of PETER CUSHING's favourite writers and one of his close friends. of his early days in theatre and film . . .

TODAY WE REMEMBER Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who was born on this day a writer best known for his detective fiction featuring the character Sherlock Holmes. Originally a physician, in 1887 he published A Study in Scarlet, the first of four novels about Holmes and Dr. Watson. In addition, Doyle wrote over fifty short stories featuring the famous detective. 

OUR PCASUK feature on the BBC TWO PART episode of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' with gallery is BARKING AND RIGHT HERE! 

THE SHERLOCK HOLMES stories are generally considered milestones in the field of crime fiction. Peter Cushing played Sherlock Holmes in Hammer's THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES, then in the BBC TV SERIES and finally in Tyburn's THE MASKS OF DEATH As a cherry on the cake, Cushing also got to play Conan Doyle in a TNT 1976 film, 'The Great Houdini' . . thank you to Mark Iveson for Facebook PCASUK Fan Page that reminder 😉
 

FEATURE AND GALLERY on Peter Cushing in the BBC episode, THE SIGN OF FOUR RIGHT HERE!

A RARE JAPANESE phone card, depicting Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Stock as Watson from the BBC Television series . .

TODAY WE REMEMBER an acting legend! Laurence Olivier who was born on this day in 1907. Olivier dominated the British stage of the mid-20th century. He also worked in films throughout his career, playing more than fifty cinema roles. Late in his career, he had considerable success in television roles. Among Olivier's best known films are Wuthering Heights (1939), Rebecca (1940), and a trilogy of Shakespeare films as actor-director: Henry V (1944), Hamlet (1948), and Richard III (1955). OLIVIER'S LATER FILMS included The Shoes of the Fisherman (1968), Sleuth (1972), Marathon Man (1976), and The Boys from Brazil (1978). For his on-screen work he received four Academy Awards, two British Academy Film Awards, five Emmy Awards and three Golden Globe Awards. 

THE NATIONAL THEATRE'S  largest auditorium is named in his honour, and he is commemorated in the Laurence Olivier Awards, given annually by the Society of London Theatre. PETER CUSHING co-starred and was directed by Olivier in Hamlet (1948) with Cushing playing Osric. Another notable thing about the film although they shared no scenes together it was the first film to star both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, who had an uncredited role as a spear carrier with no spoken lines.