#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAYOUR FIRST OF FOUR WEEKS Frankenstein Hammer Cushing fun! To kick us off
to start, here are four from a set of eight quite rare lobby stills,
from #Hammerfilms 'The Evil of Frankenstein'. These are the many
photographs you would usually see in the lobby or outside the cinema in
the glass cases. These particular original photographs were also hand tinted. They chose balck and white photographs, and tinted each set with liquid dyes. This was CHEAPER than colour photographs. Many of these sets were purchased by the manager of the cinema, were used once and then thrown away, after the film had played for it's duration in the local cinema. Colour transparency, were far too expensive, to be used for exhibition purposes, when used for only seven days!
Over the years they can fade and get a little tatty if not looked
after. These were in good condition, but have also been freed of dust
and slight damage of pin holes. They now, I think you'll agree, look
GREAT! We also have the first of a series of rare publicity and press
photographs, from 'The Evil of Frankenstein'. . . .
ABOVE: SEVERAL OF MAKE UP ARTIST ROY ASHTON'S DIFFERENT DESIGNS
AS POPULAR AS EVER, a clip from the PCASUK 'Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee: One Last time' clipped was shared on the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE today . . .
ABOVE: MY TWO favorite clips from the series. The first a wonderful story from Christopher Lee about VINCENT PRICE and, here second both Cushing's and Lee's 'black sense of humour' shines through, with a message to Cushing, from Lee's wife, Gitta 😉
From the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE: 'THIS WEEK marks the last time Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee spent
time with each other... as I am sure many of you know, that last
engagement together was work, and the recording of the narration of Ted
Newsom's Hammer films documentary, 'Flesh and Blood'. The date was the
17th May 1994, and both Peter and Christopher Lee sat to have some
photographs taken for publicity, before recording. What started as a few
questions, soon turned into an hour of candid and relaxed conversation
and memories. Thankfully, unplanned the whole session was video'd, with
a domestic video camera. We have shared much of that recording here, at
the pcasuk website and our youtube channel . . .
THAT PETER would no longer be with us,
in just a few weeks time wasn't expected. But, as far as Peter was
concerned, he couldn't wait to be reunited with his late wife, Helen.
Here's one of my favourite clips. As for more, you'll find them at our
youtube channel... and new clips, stay tuned for May 26th this year 😀 . . . and we all know, what day that is? 😉
PETER CUSHING POSES for a publicity pic around the mid 1980's during the
publication of his two autobiographies. Over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE, we are asking followers to, note the walking cane... 'now
which Cushing film was that used in, do you think?'
BEHIND THE SCENES GALLERY on the set of BOTH Peter Cushing Dr Who movies : Just CLICK HERE!
OVER AT THEFACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE today, we've asked a simple question, and have received a skip load of answers, some quite surprising! You may want to add your opinion too? Below are just a few of the many suggestions you have suggested, in some of our past features and galleries . .
REMEMBERING: Sir James Carreras, born today in 1909. Son of Enrique
Carreras, the co-founder of Hammer Films and the Blue Hall theatre
chain... and father of Hammer film producer and director, Michael
Carreras. It was JC who hit on the formula of '..design a poster for a
potential film, for the backers to actually see!' A simple but very
effect method. It is said that he, '..judged the success of his films
not by critical plaudits, but strictly on the basis of box office
returns.' Maybe so, but for a long time his approached worked, making
very large profits for the backers, giving Hammer films the Queens Award
to Industry Award back in 1968 and a loyal fan base that remains to
this day.
OVER AT THE FACEBOOKPCASUK FAN PAGE you can find TWO posts on Sir James Carreras birthday today, including a RARE interview form 1964! Also we are asking everyone, if the can NAME two of the people in the Carreras Birthday Banner above! Any ideas?
HAMMER FILM DIRECTOR AND WRITER Jimmy Sangster, once said that' It doesn't matter that he is
selling film, this man could sell baked beans, and his approach would be
the same!' During Peter's career, his agent, John Redway would only on
Peter's instructions, negotiate with Carreras. It was all based on
contracts, but also the word and handshake of gentlemen. He is
remembered each year by Variety: The Children's Charity, with The Sir
James Carreras Award. '...This Award honors the name of Sir James
Carreras MBE, who served Variety International with great distinction as
one of its past International Presidents. It is presented annually to a
physician who has demonstrated exceptional dedication and skill in the
field of pediatrics'.
WELL DONE, SIR JAMES, you are remebered with respect and dignity having
having archived a great deal and helped to leave us a huge legacy in the
name of your charity work, and the status of Hammer films
#CHRISTOPHERLEE SATURDAY! BY THE BEGINNING of 1969, Peter Cushing no longer owned a London home, when he he was working and filming at a studio close to London, Pinewood, Shepperton or Elstree, but far from the home where he and his wife, Helen lived in Whitstable in Kent, he would stay at Brown's Hotel in Mayfair, in the city centre. . . 'My favourite hotel in London!' . .and this accommodation would be included in his fee for appearing in the film. For the contract of the Amicus film, I MONSTER, he did not want to be away from Helen in the evenings so he travelled on the 'milk-train' from Whitstable at 6am and returned back to his home at 10pm at night. It was a busy time . . .
I MONSTER, was based on the classic Robert Louis Stevenson's Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, was filmed from October 10th 1970, directed by 22 year old director Stephen Weeks. Christopher Lee starred in the dual role. But Amicus films angle on the story, was quite different for those that had been released in the past. Some believe producer Milton Subotsky, was ducking copyright restrictions, as MGM owned the rights to the title of the the story . . and so, the lead characters names, Jekyll and Hyde. And so, in I Monster, the good doctor and his alter ego, Mr Hyde carried different names, Doctor Marlowe and Mr Blake. Others believe, Subotsky had heard that his competition Hammer films, were in the process of shooting their own production of the tale. Though I guessing if this was true, he had no idea of the secret spin that it's director Roy Ward Baker and the producers, also had in the wings, to give their release a new and refreshing angle and adapted title! Although Subotsky changed the names of the doctor and his frightening flip identity, most of Stevenson's other characters remained the same, as in the novel. Back in 1983, when PCASUK carried out a video interview with Milton at his home, he was asked why he changed the main characters names, his answer was, 'I thought it would be fun to try!'
SUBOTSKY ALSO WAS DETERMINED to make in film in 3D. Again, when he became an honorary member of PCASUK in 1983, and gave us access and several interviews, the subject matter of how he always wanted to make a 3D film, often came up. He thought a 3D version of Alice in Wonderland in a feature film would make an amazing release... and a feature about the London, Lord Mayor Show, would also be ideal! Sadly, he never got the chance, nor did we or he ever bring up the subject matter of the failed and impossible attempt to shot 'I Monster' in 3D too! Subotsky, before he entered the world of making successful fantasy movies, spent time producing a series of shorts, based on the 'School Boy Scientist' market. Subotsky LOVED science and had been aware a simple and cost effective way of a shooting film in 3D since he too, was a school boy. The process required constant lateral movement within the frame, making conventional film shooting methods and rules of thumb impossible.
AFTER A WHILE, the process was abandoned by director Stephen Weeks, and the fact that many of the sets had been built, the opposite way to what was needed, to achieve the pans and movements in the correct directions, made movement and continuity impossible or jarring too. The finished release still contains several interminable tracking shots clumsily cut together with static close ups. Despite the technical problems, Christopher Lee gives an excellent central performance.
CUSHING LOVED THE PERIOD FURNISHINGS, and wore some of his own Edwardian styled clothes for the film, which were specially tailored for him by theatrical costumiers Montague Burton's- and as a result seems completely at home in this era. His is even able to reprise the 'eye up to the magnifying glass trick as he compares the identical signatures of Marlowe and Blake.
DESPITE WHAT SOME SEE as tedious pacing, and the occasional wandering camera the film does have several startling scenes and quite unique turns from both Lee and Cushing. A nightmare sequence features a distorted, faceless Doctor Marlowe; there is a spectacular chase through the massive turbines of an Edwardian water works! Also the monstrously ugly Blake's pathetic encounter with a small child in a park. Make up artist, Harry Frampton creates an amazingly Blake / Hyde whose appearance with every arrival becomes more frightening and a true monster, in every way!
CATCH UP with our I MONSTER RARE IMAGE GALLERY PART ONE : HERE!
IS I MONSTER ONE OF YOUR FAVORITE CUSHING FILMS OR MAYBE YOU HAVE NEVER SEEN IT? COME SHARE YOUR OPINION AND THOUGHTS ON ONE THE LESSER TALKED ABOUT AMICUS FILMS AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! COME AND JOIN A FOLLOWING OF OVER 33 THOUSAND FANS OF THE PAGE! JUST CLICK : HERE!!
