'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... 

NATIONAL SURVEILLANCE DAY : ORWELL AND CUSHING IN 1954

TODAY is National Surveillance Camera day is the UK. When I first read that, I thought it was a joke! But no. So I have created a little tribute to the all seeing eyes along with and including Orwell's and Cushing's own historical statement on the practice of 'all seeing' for good or bad intentions . .. what is your thoughts on today's National Marking of the governments service, that LOOKS after us all?

A NATION IS TERRIFIED : LATE NIGHT LINE UP ON BIG BROTHER 1984 AND REMEMBERING ERINE!

#MOMENTSOFTERRORMONDAY! BACK IN 1954, Peter Cushing Cushing's appeared in a little BBC television drama entitled, 1984 . . .based on the novel by George Orwell. The show went out LIVE on December 12th and 16th December 1954. Such was the response to the first broadcast, the government at the time met at discussed if the show show be repeated after the initial broadcast.... it made a star of Peter Cushing, and sent his career in path that would change the public perception of the meekest of actors...

THIS LATE NIGHT LINE UP program was broadcast by the BBC in order to meet the huge reaction to the show. Interviewed are Peter Cushing his co star's Andre Morell, Yvonne Mitchell, director Rudolph Catier and the writer and script adapter, Nigel Kneale.... Television was never the same, and Peter's Winston Smith helped lead the way...... 

REMEMBERING Lttle Ern' 🙂 Born today, Ernest Wiseman, one half of probably the most successful comedy duo to ever come out of the UK... Morecambe and Wise. A good friend of Peter Cushing's, who attended Peter's 80th birthday bash and if the scripts are to believed... kept Peter short of his appearance fee, and provided us with probably one of the funniest and longest running gags, in the whole Eric and Ernie repertoire! When Eric his partner passed in 1984, no one looked more lost than Ernie.

BUT HE CARRIED ON, working, doing interviews, panto..until his retirement. The Eric and Ernie, even though they claimed it was based on their heroes work, Abbott and Costello, they were certainly stamped well, as Britain's favourite comedians, Christmas isn't the same without at-least one of their many repeated shows on tv. Happy Birthday, Little Ern, God Bless your short 'fat-hairy legs', and that 'join' you could never see.

How many times did Peter appear on the Morecambe and Wise Show? Which is your favourite appearance routine? and Do you remember HOW Peter Cushing finally managed to GET his MONEY??? You can find ALL of Peter's routines on the Morecambe and Wise Show in a playlist at our PCAS YOUTUBE CHANNEL PLAYLIST!

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  . 

#GETTHECUSHION! THE MAKING AND BROADCAST OF 1984

#GETTHECUSHION: Where it all began for Peter Cushing and his career in fantasy and fear. Although many are not aware by this point in 1954, Cushing had already many years as an actor in the theatre both in the UK, and the USA and a period in film in Hollywood. . . . soon after the two live broadcasts of this drama, Cushing would come to the attention of Hammer films . . . .

Please visit us at our daily themed posts at our

PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE and help 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.

ROOM 101 AND MONSTERMONDAY : THEY ARE WATCHING

#MONSTERMONDAY : O'BRIEN. A MONSTER? I've pulled one from the Cushing Gallery of Rogues this week, that goes back to a time before he had even dipped a toe in the waters of 'petrifying pics'! Andre Morell's O'Brien is at the centre of the story of Orwell's classic tale of the world gone to hell in a bucket, ruled by one Big Brother, leaders and others, who use cruelty and torture as their primary method of control. O'Brien is relentless once he gets our man Winston Smith played by Cushing, strapped to a table, in order to, through torture, make Winston "perfect," and to "save" him. But such is the 'power of love' Winston proves a difficult nut to crack..'My poor friend, you are almost well!'..and so with the help of the contents of 'Room 101', O'Brien plays his last card... 

'You once asked me what was in Room 101. It is there we have the means to root out the last lingering deception. What happens in Room 101, is the worst thing in the world. It varies from individual to individual. It can be death by burning, burial alive..or something quite trivial, not even fatal...In YOUR case, we both happen to know 'What The Worse Thing in the World'...happens to be....!' 

WHAT FOLLOWS SHOCKED the tv audiences of the live 1954 broadcast on Sunday 12th December, and also scored the highest tv rating in the UK since Queen Elizabeth's II Coronation! But furious critics and watchdogs complained and campaigned for the second live performance of the play, a few days later to be canceled. Michael Barry head of drama at the BBC refused to concede, the broadcast went ahead and recorded for posterity.

NOTE: JUST SIX DAYS AGO, (Tuesday) the New York Times announced that ' George Orwell's famed dystopian novel of life in a totalitarian state, was suddenly No. 6 on Amazon's bestseller list. On Monday, too, the book hovered between No. 5 and No. 7 on that same bestseller list'. . . It's worth noting that this isn't the first time "1984" has seen a sales spike in recent years. The book also hit Amazon's bestseller list in 2013 after Edward Snowden revealed the extent of the National Security Agency's surveillance program.

WE AWAIT THE RELEASE of the BFI REMASTERED blu ray of Peter Cushing's BBC production of 1984, Andre Morell, O'Brien and all.. THREE times the release has been announced, three times it has been canceled. Rumors put Orwell's estate to blame, for allegedly blocking the release (??) One would have thought that the BFI would have looked into rights issues before embarking on a costly remastering? Maybe that isn't the reason at all? Anyone one would think there's a force who doesn't want us to WATCH it...for whatever reason?? Are they WATCHING us too?

COME FIND US ON ALL THESE MEDIA PLATFORMS AND AT THE OFFICIAL FACEBOOK FAN PAGE OF PCAS : JUST CLICK HERE!

#TBT: HELEN AND PETER CUSHING STUDY THE DEADLINES!

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: It seems these days, almost every other day, television announces some kind of 'event' . . the trailer voice-overs tells us so! Back in 1954, the BBC's live broadcast of Orwell's '1984' certainly rattled the viewing public, forbidden love, Big Brother, rats and Cushing's Winston Smith's melt-down . . neither British television or Peter Cushing would ever be the same again . . .

 

JOIN US TOMORROW : #FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY : EVERY FRIDAY

KRISTEN STEWART IN 'EQUALS' : A YES IT IS / NO IT ISN'T BIG BROTHER '1984' REMAKE

Peter Cushing's portrayal of Winston Smith in the 1954 BBC production of George Orwell's '1984'... stills holds a special place in most Cushing fans hearts. So maybe the last thing you want to read are the words 'remake - Kristen - Stewart..!' Find out more : HERE

BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU : NOW YOU CAN WATCH BIG BROTHER : PETER CUSHING IN BBC GEORGE ORWELL'S 1984

WATCH PETER CUSHING AS WINSTON SMITH IN '1984'
BBC Sunday-Night Theatre: Season 5, Episode 50
Vintage Television Drama with André Morell, Yvonne Mitchell and Donald Pleasence.

 CLICK HERE:WATCH 1984