YVONNE MONLAUR 1939 -2017

Sad News to report Yvonne Monlaur has passed away....

She starred in the 1958 Italian film Three Strangers in Rome which was amongst Claudia Cardinale's earliest films and in 1960 in the horror film Circus of Horrors alongside prominent actors in British film such as Anton Diffring and Donald Pleasence. In 1960, she also starred in the Hammer horror film The Brides of Dracula alongside other noted British actors of the day Peter Cushing and Freda Jackson and in The Terror of the Tongs (1961) with Christopher Lee.

Monlaur screen tested for the role of Domino Derval in the 1965 James Bond film Thunderball. The role eventually went to another French actress, Claudine Auger. After a string of German and Italian films, Monlaur left films to return to Paris. She continued to live there. Of late she has attended a few film conventions, which have included salutes to Hammer films. News of her passing was press released on April 21st 2017. She died on April 18, 2017, aged 77.

Yvonne Monlaur being helped with her costume, a suit of armor, on the set of the film 'To Live and Die a Fascist', Rome, Italy, November 12th 1961. 

 

Italian actor and comedian Nino Taranto, French actress Yvonne Monlaur and Italian actor Maurizio Arena (Maurizio Di Lorenzo) gathered at the Piazzetta of Capri in a scene from the film Avventura a Capri. Capri, 1958

HORRORS! ANOTHER BUMPER COMPETITION THIS WEEKEND!

PLEASE DO JOIN US FOR ANOTHER BUMPER PCAS COMPETITION 

THIS WEEKEND! 

HERE AT OUR WEBSITE AND OUR OFFICIAL

PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE HERE

MARGARET ROBINSON 1920 - 2016

VERY SAD TO HEAR of the passing of Margaret Robinson yesterday. . . . a very important member of the Hammer films in house company, and the wife of Bernard Robinson . . more than that, she was an artist in her own right, and the creator of beautiful paintings, marionettes and masks. I first met Margaret in 1979, as she strolled around a convention room, without a name badge. While queuing for a coffee, I struck up conversation with Margaret, but not knowing her asked, if there was anyone in particular she had come along to meet and chat with from the Hammer films guests. She laughed and said, 'Well, I was rather hoping someone would want to talk to me!' Puzzled and apologizing for sounding rude, I asked, 'You are a guest?' 'Yes!' she laughed, '...my husband was Bernard Robinson, the set designer for Hammer films, I am Margaret, I made the masks for THE Hound of the Baskervilles!'

EMBARRASSED, and surprised, I introduced myself and while quickly grabbing her a coffee, asked her if she would mind being interviewed? In a hotel room upstairs, interviewed everyone at the event, I was preparing the first PCAS audio magazine, and had started presenting my first radio programme at a regional BBC radio station. Margaret was the very first person I ever interviewed with a connection to Peter and Hammer films.

During our two hours together, she had a sketch pad on her lap, I thought she was jotting down my questions and doodling. It was only after the interview, she presented my with a beautiful and detailed sketch...of me asking her questions! Signed and framed, it's one of my special things. We kept in touch until five years ago. Always light, unpretentious and extremely kind, she had a no nonsense approach, and much empathy for young people and the arts. Her husband, Bernard who passed at the young age of 57 is quoted as once saying as saying, It's not the LENGTH of a life that counts, but, the quality'. In Margaret's case, she certainly had both...

 

COME JOIN AND FOLLOW US ON OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE : NOW WITH ALMOST 25,000 FOLLOWERS AND FRIENDS : JUST CLICK HERE

#ONSETSATURDAY: WIRES, HOOKS AND EYES LOOKING FOR BEHIND THE SCENES TRIVIA

#ONSETSATURDAY: Yvonne Monlaur is a shot from Peter Cushing's 'The Brides of Dracula' Poor ol Monlaur's damsel in distress Marianne Danielle, had all sorts of danger to avoid in the vampire's lair, Chateau Meinster... horrible house-keepers, mad Mother's, sinister son's..and CABLES!

  

#ONSETSATURDAY: The first of our on set posts today, on just how Christopher Lee got into that superb looking 'Mummy Costume' in Hammer films, 'THE MUMMY' co starring Peter Cushing back in 1959. . . 

#ONTHESETSATURDAY: Broadcast as part of the traditional SUNDAY NIGHT DRAMA on BBC television on March 6th 1955, Peter Cushing in his memoirs, remembered 'The Moment of Truth' co written by Nigel Kneale, Peter Ustinov as a particularly 'dry old stick'. It was according to Cushing a depressing affair, that not even the talents of director, Rudolph Cartier could lift out of the dull-drums. It was hoped that Cartier and Cushing would rework the magic they had made to great public and critical success just three months previous with their nightmare production of Orwell's '1984'. Alas, it was not to be. Pictured here during rehearsals at the BBC, Cushing as The Prime Minister, Walter Rilla as The Victor and Jeannette Sterke as The Marshall's daughter. The satire-comedy tells the story of a republic which is about to fall, while facing the threat of invading army with crippling government structure. Ustinov wrote the play inspired by French hero Marshal Petain and his political collusion with the Nazi’s and the events resulting in creation of Vichy France. This two hour play started life as a theatre play which premiered at the Adelphi Theatre in 1951.

PLEASE JOIN US AT OUR VERY OWN PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE, NOW WITH ALMOST 26,000 FOLLOWERS AND FRIENDS. JUST CLICK : RIGHT HERE!

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY : HORSE-DRAWN TRIPS TO DEATH!

#throwbackthursday: Here's a ride, you certainly want to pass on... Many of the Hammer films that Peter Cushing appeared in were Gothic fantasies, and set in the era of horse drawn coaches, like this one! Hammer films, hired from Mossman's, who supplied all their livery, coaches and horses. This is a Station Omnibus which was built in London by the Aldebert Company in the 1800's. This type of vehicle was popular with hotel owner,s who would use it to transport their guests between their hotel and stations....or to Castle DRACULA or the chateau MEINSTER! Not a destination you really want to reach!

THE SCREEN CAPS below feature this coach in both Dracula (58) and The Brides of Dracula (60) George Mossman, the owner of the Mossman company, often drove the coaches in the films, being a trained horseman....but if you are waiting for a cab or bus... and this one turns up...you might want to, 'wave it on'!

PLEASE COME JOIN US, ALONG WITH ALMOST 26,000 FOLLOWERS  AND FRIENDS AT OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE : UPDATED EVERY DAY WITH IMAGES AND FEATURES: JUST CLICK : 

NEWS FINAL CUT ANNOUNCES HAMMER COLLECTION FOR NOVEMBER

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: Distributor FINAL CUT are all ready to release a 5 Disc Blu Ray Boxset featuring four classic Hammer films plus a disc of extras. The titles include: Brides of Dracula, Kiss of the Vampire, Captain Clegg, Curse of the Werewolf. These releases are presented as a Hammer Collection, following their single release over the past three years by FINAL CUT. The discs are REGION TWO(2)The Box Set is due for street date release of NOVEMBER 7th 2016. Look out for the PCAS Competition!!
MAKE YOUR PRE-ORDER HERE

JOIN US AT OUT FACEBOOK FAN PAGE RIGHT HERE

ANOTHER GREAT GIF GALLERY FEATURING ACTION SHOTS OF PETER CUSHING

ANOTHER OF OUR POPULAR GIF GALLERIES, MADE UP OF GIFS THAT WE HAVE POSTED AT OUR Peter Cushing Appreciation Society Facebook Fan Page PLEASE FEEL FREE TO TAKE THE GIFS TO SHARE AND POST AT YOUR OWN ACCOUNTS OR BLOGS!

THE CHASE IS ON! Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) chases Baron Meinster (David Peel) through the Château Meinster in  Hammer films , THE BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960 Fisher)

ANOTHER SLAP! The is nothing more than that the Baron likes to do than make his point, no matter how morally wrong it might be, and his method of employing a slap around the chops, is a ploy he uses often in several Hammer Frankenstein films. He dishes out the back hander in the 1969 FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED , THE EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN (1964 FRANCIS)  and here in THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN (FISHER 1958)  with Francis Matthews, on the receiving end!

BURNING OUT THE BITE! Van Helsing takes to some pretty extreme methods, after falling pray to the vampires kiss, via Baron Meinster in Hammer films, THE BRIDES OF DRACULA (1960 FISHER)

KHARIS COMES KNOCKING! Hmay not be too quick on his padded feet, but he moves with the force of a steam train. Here's an iconic sequence from Hammer films, THE MUMMY (1959 FISHER)  when recently risen Kharis, played by Christopher Lee comes knocking on the door of archaeologist and tomb desecrater , John Banning (Peter Cushing). What unfolds is one of the many classic scenes both Cushing and Lee skilfully performed during their 21 films together.

THE CUSHING INDEX FINGER. Not action as such, but an action worthy of mentioning, as it's a gesture that appears in many of Peter Cushing's performances. Known now through out PCAS as a 'CUSHINISM' the using of the index finger, to express 'a point', this one joins a list of other familiar mannerisms such as the 'The Rubbing of the Back of the Neck' and 'The Rolling of the Eyes, and Crossing When Losing Consciousness'!! This one comes  from the Tyburn film, THE GHOUL (1975 FRANCIS) with Cushing's performance of the much stress Dr Lawrence.

MORE GIFS TO COME SOON!

VALERIE VAN OST AND THE GALS : MONSTERMONDAY FEATURE AND GALLERY

TECHNICAL DIFFICULTIES PREVENT US FROM BRINGING YOU THIS FEATURE RIGHT NOW. FEATURE AND GALLERY ON IT'S WAY

MONSTER MONDAY : VAMPIRES AND SILLICATES

#monstermonday They may have looked like great blobs of great porridge with a wandering vacuum cleaner pipe and nozzle, but the SILLICATES from #ISLANDOFTERROR (1966) had the kind of sucking power to leave you boneless! Coming soon on blu ray from #odeonentertainment!

#monstermonday David Peel as Baron Meinster on the attack in #hammerfilms 'The Brides of Dracula' in 1961. Even though Dracula didn't actually appear in this film, Peel's Vampire Baron gave Cushing's Van Helsing a good run for money. A superb cast with Yvonne Monlaur, Martita Hunt, Freda Jackson. See them all in  the trailer here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4bNmNniIDsk