COMPETITION! TWO SETS OF PC BOOKS UP FOR GRABS WITH TWO GREAT RARITIES!

I AM SURE MOST of you will know TWO of these books, the one other maybe not. The first published in 1986, 'Peter Cushing An Autobiography' was reviewed at the time as ' Peter Cushing discusses his childhood, his early acting career in films and on stage, his BBC television work and his renowned years at Hammer, all with literary wit and charm. While Mr. Cushing's humour will tickle readers' funny bones, the everlasting love story between Mr. Cushing and his dear wife Helen will touch their hearts' It is I am happy to say, all that and more . . 

THE SECOND AUTOBIOGRAPHY , 'Past Forgetting : The Hammer Years' published in 1988 picks up from the end of the first, covers lots of anecdotal material from his TV and theatre years, he does dip into 'Hammer Time' but many thought at the time... not enough. It's a good read and links with Volume one perfectly

THE THIRD BOOK 'Peter Cushing' was edited and published by Donald Fearney in 1996. It's Mr Fearney...and a whole raft of actors, directors and friends paying tribute to Cushing, with personal stories and impressions of working with Peter. Every page carries one or more very nice photographs, beautifully produced with large-format glossy pages. The tributes include contributions from Ingrid Pitt, Christopher Lee, Joyce Broughton, Francis Matthews, Charles Gray, Barbara Shelley, Freddie Francis and many more. 

THIS BOOK RARELY sits on eBay, but when it does it sells for £25 and up to £40, depending on its condition. This one is mint! You can enter this competition either by sending your entry via email to 'theblackboxclub@gmail.com' label YOUR entry 'BOOK COMPETITION' OR you can zip along to the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE and send your entry via the chat / message box! Any entries posted onto the post or the thread below the post, will be deleted and not entered into the competition.   Good luck Everybody! Have fun!

ABOVE: IF YOU ALREADY OWN the Peter Cushing autobiographies, if you haven't read them yet... have you CHECKED them??? READ HERE!

ORIGINALLY POSTED AND SHARED HERE  two years ago. ANOTHER great story, with a Peter Cushing Autobiography connection: READ HERE!

WHAT WERE YOUR FIRST AND EARLIEST PURCHASES OR FINDS??

OVER AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE THIS POST is gaining a fair bit of attention! REMEMBER WHEN??? 😉 Here's a great question from follower Dan Barrett which he posted to us a few days ago! Here Dan's QUESTION: What are your earliest Peter Cushing discoveries? One childhood memory I have is of heading into my local Woolworths and finding this absolute gem in a bargain bin of vhs tapes: The Uncanny. Despite the 18 rating and being substantially under age, I managed to buy it unchallenged. I think I watched it, practically, until I wore the tape out. Cushing is brilliant as the terrified and fidgety eccentric author Wilbur Gray and there's a cracking performance from the wonderful Joan Greenwood. Wilfred Josephs' score is brilliant too (he composed music for The Prisoner and, although his theme tune was rejected in favour of Ron Grainer's, lots of his quirky score is used throughout the series). The Uncanny kicked off my love of Peter Cushing and portmanteau horror movies. IF YOU would like to join in the chat, just click that BLUE LINK at the top of this text!

 

ABOVE A FACEBOOK UPDATE ON OUR LAST PCASUK COMPETITION! We will be posting a FULL REVIEW along with SCREEN CAPS on the TWO SECIOND SIGHT FILMS AMICUS BLU RAYS featured here as prizes, ASYLUM and THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD' VERY SOON!

CLICK AND PLACE YOUR ORDER DIRECT! WHILE STOCKS LAST! 

WARNER BROTHERS AND 'FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE' PLUS MARKING THE BIRTHDAY OF JACK PALANCE

TODAY WE REMEMBER ACTOR:  JACK PALANCE, born on this day in 1919....everyone has a favourite Palance movie and there's many crackers to choose from..Shane, Batman, Sword of the Conquer, Hawk the Slayer, City Slickers...or even his performances as Dracula in 74 or Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in 1968.

ABOVE AND BELOW: When Canning and Wyatt were included in our Monday Themed posts, #MONSTERMONDAY a few years ago . .

A RARE STILL: PALANCE STRIKES A POSE  for the studio stills photographer, to be included in the press packs, this shot was not included in the edit of the film, 'Torture Garden'

ABOVE: JACK WITH HIS BROTHER, IVAN in the 1962 film, 'Sword of the Conquer'

 

THE NUTS AND BOLTS of the film and Cushing and Palance's performances is covered in our THE AMICUS FILMS OF PETER CUSHING : PART TWO SERIES! Click that thread and enjoy the skip load of rare images and photographs! 

THE CUSHING CONNECTION would his be crackling performance as Ronald Wyatt in 'The Man Who Collected Poe' story in 'Torture Garden' (Amicus films 1967) A man of few words off the set, he owned his own cattle ranch and displayed other creative sides as a exhibited painter and published poet.

OUR SECOND POST of today at the Released in 1974, Peter Cushing as the 'shop keeper' and Ian Ogilvy as William Seaton in 'The Door' part of the four stories that made the Amicus films portmanteau movie, 'From Beyond The Grave'. I have often thought while walking around Cushing's home-town of Whitstable in Kent, that on turning a corner, up a narrow alleyway, that a little shop called, 'Temptations Ltd' was going to melt out of the sea-side fog!

A WHISPER.... PCASUK is.. fingers crossed... planning a something quite unusual and exciting in that little town in a few months time.

THE FILM'S SCRIPT is adapted from four short stories by R. Chetwynd-Hayes strung together about an antique dealer (Peter Cushing) who owns a shop called Temptations Ltd. and the fate that befalls his customers who try to cheat him. Stories includeThe Gate Crasher with David Warner who frees an evil enity from an antique mirror,An Act of Kindness featuring Donald Pleasence,The Elemental, and The Door. As Warner Brothers still owns this Amicus classic, we have over at the Facebook PCASUK FAN PAGE been discussing, if the success of Warner releasing the Hammer Horror Classic these last few months, might make them think about releasing THIS long time awaiting a blu ray release, soon? 

 

THE LAST REUNION OF CHRISTOPHER LEE AND HAMMER FILMS?

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! Christopher Lee as, August in the 2011 film, 'THE RESIDENT' a role for Lee, that was seen by many, as a welcome return to Hammer films. The Hammer connection though, was also a very sticky point when the film was released. Many Lee and Hammer fans, didn't see or credit this roel as a RETURN at all, only that Hammer was now far removed from the lone and iconic production company of yesterday. Many argued that THE RESIDENT was produced by a Hammer films, that was a consortium of businesses, that it wasn't a sole Hammer film production and that Hammer was just a name! Does the fact that Hammer films had changed and that several hands were producing the films, take away the link between Christopher Lee appearing in what appeared to 'the public' to be a celebrated reunion? This isthe question we are asking today at the Facebook PCASUK FAN PAGE! Please feel free to join the debate, and add your opinion on this too!

#CHRISTOPHERLEE Saturday! Aged 85, and out and about in town in 2007, is Christopher Lee! 😊 Look closely and you'll see he is carrying some DVD's in his hand. Over at the Facebook PCAS FAN PAGE we've asked those of you who are keen eyed film collectors, IF they can identify the title of that dvd? 😉

 

CATCH UP with all the details on Warner Brothers REMASTERED blu ray releases of THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA and DRACULA AD 1972 : Reviewed : animated GIFS, photographs and screen captures!

BY THE WAY, did you know that the name of Dracula's 'hang out' Pelham House in 'Satanic Rites' was an 'in-joke reference' to Hammer films CEO Sir James Carreras home of residence, Pelham Place in London? 'Satanic Rites' was Sir James' last production with Hammer films.

ANOTHER HORROR OF DRACULA CINEMA POSTER READY TO GO UNDER THE HAMMER

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! For most Hammer fans it's known as THE cinema poster. It's a 30 x 40 inch sheet of vintage paper, that encapsulates every thing that was magical about British Horror films and the studio that not only rebooted the horror film genre in the late 50's, but made Christopher Lee a star and a household name. The studio was Hammer films, the named star was Peter Cushing, the film was Dracula aka Horror of Dracula (1958) The credits rolled, the title appeared, the blood splashed on the stone tomb... and things were never the same again...If you want to own this piece of that story and cinema history, it will set you back somewhere between Five and Seven thousand pounds sterling, at an auction taking place at WHYTE'S Auction House on February 3rd 2018. The last time another Dracula / Horror of Dracula poster was valued, it hit the over the 5000 pound sterling mark. (See Clip Below!) So, got your credit card ready??? Very cool . . .

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. 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'.

STARTING TOMORROW here at the WEBSITE and at the PCASUK FACEBOOK FAN PAGE #CUSHINGCOLLECTORSWEDNESDAY! Every week, a chance to download a piece of British Horror Cinema History. Some weeks rare CONTACT SHEETS, other weeks rare hi res colour transpaencies. Some weeks several items, others rare one off items. But ALL FREE!

AND FINALLY . . . Above this week's TUESDAY TOUGHY . .  ANSWERS FRIDAY!

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  

#MONSTERMONDAY: THE OBSESSION FOR POE!

#MONSTERMONDAY: YESTERDAY at our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE we focused on  LANCELOT CANNING... the Man who collected Poe in the Amicus films 'Torture Garden' .... without giving away Canning's secret to anyone who hasn't yet seen the film...I mean, what kind of man would do that???? Certainly gives people who collects Cushing film photographs and posters ..or postage stamps a run for their money, for sure! SO... Canning? Monster or Victim? YOU decide! What says you?

WE HAD SEVERAL interesting comments and opinions from our friends and followers at the page, including: 

M.JAY: I don't really think of him as either - just an obsessive; but what a fantastic episode to end the film on! And what a pairing of Cushing and Palance! I always felt this episode could have made a whole film of its own; but maybe it would have been too similar in type to the The Skull?

M. IVESON: Neither! I would say obsessive. He took his harmless hobby a bit too far!

T. GAMMAGE thought it was all about MONSTER OBSESSIONS! : 'Both Jack Palance's character and Cushing's Canning were driven by the need to own everything about the writer POE. I think Cushing was the monster here. He resurrected Poe from the dead, so instead of a well deserved rest in the after life, Poe was walled up in a room scribbling new classics to satisfy the collecting ego of Cushing's character! He was a MONSTER!  

AND J. MORROW: I have always thought that this character was one of Peter's better roles. So well done.

 

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DRACULA CINEMA POSTER GOES UNDER THE HAMMER

THE NEXT TIME anyone tells you Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Hammer films have had their day...show them this! The BBC 'FLOG IT' television programme, known for selling anything from, well... cinema history , your grandmother, etc..finds out what we all already knew... Peter Cushing + Christopher Lee + Hammer Films = MONEY! There are only FIVE Hammer 1958 DRACULA UK Quad poster in existence . .  . .

PLEASE JOIN US CLICK HERE AND THEN CLICK LIKE!