NEWLY SOURCED CHRISTOPHER LEE INTERVIEW ON SET OF 'DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE'

OVER AT UK Peter Cushing Appreciation society Facebook Fan Page we have just shared a 'cracker ' of a newly source VINTAGE INTERVIEW with #CHRISTOPHERLEE shot on the set of Hammer films latest addition to their DRACULA series, 'DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE' in 1968. Lee talks about his Hammer films up to this point, the make used in playing his first role for Hammer with Peter Cushing, the creation in 'The Curse of Frankenstein' in 1957 and how he thinks Dracula is NOT a horror character, and how difficult he finds it to play the Count!' It's great to see Lee quite sparky and at the top of his game! You can go straight to this post at the FAN PAGE on what is our WEEKLY Christopher Lee Saturday! :  HERE!

MORE DRACULA but of a different kind...TODAY we also remember actor DAVID PEEL who was born today 19th June 1920. There are few who have made such an impact as Peel. He only appeared in ONE film for Hammer films and I believe only appeared in one film with Peter Cushing.  

ONLY ONE ROLE, one film and yet, enter VAMPIRE HAMMER into google images, and he will appear in most of the pages. Despite the success long after The Brides of Dracula was made...audiences felt a little cheated that it was a DRACULA film, without Dracula!....I suspect that Peel wasn't impressed with either the film or the subject matter. It is good to see today and for the past few years, fans and critics alike now warming to Peel's playing of the Baron. It is sad he is no longer with us though, to see that reward . . .

AN UNHAPPY MAN, with troubles and issues. You probably know, he left the industry early on and went into antiques and real estate, but life for Peel was certainly difficult. We remember him today though, for that one Hammer film and the impressive performance as Baron Meinster, the boy vampire who certainly pushed the boundaries of vampire film!

THE RED NOSE YOU DIDN'T SEE PLUS SIXTY YEARS OF BRIDES CELEBRATION COMING SOON!

#CHRISTOPHERLEE SATURDAY! Here is something you have probably never seen before! Not something you see everyday.. and I am pretty sure, after some deep research over the past two days.. this may not have been seen by anyone! 

CHRISTOPHER LEE wearing a RED NOSE! The reason? '#ComicRelief - #RedNoseDay 1989' I know that this started in the UK and that the US have also been doing this for some time now too 😊. Las t year, March 15 was Red Nose Day in the United Kingdom and May 23 was Red Nose Day in the United States. For those who are not aware... it's a charity day called Comic Relief / Red Nose Day. Comic Relief started Red Nose Day in 1985 in the U.K., where it's an every-other-year event and has raised $1.2 billion so far. Millions of pounds are raised for charities by the public and celebrities of film, music, and TV who put a hold on their plans for a day or two and help to raise money. The RED NOSE has been a motif I think since it began. In 1989, Christopher Lee also joined in. Weeks before the event, a whole new gang join in and a new band of promotional posters, photographs and tv campaign promos appear everywhere to get everyone ready to part with their lolly and join in! This was Christopher Lee's contribution in 1989.. 

THIS YEAR 2020 marks the 60th anniversary since the release of Hammer films classic 'The Brides of Dracula' with Peter Cushing making his return to the big screen as Van Helsing Vampire Slayer in July 1960. Despite the title, there was no Count Dracula to be seen . . but there was David Peel's Baron Meinster! He may not have been Christopher Lee but I think he too managed to pack quite the punch, in the scary stakes.. no pun intended... as this great rare colour transparency shows! 60 years, wow! I'll start prepping and baking the cake ready for our party?? Over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE, I've asked you if 'Brides' one of your fav Hammer / Cushing classics? Feel free to join the chat! and comments! - Take care everyone : Marcus

IT'S NO JOKE! HELEN CUSHING AND THE SPOOKY ARM APPEARANCE PLUS DAVID PEEL AND LAST WEEKS TOUGHY ANSWER!

THIS WEEK'S TUESDAY TOUGHY! It sounds like a joke OR maybe there is a catch? Not so. Without giving too much away, all I can say is, this NOT about Cushing deciding he one day wanted a tattoo! I'll be giving you the answer NEXT TUESDAY. In the meantime, good luck!

THE ANSWER to last weeks TUESDAY TOUGHY is TOD SLAUGHTER, is the name of the  ominous face on the left. As JIM SHORTER commented on the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE Tod had quite the reputation as an English actor, who was best known for playing over-the-top maniacs in macabre film adaptations of Victorian melodramas. Slaughter made the films, for the most part, exactly as he liked, with all the larger than life, melodramatic acting of a bygone age, just as he did in the stage adaptions, in which he also starred. Born in March 1885 as Norman Carter Slaughter, during in his early stage career, hit gold and blood, when he appeared in SWEENEY TODD : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 1936. He had started to pave the way to his thrills and spills reputation when he appeared in his first film, as a villain the previous year, in 'Maria Marten or Murder in the Red Barn'. He followed these with further OTT adventures in films like, 'The Crimes of Stephen Hawke' in also in 1936, 'It's Never To Late To Mend', 'The Ticket Of Leave Man' in 1937, 'The Face At The Window' and 'Crimes At The Dark House' in 39 and 1940. These quota-quickies, quickly made Slaughter into a British horror star, almost in some ways, as a precursor to the career of Peter Cushing's . .

ABOVE: PETER CUSHING PERSONAL THE GAY INVALID THEATRE PROGRAMME AND SIGNED NOTE-LET INCLUDING ALL CAST MEMBERS SIGNATURES!

THE PLAY in which both Slaughter and Cushing appeared in together was THE GAY INVALID by Sir Barry Jackson in 1951. Slaughter played Professor Purge and Cushing as a young soldier named Valentine. Opening for two months at the Garrick Theatre, London in September of 51, and called, 'Moliere without tears!', it ran until March 24th 1951.

 

THE FILM that in which Tod Slaughter starred , that was later adapted and starred Peter Cushing was called, 'The Greed Of William Hart and was released in 1948 and was based on the gory history of  body snatchers, Burke and Hare. Director and screen-writer John Gilling adapted the story and  Cushing went on to star as Dr Knox, in the remake and retitled, 'The Flesh And The Fiends'  in 1959. Congrats to ALEX WILSON who was the only one to nail all three questions, at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE . A thumbs up to Phillip Jones, who did name Mr Slaughter though . . .!

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS WITH GALLERY HERE!

TODAY we remember actor DAVID PEEL who was born today 19th June 1920. There are few who have made such an impact as Peel. He only appeared in ONE film for Hammer films and I believe only appeared in one film with Peter Cushing.

ONLY ONE ROLE, one film and yet, enter VAMPIRE HAMMER into google images, and he will appear in most of the pages. Despite the success long after The Brides of Dracula was made...audiences felt a little cheated that it was a DRACULA film, without Dracula!....I suspect that Peel wasn't impressed with either the film or the subject matter either! You probably know, he left the industry early on and went into antiques and real estate, but life for Peel was certainly difficult. We remember him today though, for that one Hammer film and the impressive performance as Baron Meinster, the boy vampire who certainly pushed the boundaries of vampire film!

#MONSTERMONDAY! REMEMBERING DAVID PEEL AND HIS BARON WITH BITE!

#MONSTERMONDAY! Marking DAVID PEEL'S passing today, we present this vintage Italian (?) cinema poster for Hammer films, 'The Brides of Dracula' starring Peter Cushing as Van helsing, David Peel as Baron Meinster and the beautiful Yvonne Monlaur as Christina... It's a pretty neat poster, I think. So effective with so little, two colour and broad representation of the characters...with the voltage up on sex appeal as well as the fantasy...or are they the same thing??? Either way, this poster is one of my all time favs. What do you think?

#MONSTERMONDAY: TODAY we remember actor DAVID PEEL who we sadly lost on this day in 1981. There are few who have made such an impact as Peel. He only appeared in ONE film for Hammer films and I believe only appeared in one film with Peter Cushing. ONLY ONE ROLE, one film and yet, enter VAMPIRE HAMMER into google images, and he will appear in most of the pages. Despite the success long after The Brides of Dracula was made...audiences felt a little cheated that it was a DRACULA film, without Dracula!....

I suspect that Peel wasn't impressed with either the film or the subject matter. An unhappy man, with troubles and issues. You probably know, he left the industry early on and went into antiques and real estate, but life for Peel was certainly difficult. We remember him today though, for that one Hammer film and the impressive performance as Baron Meinster, the boy vampire who certainly pushed the boundaries of vampire film!

#MONSTERMONDAY! Here I've have scanned, TWO lobby cards you rarely see today, featuring David Peel. . .one from the UK set and the other from the US set. Both are tinted sets and quite rare!

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  

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: WHEN LEE MET BOWIE AND RARE BRIDES OF DRACULA PUBLICITY

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: WHEN LEE MET BOWIE! The Slim Duke Meets The Count? Would you have loved to have been a fly on the wall here? Both loved music, performing...worked in the film industry they also shared something else in common... Do you know what??

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: FOR THE PAST FEW weeks we have had a lot of requests asking if we could also have a weekly theme post day for posts relating to Christopher Lee. We  thought that was a good idea too, so as of this weekend, Saturday's will now be . . . 

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY! WE'LL STILL CONTINUE to post occasional posts through out the week relating to the work that Peter Cushing and Lee did together, but Saturday's will now carry rare images, features banners and stuffs, as you requested 🙂  If you have requests for particular images, gifs or clips, you only have to ask 😉 Good idea? Let us know below....

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: DURING THE 40'S 50'S AND 60'S  Picture Show and several other cinema magazines held a lot of sway with the UK cinema going public.  The films of Peter Cushing appeared regularly between many film fan magazine covers. Interviews, features, photograph spreads were prepared by the press office and reporters and photographers were courted and invited to come and dish up some angle of publicity, for the latest offering. Hammer films were certainly one of the British film studios that kept the magazine very busy.  And sometimes gave editors and writers exclusives. But the one above, is quite rare for a Hammer film. Not just a quick chat with one of the stars and on your way with a handful of glossy head-shots and a flimsy two page synopsis! The Picture Show photographer was allowed to take his own photographs, using the two love interest in the film, Yvonne Monlaur and David Peel. To suit the story angle presented by the magazine, and not disclose any details that may spoil the Hammer feature, what we get is bizarre fantasy angle to the very familiar characters played by Monlaur and Peel!  His Baron gets to bite her and she in turn gets to bite him back!  Ok it's the kind of thing that scriptwriter Jimmy Sangster would probably have shuddered at, but  in the realm of publicity, the PICTURE says a thousand words! And these are a couple of excellent excellent smouldering pictures!

 

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.

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!

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