A DIFFERENT DOCTOR WHO FROM A DIFFERENT TIME THAT COULD HAVE BEEN?

#MEANWHILE IN A #TARDIS, not that far away! Here is a FINE piece of 'imagine IF' art from the twitter page of 'Timeless Tim'! #PeterCushingISDrWho! I have no idea who did this work, but would love to so I could congratulate them. IF only. You can see how the whole concept would work. The image of Peter Cushing is from around the mid 1960's 'Frankenstein Created Woman' time, the lab coat 1957, 'The Curse of Frankenstein', a wonderfully appropriate TARDIS interior . . an the 1970's K9, is the cheery on the cake...it crosses all kids of era's, styles and Doctor Who periods of time Just like all the best episodes, all about time 😊 Over at the Facebook PCASUK Fan Page we are asking, 'Would YOU have WATCHED this, as a TV series??' Feel free to join in on the opinions and comments!

CONNECTING NICELY to the post above, here's a great photograph on set of Cushing's Dr Who in 'Dalek Invasion Earth 2150 AD' I remember when first seeing this pic when I was I my early teen and being shocked that the set was actually INSIDE the lots at Shepperton studios! Clever chaps, these film makers 😃

ALSO MARKED AT THE   FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE TODAY MAY 14TH is  the birthday of Eric Morecambe, one half of the most successful comedy team in the UK. Still missed, loved by all, with Eric's passing back in 1984, it left a hole not only in the entertainment world but also in people's hearts. With his partner, Ernie...they provided one of tv's longest running gags, 'Peter Cushing and his Money!'... he did eventually get it , but not until the boys, had a lot of fun with it, stretching over many years and several programmes. God bless, Eric, Happy Birthday and thanks for all those precious memories and laughs 😅😀 

ABOVE is one of my favourite Peter Cushing guest spots with Eric and Ernie! Peter has come for his money, paying for when he is first appeared on their show. It's ironic that the BBC wanting value for money, also show a clip from that previous show, in this one!! Eric's teasing of Ernie for being tight with money was really a cover for the reputation the BBC had for being known as notoriously tight and mean with paying anyone... except their executives, in the 60's and 70's! Times haven't changed....

YOU CAN EASILY jump on board the PCASUK Facebook Fan Page, by clicking  RIGHT HERE!. PCASUK, it's posts, features and competitions are open to EVERYONE, whoever, wherever you are!

ST GEORGE'S DAY: OBE THANKS TO SCOONESY SFX AND NOW THE SCREAMNGS STARTS!

TODAY'S #WATCHWITHCUSHING #FACEBOOKWATCHPARTY feature is the 1973 Amicus film, ''AND NOW, THE SCREAMING STARTS!' CLICK the blue link and JOIN and ENJOY the party, which will be LIVE from 10.00pm GMT today! 

IT WAS THE ONLY time when Hammer films, main competitor, Amicus, stepped into the same domain and era . . gothic and ghost story. Producers Subotsky and Rosenberg knew the way to save money that would easily be one of their main money pits, was keep the sets and locations, contemporary. Hammer were very good at recycling their sets and props, wizard set designer Bernard Robinson found a way to present what was an impressive studio lot structure as Caste Dracula one day . . and as a 1910 boat harbour in down town Hong Kong in the next! Amicus based their films in simple close contemporary settings. So close that, the seating was often still warm from the cast and crew who had commissioned and worked on that set. In the green room the coffee in the pot, was also still warm! Amicus were, cheap. Cheap as chips in fact. 

SYNOPSIS!

'This creepy, atmospheric horror film from England's Amicus Productions dispenses with much of the tongue-in-cheek presentation of their popular '70s horror anthologies (such as Asylum and Dr. Terror's House of Horrors) in favor of a more adult-oriented approach. The story begins in the 18th century, as a young stable hand tries to prevent nobleman Fengriffen (Herbert Lom) from raping a young servant girl -- who happens to be the stable hand's wife -- and for this transgression has his hand lopped off. Flash forward to the present, where Fengriffen's ancestor (Ian Ogilvy) and his wife (Stephanie Beacham), now living on the ancestral estate, are haunted by the servant's vengeful spirit, as well as the severed hand itself, which roams the gloomy corridors of the mansion.'

DIRECTOR FREDDIE FRANCIS often went on record stating he didn't know which was more lacking foundations or structure, the sets or the scripts! But, somehow, it more often than not, worked.. and worked very well. 'AND NOW, THE SCREAMINGS STARTS!'' released in 1973, directed by Roy ward Baker and starring Peter Cushing, Stephanie Beacham and Ian Ogily looks better then than your average Amicus film. all the exteriors were shot on location at . . Hammer's 'Brides of Dracula' and many others. . Oakley Court in Windsor, interiors at Shepperton studios, where for one time, they actually built their OWN set. Much camera time is spent mind you, showing it off!

I VERY MUCH LIKE this film, I love the Amicus 'wandering hand' featured in at least three other of their films, it worked for its keep! I love Peter's hair too, which was also made to earn it's rental turning up in two other Cushing projects, 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell', 'Orson Wells Great Mysteries' . . I have no idea why or how Cushing managed to get Subotsky to pay for it... and again on the subject of wonga, the screen time of the top-billed stars Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom and Patrick Magee does not exceed 28, 11 and five minutes, respectively. Subotsky was a master tailor and certainly cut the cloth, even though sometimes he 'passed on the buttons'  . .

HAPPY ST GEORGE'S DAY! Saint George is the patron saint of England noted and celebrated with legendary stories of his slaying a dragon and saving a distressed maiden.... Peter Cushing loved history, collected books, made model knights, created 'little wars' gaming props, pageantry figures, reproducing the flags and anything connected with connections or reference this era. He adored this whole time period, with chivalry, knights and medieval castles. He loved appearing in films set in these times too and always very much looked the part! Peter made reference to St George when he was awarded with his 'Order Of the British Empire' medal (OBE) back in 1989. Many at the time, thought he deserved more, Christopher Lee made a point of saying, 'It was too little, too late', he too should have been awarded a knighthood!' Maybe? But for Peter Cushing it was one of his most proudest moments. ..

Footnote: The whole process of the awards and honours takes years . . it often starts with an OBE and travels up, if you have been very active in charity work and / or good deeds. Lee was right, it was too late, but Peter's humbleness could sometimes be his undoing, he often challenged such ideas as 'too much fuss'. You have to be 'officially suggested' for such honours, and it always surprises me, who in fact kick started Peter's OBE application. Not a close friend, a well connected individual, business person or perosn in 'the know'.... it was Ian Scoones, special effects guy for Hammer films, worked on Dr Who, Blake's Seven and many many others films and tv shows uncredited . . living in French at the time. Back in the late 50's /1960's Peter had helped get him a job at Bray studios, he was a young lad and learnt his skills at trade with Les Bowie, who managed the SFX company who delivered most of the FX's for Hammer and other British companies. Ian stuck at it and pushed for the application and without him, Peter would not have been awarded anything . .

TO MANY IAN SCOONES is a name that would be associated with film and television special effects, working with the LES BOWIE Special Effects team and at the BBC. TV shows like the Hammer House of Horror show, Dr Who. Films like 1984, Thunderbirds working for Hammer films Bray studios, many films in which Peter Cushing appeared like, Frankenstein Created Woman, She, Night Creatures. Ian graduated from the Medway College of Art in 1960 and finding himself without employment, made some inquiries to Peter Cushing, who he had been a fan of, since he was a child. Cushing, in turn after meeting Ian, was instrumental in helping him gain employment with Les Bowie . . and the rest as they say, is history.

IT WAS SOMETHING THAT IAN NEVER FORGOT, that had Peter not helped him on his way, he may never have got a foot in the door, let alone employment, in such a competitive area. It was Ian's idea to sponsor the application, for Peter to be award an OBE, an 'Order of the British Empire' Medal, awarded by the Queen and government of the day, for services to the entertainment industry . . . Here for the first time on this page, is the actual letter that Ian received from the Prime Minister's office, telling him, that Peter Cushing was to be award the OBE . . . quite an achievement! Peter Cushing was extremely surprised and very humbled to receive the news of his award and Ian Scoones made all that possible! From 1994, Ian lived in retirement, first in Spain, then in Bulgaria, where he died on January 20th 2010, aged of 69.

TRIVIA: St George is also mentioned in Bram Stoker's novel, Dracula ' In the first chapter, the ill-fated Jonathan Harker is on his way to Count Dracula’s home, and has arrived in Romania on a very auspicious day. “Do you know what day it is?” asks the landlady at Bistritz. “It is the eve of St George’s Day. Tonight, when the clock strikes midnight, all evil things in the world will have full sway.” Needless to say, things didn't really get much better for Jonathan, from there onwards! 😄  Happy St George's Day! Please Stay Safe Everyone! - Marcus

 PLEASE COME JOIN US at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE TODAY!

JUST WHO IS BEHIND THAT EAGLE COMIC?

I LOVE this figure of Peter Cushing as Dr Who from his first Dalek movie in 1965, 'Dr Who and the Daleks' 🙂 It's playful and I think captures the intention of Cushing and the film producer Milton Subotsky all those years ago. This is the fabulous work of sculpture Robert Price, who we have featured here before. These photo's don't belong to me, neither does the figure, as much as I wish it did, it's one of Robert's many private commissions.

ROBERT SAYS AT HIS TUMBLR ACCOUNT, 'A great challenge to make and certainly one of the more intricate and fiddly pieces I’ve ever made. Never made a comfy chair before!t was very interesting working with different media- if you count paper as a different media. The Eagle comic came together beautifully. Many frustrations and dark-nights of the soul- fretting it would never be finished or good enough when it was complete. I’m very happy with it now and will be sad to let it go!'

WELL, YOU ARE A VERY TALENTED ARTIST and very well done, Robert! I certainly look forward to see and sharing more of your work in the future here! MORE please 😉😊 - Marcus 

THE GENTLE MAN OF HORROR : RARE POSE FOR THE PRESS PLUS RARE BEHIND THE SCENES ON THE DR WHO DALEK MOVIES!

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!

YOUR UNDERRATED FILMS OF PETER CUSHING!

OVER AT THE FACEBOOK 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 . . 

OUR 'CASH ON DEMAND FEATURE and gallery : HERE!

ON THE SET during the making of 'CASH ON DEMAND' gallery : HERE! 

 ONE OF OUR features on the DR WHO films of Peter Cushing : HERE!

AND ALSO HERE!

OUR FEATURE AND GALLERY on DR PHIBES RISES AGAIN!

OUR FEATURE AND GALLERY ON  Peter Cushing and Hammer films 'SHE' : HERE!

BEHIND THE SCENES of Amicus Productions : 'I MONSTER' Gallery Part Two: HERE!

CUSHING'S 'NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT' and 'ISLAND OF TERROR' Feature and Gallery : HERE!

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JENNIE LINDEN AND STILL TIME TO BAG YOUR ROBIN HOOD BLU RAY!

TODAY IT'S A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to actress JENNIE LINDEN who fought the good fight against the Daleks with Peter Cushing as Dr Who in 'Dr Who and the Daleks' in 1965.. Jennie had a VERY full and quite accomplished carear where she appeared in several notable feature films and television series. One feature 'Women In Love' directed by Ken Russell in  1969 with its  infamous fireplace scene of two men wrestling naked, was in its day one of the most controversial films ever made in Britain! Audiences flocked to cinemas to be shocked and scandalised.  

BUT BEFORE ALL THIS DRAMA and promise of super-stardom, back in 1965 Jennie played Barbara, niece to Peter Cushing's Dr Who in the first of AARU's big screen adaptions of the BBC television series Dr Who. The programme and it's most popular aliens. THE DALEKS were taking the country by storm, and DALEKMANIA had started. Sadly, when the producers decided to make another Dr Who Dalek film, Jenny's role was taken by another actress, Jill Curzon . . . Jennie also appeared opposite Lee Remick and Ian Holm in the film version of Iris Murdoch's novel 'A Severed Head' (1970). Her later film appearances included 'Vampira' (1974), 'Hedda' (1975), 'Valentino' (1977), and 'Charlie Muffin' (1979). Happy Birthday Jennie!

JENNIE WITH Veronica Carlson in VAMPIRA in 1977

JENNIE LINDEN is ALSO one of our FEATURED actresses in our FEMME FATALE series. You can find out more about Jennie's carear and her work with Peter Cushing HERE! This feature also has an extended gallery of images featuring Jennie in several productions and TV shows . . .

THE HOURS ARE TICKING but there is still time to ENTER our PCASUK COMPETITION and win yourself a copy of Peter Cushing's SWORD OF SHERWOOD FOREST remastered LIMITED edition BLU RAY from TWILIGHT TIME!  There are SEVEN copies to win and just ONE question! Go to OUR COMPETITION  HERE!

DOOMWATCH INSEMINOID FEAR IN THE NIGHT AND DIAGNOSIS MURDER! A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JUDY GEESON!

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to actress JUDY GEESON today! We interviewed JUDY GEESON back in the early 1980's, in her dressing room, at a London theatre, where she was appearing in a play at the time. She was sharp, bright as a button, and chomped her way through a pawn salad, as she regaled us with stories for our Marantz audio recorder and microphone!

JUDY GEESON had only worked with Peter once in FEAR IN THE NIGHT (1972), and Christopher Lee in 1975 in a film called, DIAGNOSIS MURDER. Thankfully, she had much to share on both. She also commented on his Cushing's laugh...and his pleasure on finding out that Judy kept a parakeet, and had a pet dog. She even brought the bird to the set of Fear In The Night, so Peter could sketch and paint it! It's interesting that most reports and reviews of Cushing's films that you read about, from this period of time, are usual tinged sadness, and concerned with Peter Cushing's grief and loss, of his wife, Helen. It's good to know, he did have sunny days, some light and shade.

JUDY GEESON was born in Arundel, Sussex, in 1948, Her father moved the family to London when she was 10 years old and enrolled her and sister Sally Geeson into the Corona Academy, Chiswick. Judy initially wanted to be a ballet dancer, but had to change course when she suffered from terrible headaches as a result of some of the moves. Acting had always been a great interest, however, and she chose to pursue this, making her first TV appearance in Dixon of Dock Green (1955) aged 12. 

HER FIRST MAJOR FILM ROLE was as wayward teenager Pamela Dare opposite Sidney Poitier in To Sir, with Love (1967) at the age of 18. I am sure you can all name your personal favourite Judy film... I will vote for Fear in the Night and To Sire with Love... but there are many others, 10 Rillington Place, Doomwatch, Brannigian with John Wayne and a HEAP of tv dramas too! Please join us wishing Judy the BEST of birthday's today!