TODAYMARKS the late Kate O'Mara's birthday.... Her earliest television
appearances, includes guest roles in 'Danger Man', 'Adam Adamant Lives!',
'The Saint', 'Z-Cars' and 'The Avengers'. Look carefully and you'll spot her
in the crowd of ale swiggers in Cushing's / Hammer films CAPTAIN CLEGG. She also worked with Cushing in the film, CORRUPTION and in 1970, she
appeared in two Hammer films films THE VAMPIRE LOVERS and 'The Horror of
Frankenstein'. In the former, she had an erotically charged
scene with Ingrid Pitt, in which O'Mara was meant to be seduced; the
two women were left laughing on set, however, as Pitt's fangs kept
falling into O'Mara's cleavage. O'Mara's work in 'The Vampire Lovers'
impressed Hammer enough for them to offer her a contract, which she
turned down, fearful of being typecast!
ABOVE a smashing photograph of actress KATE O'MARA, standing outside the WATFORD ODEON CINEMA back in October 1970, posing with poster of Hammer films, 'THE VAMPIRE LOVERS'.
IN BETWEEN APPEARANCESin the BBC 'Doctor Who', she played Caress Morell
in the American primetime soap opera 'Dynasty'. After returning to the UK,
she was cast as another scheming villain, Laura Wilde, in the BBC soap
'Howards' Way' (1989–90). Kate O'Mara passed on 30th March 2014 aged 74.
HELP CELEBRATE the memory of KATE O'MARA with everyone else at the FACEBOOK PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY FAN PAGE. YOU can join the page just by clicking LIKE and never missing a post and join in the fun!
SO. STEVEN MOFFAT in his new novelisation of Doctor Who's 50th anniversary special 'The Day of the Doctor', reveals that the PETER CUSHING DR WHO FILMS, exist in the Whoniverse as actual
movies, with Cushing starring in big-screen adventures adapted from the
Doctor's "real" exploits . . . .
ANY CUSHING FAN WHO READS THIS SITE, would have seen the post we made about Moffat's attempts at making Cushing's-Dr Who, part of the party a while ago, from The Doctor Who Magazine. Moffat had previously wanted to incorporate this idea into the TV
version of 'The Day of the Doctor', with plans for UNIT's Black Archive
to include ACTUAL CINEMA POSTERS from the two Cushing films, DR WHO AND THE DALEKS (1965) and DALEKS INVASION EARTH 2150 AD (1966).
TWO EXAMPLES of the CINEMA POSTER art for BOTH of Cushing's DR WHO films that Moffat tried to obtain permission to use in the BBC episode, 'DAY OF THE DOCTOR' . . but failed.
"IN MY HEAD, in the Doctor's universe, those films exist as distorted accounts of his adventures," Moffat told Doctor Who Magazine. "Sadly, we couldn't afford the rights to the posters."
FOR SOME CUSHING ADMIRERS it has been a matter of debate and often irritation for years, that the MOVIES and CUSHING's 'DR', aren't considered to be canon, worth it and / or wasn't 'serious entertainment for families and children' now or even back then. . .! Really....?
WELL, personally I think many might have much respect for Mr Moffat, for trying what sounded to be quite an interesting angle. It's certainly very kind and generous, to include Peter Cushing in the novel though. But, it wont change anything and to be honest, I am relieved, the inclusion of Cushing's playing a character called Dr Who, didn't come to fruition. THIS Doctor is Peter Cushing's Doctor and as he said many times, QUITE different from a Doctor Who excellently played by William Hartnell in the TV series. It's Cushing's creation, not unlike his ABER PERRY from his AT THE EARTH"S CORE film of 1976. THIS creation, just doesn't fit anything that the tv series has grown and developed since the TOM BAKER years.
THE FILMS were made for what was seen as the young audience who were watching the TV series...and cash in on that popularity. It was as I remember, kids floating up and down the school playground and streets, with the hood from their anorak up, one arm extended, screeching EXTERMINATE, not grown ups? Over the years, I have met all kinds of exciting, warm, wonderfully friendly and open minded Cushing admirers, who love to explore and chat about his life, career and even the maybe expanded background, to some of his characters.
ALSO MANY PEOPLE who worked at producing the BBC's Doctor Who series and Doctor Who dvd / blu ray extras, magazines and merchandise. Really friendly and helpful folk. Sadly, I can't say my experience of meeting and chatting with some of the Doctor Who fans has ever been that enjoyable, particularly if the subject of the two movies come up!! Which is a bit like a fan of Cushing's Sherlock Holmes movies and tv work, getting a little weird about someone mentioning .. BASIL RATHBONE and his unique and wonderful performances also as that great detective!
IT'S NO SECRET, that Peter Cushing himself was not personally a fan of the tv programme, and found little to say about the movies, except he enjoyed working with the cast and the talent of Roberta Tovey. Typically generous, he made the condition that he would only agree to appear in the second DALEK film, if Tovey would be included too.
ABOVE:PETER CUSHING talks on PLAYING DR WHO in
TWO movies in the MID 1960'S
NOPE. Peter Cushing wasn't a fan and only ever made one comment about his Dr's prime enemy, the DALEKS . . he found them, 'Not my cup of tea. Daleks did rather get on my nerves' So, there you go. If Peter were still with us, I am sure he would tell us he is flattered, to be mentioned in the novelisation of 'The Day of The Doctor' . . . and then probably ask if we had ever seen that amazing, universally popular blockbuster film, that he once appeared in during the 1970's, called STAR WARS. .
CUSHING was talented and popular enough to have had three careers. In theatre for many years, when he first began, in television drama and receiving several awards during the 1950's and 60's and to a huge success in film on the big screen. He carved out quite a reputation for his appearances in adult supernatural movies.
WHENEVER HE WAS APPROACHED by his agent, John Redway, about a appearing in something that wasn't a horror film, he had a simple rule and method he used before, signing on the line. 'Would children like to see me in this?' He agreed to appearing in At The Earth's Core and Star Wars, using this very technique, and mentioned doing so in many interviews. I am pretty sure, he applied it to the 'Yea and Nay' of making the Dr Who films too. 'I am making them for children, because it's pretty obvious, they are intended for a young audience!' Children. . . In the words of Cushing's Dr Who, 'Fascinating!' . . .
FINALLY for those of you back home in the UK, I would love to bring to your attention , what sounds like a real TREAT. I personally greatly admirer the work of the actor LON CHANEY jr and I am more than a bit annoyed I am missing 'Cursed Horror: 'Son of Dracula' Talk and Film Screening presented by Mark Iveson at the NEWCASTLE CASTLE THIS SATURDAY, April 14th starting 6pm until 8pm. Here is the FACEBOOK LINK to an evening that sounds like it's going to be a lot of fun.
. . . Join author and horror expert Mark Iveson to find out more about the screen legend ahead of a film screening. The definitive Wolf Man who scared many a young woman during his horror reign during the forties, Lon Chaney’s greatest fear stemmed from the shadow of his famous father, and whose own insecurities were hidden behind an abrasive personality and a dependence on alcohol, the latter of which would eventually destroy him. Our talk centres on the rise and fall of this horror great . . . .
AS WELL AS producing a fine book entitled, CURSED HORROR STARS on the lives of Bela Lugosi, Peter Lorre, Robert Quarry and Basil Rathbone, he has also written some excellent features for this website, called THE GREATEST PETER CUSHING FILMS NEVER MADE!, full of facts, stories and 'what it could have looked like' images of blu ray box and cinema stills and posters, had those films ever seen the light of day! Mark certainly knows his stuff, writes and presents well researched detail and backgrounds on his subjects, and isn't in the business of character assassinations, of the people his is presenting, even if it is warts and all. If you are looking for a fine night out, in the company of Chaney and one of his all time BEST movies, go grab your ticket NOW!
TODAY WE REMEMBER and mark the BIRTHDAY of the, really quite amazing actor, George Pastell! George was a Cypriot character actor in many many British films and television programs. But his real name was in fact, Nino Pastellides. Although Greek, he was often cast by Hammer Film
Productions as Eastern characters such as Mehemet Bey in The Mummy
(1959) with Peter Cushing AND Christopher Lee; also the High Priest of Kali in The Stranglers of Bombay (1960); and
Hashmi Bey in The Curse of the Mummy's Tomb (1964). He also appeared with Michael Gough in Konga in 1961. George
made his film debut in Give Us This Day (1949), under his real name of
Nino Pastellides, and went onto carve out a career as villains in film
and television.
GEORGE'S exotic looks often saw him cast in spy movies of the 1960's such as
From Russia with Love (1963); Licensed to Kill (1965); A Man Could Get
Killed (1966); That Riviera Touch (1966); and Deadlier Than the Male
(1967). He did very much LOOK the roles! As well as these film roles, he could also be seen as 'the villain' in
numerous LEW GRADE television series of the sixties including Danger Man; The
Avengers; the BBC Doctor Who; The Champions; The Saint; and Department S.
PASTELLLIDES was also most prolific, however, in his voice-over work.
He worked replacing hundreds of other actors' voices, some very of them, very famous actors. Many films such as El Cid (1961) as "Fañez"; 'You Only Live Twice'
(1967) he voiced over, Tiger Tanaka; and in 'Doctor Zhivago' (1965) he voiced the character of Rita Tushingham's boyfriend, which earned him the
sobriquet the 'Paul Frees' of Britain.
GEORGE sadly passed on April 4th 1976, in Dade County, Florida, USA. It's pretty amazing how many roles, Pastell played through the years. But for many, his Hammer film roles, and the role of Mehemet Bey in The Mummy, is one of the most favorite. Happy Birthday, GEORGE. You are remembered and respected, very well!
YOUR TUESDAY TOUGHIE FOR THIS WEEK! HAVE FUN!
CINEFICION is a magazine I have mentioned here before. The above GIF is permanently, featured in the side column of this website too. I came across this magazine and the extra publications, that have been edited by superb DARIO LAVIA, about a year and half ago. I have been impressed by them all. Since I started managing PCAS here and on FACEBOOK, we have been approached by many fanzines, magazines and comics for either rare photographs or contributions to those asking. I have sadly, turned them all down. The reason? Most fanzines today, are purely REPEATING what other zines have done, MANY TIMES before them. The prices of zines are not cheap today, and many have closed and slipped away. CINEFICCION gets my interest because LAVIA comes at it, with a passion! PLUS he likes VISUALS. He makes the room for many. Many of them are in colour too!
THAT THE PUBLICATIONS are printed and written in SPANISH doesn't put me off at all, even though I don't speak Spanish. For me, visually the publications, click ALL my boxes! I get fed up, with fanzines and books, REPRINTING old photos and images they have also posted before. Many of these editors DO OWN rare images, but choose that only a few or or NONE are printed and shared with their buyers. NOT DARIO! That clicks my box. So much so, that last year I announced that our ENTIRE rare audio and video PCAS archive will be GIVEN to DARIO and his publications . . . for free! Masses of interviews from STAR actors, sadly no longer with us, actresses and directors will be given to Dario and the CINEFICCION publications, for their exclusive use. There will be many images and photographs too. I hope that this will help the content . .THIS WEEK I will be GIVING AWAY several FREE issues, so you can win em and see em, yourself! Keep a LOOK OUT!
IF YOU HAVE NEVER purchased any of the publications, here is a link to the CINEFICCION website. If you TOO don't speak Spanish... if visuals are your thing too, THIS will make you happy! Support these publications and purchase YOUR copies too! HERE is the CINEFICCION website: HERE!
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
VERY SAD to hear that actor, Peter Wyngarde has passed . .
The Innocents, Jason King, Department S, The Avengers, Night of the
Eagle . . they are just the ones I can think of, that I watch quite
regularly. He did work with Peter Cushing in the big cinema event that
was 'Alexander the Great' in 1956. He played Pausanias and Cushing,
General Memnon.
Peter Wyngarde was believed to have been 84 years young, when he passed on Monday January 15th. Sleep well, Mr Wyngarde . . .
FEATURE AND GALLERY ON 'THE INNOCENTS' starring DEBORAH KERR, PETER WYNGARDE and MICHAEL REDGRAVE at our supplement website :THEBLACKBOXCLUB.COM
AN 'THE INNOCENTS' USA lobby card, fearing DEBORAH KERR and the late PETER WYNGRADE.
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
