EIGHTY YEARS YOUNG TODAY : ITS A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAME DIANA RIGG!

''WOMEN OF MY AGE ARE STILL ATTRACTIVE. Men of my age are not' ... so said, this amazing icon of entertainment last year. And you know, Dame Enid Diana Elizabeth Rigg, CBE DBE...does have point! Many actors from her era have either left us, or look like an unmade bed! We all know the Cushing Connection here, Mrs Peel in the Brit 1960's tv series, The Avengers, where PC played the very dashing Paul Beresford, a smooth operator, pushing all the buttons as romantic interest for Rigg's all action Mrs Peel and a finger on the button of death that commanded his deadly Cybernaut!

DIANA RIGG'S CAREER also features the splendid 'Theatre of Blood' with Vincent Price. She also worked with Christopher Lee in the Avengers episode 'Never, Never Say Die' in 1967. Also was the only woman to marry James Bond in On Her Majesties Secret Service.

CURRENTLY starring in the international hit tv series, Game of Thrones, Rigg is in no hurry to retire, and I think like Mrs Peel, she'll be 'socking it to us' for a while yet Happy Birthday Diana Rigg, born today in 1938.

YOU'LL FIND TODAY'S POST AND A WHOLE ARCHIVE OF OUR PCASUK WEBSITE POSTS AND MANY OTHER EXTRAS AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! IF YOU ENJOY OUR POSTS AND WANT TO COMMENT OR DISCUSS THE WORK AND LIFE OF PETER CUSHING, COME AND JOIN OVER THIRTY THREE THOUSAND OTHERS, AND TAKE PART IN THE OLDEST PETER CUSHING FAN CLUB, NOW ON FACEBOOK BOOK! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CLICK HERE  AND THEN CLICK LIKE THERE! YOU'LL BE MOST WELCOME!

CHRISTOPHER LEE AND VINCENT PRICE REMEMBERED TODAY ON THEIR BIRTHDAYS!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO VINCENT PRICE AND CHRISTOPHER LEE! You couldn't fail to notice that, it was the 105th anniversary of Peter Cushing's birthday yesterday? And today, as if that was enough excitement... we also celebrate another TWO great titans of cinema, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price! The GREAT TRIPLE A TEAM! This is always a special treat that I am sure most people who come here, look forward to every year, when we have a TRIPLE A OPPORTUNITY, to indulge and enjoy, and binge on our favorite fantasy films of Peter, Christopher and Vincent...and everything that goes with that! Have you enjoyed a Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee and Vincent Price FILM BINGE this Hoilday Weekend?? If so, share your idea of the PERFECT playlist, I am sure many here would appreciate the suggestions, to make their BINGE go with a BANG! Meanwhile... it's join us in remembering and celebrating BOTH Christopher and Vincent TODAY...Happy Birthday Gentlemen and thank you!

I HAVE MADE AND POSTED EXTRA BIRTHDAY BANNERS here, for you to use and share, if you would like to celebrate too! PLEASE spread the word!!

PLEASE CATCH our NEW LAST MEETING clip, posted yesterday on PETER CUSHING'S Birthday here and at our PCAS YOUTUBE CHANNEL 

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 reach all lovers of Peter Cushing's work AND Help Keep The Memory Alive! 

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  

#FEMMEFATALE! YVONNE MONLAUR REMEMBERED : A HAPPY BIRTHDAY WITH LOVE!

#CUSHINGSFEMMEFATALESFRIDAY! It's been my personal opinion, for as long as I can remember, but I consider this young lady, to have been THE most beautiful and talented of all the actresses that Peter Cushing worked with.... Earlier today we asked our friends at the PCASUK FACEBOOK FAN PAGE if they could name her. name her? It wasn't too difficult, because even at this young age, she was already displaying that, radiance that lit up the big screen, when ever she appeared on it. Yvonne Monlaur would have been celebrating her 78th birthday today. How I wish she was here to do that.  As it's #FEMMEFATALEFRIDAY today, I thought, it was an opportunity too good too miss, that we should celebrate her birthday, but also mark it with a feature here at the website. So, later today we'll  be publishing a whole FEMMEFATLE feature on Yvonne, lots of rare stills, gifs and much more, not only as a tribute but also a thank you to one very unique actress and beautiful lady . . . .Ahhh, 'be still my beating heart' . .sigh . . .

Yvonne Monlaur 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.

FULL FEATURE WITH GALLERY HERE! 

FULL FEATURE WITH VINTAGE STILLS GALLERY: HERE! 

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 the there until her passing in April 18, 2017, aged 77

FULL FEATURE WITH RARE VINTAGE STILLS CAN BE FOUND HERE! 

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  .

A NATION IS TERRIFIED : LATE NIGHT LINE UP ON BIG BROTHER 1984 AND REMEMBERING ERINE!

#MOMENTSOFTERRORMONDAY! BACK IN 1954, Peter Cushing Cushing's appeared in a little BBC television drama entitled, 1984 . . .based on the novel by George Orwell. The show went out LIVE on December 12th and 16th December 1954. Such was the response to the first broadcast, the government at the time met at discussed if the show show be repeated after the initial broadcast.... it made a star of Peter Cushing, and sent his career in path that would change the public perception of the meekest of actors...

THIS LATE NIGHT LINE UP program was broadcast by the BBC in order to meet the huge reaction to the show. Interviewed are Peter Cushing his co star's Andre Morell, Yvonne Mitchell, director Rudolph Catier and the writer and script adapter, Nigel Kneale.... Television was never the same, and Peter's Winston Smith helped lead the way...... 

REMEMBERING Lttle Ern' 🙂 Born today, Ernest Wiseman, one half of probably the most successful comedy duo to ever come out of the UK... Morecambe and Wise. A good friend of Peter Cushing's, who attended Peter's 80th birthday bash and if the scripts are to believed... kept Peter short of his appearance fee, and provided us with probably one of the funniest and longest running gags, in the whole Eric and Ernie repertoire! When Eric his partner passed in 1984, no one looked more lost than Ernie.

BUT HE CARRIED ON, working, doing interviews, panto..until his retirement. The Eric and Ernie, even though they claimed it was based on their heroes work, Abbott and Costello, they were certainly stamped well, as Britain's favourite comedians, Christmas isn't the same without at-least one of their many repeated shows on tv. Happy Birthday, Little Ern, God Bless your short 'fat-hairy legs', and that 'join' you could never see.

How many times did Peter appear on the Morecambe and Wise Show? Which is your favourite appearance routine? and Do you remember HOW Peter Cushing finally managed to GET his MONEY??? You can find ALL of Peter's routines on the Morecambe and Wise Show in a playlist at our PCAS YOUTUBE CHANNEL PLAYLIST!

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: CHRISTOPHER LEES MEDALS GO UNDER THE HAMMER AND ITS FREDDIES 90TH!

NEWS: Sir Christopher Lee's awards, including WW2 medals, will go on sale for as little as £100! Here's a feature from a UK newspaper TODAY. What do you think?? 'The widow of Sir Christopher Lee is to sell the honours he amassed during his lifetime, from wartime medals to film accolades and the badge he received upon being knighted.

Around 50 awards will go under the hammer, representing a remarkable screen career that took Sir Christopher from Hammer Horror to Star Wars, Lord of the Rings and a role as one of the great Bond villains, Scaramanga in The Man With The Golden Gun. The actor died in June 2015, aged 93. In interviews he was reticent about his war record, but he kept a certificate recording the fact that he was mentioned in dispatches in 1944. It will be offered for auction alongside his campaign medals.

Christopher Lee ,  Peter Cushing, and Veronica Carlson with the cast of Hammer films, 'Dracula Has Risen From The Grave' being presented with the Queen's Award for Industry at Pinewood studios.

The lots include the British Film Institute Fellowship Award presented by Johnny Depp in 2013 (estimated to fetch £2,000-£3,000) and the Knight Bachelor badge bestowed by the Prince of Wales when Sir Christopher was knighted in 2009. The star's Bafta Fellowship is the one award that will remain with the family. They will be offered with no reserves, allowing fans the opportunity to acquire a piece of memorabilia for a relatively modest price. The evening auction will take place at Spink's in London on November 1. Lady Lee said: "Christopher was greatly appreciative of the recognition of his fans and his peers, and these honours and awards adorned our apartment for many years, bringing him great pleasure. "It's fitting that now a wider audience might have the opportunity to enjoy them, and to celebrate so many high points of his life.

Christopher Lee was  awarded the BAFTA FELLOWSHIP in 2011 

"These awards represent a lifetime of dedicated work and diverse experiences, starting with his role as a young RAF officer in the Second World War, a period that went on to influence him throughout his life. "He remains sorely missed but his family hope that the forthcoming auction will be a celebration of his life and achievements, and a catalyst for future owners of his awards to have many happy memories of their own."

 Bestowed by Prince Charles, he became Sir Christopheri Lee Knighted in 2009

A percentage of the sale proceeds will be donated to Denville Hall in north London, a retirement home for actors.

Please join us in wishing #Happybirthday to the one and only Freddie Jones, who is the grand age of 90 TODAY! Freddie is an actor who is always a joy to watch. Always surprising and entertaining. His voice and delivery are unique, as is, his style and the line he follows in all his performances. Never the obvious, always the unpredictable path. There are have been many highs in the Freddie Jones career, but for us here today, we focus on his roles where working with Peter Cushing, brought us EXTRA value and entertainment. 

As the wrecked and manipulated, Professor Julian Keeley in Hammer films, 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' in 1973, to the pathetic and trapped Professor Richter in 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' in 1969.

Freddie Jones still works, as busy as ever...some would say wasted in a disposable soap opera... but disposable or not, Freddie has played the role of Sandy Thomas since 2005, and in all 552 episodes of ITV's 'Emmerdale', with the same level of authenticity and investment, as any role he has played since he began his long career back in 1960. Fifty six years, and still you can't take your eyes off him! Happy Birthday Freddie From Us All!

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY:! I LOVE it when you send in pics, comments, reviews...candy! This was sent in today by Mark Waddington from the UK. How many of you remember this magazine and this PETER CUSHING GALLERY????

 

 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