TO WHOM DOES THIS TROOP OF MODEL SOLDIERS BELONG?? THE TUESDAY TOUGHY!

CAN YOU TAKE A GUESS AT WHO OWNS the collection of MODEL SOLDIERS that Peter Cushing is setting up at a PUBLIC DISPLAY back in 1960? Below a rare and edited clipping from a UK newspaper, in which a small feature appeared about this PUBLIC DISPLAY at the time! We'll share the whole clipping and the ANSWER NEXT TUESDAY!  Have FUN!

LAST WEEKS TUESDAY TOUGHY, really did prove to be QUITE a tough one! Lots of interesting answers, but not one that was correct! The ANSWER was 'The HELLFIRE CLUB' from 1961, in which Peter played, MR MERRYWEATHER. The story and screenplay was written by JIMMY SANGSTER, who wrote so many of Cushing's best scripts, for his roles with Hammer films . . . despite, what Cushing once stated!!!!

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#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: THE MODEL PERFECTIONIST : NO SMALL TIME HOBBY

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! I have made this #BANNER using a series of promotional photographs that were commissioned by the #HAMMERFILMS  press office, during the publicity campaign of their fourth #FRANKENSTEIN film with Cushing, 'Frankenstein Created Woman' with Susan Denberg. It's true, while the good Baron was very great at making 'Monsters', Cushing was quite an accomplished and expert model maker. 

EVERYTHING FROM his model soldiers, used in his #WARGAME past-time, model aircraft, ships, boats, houses and theater's . . . particularly theaters. After Cushing's death all of his model work, was auctioned to help pay his DEATH TAX bill..a REAL horror story... of the eight or nine that still existed, displayed and fully functional in the attic studio workshop at his Whitstable home, some are now in the 'eat you heart out collectors' MEGA COLLECTION, of huge Cushing fan and director, Guillermo del Toro Gómez. Each of the theaters, consisted of a proscenium arch, scenery, tabs, curtains, actors, props and a fully operational lighting system, complete with lightning board. 

I HAVE LABELLED  the photographs, with close up images, so you can see the amazing eye for detail and authenticity that Cushing really had. Take a look at the handmade GOBO light, with different colored gels and working selection motor. The lighting positioned at the rear of the set in photograph C, a shows that colored lighting gel, was positioned over the lamps, so that the light source on the model stage, depicted daylight! I have no idea just how much the theaters sold for, but from his telephone bidding on the day, it's known their was huge interest in the theaters, and the 'lolly' that went under the hammer, was big bucks.

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#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: CUSHING'S MODEL THEATRES AND HISTORICAL SCENES

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: WE ARE turning back the clock to the 1950's and 60's, when it seemed that Peter Cushing was not only appearing on either one or both TV stations in the UK, every other night, but also a time, when not working, he was very busy at home. Cushing had been a prolific model maker, in the sense that, he not only made the figures, historical and theatrical, he also made the theater's, the sets, the buildings, all in miniature. The materials were wood, paint, plaster, clay and paper-mach. Sadly, when his wife Helen, died in 1971, Cushing decided that the time of creative pastimes and hobbies, had little interest to him. Much of his huge collection of model theaters, soldiers, paintings and a vast array of collectable books, stamps, postcards and collectables, were the past. There they sat, in his loft studio at what had been his home and Helen's since the late 1950's. 

After Cushing's passing in 1994, a levy of Death Tax was to be paid and much of what made his private collection and creations from his hobbies, were put up for auction. Thousands of lots, containing furniture, clothes and the entire Cushing collection, were put under the hammer...Everything must go. And it did.

Above the MODEL THEATRES depicting scenes from productions and history are as follows. 

A: An Egyptian Palace scene set suitable for Cleopatra or The Mummy. The scene is fully lit, signed by Peter Cushing 1969.  A magnificent vignette of Antony & Cleopatra reclining on a tiger skin draped couch with their entourage.

B: The Wheel and Poop Deck of a 18th /19th Century British [man of war] ship, fully lit. Figures in British naval dress of the 18th /19th Century individually modeled and painted by Peter Cushing.

C:  Set for Journey`s End by R.C. Sherriff, a British dugout, March 1918 before St Quentin, the trench section is fully lit, signed by Peter Cushing in 1967.Cast of actors in WWI British uniform individually modeled and painted 54mm foot figures comprising: 7 officers and men. This scene would have been of special interest to Peter. Journey's End was the production he had wanted to appear in, since he had been a young actor... but never did. 

The rows of INDIVIDUAL FIGURES, created and painted by Peter Cushing are TOP:  Medieval period royalty - foot figures of: Mathilda of Flanders, King John, William 1, Henry II & Richard 1. MIDDLE: A collection of historical figures comprising: Ancient to Medieval period foot figures of 2 x Vikings, Hengist, Canute, & Alfred the Great. BOTTOM: Signing the Magna Carta - foot figures of: King John, Clergy, Knights & Barons. 

TRUE OR FALSE ON THAT THUMB : THE ANSWER!

OUR LAST CUSHING FACTOID: It sounded like the most improbable of all of our FACTOIDS so far, but yup you can spot that little pinky nail, if you look for it in all of Cushing's films. And as one or two of you have said already, you don't know how you missed it, but you'll certainly be looking for it!

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CUSHING'S: HOW OUR CELEBRATED COUPLE ENJOYED THE FESTIVE SEASON THROUGH THE YEARS.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CUSHING'S 1#: During times of 'resting' Peter made some earnings by decorating head scarves. Something that was part of his many hobbies became a source of income in the mid 1940's...one such headscarf he discovered was owned by one of the Royal family! The one we feature here was featured in many magazines, it was one of the most decorated...which her eventually presented to his wife, Helen as a Christmas gift in 1946.. Below Peter and Helen with THAT headscarf..and the note that accompanier that gift, Christmas 1946....

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CUSHING'S 2#: It's Christmas 1956 and this year along with Peter's traditional skilfully hand crafted Christmas card, Helen gets another one via the Midland Bank...with no doubt a Christmas cheque! The inscription reads, in Peter's hand : 'To my darling Helen from your most loving Peter' the envelope is inscribed 'For Darling Helen'...

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CUSHING'S 3#: Peter's hand crafted cards for Helen were quite a work of art. Her Birthday's, their anniversary, her return home from a trip away or as in this case, Christmas ... Helen would be presented with another of her husband's exceptional beautiful cards.

CHRISTMAS WITH THE CUSHING'S 4#: Again Peter Cushing applied his skills to making beautiful jewellery, in this case a pair of earrings which he again gifted to his wife, Helen.

TRIVIA: Peter Cushing give up most of his many hobbies after the passing of his wife in 1971. He did however make bracelets for both actresses, Joanna Lumley and Ingrid Pitt. Lumley starred as Cushing's Grand daughter, Jessica Van Helsing in Hammer's 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' and  Ingrid who also became a good friend of Helen Cushing, co starred with Cushing in 'The Vampire Lovers' and 'The House That Dripped Blood'.

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MODEL MAKING: PETER CUSHING AND HIS TOWN AND TRAIN SET ON A TABLE TOP

Cushing And His Hobbies. In the past few weeks we've posted features on Cushing's many hobbies and the many happy hours he spent in his home studio making thousands of model soldiers to participate in table top 'Little Wars' gaming, the building of beautiful working theatres, complete with acting figures, sets and lighting, his talent for painting in water colours and oils, that went on to be exhibited, the board games he invented and made for visiting friends to play..so it shouldn't surprise you to find out he also owned, a train set.

But, not a person to do anything by halves, this train set was permanently mounted in his studio room upstairs at both the Cushing's homes in Hillsleigh Road, London and Whitstable...a model train set built around a hand built town, with people, shops, streets, a factory, a train station and goods yard....Cushing's first job on leaving school, for as short a time as he could stand it, was working at the grand sounding... Planning and Drawing Office of the Surveyor's Department at Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council in his home town. No doubt, the 'town planning' experience came in handy!