GIFS WEDNESDAY: WITH HAMMER FILMS DRACULA TAROT, MUMMY'S AND A SECRET FALSE TOOTH

CUSHING GIFS WEDNESDAY! ONE OF THE BEST pay off shots ever in a Peter Cushing Amicus movie! This one is from DR TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965) The characters played by actors  Roy Castle, Christopher Lee, Alan Freeman, Donald Sutherland  and Neil McCallum, won't be travel on ANY train again, in the future for sure . . .

ABOVE: A RARE still of behind the scenes on the set at Shepperton studios, shooting THIS scene! EVEN DEATH gets a place in the group gathering!

OUR FIRST FULL FEATURE on the AMICUS FILMS of Peter Cushing Part One, which includes rare stills and gallery on DR TERRORS HOUSE OF HORRORS .. RIGHT HERE! TAKE A LOOK around GOOGLE and you will find links to all SIX PARTS of this feature series. ALL of Cushing Amicus films are covered, with as usual galleries of RARE images. Press, publicity and behind the scenes stills too!

A SHORT KIND OF CUT AWAY scene in HAMMER FILMS DRACULA / HORROR OF DRACULA 1958. THIS particular scene has caused quite a bit of unrest and divided opinions over the years between fans of the film. Film director, Terence Fisher always believed, in giving the audience, emotional space when watching one of his fantasy films. If they had just been frightened or caused great stress by a scene, he liked to let them recover, breathe a little! This slightly comic breather, involving the repeated breaking of the boarder control barrier, was included during the roaring race with Dracula, to do just that, BEFORE the hugely dramatic and frightening destruction of the Count. Some think it was a mistake, that sitting in the middle of the climatic closing of the film, does little more that upset the story and destroy the rhythm. It WAS Fisher's intention to disrupt the drama, to cut away to something else, and he succeeds. For some, a little too much.   I would LOVE to know what your opinion is! IF you don't know this scene, or haven't seen the movie, NOW is our opportunity! You are missing probably one of Hammer films finest! WRITE to petercushingpcas@gmail.com

THE ROLE OF the Boarder Official was played by GEORGE BENSON, nowhere near the age of his character. BUT he would be joining Cushing again on screen, when he WAS that age, playing his lab assistant Waterlow, in Tigon films wonderful feature frightener, THE CREEPING FLESH in 1973.

A MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM FOLLOWERS MARCIA LOISEL THE FOLLOWING DAY THURSDAY 29th MARCH
First, I knew that George Benson was in both Dracula and Creeping Flesh, but never once did I think that those characters were the same person! Learn something new every day! :) The comic bit doesn't really bother me. It was established earlier that he was a comic character so his second scene was in character. Of course, "Dracula" is one of my most favorite movies ever, so I love every minute of it and can't imagine it any different.

Happy Birthday to Jack Asher! He really did help to establish Hammer's 'look'. The still of Van Helsing on the stairs of Dracula's castle, before he goes into the library for the final scene is stunning. The light streaming in through the colored panes of the windows is just beautiful. "The Mummy" is also a favorite, everything about it is gorgeous.

Looking forward to Callum Mckelvie's "Brides of Dracula" article!

Kind regards.
Marcia Loisel

ABOVE: ONE OF OUR many features and galleries on HAMMER FILMS DRACULA / HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) HERE we share a WHOLE set of 1958 Front Of House CINEMA  USA LOBBY cards, from when the film was released in 1958.

CHRISTOPHER LEE'S pretty amazing portrayal of KHARIS in Hammer films THE MUMMY (1959)! Along with Cushing John Banning and a terrific cast, personally it's one of my most favourite Peter Cushing films, and it's in the top four best of Hammer's! BELOW here is an upload from our Peter Cushing Appreciation Society YOUTUBE CHANNEL of DONALD FEARNEY's excellent documentary on ALL MUMMY films, including UNIVERSAL films. Just CLICK on the BLUE LINK! 

WATCH DONALD FEARNEY'S LEGEND OF HAMMER MUMMIES! Just about EVERY Mummy film is covered. There's quite a number of interviews and some great rare supporting images too! JUST click HERE!

AND ABOVE HERE IS ANOTHER clip from Hammer films, THE MUMMY from our Peter Cushing Appreciation Society YOUTUBE CHANNEL

THE BBC PRODUCTION OF George Orwell's 1984, was not only a landmark for drama productions for the government broadcasting company, but also for PETER CUSHING himself. His performance influenced Hammer films, to cast Cushing in their FIRST Frankenstein, and his career was never the same again.  HERE we have Cushing's WINSTON SMITH, during the closing moments, where Cushing forever dedicated to doing his best to make his contribution, makes a gesture, that probably few with his romantic reputation at the time, would have entertained doing. 

YOU'LL NOTICE, Winston by this time, following months of torture and beatings, has lost a front tooth. THAT is not make up or a trick of the light. Cushing lost a front tooth during the late 1940's. In all publicity the loss of the tooth was blamed on a boot to his face, playing his favorite sports game, rugby. 

THIS WASN'T ACTUALLY the case, but for publicity, sounded more pleasant and heroic than the unpleasant dealings of smelly breath, pus filed wounds and cavities! While living in Somerset, UK with his wife, Helen Cushing fell victim to a horrible chest infection and an abscess to his FRONT tooth. Despite medication and nursing it, it was extracted. This caused much stress and insecurities for quite sometime. Just a few weeks after the removal, Cushing was cast in Olivier's film production of HAMLET.  During the shooting of a scene with Olivier, Cushung apologized to him if he accidentally dribbled or spat in to his face! Such were the problems of his still trying speak, with a tooth on a plate. After this time, it's noted that Cushing dictation became sharper than ever, and always during an interview or standard speaking role,  his speech was as sharp as a knife!



AND FINALLY FOR TODAY, a great shirt video interview extract of PETER CUSHING discussing playing HORROR FILM roles .... THIS clip is another posted here from our Peter Cushing Appreciation Society YOUTUBE CHANNEL It's easy to subscribe to, you'll never miss a NEW upload. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE and support us in keeping the memory of Peter Cushing his career and live ALIVE!

#HAMMERFILMSSATURDAY! CHRISTOPHER LEE AND THE CHARIOT

#HAMMERFILMSATURDAY: Christopher Lee and 'the chariot' . . . .

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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.  

#HAMMERFILMSATURDAY: OUR ALL TIME MOST REQUESTED GIF!

#HAMMERFILMSSATURDAY: One of our most requested gifs... Here is the moment that Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) gets thrown from the carriage by Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) from the prologue of Hammer Dracula AD 1972.

LIFING THE VEIL ON THE STORY BEHIND THE GREAT 26,000 DRACULA CLOAK CAPER COMING SOON!

MORE ON PETER CUSHING AND CHRISTOPHER LEE IN HAMMER FILMS

DRACULA SAGA : HERE!

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#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING : DRACULA AD 1972 : PROLOGUE

GET THE CUSHION IT'S CUSHING: 'Dracula AD 1972... by PeterCushingAppreciationSociety

#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING: AT ONE TIME it was THE Peter Cushing film that we received most negative comments about, if we discount the 1968 'The Blood Beast Terror' . .  (though I am convinced with Blood Beast, the negative grew purely from a comment Cushing once made in an interview, not about the actual content of the film, but the non too subtle sound of the title.) 

FOR A WHILE, the comments for and against the film, arrived about 50-50. Now, it appears DRACULA AD 1972 has come full circle. Since the early 90's, an appreciation of retro 1970's produced films have enjoyed a revival, with many features now striving to replicate that 70's look, the sound, the fashion. Hammer films through-out their time, always seems to just miss-time fads and crazes. Although their timing was spot on with a resurrection of Dracula in 58, and twisting the focus of Frankenstein on the 'Doctor', rather than the creation, in CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN, Hammer went into co production on Kung Fu vampire flick, after the chop socky had cooled off.





REGRETTABLY, for some audiences, they dragged Dracula to the land of hot pants and psychedelia, when the trendies had long consigned their loons and tank tops, to jumble sales, and 'love ins' and 'pot fueled flower power drop ins and outs', had puffed their last and had really gone to pot. BUT, that didn't stop Hammer. A band of 'teenagers' out for kicks, and looking for all the world like a Brit styled 'bunch of meddling kids' from Scooby-Doos, would form the film's doe-eyed victims and as usual, it would be Peter Cushing's #VANHELSING who would save the day. But, what scriptwriter Don Houghton did to shake up the formula, and the placing of Van Helsing, how and when . . . . would male all the difference.

IMAGINE IT, sitting in your local cinema, in September 1972, watching DRACULA AD 1972 to for first time. The opening pre credit scene is the stuff of Hammer fans dreams. Van Helsing and Dracula face to face, fighting to the death, on top of a horse drawn carriage!! The narration explains the year is 1872, we are in our element! Then, the carriage wheel, Dracula dies, but Van Helsing perishes too! Where now? And then, the gravestone and the jet plane . It must have been a shock to an audience who were getting settled in to a film, they must have thought, was a return to Cushing, Lee and Dracula 1958 land?
The prologue to AD 1972, is a terrible tease, for what could have been, the Dracula film that never was. Maybe that is why, fans cherishes those four minutes . . . it was just 86 minutes short of what could have been a classic.   

MORE #GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING NEXT SUNDAY!

 

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#THROWBACKTHURSDAY : HORSE-DRAWN TRIPS TO DEATH!

#throwbackthursday: Here's a ride, you certainly want to pass on... Many of the Hammer films that Peter Cushing appeared in were Gothic fantasies, and set in the era of horse drawn coaches, like this one! Hammer films, hired from Mossman's, who supplied all their livery, coaches and horses. This is a Station Omnibus which was built in London by the Aldebert Company in the 1800's. This type of vehicle was popular with hotel owner,s who would use it to transport their guests between their hotel and stations....or to Castle DRACULA or the chateau MEINSTER! Not a destination you really want to reach!

THE SCREEN CAPS below feature this coach in both Dracula (58) and The Brides of Dracula (60) George Mossman, the owner of the Mossman company, often drove the coaches in the films, being a trained horseman....but if you are waiting for a cab or bus... and this one turns up...you might want to, 'wave it on'!

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