RARE SCHOOL FOR SCANDAL CUSHING PHOTOGRAPH PLUS ACTORS NIGEL GREEN AND ROBERT URQUHART REMEMBERED

A VERY RARE PHOTOGRAPH OF PETER CUSHING in 1948 FEB until OCT!! Now That is a LONG tour! Granted 'Richard III was also part of the tour, but knowing how Cushing found the repetitive nature of eight or nine performances a week, extremely difficult... I don't know how he did it. But here is where he learnt his trade, skills and attitude, that would prepare him for tv work in the 1950's and days that could be long and draining on the set of film work . . come November 1952 and one of his first roles on LIVE BBC tv in 'If This Be Error' .. HE certainly, would not be making errors

TODAY we are marking the birthday of that fine English character actor NIGEL GREEN . . . Green left us at only 47 years of age, with a very impressive career already at that point. In our banner can be seen on the far right, in a little get together on the set of the cast of Amicus films THE SKULL (1965) with Peter, Patrick Wymark far left, Patrick Magee sat down on the right. Green had a small role of Inspector Wilson, in the film.

ABOVE: PCAS FULL REVIEW AND LOBBY STILLS GALLERY OF 'THE SKULL'  Just CLICK HERE!

ABOVE: FULL REVIEW FEATURE OF TWILIGHT TIME REMASTERED BLU RAY RELEASE AND GALLERY! 'Sword of Sherwood Forest' tarring Peter Cushing, Richard Green, Nigel Green and Oliver Reed : JUST CLICK HERE! 

BECAUSE OF HIS STRAPPING build and commanding height, (6 feet, 1 inch) & regimental demeanour he would often be found playing military types and men of action, in films such as Jason and the Argonauts, Zulu, Tobruk and The Ipcress File. His large physique also led to his being cast as Little John in Hammer films THE SWORD OF SHERWOOD FOREST (1960), with Peter Cushing.Green also appeared in a number of horror films including Corridors of Blood (1958), The Masque of the Red Death (1964), as the father of Jane Asher's character, The Skull (1965) also with Cushing, Let's Kill Uncle (1966) and Hammer's COUNTESS DRACULA with Ingrid Pitt(1971)
 

REMEMBERING Robert Urquhart. 'Quiet, well-read and a lover of classical music, Robert Urquhart was an actor who grew frustrated with his career as he grew older. It was, he bemoaned, an honourable profession but so much of the material he was offered did not deserve any respect...' Robert Urquhart Obituary. 'The Independent' newspaper, 24th March 1995. In the early 1950's Urquhart was building himself quite a reputation for his theatre work. A reputation that would eventually bring him to the attention of studio casting agents and land him supporting roles on the big screen. But it was in the medium of film, that Urquhart was not such a happy chap...

THAT ONE FILM WAS 'The Curse of Frankenstein' with Peter Cushing in 1957 for Hammer film. He detested it. It is said he left the premier screening, refused to make appearances to promote it and only in the last years of his revived career on television, could he find the stomach to even mention it, if it was brought up in interviews. By 1980, Urquhart had cooled off a little..and appeared in another Hammer production, the Hammer House of Horror' television series, in an episode entitled, - Children of the Full Moon. However, we remember him today for his sterling performance in The Curse of Frankenstein'!

NEWS: THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD : SOUNDTRACK VINYL LP LIMITED RELEASE

NEWS: JUST LAST WEEK, 'Kritzerland' exclusively released something that would look and SOUND very nice in anyone's Amicus Films collection, the soundtrack vinyl LP to the 1971 portmanteau thriller / horror, THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD . . and very nice it sounds too! I have never been a fan of most of the Amicus scores, but composer Michael Dress certainly offers more than what was often quite abstract and contemporary and personally the 'tunes' of Elisabeth Lutyens or the swings of Douglas Gamley in Amicus' The Beast Must Die', didn't do much for me.

HOWEVER, the score of THTDB has some gems. Not a lot is known about composer Michael Dress, but his very short filmography does include some very interesting films and scores, including Quackser Fortune Has a Cousin in the Bronx, which starred a very young Gene Wilder, and an interesting sci-fi film, The Mind of Mr. Soames, as well as A Touch of Love, starring Sandy Dennis.

FEATURE AND GALLERY ON CUSHING AND 'THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD' HERE!

DRESS CREATED a wonderfully atmospheric score – some of it lives in the world of Humphrey Searle’s The Haunting, but Dress’s music is his own and it really gives the stories in the film an interesting texture and feel. There’s a lot of percussion and weird effects, organ, a solo female voice floating in the air, harpsichord, vibes, strings – it’s all very hallucinogenic and off-kilter and really wonderful. This is the premiere release of The House that Dripped Blood. The transfers were made from the 35mm magnetic music-only mixing elements and the mono sound is crisp and clear and really excellent. You can find more details about this release later today at the PCAS website and a source were you can sample a few tracks. It's wonderful news that even though this is a very limited release, for those who appreciate and collect such rare items, this is now available to add to your collection Is there a AMICUS score you would love on CD???

MORE ON PETER CUSHING and AMICUS FILMS, THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD HERE! 

 

TO PLACE YOUR ORDER for THE HOUSE THAT DRIPPED BLOOD soundtrack CD and to sample some TRACKS just CLICK HERE! 

THE MAKING OF A VERY MODERN GENERAL : HOW TO WEAR A COSTUME WITH STYLE

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! MANY OF YOU have often mentioned Cushing's wonderful ability to ware costumes, like they were his every day wear and wear them SO WELL! The role of General von Spielsdorf in Roy Ward Baker's 'The Vampire Lovers' for Hammer in 1970, gave Cushing the opportunity to play another Vampire Hunter, but unlike his Van Helsing, here Cushing notonly plays the role, he also actually WEARS it! Silk dressing gown, general unforms, high collars and hunting cloaks, few actors wore a costume like Cushing in Hammer movie. Indeed, Christopher Lee looked every inch the Count in his cloaks, but look at both actors in Amicus productions, 'I, Monster'.... Here are few rare colour images of Peter looking his best. Without saying a line, as soon as he appeared on the screen in this movie, you knew Ingrid Pitt's Carmilla had met her match . . in supernaturally and style . . .

PETER CUSHING WAS ONE of those very lucky actors, who could wear a Victorian horses nose-fed bag, and still look very much fitting into the period and quite amazing! This uniform so suits him, and unlike the Tarkin 'slipper-episode' these boots fit him, like a glove

PETER CUSHING and actress Pippa Steel. Pippa would also go on to appear in Hammer films, 'Lust For A Vampire' in 1971. A film that Cushing was also set to appear in. Sadly Helen Cushing's health and passing, prevented him from appearing, and Ralph Bates played a re-written version of the role of Giles Barton . .

A DRAMATIC SHOT in colour transparency of Peter Cushing as General von Spielsdorf on set at Elstree film studios, then called Associated British Picture Studios . .the studio photographer probably spotted Peter, waiting during blocking of a shot, and slipped in to take this shot. It's an amazing pic!

CUSHING COLLECTORS WEDNESDAY! CINEFICCION NINE : SHERLOCK AND THE SHERLOCK FIFTY PENCE COIN!

MAGAZINE COLLECTORS: A HEADS UP that ISSUE NINE of CINEFICCION is OUT at the END OF JANUARY. It carries a neat feature on the late VALERIE GAUNT and a feature we ran back two years ago about Peter and INGRID PITT! Lost to get your teeth into with this issue, plus we hope to have GREAT news on something VERY special from CINEFICCION coming VERY SOON! If that aint enough for you, there is ALSO the ICONOS DEL HORROR: SHERLOCK themed magazine to add to you collection! Orders and details ALL  RIGHT HERE!

HERE IS SOMETHING that I am sure many #SHERLOCK fans will nip up in no time! INTERESTED? Well, 2019 commemorates the 160th Anniversary of the Birth of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the Royal Mint has released a special Limited Issue Brilliant Uncirculated Sherlock Holmes 50p Fifty Pence Coin. The reverse is designed by Stephen Raw and features a cameo of Sherlock Holmes and title of some of his books while the obverse features the Fifth Portrait of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II by Jody Clark. The SPEC goes like this: Metal: Cupro-Nickel Weight: 8.00 Grams Diameter: 27.30mm. The MINT items can be ordered from The LONDON COIN COMPANY at around £22 plus delivery cost! 

MORE CUSHING GOODIES NEXT WEDNESDAY!

REMEMBERING KATE O'MARA BORN TODAY 1939

TODAY MARKS 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 APPEARANCES in 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!

REMEMBERING NIGEL GREEN : THE SWORD OF SHERWOOD FOREST AND THE SKULL

TODAY we are marking the passing of that fine English character actor NIGEL GREEN . . . Green left us at only 47 years of age, with a very impressive career already at that point. In our banner can be seen on the far right, in a little get together on the set of the cast of Amicus films THE SKULL (1965) with Peter, Patrick Wymark far left, Patrick Magee sat down on the right. Green had a small role of Inspector Wilson, in the film. Because of his strapping build and commanding height, (6 feet, 1 inch) & regimental demeanour he would often be found playing military types and men of action, in films such as Jason and the Argonauts, Zulu, Tobruk and The Ipcress File.

HIS LARGE physique also led to his being cast as Little John in Hammer films THE SWORD OF SHERWOOD FOREST (1960), with Peter Cushing. Green also appeared in a number of horror films including Corridors of Blood (1958), The Masque of the Red Death (1964), as the father of Jane Asher's character, The Skull (1965) also with Cushing Let's Kill Uncle (1966) and COUNTESS DRACULA (1971). 

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!

NOT ALL THE PC VAMPIRE SUPPORT WAS NICE! CALLUM MCKELVIE LOOKS BEYOND ROLES THAT WERE VAN HELSING NICE TIMES!

WHEN ONE THINKS of Cushing and Vampires, inevitably are minds are drawn to his excellent portrayal of Van Helsing in several of Hammers Dracula films. For many fans it’s one of his best roles and (if we count the two generations as one) a part he would return to four times. However, as defining as his portrayal as Van Helsing is, it somewhat over shadows that fact that he was in roughly four other vampire films (excluding Dr Terrors House of Horrors and The House that Dripped Blood simply as he does not appear in the segments featuring bloodsuckers). 

THIS WEEK AND THE NEXT I’ll be examining these ‘Other Vampire films’, starting with his two entries into the Karstein trilogy 'The Vampire Lovers' and 'Twins of Evil'. I’ve joined these two together, not only because they book ending entries in a trilogy, but also because they both feature Cushing as a sort of Pseudo-Vampire Hunter. Both roles are worlds away from a Van Helsing stereotype and at least one is remembered amongst his finest work.

THE 'KARNSTEIN TRILIOGY'  stands as one of Hammers finest achievements simply for the fact that it marks one of the few occasions, as the studio moved into the 1970’s that one it’s attempts to try something bold and new with its formula worked. Now in terms of some of the attempts that would be made later (Kung-Fu vampires anyone?) the changes here are not that extreme and merely reflect the studios reaction to an allowance of more extreme content.

MOST OBVIOUSLY it is the films explicit portrayal of Lesbianism that gained it a certain level of attention. The film is stolen by Ingrid Pitt’s first performance for the studio and first major role in a horror movie (though she was in 1966’s Sound of Horror). Whilst not her greatest work for Hammer (that would come later in Countess Dracula) it’s a strong start and one can easily see why she became a horror icon and early scream queen.

ABOVE: PETER CUSHING and INGRID PITT together in HAMMER FILMS 'THE VAMPIRE LOVERS'. BOTH look comfortable in the roles. BOTH had also become great friends, along with Peter Cushing's wife, HELEN . . . 

PETER CUSHING'S ROLE in the film on the other hand is somewhat small, though integral and although he looks superb in his military uniform, it’s not usually counted amongst his best roles. None the less it’s an interesting take on the role of the Vampire hunter within a hammer film and the quest is made deeply personal to the General, whose niece is a victim of Carmilla. 

THUS THE GENERAL is the character who puts an end to Camilla’s bloodsucking ways and in perhaps the most famous scene in the film, decapitates her. It’s a great moment and Cushing imbues it with a sort of grim satisfaction, we may have seen the gentle side of the General to begin with but we now understand why he’s a war hero.

BELOW: JUST weeks after the tragic death of his wife, HELEN, PETER CUSHING plays a NEW HAMMER VAMPIRE FILM role. GUSTAV WEIL, the savior and helper? OR is he just as EVIL as the VAMPIRE COUNT? 

THE FINAL FILM in the Karstein series, 'Twins of Evil', sees Cushing in a role far removed from that in 'The Vampire Lovers'. Here he plays Gustav Weil, a vicious religious fanatic who prowls the local countryside in search of witches to burn. Clearly inspired by 1968’s Witchfinder General and many films that followed in its wake including 'Mark of the Devil' and 'Blood on Satan’s Claw', it’s a rare chance to see Cushing being genuinely terrifying.

EVEN IN FILMS where Cushing plays a villain, there’s usually an element of charm in his performance (his earliest portrayals of Baron Frankenstein) that have his character play out more as an anti-hero. Indeed only Hammer films, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed in 1969, shows him in a position where he plays a character so utterly ruthless as to be genuinely frightening.

OF COURSE as his two young nieces find themselves under the sway of the evil Count Karstein, like the General Weil finds himself turning to the Vampire Hunting trade. In this film’s final moments, Cushing finds himself once again decapitating a vampire and it’s equally spectacular.

PETER CUSHING'S TWO non-Dracula vampire films for Hammer stand among some of the studios most interesting work. Cushing gives great performances in both and though one is clearly superior to the other, are interesting portrayals of Vampire hunters not in the Van Helsing mode.

WRITTEN by CALLUM MCKELVIE
TECH DEVELOPMENT: JAMIE SUMERVILLE
EDITED: MARCUS BROOKS
THE VAMPIRE LOVERS TRAILER: UvaSEP  HERE!

REMINDER OF TUESDAYS TOUGHIE : ANSWER TUESDAY 6TH MARCH!

 

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