TODAY MARKS THE BIRTHDAY of a very special B'day girl, #JoannaLumley! She appeared as Peter Cushing's grand-daughter, in quick bit of recasting for #Hammerfilms in 'The Satanic Rites of #Dracula'
(1973) and also appeared with Cushing in 'The Eagle's Nest' the first
of the new series 'The New Avengers in 1976. The first episode
established the new team, Gareth Hunt as Mike Gambit, Joanna Lumley as #Purdey
and Patrick Macnee as John Steed. These two projects are just the very
tip of a HUGE career . . glamorous, intelligent, entertaining . . .
where would you like to start?? #HappyBirthday Joanna! Have a wonderful day! 😃 #HammerHorror" #JoannaLumleyBirthday! #Dracula#PeterCushing
ABOVE: An
interesting and rare peep at both Peter Cushing and Joanna Lumley on
set, during the making of 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' !
OVER AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE today, I have also posted and shared this rare photograph of Joanna Lumley together with, not one BUT two very tall men...
Christopher Lee who she starred with in Hammer films, 'The Satanic Rites
of Dracula' ... but who is the other guy??? He was once a very well known face on UK television. Think you know? Why not zip over to the page and make your suggestion now, it's got some young heads scratching 😉 #JoannaLumley#Birthday#ChristopherLee#HammerHorrors!
ABOVE AND BELOW: OH JOANNA ....! #PeterCushing appeared in the first of 'The New Avengers' series, 'The Eagle's Nest' (1976)
HERE'S A VERY NEAT colour photograph of Peter Cushing and actress Barbara
Shelley during the making of The Gorgon at Bray studios. I purchased the
original negative for this publicity photograph back in the late
1970's, it's been posted here once before, but it's a good one.
You can follow and catch our posts FIRST at the Facebook PCASUK
Fan Page here!
WHEN THIS PIC WAS POSTED at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE yesterday someone asked if I wasn't worried about posting such a rare pic, on Facebook... So I explained, I post pics for
people to do exactly that, to share. Anything I have, own or is sent to
me by good folk out there I share. BUT I also include a bit of promo
text on the pic, to share where it has been cleaned and repaired if necessary...
here. In the majority of cases these are pics on which, we do not own
the copyright, this is a hobby, no money exchanged or made. :)
There are authors and collectors out there though, that are under the
impression that the little watermark is implying I or we own them...
nope. This pic today I do own, hence my name. Happens rarely. If you
post something on the net, it's gone, the world owns it today. If anyone
wants to repost or share a pic that's wonderful. If you want to take it
and take off the watermark, that's not really the game.. but your
choice, so many here are posted for the first time, so people who know
their stills... know where it has come from and that someone has lifted
the watermark. Weird that people would do that, unless they maybe dislike or hate the
page 😄😉... or us having fun and a reward for working so hard on the posts
for fans and keeping the memory of Peter Cushing alive and relevant. . . who knows??? But, I am sure... some do 😉😊
THE LATESTpainting by artist, #DARYLJOYCE 😊 This one is a cracker, you think? 😊 After the not so roaring success of the sequel to #DrWho and the Daleks (1965) film, 'Dalek Invasion Earth 2150 AD' (1966) the planned next #Dalek / Dr Who / #PeterCushing feature film, based on the #BBC
tv episode 'The Chase' sadly didn't happen... BUT what a treat it could
have been, if it HAD! Congrats to Daryl on another fine piece of work! 😊😉
REPOST
: CUSHING IN AUSTRALIA 1977! The text taken from Cushing's second
book Past Forgetting: Memoirs of the Hammer Years published in 1988.
'In western Australia, where I thoroughly enjoyed working with John
Izzard of swan television in 1977, I had quite an extraordinary
experience with an ostrich, a tobacco addict! It stalked me, its beady
eyes watching my every move and each time I lit a cigarette, it shot its
neck out (like a chameleons tongue catching some runaway insect) and
snatched the fag from my lips!! Perhaps Rod Hull encountered that same
bird, and got the idea for his act with emu?'
CHRISTOPHER
LEE once said that Peter Cushing had a laugh that could clear a
restaurant in 30 seconds flat! And it must be said, if you ever get the
chance to catch a clip of Peter laughing, it was a belter!
Photos in panel: Top Left:#PeterCushing and close, life time friend,Peter Gray. Next right: Cushing in costume with lead actor Robert Stack on the set of John Paul Jones (1959) Next Right : With CEO of #Hammerfilms, James Carrreras at the premier of The Curse of Frankenstein in 1957 Middle: Peter and wife #HelenCushing on holiday in #Norwich. Far Right: Peter and #ChristopherLee, on set at Bray studios during the making of Hammer films, 'The Gorgon' (1965)
BEHIND THE SCENES ON HAMMER FILMS 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' a full feature with #contactsheets and press stills! RIGHT HERE!
FOLLOWING ON from the rare behind the scenes clips we shared with you last
week...here's a question for you, again concerning Peter Cushing and
Christopher Lee's Hammer film the 1964 'THE GORGON' . .. it's known
that actress Barbara Shelley who played Megaera's 'other side' Carla
Hoffman, was quite happy to also play the make up laden, three pound
head-dressed Gorgon Megaera too! She also stated she
wasn't afraid of 'snakes' if they had to be used in the head-dress too!
It was Shelley's contractual commitment to other work, that prevented
her from playing the role. The whole planning and design of the Gorgon
make up had taken much longer than planned.. she HAD to leave and move
on to other work.
BUT LOOKING at her in the make up, makes you wonder . . what kind of
Gorgon do you think she would have made on the screen. A point that is
often made on the hit miss results of the big reveal and drama of the
ending of the film... has been, would it have been easier to except the
dual identity, if The Gorgon DID look a little like her other identity
played by Shelley.... Over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE, we've asked what do YOU think?
THE MANY FILM FATES OF PETER CUSHING . . . in his own words, text from
his second autobiography 'Peter Cushing: Past Forgetting' 1988,
Weidenfeld & Nicholson. Cushing had many a dramatic ending for some
of his roles, not as many as his good friend, Christopher Lee though 😮😃 . . AGAIN, over at our Facebook PCASUK Fan Page, we are asking . . which PC character 'bow-out' do you find the most interesting, dramatic, emotional? - Marcus
A HEADS UP! a VERY popular series that kicked off when PCASUK first came to FACEBOOK, 'The Twenty Two Screen Deaths of Peter Cushing', wrapped through lack of time, quite sometime ago. For those who enjoyed these posts, you'll be pleased, maybe . . to hear we are picking up where we left off, in just a few days time 😀😃 Look out for additions to the series soon . .
TODAY ALSO MARKS the Centenary of the birthday of actor, NIGEL STOCK! Stock, played a superb Watson in the BBC 'Sherlock Holmes' television series of the
60's, with Peter Cushing as Holmes. Sadly, Stock left us in 1986, aged
66. The marking of remembering Stock today, is being well supported with comments and opinions at the PCASUK Facebook Fan Page. .
#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY!
Ok... The last time two of these people were on screen together, the
set up was quite different...there was a table then too, but the 'lady'
was the meal 😮What film was that? Who are the two sitting at the table and name THIS film too! Btw.. we posted the little insert photograph a few weeks ago, but no
one then could site where that strange photograph car from...well, today
you just might find the answer 😉 At the PCASUK Facebook Fan Page we are suggesting to Lee fans, they SHOULD now nail this quite quickly . . yes? -Marcus
GREAT NEWS for THE AVENGERS and CYBERNAUT FANS! As we all know Peter
Cushing starred in one episode of the THREE Cybernaut stories that were
in the 'Avengers' and 'The New Avengers' series. 'The RETURN of the CYBERNAUTS' is included in this new, remastered blu ray set form
Network.
HERE IS THE PRESS RELEASE DETAILS FROM NETWORK: A TRIO OF CYBERNAUTS!There isn’t much more one can say about 'The Avengers', the global and stylish
television trailblazer it is (by any standards), but we do have
something new to present with The Cybernauts Trilogy. We’ve selected
three high-points from across the run for this special 2019 release: The
Cybernauts, their 1965 robotic debut featuring Diana Rigg; the 1967
follow-up Return of the Cybernauts, again with Diana Rigg and Peter
Cushing guesting in one of his most sinister roles; and, making its
world High Definition debut, 'The New Avengers' 1976 finale 'The Last of
the Cybernauts…??' . We’ve pulled the original film elements for all
three episodes into the Network studio for brand new, painstaking, High
Definition restorations, exclusively for this release.
There’s much more
to this release, though: as well as presenting the episodes in all
their uncut, restored glory, we’re also presenting the option to watch
each episode in its contemporary transmission context, with actual
commercials in situ. Included in the package is a 32-page booklet by
celebrated television historian Andrew Pixley detailing the history of
the three episodes and there’s limited edition digi-pack packaging
whilst stocks last. This really is the last of the Cybernauts. . . .'
OUR PCASUK feature on the chemistry of DIANA RIGG as Mrs Peel and PETER CUSHING in 'REURN OF THE CYBERNAUTS' in 'The Wooing of Mrs Peel!'! You'll find it HERE along with a great GALLERY of GIFS, STILLS and more . . .
AND YOU'LL FIND MORE PCASUK coverage of this episode RIGHT HERE!
OVER AT THEFacebook PCASUK Fan Page we are asking, is this a really neat package! 😉 What do you think? 😮
#PETERCUSHING#COLLECTORS
Wednesday! OK This week I am sharing a rare black and white CONTACT
SHEET from Hammer films 1973, The Satanic Rites of Dracula. As usual, this is our FREE weekly full hi res upload, as seen on our our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE available for you today, for you to download. These NINETEEN exposures from the Hammer films
on set stills cameraman, feature shots taken during the shooting of two
scenes from the film, the Vampire's in the Cellar scene, with Joanna
Lumley and Valerie Van Ost and Van Helsing visiting Professor Julian Keeley played by Peter Cushing and Freddie Jones.
HI RES CONTACT SHEET ABOVE: RIGHT CLICK AND COPY!
WHAT IS A CONTACT SHEET? A contact sheet is a positive print of all the negative images from one film, made by a contact printing process so that all the images are the same size as the negative. A contact sheet is a useful way of seeing which are the best images on a film so you can decide which ones to make enlargements from. During the production the unit photographer was responsible for capturing
thousands of still shots while the movie cameras were running. Some of the
photos would offer a different angle to the motion picture camera. In other
cases, the photographer would stand next to a movie camera operator. And some
of the shots would be behind the scenes with actors and directors. After the final production still shots were taken each day, the roles
of film negatives were placed on contact sheets (created by laying the negatives
on a piece of printing paper and exposing them to light to create a set of
mini prints the same as the film frames) (IMAGE) The contact sheets were then
forwarded to the publicity department. The Publicity Department could then
view the full roll of 36 images at one time with a “ring” or magnifying
glass. Publicity Department –The Publicity
Department was, among other things, responsible for generating early publicity
about a film, including providing information to magazines and publications.
In addition, they were responsible for providing the Advertising Department
with information necessary to create the film’s promotional materials.
The publicity department would review the contact sheets and select images
for specific purposes, such as creating a key set, keeping track and providing
exclusive images to magazines and publications, and sending the advertising
department information necessary to begin preparation of promotional materials.
Key Set Creation - After a review
by the publicity department, the better images were picked to become part
of a key set. The selected images are numbered by placing an assigned number
by the studio for that particular film, called the production number, and
then a dash and the assigned individual still number. THIS is called the
Production Code number.
ABOVE: Our Collectors Wednesday post from TWO weeks ago, posted here and at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.. It was a pretty cool concept, but was ultimately ruined by Facebbok quashing the post...thanks facebook!
The selected stills were then printed and placed into the key set
binder. The rejects are skipped over and left unnumbered. The negatives
and contact sheets were then filed. These may be pulled at a later date
when someone wants something different. By the end of the shooting, this 'key set' would normally be hundreds
of the better still shots to be used in a variety of ways by the publicity
department. The stills used in this 'key set' would have numbers put on
the still to help the publicity department identify and keep up with the
different stills. They were kept in large bound books that could be used
at any time for reference.
Exclusive Use –
Major magazines and publications would quite often want exclusive photos
to do an article on the upcoming film. This was a tremendous way for the
film to get FREE publicity. To accommodate them, the publicity department
would put a hold on numerous stills and send over a group for the editor
to choose from. Once the exclusives were picked, the tags would be removed
from those images not selected so they could be used for other purposes
I BELIEVE, Tom Edwards was the stills photographer on Satanic
Rites. He had a very good eye for a great shot, and worked on other
Cushing Hammer films like, 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell'. As
I have mentioned before, each cell, photograph here would make a great
pic for your collection, printed off would look great in a frame, the
high res would also make a great poster too. The majority of the shots
on this contact sheet, have rarely been officially published, as often
just one or two from this studio contact sheet would have been chosen
for press packs and promotion. I hope you like what I have shared so
far? Have fun 🙂 Marcus
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
#THROWBACKTHURSDAY! It's a nice touch, that when the new and rebooted AVENGERS came back to
TV, in the very first episode broadcast on the 17th October 1976, they
brought Peter Cushing along to help launch the new series. Cushing, had
of course appeared in the 1960's hey day series, in an episode entitled
'The Return of the Cybernauts' in 1967. Then, playing Paul Beresford, a
baddie through and through first time round, Cushing returns playing ,
Professor Maybach Von Claus, nice chap in an evil situation . .. In The
EAGLE'S NEST, Steed investigates the death of a colleague while Gambit
witnesses the kidnapping of Professor Von Claus. Purdey scuba dives to
the remote island of St. Dorca, where a monastery hides a secret and
Germany's greatest treasure.
TODAY IN THE TRUE SPIRIT of #TBT we take you back to FEBRUARY 17TH 1976, and the return of a gem from telly past, The Avengers, brushed down and polished, karate kicking and tea cup cup tilting, and ready for adeventures new with gentleman STEED, with two new companions. The inclusion of Joanna Lumley and Garethe Hunt, taking a little of an older, but just as iconic Steed, was a great idea, bring Peter Cushing along from the original AVENGERS series, was a master stroke!
#THROWBACKTHURSDAY!
Those of you who are big fans of the UK tv show, 'The Avengers' and
'The New Avengers' from the 60's and 70's, will probably know right
away, what this clip is about. For the rest of us well... In an episode
of 'THE NEW AVENGERS' called , "TARGET', our heroes Steed (Patrick
Macnee) Purdey (Joanna Lumley) and Gambit (Gareth Hunt) are being tested
on an ambush / gun assault -course- range (???) thing...! Presumably,
to check if their wits are sharp and they are still fit for the job??
THE ASSAULT RANGE is disguised as a small village, with a collection of
buildings and streets, with fake graffiti and road-signs and . . robot
assassins! There is also a 'police telephone box' which they blow up...!
Now, the writer of this episode is Dennis Spooner. Some believe the
inclusion of the box / tardis gave Spooner the opportunity for an
in-joke about a 'previous job', hint hint...as the police box is
spectacularly detonated at one point ! Rumour suggests this is the
actual TARDIS exterior from the Amicus Dalek movies. . . .what do you
think??
ABOVE YESTERDAY'S BANNER, an experiment to see if we could take an interactive post vote on facebook to see which Cushing Collectable Hi Res photographs. we most wanted to share. Sadly, facebook's practice of squashing any of our posts that contain links to platforms outside of the facebook domain, sabotaged what could have been a useful tool . However, the few that DID get to see the post, voted, and these are the two hi res stills, that were most popular with you! Top: A contact sheet of images from Hammer films, 'DRACULA ad 1972' and a striking colour portrait of Peter Cushing asGeneral von Spielsdorf, from THE VAMPIRE LOVERS (1970). Despite the setback this week,. we will continue with Cushing Collectors Wednesdays, and next week, there will be MORE rare images shared . . .!
TODAY MARKS WHAT would have been a very significant birthday in the life
of Peter Cushing...the birthdate of his wife, Helen. Peter never forgot
to mark anniversaries or special days with Helen, often making her
beautiful greetings cards, notes and..of course the silk scarves. He
never forgot her birthday, and neither shall we... so, in remembrance,
Happy Birthday Helen.
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
