SHE LIVED FOR HIM AND HE LIVED FOR HER : REMEMBERING HELEN CUSHING TODAY

TODAY January 14th marks the 48th anniversary of the passing of HELEN CUSHING. Peter and Helen were married for nearly 28 years. They were a devoted couple. She lived for HIM and he lived for HER. . .. the story of the effect on Peter of Helen's passing is well documented here on the page and website. Both of them thought their meeting was kismet, meant to be . . . years after, she would remember their first meeting, as if it were yesterday ...

I MONSTER : RARE PHOTOGRAPH GALLERY : PART ONE

EVEN AS THE CAMERA first began turning on 10th of October 1970,  it was felt that the Amicus film 1971 film,  'I MONSTER' was not going to have an easy time either during production or after it. What should have been a subtle dream-like and different gear, for the well worn telling of the JEKYLL and HYDE story, it was instead rapidly turning into a nightmare, just days into production. Amicus films producer, Milton Subotsky was, compared to his business partner, Max Rosenberg, quite a shy and reserved fellow. He left the contracting and book work to Max in the USA, while Milton managed the more creative side of production, at the studios in the UK. Milton though calm and reserved, could be quite passionate and stubborn, when he thought he had discovered something that would improve and enhance any of their film projects. He was known for dabble editing and probing into areas, where crews and managers, reacted in REAL horror. 

IN THE CASE OF 'I MONSTER', Milton thought he had discovered, a cheap and effective way of making the classic Jekyll and Hyde tale, a 3D masterpiece and CHEAPLY! His vision was discovered one day, when playing with his young son at home, looking through plastic candy sweet wrappers, colours blue and red. What Milton had come across was the school boy chemistry set, hit and miss theory of 'The Pulfrich Effect', so named after Carl Pulfrich its founder. It was a system that depending on your vision, could not be relied upon, and certainly not thought good enough, to stand as a 3D effect, to enhance an entire movie. The crew was instructed to suddenly rehash the many weeks spent blocking and plotting camera direction set ups. All of that went out of the window. On top of that, director Stephen Weeks felt rumblings of resistance and the beginnings of a sour working relationship with the crew, who resented an unknown 'young guy' being chief. The industry at this time,  was strongly union, tight and fighting cuts and lack of work. The  shrinking of what was once a major industry in the country, was dying a slow death and Weeks felt that his 'boyish looks and early twenty's age', was going against him. Even though he was more than experienced and competent, the crew made problems. All these factors, made for shaky foundations on what was, a tight budget, short schedule, that now appeared to have changed direction, with a ham fisted idea of 3D, that hardly anyone could see! You can read MORE about this in a NEW feature arriving here at the PCASUK website this week.   

I MONSTER, has been ignored and kept out of any chance of revival, that many other fantasy films made in the 60's and 70's, have enjoyed of late. No remastering, no DVD or blu ray repackage and that is shame. The film does have some issues, but it has three things in it's favor. The direction is very good, the performances of both CUSHING and LEE are as we would expect, excellent. Lee pulls off something quite different, compared to the many of his known characters roles, over those years, DRACULA, FU MANCHU and a VAST array of villains. Lee's Mr Blake is like a brain fractured child, with a sledge-hammer approach to anything he doesn't understand. 

IT REALLY IS SOMETHING quite different for Lee, and is wonderfully enhanced by make up artist Harry Frampton's touch, as Dr Marlowe's face and body, slides into a horrifying vision of  hate and evil! CUSHING did best with what he was presented, playing the 'good-guy' who will save the day. What is different in his role of Frederick Utterson, is how he applies his rules of inquisitiveness and doubt. Unlike with Vampier Hunter, Van Helsing there is no chasing and dramatic crosses and stakes. Here he is trying to rescue his friend and colleague, Marlowe from an unwelcome visitor called Mr Blake. Not knowing, they are one...and the same.  

THE PACE OF EDITING ACCOMPANIED by a beautiful musical score from composer CARL DAVIS, from the beginning flags up, this wasn't going to be anything like the tried and tested, familiar sights and sounds,  of market leader, Hammer films, who were Amicus films only genre competitor in the UK at this time. What we are given is a almost dream-like flip of a well known story. All sets look authentic for the time, as do the costumes. The language and reserved quality of communication among professional men, plays out well. All guys are emotionally tongue tied, stiff as their starchy collars and wrought in the game of upper class frigidness and good manners. 

IT'S BLEAK, and all wrapped up in soup like fog, which Blake LOVES and uses as cover, as he stalks, like some man-child-rabid rat. When the end comes, it's sad to see him go. Like a naughty child, who has no concept or understanding of what he has done wrong, the climax of his violent collapse plays like, the waking up from a personal bad dream. He fades away. But like those nightmares, the visions and echo's of what one has been experienced and seen, stay with you long after the lights have come up, and a new day begins . . .  'I MONSTER' deserves a better and a patience audience, who appreciates, not all tales are told with screaming sound and busty vampire bites!

PART TWO of our I MONSTER GALLEY will be posted here MONDAY 6th AUGUST. Some of the rare pics from this and part one gallery are also posted at our FACEBOOK PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY UK FAN PAGE where followers of the page and lovers of Peter Cushing work, can discuss and debate the film, 'I MONSTER' and Cushing's role in this and other films for Amicus. Wherever you are in the world, you are invited to join us at our PCASUK FACEBOOK FAN PAGE along with over 33 thousand other friends and fans. Just CLICK HERE  and CLICK LIKE THERE! We would love top have you along!  

FREE COLOUR HAMMER FILMS DRACULA CONTACT SHEET : HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY AND COLLECTORS WEDNESDAY

WELL THERE COULD only be one face here today, for certain! Have a Happy Valentine, Everyone - Peter Cushing as Arthur Grimsdyke, resurrected in Tales From The Crypt (1972) in the VALENTINE story, Poetic Justice. Peter Cushing was awarded The Licorne d’Or Award at the French Convention of Fantasy Cinema, for his role of Arthur Grimsdyke . .

THE RARE COLOUR contact sheet BELOW features FOUR images that were never used in  publicity for the film, and probably not published as a contact sheet before today, on the net. Even though these are posted here at as hiigh a resolution as blogger will handle, these images are still very LARGE and taken to a print shop, after a little cleaning with picasa  . . . .or photoshop, if you are really particular . . they would print of as great 10 x 8 stills or even large full colour posters! Have FUN! - Marcus.

NEXT WEEKS CUSHING COLLECTORS POST: PETER CUSHING

CHRISTOPHRE LEE WRITES: "Unfortunately, I am also to be opened up--on June 7th I have open heart surgery that day (no lilies, please) to replace a mitral valve. At least it will prove that I do have a heart--and if anything goes wrong, nobody will believe it. Peter [Cushing] has very kindly offered to act as consultant; I have slight reservations on this one, having once been the result of his genius . . . . I think this all started on HOUSE OF THE LONG SHADOWS. What with my heart, John [Carradine]'s hands, Peter's [unreadable] and your legs, we should be able to put together some sort of composite immortal which would keep Landis, Cronenberg and Carpenter in funds for many years."

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 

NO PARTICULAR LIST OR ORDER : CHOICEST CUSHING : CALLUM MCKELVIE

HELLO ALL! A little bit of a departure this week. Instead of my usual ramblings on a particular film or films, in my last three defending what I think can often be considered lesser Cushing entries, here I’m going to get a little personal! For roughly a month now Marcus has very kindly let be contribute a weekly post and given me pretty much free reign to write on whatever aspect of Cushing based fandom I wish. However I realise I’ve done this with very little introduction to myself, my name being slapped on post after post but with no one having any real idea of who I am.  . . .!

SO, I’m Callum McKelvie, a recent Masters graduate having studied history. I got into classic sci-fi around age six, and moving into horror at about 13 or 14 when I saw Quatermass and the Pit and it blew my mind. At university I wrote extensively on genre cinema as a historical source, examining the Quatermass trilogy in my undergraduate dissertation and the Occult boom of the 1970’s for my Masters diss.

SO, THIS WEEK I thought I’d make it a little personal by naming a number of my favourite Cushing performances and why. Not the top five by any means, but five which bring me special pleasure. This is in no particular order and it’s not the best film but the performances that bring me the most joy, concentrating purely on Peter and his interactions with the other cast members. You won’t find Hammer films 1958 'Dracula' or 'Horror of Dracula', 'Hound of the Baskervilles' or 'The Skull' here simply because we all know how amazing he is in those films. The purpose of this list is to highlight a couple of performances that, whilst generally viewed as good, are special to me (The Skull fits that bill too but it’s been written on so much I thought I’d give it a rest). I might mention a portrayal of the same character twice, but from different films. That’s because I’ve always admired Peter’s ability to change his characterisation ever so slightly, to fit the tone of the script. So, without further Aude…

'FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL' (1974)

SO YES, I KNOW there were several more Cushing/Hammer films after this, but for me this is their swansong. Designed as a throwback to the earlier Hammer Frankenstein’s, the feeling of the end of an era permeates the entire film. Cushing’s Victor Frankenstein is the closest to his portrayal from the first two, out of all the sequels. Once again he finds a middle ground between the viciousness of Frankenstein Must be Destroyed and the charm of 'The Evil of Frankenstein' and 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed'. However here he adds something else, exploiting lines of dialogue such as ‘You’ll learn…I had to’ and the brilliant ‘If I’ve succeeded this time…then every sacrifice will have been worthwhile’. Cushing brings an immense melancholy to Baron Frankenstein, showing us a man who is determined as always but is now desperate to succeed. The final shot of him sweeping up the glass, chattering happily about how to start again- finally having snapped, has something immensely fatalistic about it.

READ THE ABOVE FEATURE WITH FULL COLOUR GALLERY
AT OUR WEBSITE : HERE!

ON SET BEHIND THE SCENES PHOTO FEATURE ON 'HORROR EXPRESS' AT OUR WEBSITE:  HERE!

'HORROR EXPRESS' (1972)

FROM ONE OF Cushing’s more tragic portrayals to one of his most fun and lighthearted. Horror Express is in my eyes THE Cushing and Lee vehicle, giving them a wealth of screen time together, as friends for once and not as enemies. The result is easily one of the most fun and funny Cushing portrayals, from the memorable ‘MONSTER? We’re British you know!’ to his smirk as he attempts to bribe his way onto the train. 

Cushing and Christopher Lee on set with Director, Eugenio Martín during the shooting of  'Horror Express' . . .

Not only that but in Dr Wells he manages to mix humour with his usual sternness when preforming the autopsy on the body of the baggage guard. However the highlights are his interactions with Christopher Lee, indeed when Lee passed away a few years ago this was the film I chose to watch. Seeing the two old friends bounce off each other and have genuine fun is always a joy.

'SHE' (1965)

ANOTHER MORE kindly portrayal here and another example of how Cushing can masterfully mix a multitude of different aspects of a character. From the more humorous (including a rare opportunity to see Cushing dance), to the melancholic (‘All my life I’ve wanted to find a city like this…now I wish only to see it destroyed) to the furious as he rages at Ayesha during her attempt to kill Ustane, single-handedly out-acting every other cast member. 

IT'S A SHAME Cushing never got to reprise this role….although considering the state of the sequel perhaps not. But a much older Holly, lamenting the loss of his friend would probably have been up there with the emotional power of Grimsdyke in 'Tales from the Crypt'. Honestly though, it’s the little details that stand out for me and the sincerity with which Cushing answers the question, ‘Have you ever been in love?’ responding ‘oh many a time…and truly once’, always brings a smile to my face.

THE HISTORY OF SHE IN THE CINEMA AND BEHIND THE SCENES ON THE HAMMER PRODUCTION: COLOUR TRANSPARENCIES IN OUR FEATURE: HERE!

'THE SILENT SCREAM' (1980)

NOT ONE THAT IS LIKELY  to show up on a lot of lists, this was shown as part of the Cushing retrospective put on by the Abertoir horror festival in 2013. Grabbing some of my friends afterwards I was delighted to discover how many found this genuinely terrifying. It’s a pity Cushing never appeared in Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense but his one off performance stands as one of the highlights of the entire, Hammer House of Horror series. 

THE KINDLINESS that Cushing bestows into Blueck and the slow reveal of what a monster he really is provides the meat and bones of the story. Brian Cox acts off him brilliantly and the final moments when Cushing falls into a trap of his own making provides a chilling finale.

OUR 'REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN' FEATURE WITH VINTAGE STILLS COLLECTION RIGHT HERE!

'THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN' (1958)

THIS IT FOR ME. The gold standard of Cushing films. My favourite Hammer films, my favourite Cushing film and one of my favourite films in general. Say what you want about Sangster’s writing (and many people do) but I find the script here to be one of the most clever and thematically deep of all the Hammers. Sangster reverses the Paul/Victor and Teacher/Student relationship in The Curse of Frankenstein, here making Frankenstein the teacher. 

CUSHING RESPONDS to this admirably and considering Revenge was made only the year after Curse, manages to convince the audience that several years have passed for the Baron. His near-death experience has changed him, losing the spoilt brat streak of the first film and giving a more wizened, if even more dangerous determination. His monologue concerning his ‘revenge’ is exceptionally powerful and the drive that Cushing manages to instil in the Baron is genuinely terrifying, far more so than any of the Monsters within the various instalments.

CALLUM MCKELVIE'S REVIEW OF ''A TALE OF TWO CITIES' 1980 featuring Peter Cushing Chris Sarandon Alice Krige, Kenneth Moore . . . 

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  . .