ACTOR STUART WHITMAN DIES

SAD NEWS to report legendary actor Stuart Whitman has passed at aged 92. He known for his lengthy career in both media. Whitman played major roles in a large variety of genres. Some of these credits includes ' The Mark ' (1961) for which he was nominated for best actor at the Academy Awards, the Western film 'The Comancheros' (1961), the comedy 'Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines' (1965), and the horror 'Night of the Lepus ' (1972).

 
ON TELEVISION, Whitman is known for roles in 'Highway Patrol' (1955–1957), Cimarron Strip (1967), and Superboy (1988–1992). He co-starred with Peter Cushing in Hammer's 'Shatter' aka 'Call Him Mr Shatter' (1974) Cushing's final film for the company. He also worked with Milton Subotsky in the horror anthology 'The Monster Club' (1980)

THE CAPTAIN, THE MARQUIS, THE COUNT AND THE LAST DANCE GIFS AND STILLS

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY! The  weekly requested selection: 'SILENT GIFS BUT VISUALLY SCREAMING!' 

Here's #VINCENTPRICE as Vampire Eramus, boogieing-on-down in 'hit-miss-that-hit-miss' 1980 fun flick, 'THE MONSTER CLUB' produced by Milton Subosky, one half of the, by then defunked Amicus films. Amicus the one time, only serious contender to the Hammer films crown. It's a little sad to see how far Milton had strayed from the track with this one, although no one..myself included , would have ever told him that. Sitting in on the set, I remember seeing the 'costumed' dancers and clientele of 'The Club' in their fancy dress costumes and joke shop rubber masks, and thinking..'Maybe it will look ok, when the film is edited?' It didn't. 

THE ONE THING the film did achieve was give the crew, many of whom had worked with Amicus, some of the cast, Vincent Price and co, a last chance to have some fun. In this shot, the sound was added later in post production. The music was playing for the dancers, the band, Price, Carradine and Frau Viking-Helmet to have that last dance before for the camera, as the credits role ...but what you didn't get to hear, was the crew and extras laughing and supporting Vincent Price and his strut! It was fun, it was the last train out, that would have even made Dr Terror smile . ..  (requested Gif for J Mahon-Potter )  

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY: AS BUDGETING FOR MONSTERS GO, it's pretty neat deal and very cheap too! There was a problem that beset most of the Hammer films, though not so much at the Amicus HQ, because they didn't really do 'Monsters of the Gothic kind'. The flicks that were the money earners at Hammer, had a 'Thing', a 'Grotesque', a Frankenstein Creation, an 'Ancient and dusty Mummy'. . . .or a 'Very Hairy Oliver Reed as Leon the Werewolf'... that something took time to make, usually make up artists built it onto the actor, HOURS before sun-up, when the majority of the studio crew still hadn't turned up for work. 

ROBERT BLOCH'S CONCEPT for Amicus films, 'THE SKULL' was just what Rosenberg and Subotsky's balance sheet ordered, a Monster, a focal point of terror, that wouldn't cost a fortune to assemble or have a make up man maintain every five minutes on the studio floor, where time was money. Once the Marquis de Sade was dead, and only his Head / Skull remained to stalk and terrorise Peter Cushing's Christopher Maitland, it was a 'no brainer'. In the morning, just a little powder to the cheek-bones. No tantrums, no agents, no trouble and pop him into the box, at the end of the day. It floated on command, and every performance was good to the bone, no strings attached!! Oh no. Wait a minute  . . . . .  

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY!: Peter Cushing and Milton Reid as pirate Clegg and the traitor he left for dead, tongue-less and stranded on a desert island . . . 'We Meet Again' has never been more unwelcome. Captain Clegg / Night Creatures is a joy to watch, chiefly because we are in the make believe land of pirates, excise men, yo-ho-ho-taverns and lots of swash with the buckle, the kind that Peter Cushing loved. It's plain to see he is having a ball here. It's all high drama living and dying by the sword. Milton Reid is great too as the mute heavy with a grudge. Reid despite his frame, and heavy reputation on screen, actually had a soft high pitch to his own voice! He played many small roles in Brit films, when the industry had many for the picking. There is a fascinating features all about Milton Reid elsewhere on this website, and here is a quick link to find it: HERE! 

 

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY!: DESPITE ALL THE fouls deeds and murders that Peter Cushing's GUSTAV WEIL carried out in the name of a greater cause, no matter how much I hated him, his comeuppance, more than slightly cheats me of a private moment of pay back. It's a nasty death, where COUNT KARNSTEIN gets to silence nagging Gustav for good and Damien Thomas, makes it all work like clock-work.  But it doesn't sit right with me. I'll explain. Had Weil just been toppled over that balcony, fallen through the air and then had we cut away to the shocked face of long suffering wife, Kathleen Byron, that would have been fine. BUT no. 

DIRECTOR JOHNNY HOUGH, knew exactly what he was doing, when Cushing himself volunteered for that, impact fall on the top step, and the limp, lifeless slide down the remaining eight........! There is something terribly unsettling and moving about Cushing's shattered and frail frame rattling down those steps, the axe clattering before him, as his head gently lolls in that, familiar loose neck, very effective Cushing style. It wasn't a technique as such, because he came at it differently every time... it's just THIS time it looks all the more final and tragic. Cushing did a very good job as Gustav, right up to the final few feet of the last reel  . . . and that fall, of a different kind of Vampire Hunter.  

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     

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY : MEETING VINCENT PRICE ON THE SET AT ELSTREE

#‎toocooltuesday‬: WEDDING DAY, Birth of your children, Their graduations...aside, the day I had the opportunity to spend time with the one and only, Vincent Price, is up there! ..please don't let my wife read this... If you dislike tales of reminiscing, clumsy name dropping... you are excused now!

IT CAME AROUND by default. In 1980, make up artist Roy Ashton rang me...no I didn't have a hot line to him or any stars, we spoke once in a while, he was lovely... he was ringing to tell me he was making plans to start work on a film for Amicus films producer Milton Subotsky, starring Vincent Price at Elstree studios, in two weeks time...AND that it looked like Peter Cushing had signed up too! As it worked out, he hadn't. But that's another story. By the end of that day, through sheer luck, and by Milton Subotsky's and Roy's invitation, I had an invite to join them for the day on the set of 'The Monster Club' at Elstree studios!

BY THIS TIME, through sheer cheek and through what became known as 'the Cushing Connection' I had met and interviewed around 30 to 40 actors who had worked with Peter. Just the mention of his name, opened doors to the kindest of people and their generosity. Milton Subotsky was a fan at heart, a shy man who loved to talk books, comics and films. we certainly wasn't on buddy-back-slapping terms, but he was always friendly, loved to talk shop and the kind that, if he could help you, he would suggest he could... both he and Michael Ripper, validated my application for my Actors Union, Equity card!... and so, on this day he made the meeting happen.

MEETING VINCENT PRICE was a blast, Milton introduced me during a break in shooting. Vincent peered around Milton to see me and announced, 'Peter Cushing's WHAT? Ap-prec-iation Society?' I sheepishly nodded. 'How is the OL GOAT?' he said laughing. I took this as my cue, and stepped up. He pointed at an empty canvas chair, with name on it and...I sat next to him and John Carradine for the next FOUR hours, only wandering off during lunch.

AFTER THE FIRST HALF an hour, I indicated to Subotsky, that should I now...'come over there' and leave them in peace?.. Milton came over and asked if there was a problem. When I asked him again, he just smiled, 'No. It's fine. You can stay there'. Vincent over heard our stage whispers and bellowed, 'Just don't touch ANYTHING or fall over the CABLES!

I HAD A SMALL CASSETTE  tape recorder with me which I used for a short interview, which eventually strayed into relaxed conversation...his love of chocolate,Peter, Whitstable oysters...he was talking to me, but also playing to everyone else too. I changed tapes three times! It was all very funny and entertaining.

I HUNG ON EVERY WORD, joke, aside and anecdote. Both he and Caradine were called away several times, after the stand in's had helped set up their shot, the dressers brushed their clothes, someone fussed with Vincent's hair, he blew his nose and off they went filming the 'Family Tree' scene, sat at their coffin table, with Roy Ward Baker directing. Then they came and sat back down in their canvas chairs.

AFTER THE FIRST HOUR OR SO, it just seemed the most natural thing in the world to be sitting and chatting... he was very fond of Peter, loved Christopher Lee and as a joke, kept telling me 'We have birthday's on the same day you know. Now it's that strange? Peter is the day before us! Did you know that?'... after the third time he told me, he laughed out loud,'You KNEW that didn't you!' He was a kidder. He was extremely kind to me that day, and it's an experience I will never forget. I have never told this story before. I don't dine out on or make a habit of recalling ' and then Robert Quarry said to me' stories, I never had a little black book of contacts either! I was just a fan, a very lucky one, Now... isn't that just...TOO COOL? : Marcus Brooks

JOIN US AT OUR Facebook Fan Page: JUST CLICK : HERE

DIRECTOR: ROY WARD BAKER BIRTHDAY: REMEMBERED

Remembering Today.. the birthday of director Roy Ward Baker, whose work with Peter Cushing includes 'Asylum', 'And Now, The Screaming Starts!'. 'The Vampire Lovers' with Amicus films. 'The Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires for Hammer films and 'The Masks of Death' with Peter Cushing for Tyburn films. Starting as a tea boy at the Gainsborough Studios in London in 1934, raising to the role of assistant director with Alfred Hitchcock on 'The Lady Vanishes' by 1939, then onto a career as director in Hollywood, working with Marilyn Munroe...Ward Baker had a very full career that covered just about every genre! Today we remember his birthday and the contribution to not only Peter Cushing's career, but the the world of cinema... Part Two of our Roy Ward Baker and Peter Cushing series will appear on the website THIS weekend.

SIMON WARD REMEMBERED : THE BARON'S APPRENTICE!

REMEMBERING: Born today, Simon Ward. If you take a look at the raft of obituaries for Simon Ward who sadly passed away in 2012, it's a common fault that they state that his career was kick started when he was 'plucked from obscurity' and appeared in Richard Richard Attenborough’s 'Young Winston' in 1972. Maybe that is how the press and publicity agents remember it....but for Ward, it was not so.

Ward acknowledged Hammer films 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' made in 1969 as the film 'that started it all' and the generous help and assistance from his co star Peter Cushing, that made anything afterwards possible... In a interview with pcasuk in 1979, Ward acknowledges his debt to Cushing, who he said, '..had time and patience with me. I knew nothing of the technique needed for working with a camera or about the studio floor. Peter was extremely kind, taking time to explain the simple but very important rules of pace and nuance, so the editor can get in there. This and try to not fall over the cables. He did so much for me. Quite extraordinary. I mean, no one has the time to do that, everyone is busy. But he did it for me, many times through out the film. And it's something I've always remembered, and not come across since... a very kind, gentle, gracious man. He really did save my skin'.

Simon Ward sadly left us in 2012.