#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: HAMMER HORROR HUGS AND KISSES : A CHILLING GALLERY PART ONE

GREAT KISSES WE HAVE KNOWN SEEN AND LOVED....!

I GUESS IF YOU ARE SETTLING DOWN to watch a romantic love story on dvd or at the local flicks, you are already primed to the risk of your delicate and sensitive emotions being titillated by the occasional embrace, hug, squeeze, kiss or as we Brits subtly refer to it, 'a snog'. But what if was the mid 1950's, and you are watching a horror film?? OK, RKO's King Kong got away with murder with Fay Wray, but for many years, in the UK the censors keep a very careful eye on films, and especially in regard of mixing horror, violence, sex and lusting, even if one of the participants did have huge teeth ..and had been dead for 200 years!

FOR MANY YEARS, those who liked their horrors and thrillers, dusted with more than the accidental brushing of hands or furtive glances, Hammer films could and did test the boundaries. Hammer films certainly woke up the sleepy British cinema going public with Cushing and Lee's 'The Curse of Frankenstein' in 1957 and kept the censors on their toes. When in 1958, Hammer released 'Dracula / The Horror of Dracula', the BFC and John Trevillion, sniffed,  twitched, and then SNIPPED, at Christopher Lee's all embracing seduction of Melissa Stribling's Mina Holmwood. Not until 2013, was the footage reinstalled. Viewing today, you can still see why Trevillion and company thought it steamy stuff!

 

HOWEVER, not all of Hammer films romantic wrestling's were of the high voltage vintage. Hammer films script writers Jimmy Sangster and Anthony Hinds (John Elder) KNEW the guys in the audience were there for the monsters, the girls for the thrills and as Cushing himself once said, 'When courting couples came to see our films, and the young girl became frightened or tense, the couple would cuddle up'!' So Hammer knew what the audiences expected and made sure, every film had a little 'something' ...somewhere.

Here we present the first gallery of our 'hand picked' small selection of stills and GIFS depicting some of the best romantic chemistry from Hammer's films. They are not all marquee titles, or indeed Hammer films and some of the pairings were about saucy as a vicar's tea party, but hey, the title says 'Hugs and Kisses' I have to make sure what's on the label, is also in the can.... well almost, part two soon!

THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS : Peter Cushing and June Laverick.

 

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WAR GAMES, SUSPENDED PLANES AND MODEL SOLDIERS : PETER CUSHING MASTER MODEL MAKER AT HOME

More Images of Peter Cushing Hobbies, Toys and Games: Peter inspects his model aircraft, suspended by fishing wire from the ceiling in his studio at Whitstable. Painting his figures for a American Civil War encampment tableau. Engrossed in a 'LITTLE WARS' with his figures, consulting his 'War Games' hand book written by H.G.Wells and finally inspecting his William Britain figures at home in number 9, Hillsleigh Road, Notting Hill..... 

Peter Cushing secretary remembers: ' Hillsleigh Road was originally stables in the 1900's and it had been rebuilt as a house. It only had two bedrooms, a small kitchen, a beautiful sitting room and dinning room and at the far end, were three or four steps into a huge studio which housed Peter's enormous collection of soldiers, all his paintings and things, a vast collection of books and a huge games table!'

TRUE LOVE AND BENCHES : NOTTING HILL VERSUS CUSHINGS VIEW WHITSTABLE

I am a very romantic person. Anyone who has ever been subjected to my own special brand of sarcasm may find that hard to believe, but it's true: I'm really a deeply romantic girl at heart. So on occasion I love watching romantic films. They do need lots of humor and wit or suspense in them as well, otherwise I don't know, they're just a bit meh. 
 

Now when I first watched Notting Hill I did think for a moment I was watching Four Weddings and a Funeral in a rather flimsy disguise (quirky yet adorable people, the huggable gay character, the handicapped friend, the elusive American girl and not to mention Hugh Grant doing the awkward yet lovely British guy routine for the umpteenth time). It was good fun nonetheless. Hey, if the formula works, it works. Who am I to argue? Plus, the film contains one of my favourite quotes ever: 'happiness isn't happiness without a violin-playing goat'. Perfection.

In case you haven't seen the film yet: spoiler alert!

I loved it when Anna/Julia and William/Hugh were out walking and found their way into one of London's hidden gardens. In which they came upon a bench that had the following words carved in it:  

For June who loved this garden. From Joseph who always sat beside her.

To which Anna/Julia quietly says: 'Some people do spend their whole lives together.' And you can hear in her voice and tell from the look on her face that that is what she wants too. I know - only good acting.

Eventually they (of course!) do find each other and the whole thing ends with the two of them on a park bench in London, she lying heavily pregnant with her head in his lap. Ahhhh.

I was quite disappointed therefore to learn that 'the' Notting Hill bench had been nothing more than a prop. There was never a June who died leaving a bereaved Joseph behind. With a garden and a bench and memories. The bench has now found its way to a park in Perth, Australia. It was never even a London garden bench. I know it was silly of me to want it all to be true because it was Just A Film after all. But there you go. Deep down I was miffed.

And then my mate KT took me to Whitstable a couple of weeks ago. As you may recall, I had never even heard of the place. Yes Mr. S.C. from E. - I did already admit that that was a huge flaw in my upbringing. Don't rub it in.

Here's the thing though: I might not have been familiar with Whitstable, but I had definitely heard of one of its most famous residents: actor Peter Cushing. You probably know him - he played opposite Christopher Lee in many a Hammer film. He was in Star Wars at one time. And he did Sherlock Holmes. He had just the face for it too. Some aquiline nose that was.

What a lot of people don't know about Peter Cushing, is the great love story of his life. Run for the hills now if you don't want to hear it.

Peter Cushing married his Helen in 1943. They were devoted to each other and felt they were meant to be together. That they had met before somehow. How lovely is that. They were inseparable until her relatively early death in 1971, leaving him heartbroken. He was quoted as saying: 'Since Helen passed on I can't find anything. The heart, quite simply, has gone out of everything. Time is interminable, the loneliness is almost unbearable and the only thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that my dear Helen and I will be united again some day'. He kept feeling this way till the day he himself died in 1994. Helen had left him a letter when she died however, saying:

'Let the sun shine in your heart. Do not pine for me my beloved Peter as that would cause unrest. Do not be hasty to leave this world because you will not go until you have lived the life you have been given. And remember. We will meet again when the time is right. This is my promise.'

Some people might find their story too sentimental. And consider the fact that he never quite moved on after her death an unhealthy thing. There is something to be said for that. All the same I can't help myself, I still find it a very touching love story.

And wait - there's a bench in there too. And this one is real.

Peter and Helen loved the pretty coastal town of Whitstable and bought a house there in 1959. Peter had this bench placed at the spot that is now called 'Cushing's View'. It is said that this is where Peter used to sit and enjoy the view. The plaque on the bench says:

Presented by Helen and Peter Cushing who love Whitstable 

and its people so very much. 1990.

Sadly Helen never actually got to sit on this bench together with her beloved Peter. But at least the love story attached to it is real this time. And when I first saw it (before they got up and I could take a picture of it), a middle-aged couple were sitting on it, hand in hand, looking the very picture of contentment. Don't you think that's exactly what Peter and Helen would have wanted? I'd like to think so.

Feature written by Sacha

The original feature can be found on Sacha's blog, along with much , much more at 'Through The Orange Door' which you can find and join by clicking this link HERE.

My deepest thanks to Sacha for giving her permission for her feature to be shared here. Marcus 

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