MARKING PETER CUSHING PASSING : 23 YEARS AGO TODAY.

REQUESTED: This is the first time we have posted the televised #NEWS #OBITUARIES from UK television, that were broadcast on August 11th 1994. It's a sign of the times, that today obituaries on tv do tend to get a little 'over egged' these days. I think, both the BBC and ITV did quite respectful tribute. So as requested by Juan Talos, Maria B, Anthony W . . . the two obituaries as broadcast by the BBC and UK ITV

TODAY AUGUST 11TH marks the 23rd Anniversary of Peter Cushing's passing. It's an anniversary we mark here every year, but in a style we think Peter Cushing would have probably approved of . . in celebration of his life 🙂 I have three posts for you today, that show some of the diversity of Peter's life . . . please feel free to share any images and comments on the threads below our posts or on the section to the right, called 'Posts by Others' Although for much of his life Peter was a private man, we have learned he was as busy at home, as he was on the screen. He loved music, reading and his many hobbies filled his life, a life for the most part, he lead with good humor...and it's his sense of humor we see in this clip. 

We are slowly building the MORECAMBE AND WISE CUSHING APPEARANCES

Playlist at our PCAS YOUTUBE Channel. Just ONE more CLIP to complete it! You

Can WATCH Peter Cushing's GUEST Appearances on the shows : CLICK HERE!

A REGULAR GUEST on the Morecambe and Wise Show, where their long running joke about Peter never getting paid for his first appearance back in 1969, always made us laugh. Anytime Peter turned up to try and get his money, Eric and Ernie, tried their best to get rid of him. In this rarer clip from Eric and Ernie's 1970 Christmas Show, Eric thinks has the perfect solution, with his Xmas party magic trick.... 'Ladies and Gentlemen... Sawing A Peter Cushing In Half! ENJOY!

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  

RUNNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE : ANTHONY MARDON RAN THE LONDON MARATHON TODAY

This morning in the UK the 2016 London Marathon took place...and our guy, ANTHONY MARDON, as promised ran the 26.2 miles through London...dressed as Princess Leia from Star Wars, carrying a light sabre! Anthony was taking part and raising funds for the Pilgrim's Hospice, where Peter Cushing was cared for in his last days. Anthony's outstanding effort was also supported by very generous donations from friends and followers of the PCAS website and facebook page...and for you, he has the following message...

"Loved running the London marathon today. Not sure I'd choose to run in fancy dress again but I took my time and enjoyed the crowds and sites whilst waving my lightsaber around! A huge thank you to everyone who has helped me raise over £500 (so far) for the Pilgrims Hospice. I hope Peter Cushing would be pleased with that!" On behalf of us all, thank you for taking part today and a very well done!"

You can STILL contribute and support Anthony TODAY...by clicking on this live link to his donation page CLICK HERE PLEASE

 

FIND OUT MORE about ANTHONY MARDON and his RUNNING TO MAKE A DIFFERENCE at our feature : HERE

LONDON MARATHON RUNNER ANTHONY MARDON RUNS FOR PILGRIMS HOSPICE

I get lots of requests to help charities and good causes, and I try to help in anyway I can. But, a recent email from our new Friend and Follower, ANTHONY MARDON was one request I thought we could really get behind and with your assistance, help to make a difference.

I 'll let Anthony explain :

" I grew up watching Universal and Hammer double bills. I remember coming down stairs on a Sunday morning praying I'd set the video recorder timer correctly. That developed into a love of all things, SciFi, Fantasy and Horror. The older I got, the more I could indulge in my horror hobby, meeting greats such as Argento, Carpenter and Fulci, as well as favourites Peter Cushing and  Christopher Lee. I wish I had been able to meet Vincent Price. Peter Cushing and Star Wars is still a passion of mine.

I started running in 2011 because I had to. My wife and I were watching Run Fatboy Run  after dinner one Sunday with  a bottle of wine and a laptop. Keeley suggested I, like Simon Pegg's character, enter the London Marathon We were both carrying a few extra pounds! In January 2011 the NSPCC told me I had a place for April! Aggggh! I blame the wine!

I have run about 18 marathons now all over England and in Paris, Edinburgh and Berlin. I am running Valencia in November. I have run a few Ultra Marathons and my wife and I, have both qualified for the OCR (Obstacle Course Racing) UK Championship Finals last November.

Having qualified for the London Marathon this year with a 'good for age' place (meaning I don't need the ballot or a charity place), I have decided to raise funds for charity with a Peter Cushing connection. I will take part in fancy dress  and take time to enjoy running around London. This will be my third time, usually I am so focused on running, I don't get the opportunity to take in the atmosphere and crowds. I have got the go ahead to try breaking the 'fastest male marathon runner dressed as a film character' world record from Guinness but as it stands at 2hrs 42secs, 25 mins faster than my personal best, so I don't think I need bother!

The Pilgrims Hospice in Canterbury is where Peter Cushing spent his last few days, under the care of a Dr. Ribchester I believe. Great name for a doctor. It's a facility that provides excellent palliative care. There were reports a year or so ago about the possibility of it having to close. Having raised funds for large charities before, I want to do all I can for this fantastic and much needed facility.

So combining my love of running, Star Wars and Peter Cushing, I will be running the London Marathon 2016 on April 25th dressed in Princess Leia's gold bikini, carrying a lightsaber and raising money for a worthy cause.

CLICK HERE FOR MY  SPONSOR PAGE

If anyone can SUPPORT ME TO HELP OTHERS, if you can spare as little as a POUND, I would be extremely grateful and really appreciate it. ALL THOSE POUNDS COUNT and TRULY make a difference! Many thanks to Marcus at the Peter Cushing Appreciation Society  for helping with this. Many Thanks, Anthony "

A NEW YEARS EVE SNAP SHOT OF 2015 WITH THE PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY

Well, 2015 has been quite an exciting year, but not without it's ups and downs. It's been a year of meeting more friends, more than any other during our time on facebook. We've had more competitions this year, I haven't counted how many blu rays and dvd's and prizes we've given away this year, but skipping through the banners, I can see many have had a parcel of goodies through their letter box this year. It's been a year of making friends and links with Warner Brothers, Eureka, Screen Bound, Twilight Time and many others, all who have been extremely generous to us with sponsorship of our competitions, and I would like again to thank them for their friendship and generosity.

PETER CUSHING'S COAT BRINGS IN THE CASH

FOR PILGRIM'S HOSPICE CHARITY: HERE 

Cushing's Tales from the Crypt 'Grimsdyke', look-a-likey popping up in 'The Walking Dead', Talk of Cushing re-appearing as Tarkin in Star Wars: Rogue One. It's surprising how often Cushing still pops up in the news. And the releases of a truck load of remastered blu rays of some of Cushing's best work, has kept our news posts very busy. November brought us the release of Donald Fearney's 'Milton Subotsky's and Max J. Rosenberg's AMICUS VAULT OF HORRORS' mammoth documentary. A labour of love and what has to be the definitive history of Amicus films. Cushing's over coat and cardigan, auctioned on ebay to provide some much needed funds for the Canterbury Pilgrim's Hospice, has brought the year to a satisfying end.

OUR COMPETITION WITH COPIES TO WIN OF DONALD FEARNEY'S 

DOCUMENTARY: READ OUR REVIEW WITH GALLERY AND WHERE TO ORDER YOUR COPY : HERE

THE TRAILER FOR DONALD FEARNEY'S 'AMICUS : VAULT OF HORRORS'

DOCUMENTARY.  PRESS HD FOR HI RES VERSION

READ ALL ABOUT! HERE

 

For many Peter Cushing, is more than an actor, celebrity and gentleman.. he kept many hearts a flutter, and not just through fear in his fantasy films.. he was a heart throb..and never more so than during the 1950's, when he was hardly off the tv screen... what has been one of the very interesting things about this year, has been watching our female following stats growing every week, and a regular flow of comments from followers, expressing the kind of platitudes reserved usually, for the likes of actors like Benedict Cumberbatch and his like... so for you, here's our New Year's Eve Peter Cushing tribute video... Peter would have been thrilled that even up to the end and..after, he could still make hearts skip a beat, in more ways than one!

A VERY WELL PUT TOGETHER ROMANTIC TRIBUTE TO PETER CUSHING

EDITED BY SRHFTW AND SUNG BY GIRL IN A COMA

We have also sadly lost quite a few friends and associates of Peter's this year, many have left a sad space, never to be filled ...and none more greater than Sir Christopher Lee. We all knew one day it would happen, but it was, I am sure for all, a great shock when it happened. He, like Peter will always be missed and remembered, and we will continue to keep his memory alive too.

THE ONLY WAY IT COULD BE DONE! CHRISTOPHER LEE TRIBUTE VIDEO POSTED AT PCAS ON THE DAY HIS PASSING WAS ANNOUNCED
.... HIS WAY! 

So, we look to the next 365 and what it will bring. We have a few surprises up our sleeve, I'll endeavour to keep the posts coming. Your support as ever is greatly appreciated. It's YOUR page and the website too. It's been a year that would not have been any fun, if you'd not all been around to help share it!

COME SPEND SOME TIME AT OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE

JUST CLICK HERE AND LIKE ON THE PAGE!

I would like to thank all our visitors, friends and followers for your interest, enthusiasm and support in keeping the memory of Peter Cushing very much alive! Thank you. A Very Happy New Year to EVERY, ONE, OF, YOU!

Marcus Brooks (admin / editor )

NEWS UPDATE: CUSHING'S COAT BRINGS IN THE MONEY FOR HOSPICE CHARITY

You may remember back last month how we reported on the story of Peter Cushing's coat being auctioned on ebay for a charity close to his heart, The Pilgrim's Hospice in Canterbury, Kent. Well, the good news is, after a battle of bids, the Burberry coat owned and worn by Peter (see pic) brought a thumping £690.00! That's 1026.13 US Dollars....! There was also a cardigan that also belonged to Peter Cushing that was for auction too..and finally went for around £250.00. All this is great news for the Pilgrim's Hospice, who do such sterling work for individuals and families throughout Kent. I think Peter would have been amazed by this. So, congratulations to the winning bidder and THANK YOU ..a big thank you, to Bernard Broughton too, who donated the coat and cardigan, and very quietly helps the Hospice with various items for auction. Thank YOU Bernard!

A VERY MERRY CHRISTMAS to all our friends and followers of this website and our Peter Cushing Appreciation Society Facebook Fan Page! 

Many thanks for your support during the year. If you aren't a follower of

our facebook fan page, you can join us just by clicking HERE 

AUCTION: PETER CUSHING COAT GOES UP FOR AUCTION

Just in case you missed our post about this last week... Here's a little something that may make that special Cushing themed Christmas gift for yourself extra special this year! How would you like to own Peter Cushing's Personal Burberry Coat? It's up for auction now on EBAY...and there is just six days to go. The coat has been kindly donated to the Pilgrim Hospices by Bernard Broughton and Peter Cushing's estate. All the proceeds from this sale go to a very deserving cause. that Peter supported too. This is a special exception where I am very happy to supply the ebay link. PLEASE give your support. LINK: HERE

This cozy woollen cardigan, also belonged to Peter and is up for auction too! And here is the LINK: HERE

JOIN US AT FACEBOOK : HERE

'ONE LAST TIME' : TWENTY YEARS AGO TODAY: PETER CUSHING AND CHRISTOPHER LEE FOR THE VERY LAST TIME

May 17th  1994, is a date of singular importance for fans of Hammer Horror.  On that day, Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing reunited one last time to record the narration for Ted Newsom’s documentary on Hammer Films, titled Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror. Newsom’s project was a true labor of love.  Working with a limited budget, he sought to get on-camera interviews with as many of the key surviving actors and production personnel as possible.  His ultimate coup was in securing the services of Lee and Cushing.  It would prove to be the first time that the two old friends had seen each other in a quite a few years, and it would prove to be their final meeting.

The event transpired at a small studio in Canterbury, Kent. The studio had been selected largely for the sake of convenience, as it was close to Cushing’s residence and the actor had also recorded some voice overs there in the past.  Once all the details had been ironed out and everything was in place the director found himself in the enviable position of helping to guide the two legends through the paces one last time.

Cushing was the first to arrive and he was eager to greet Lee upon the latter’s arrival.  Given that Lee hadn’t seen his old friend in so long, nothing could have prepared him for the shock.  Cushing had always been a thin man, but years of pining for his beloved Helen coupled with terminal cancer had reduced him to a literal shadow of his former self. According to Newsom, Lee was visibly taken aback for a brief instant, then rallied and set about keeping his old friend in stitches for the duration of the session. Ever the pro, Cushing was ready and eager to get back to work for the first time since recording his vocal track for the album “No White Peaks” in 1991. Cushing didn’t remain idle by choice: he yearned to work and constant reassurances of future projects from his doting secretary Joyce Broughton kept him hopeful of doing just that. But the reality was, he was simply too ill and too frail to secure the necessary insurance guarantees that would enable him to continue working.

Sooner than give in to despair, Cushing spent his time charming the residents of his beloved sea-side town of Whitstable, gave interviews about everything from his career to his strong religious convictions and enjoyed long-distance telephone calls with old pals like Lee and Vincent Price. The opportunity of going back to a sound stage, even if just for a bit of voice over work, must have seemed heaven sent. Cushing accepted readily and threw himself into the project with enthusiasm … however, if the spirit was willing, the flesh had grown weak. The morning kicked off around 9 AM with some time set aside for the press to come in and ask questions and take some pictures and video commemorating the event.  Lee and Cushing kept each other in stitches as they relived old memories and fielded questions from the reporters. Warned by Cushing’s secretary/care taker, Joyce Broughton, that Cushing's energy might start to fail if they didn’t get on with the show, Newsom started recording the narration around 11 in the morning; approximately two hours later, the track was finished and Cushing was ready for some much-needed rest. Before departing, however, the two men were given a chance to sit, laugh and relax as recordings of some of their favorite cartoons were provided on video tape; the spectacle of the imposing Lee and an ailing Cushing rollicking with laughter at the antics of Bugs Bunny and Sylvester the Cat would surely have been worthy of a film in itself, but this was private time for two old friends: no press were invited to partake in the ritual.

After that, the two men said their farewells and Cushing was taken back to his cottage in Whitstable. As Newsom tells it, Lee’s demeanor changed rapidly at that moment: shocked and deeply upset by his friend’s condition, he dropped the jokes and smiles once Cushing was out of sight and became comparatively curt and ill-tempered; the prospect of losing a friend so dear to him suddenly became a reality and his tendency to keep his feelings in check deserted him.  One of the things often trivialized in Lee’s character is the staunch loyalty and affection he has for his friends and loved ones; as Newsom would later theorize, he is not a man who handles the loss of loved ones at all well and as such, facing the reality of just such a happening served to rattle him badly.

The documentary endured a tortured “birthing process” and was ultimately rushed through post-production when Hammer’s then-managing director Roy Skeggs (who controlled the British rights in exchange for footing the bill for Cushing’s pay day) told the gob smacked director that it was going to air in the UK in early August.  Left with virtually no time (let alone money) to do the material justice, Newsom soldiered on and delivered on time.  The first segment aired on August 6th ,1994; shortly before Cushing was admitted into the Pilgrim's Hospice at Canterbury. After a fortnight in the hospice, and between the two instalments of 'Flesh and Blood', Peter Cushing died on August 11th at the age of 81.

Much has been written about the end result, some of it positive, a lot of it negative, but Newsom is to be congratulated for pulling off a minor miracle and getting these two screen icons together one last time.  The two men had very different careers and were in very different places by the time this final meeting took place: Cushing’s private life had disintegrated in 1971 when his wife died, but he took solace in keeping busy, accepting just about any offer he could fit into his calendar (resulting in quite a few films he really should have said “no” to doing), but ill health put him on the sidelines.

Lee, by contrast, had enjoyed a brief period of prosperity when he relocated to Hollywood, hoping to distance himself from being perceived as a horror film star, things did not go entirely as planned and he found himself appearing in films quite unworthy of his talents. He remained steadily employed, which was probably the thing that concerned him the most, but eventually he grew homesick and returned to England, grateful for the few good opportunities that came his way (notably hosting an episode of Saturday Night Live) and prepared to do what he needed to do to continue his career into his old age. In 1994, he would appear in several films, ranging from the sublime (A Feast at Midnight) to the ridiculous (Police Academy: Mission to Moscow), but things would gradually improve over the next few years.

At the time of the recording, Lee was just shy of 72, while Cushing was close to turning 81 (as fans will of course realize, they almost shared a birthday: Cushing’s being May 26th and Lee’s May 27th ; to look at the two of them, one would have thought there was a greater gap in age than that. Lee survived a heart condition that nearly killed him in the early 80s and was a vigorous, still commanding presence; Cushing’s condition had deteriorated to the point that he was almost unrecognizable.

At the time of writing, Lee is now just shy of his 92nd  birthday and while he would age gracefully into his mid-80s, the cruelty of time coupled with a back injury sustained on the set of the Hammer production The Resident (2011) have slowed him down and he finally looks his age, if not older. As we reflect on this 20th anniversary of their last meeting, let us remember that Cushing’s death left a void which can never be replaced for fans of the classic horror film; with that in mind, let us cherish Lee for as long as he is with us, for we will likely never see this breed of actor again, especially in the ghettoized confines of the horror genre. But sooner than end things on a gloomy, despairing note, take solace in this: so long as there are fans out there who continue to enjoy watching their performances, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee will never die.

'ONE LAST TIME' The 20th Anniversary Feature was written by Troy Howarth
Graphics and Image Gallery: Marcus Brooks
Our deepest thanks to Stuart Hughes and Linda King.
With Very Special Thanks to Steve Reed