CRACKING THE TOP FIVE NON HORROR MOVIES OF PETER CUSHING FOR OUR BEST OF LIST!

THESE DAYS IT CAN quite often appear to ‘Joe Public’ that the name Peter Cushing is tied to three things; Star Wars, some quirky Doctor Who off shoots and a number of Gothic Horror pictures from the 50’s, 60’s and 70’s. Of course as fans we know this not to be true, though even then it appears that most of the aficionados of his work tend to admire his horror performances most. That’s unsurprising and personally I’m as guilty of this as anybody else, particularly as I am a horror fan first and foremost. That said, I thought I’d break away from the spooky and the space age this week and instead compile a handy list of the ‘best of the rest’ as it were. Some of the performances listed here are some of the finest throughout Cushing’s entire career and I’ve compiled this as a hand starting point for anyone thinking to check out his work, away from crypts and castles. As with my other lists this is unashamedly personal and is in no order. BY THE WAY, some of the films I have chosen for my list, can also be watched in their ENTIRETY on the PLAY LISTS at our  Peter Cushing Appreciation Society YOU TUBE Channel!

Cash on Demand (1961)

A tense two-hander between Cushing and another Hammer regular, Andre Morell, the film is a clever re-working of the Scrooge story within a ‘thriller’ context. Set in a bank, Cushing plays the tough and austere Manager who undergoes rigorous psychological torment by Morell’s Colonel Gore-Hepburn. 

HEPBURN ARRIVES AT THE BANK and announces to Cushing that he intends to rob him and has his wife and child hostage. Should he not comply, Hepburn will be forced to send the signal that will lead to their termination. Cushing’s portrayal of a man undergoing unbelievable stress and torment manages to be one of the most horrifying things the actor has ever produced. 

CONTRASTING THIS is Morell’s performance as the sadistic but undeniably charming Hepburn who manages to remain calm, whilst breaking PC down piece by piece. Set mostly within the one room the film can be incredibly uncomfortable at times, with Morell’s calmness bouncing well off of Cushing’s hysteria.

1984 (1954)

Ok so an obvious one and one that some may consider science-fiction, though I would wholeheartedly disagree. Similar to the above, this performance showcases the softer side of Cushing and again features Morell as his tormenter, giving the two an odd similarity. 

HOWEVER WHEREAS Cash on Demand still has elements of a moral superiority in its message, inherent in any Scrooge adaptation, the message of Orwell’s novel is far darker and depressing. Again Cushing astounds as a man put through unspeakable psychological tortures but this time the result proves far more terrifying than before. Lacking a proper DVD release, it’s a real shame that such a classic of British TV has yet to be given even this simple treatment. 

Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death (1984)

Ok, ok this is certainly an odd one I would never deny that. Cushing’s role as ‘the great detective’ is one that spans a number of portrayals but most notably Hammer’s Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) and the BBC series in 1968. 



UNFORTUNATELY THIS MEANS that Masks of Death is more often than not, overlooked. Admittedly it suffers from a somewhat plodding script and perhaps fails to get any attention at all, due to its unavailability on DVD or Blu-Ray. What really makes this odd little TV-movie however, is Cushing’s portrayal of a much older Holmes builds on his earlier performances but manages to provide something…softer, gentler. John Mills plays his Watson this time and the two work wonders together, making one wish for a mini-series or something of the sort. The plot attempts to root itself firmly in history, though the details are a little shaky…to say the least but it’s an interesting little film and a fun example of Cushing’s Holmes work.

The Violent Playground (1958)
Another somewhat bleak film, Peter Cushing provides a memorable turn as a Priest attempting to heal the social ill’s surrounding a Liverpool street gang led by David McCallum. 

THE HIGHLIGHTS are doubtless the sequences in which Cushing attempts to reason with McCallum who appears to have some sort of a bond with the Priest. This builds to a superb climax in which McCallum takes a number of school children hostage with a machine gun and Cushing attempts to talk him down. Brutal, gritty and uncomfortable the least said about this one before watching the better.

Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960) 
Considering that (bar the one entry) this list has so far been made up mostly of quite depressing drama fare, it seemed right to end it on a good old fashioned swashbuckler. In Sword of Sherwood Forest, Cushing takes on the role of the Sherriff of Nottingham and clearly has a whale of a time. 

WHILST I WOULD HATE to describe any of Cushing’s performances as ‘Pantomime’ that’s the word that comes to mind here, but not through insult, through the sheer amount of fun he is clearly having. The biggest disappointment is admittedly Cushing’s death scene, which whilst firmly cementing his as the secondary villain is particularly lacklustre and seems an unfair dispatch for the character. Sharing the screen with such celebrated actors as Richard Greene, Oliver Reed, Nigel Green and Niall MacGinnis the film may not be wholly successful but is the perfect Saturday afternoon entertainment.  

 

WELL I HOPE you enjoyed my list.Of course the great shame with much of PC's early non-horror work is that a great deal of it was for the BBC, who either wren't in the habit of recording or later decided it would be fun to burn the few recordings they had. Although pieces like this won't make the list for obvious reasons, I sure would have loved to have seen his Pride and Prejudice. It may be an odd choice from these lost days but I'd give my left arm to see the 1953 adaptation of Number Three. As for my list here, I am sure there are a couple you may disagree with! Over at the facebook fan page, many are sharing THEIR TOP FIVES. It's lively! Maybe you'd like to join the thread? That's it for this week, more next week, I hope you join me!  Callum McKelvie

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 

FREE HAMMER HORROR CONTACT SHEET AND CHRISTOPHER LEE COLOUR SHOTS FROM DRACULA CLASSIC!

#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY: TWO RARE set shots from a proof sheet of Christopher Lee during the making of hammer films, 'Dracula Has Risen From The Grave' (1968) . . . I love the one where he is trapped on that cross. Such a clever idea. BELOW, a great RARE COLOUR SHOT of Lee  and Barbara Ewing, another RARE colour contact proof publicity shot of Christopher Lee from 'RISEN' a SINGLE RARE publicity shot of Veronica from 'RISEN' AND A whole 12 shot FREE CONTACT SHEET of rare pics for you to print off, sample, restore...as you like . .. Is VERONICA your favorite actress in a Lee Hammer Dracula film? If not, WHO is?

 

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   

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY! : LEE PLAYS WICKED : RIPPER PLAYS MIPPS : CUSHING PLAYS EVIL

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY!: I GUESS, if you had to quickly come up with a list of what one would consider to be, Christopher Lee's FIVE most wicked roles, Dracula would be in there. So, would Rochefort from the 'Three Musketeers' and maybe Fu Manchu. But, I doubt if many would count or include this chap, Professor James Hildern from the 1973 film, 'The Creeping Flesh'. 'Flesh' also starred Peter Cushing, as his Lee's half brother, Emmanual and unlike many of the roles that he played in a rash of  British horror movies through out the 1960's and early 70's, Lee's James Hildern is a villain, thankfully, with a cause! Jealously and ambition. Hildern didn't just push obstacles aside, he cold bloodidly crushed them. 

If you though the chemistry of 'Cushing hero' versus 'Lee's black hearted monster' was magic, then 'Cushing weak and tortured' versus 'Lee merciless and Machiavellian' is a test tube, that holds a chemical reaction that gave both actors, the opportunity to really pull out the stops. Whether slaughtering and torturing patients in his care, or turning the thumbscrews on his poor half sibling, Lee is wonderfully wicked. It's a film, that has over the years sadly snuck past the notice of many a Brit Gothic horror fan. To have enjoyed the classic cinematic teamings of Cushing and Lee, watched their Hammer horrors and their Amicus adventures, but then to have never seen this Tigon tale of terror.... you have missed out on one of their best.... and that's just wicked!   Requested by Alan Goodfield. UK.

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY!: A SET UP from Hammer films, 'The Evil of Frankenstein' that Peter Cushing, no doubt enjoyed blocking and performing. All appearing like one continuous shot, but really three edits. And just how did they get that spilled acid to stop, just short of Cushing's forelock, like that???

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY! : THERE IS AN obvious comment or question to ask about this shot, but I'll avoid it here and instead, let's focus on why David Meredith from the UK requested this shot as one of this weeks #GIFS. The role of Coffin maker, Jeremiah Mipps, in Hammer films, 'Night Creatures' / 'Captain Clegg' (1962) was actually a character role that Ripper was quite proud of. In a PCAS interview in 1981, he told us his most favorite role for Hammer films, was Longbarrow in 'The Mummy's Shroud', but 'Clegg' gave him the opportunity to try something a little different. When given the chance Ripper was a great character actor. Michael Ripper holds the record for being the single actor, who appeared in more Hammer productions, than any other.

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY! : JUDY GEESON staggers into a chilling secret, at the school where all isn't what it seems. Peter Cushing's Headmaster, Michael Carmichael is in a class...of his own, in Hammer films, 'FEAR IN THE NIGHT' (1972).

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  

#MONSTERMONDAY: A KNOTTY PROBLEM!

#MONSTERMONDAY: 'I have always taken a special interest in knots, i find them not only excellent therapy but most rewarding in the study of character formation" . . . As a conversation opener, it takes some beating!! Peter Cushing's Michael Carmichael, is a strange one... and he keeps us, and Judy Geeson's character in Fear In The Night, on edge... he's one of my favourite Cushing roles. Again, Cushing does so much with just a few lines... BUT Carmichael...Victim or Monster? What do YOU think?

 FULL REVIEW AND PICS AT OUR FEATURE : HERE

TOMORROW JOIN US FOR #TOOCOOLTUESDAY 

PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY ON FACEBOOK HERE 

GIF GALLERY NUMBER SIX : GORGON, SPACE 1999 AND A DANCING CUSHING

MOST DAYS visitors to our Peter Cushing Appreciation Society Facebook Fan Page are treated to a GIF or two. They can be source from any idea of Peter Cushing's career or life. It's a quick animated snap shot of a key point in a dramatic scene or even Peter mugging faces during a tv interview, and then, there's the best thing about GIFS...it repeats it! Over and Over and Over, in a never ending loop. Poor Peter was featured in a recent posted clip from THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN being lifted off the ground and then throttled by Christopher Lee as The Monster, with his feet dangling! Now, he is doom to spend the rest of eternity, on our post, going up and down, throttled, up and down throttled... it's no way to treat a Super Star...!

Going Out In A Blaze Of Glory: Peter Cushing and Freddie Jones Hammer films, 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' (1969)

PLEASE enjoy this latest selection of animated gifs, from posts at our FACE BOOK FAN PAGE. Please feel free to download em, keep em or repost em, share em or use them on your blog, forum or internet community page. You are HELPING to promote Peter Cushing's appreciation society and KEEPING the MEMORY ALIVE!

TURNED TO STONE: Peter Cushing and Prudence Hyman in Hammer films, The Gorgon (1964)

Peter Cushing as the mysterious RAAN in the 1976 episode 'The Missing Link' fromthe tv series 'Space 1999' 

Peter Cushing as Major Holly, strutts his stuff and cranks up the moves

at the kazbar in Hammer Films, 'She' (1965)

What the 1967'Night of the Big Heat' lacks in budget and 'monster reveal' it makes up for in spades with atmosphere and drama. Here Cushing as Dr Stone comes face to face, with '...whatever it is out there'! 

Dave Prowse as The Monster in Hammer films, 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974) was hardly the best behaved creation, and not what you would call, a model pupil. Here Peter Cushing in his last appearance as Baron Frankenstein, tries to teach his creation, a lesson. Very soon, The Monster teaches THEM ALL a lesson they will never forget...

A GREAT FEATURE ARRIVING HERE : TUESDAY 7TH JUNE 2016 

GIFS FROM FEAR IN THE NIGHT : GEESON AND CUSHING

#toocooltuesday Hammer films, Fear in the Night is probably the best of the bunch in which Peter Cushing'as role in screen-time is really little more than a guest spot with Cushing working a mere four day's filming for a £1,000 in 1971.

Cushing is worth every penny, Judy Geeson is great, Ralph Bates is terrifying...and Joan Collins does what she does best...you can fill in the gap here! It's a tight little thriller that has all of it's tiny budget of £114,000 up on the screen...

FULL REVIEW AND GREAT PHOTO GALLERY HERE

ON THE RECORD: THE THEATRE : CUSHING AND HAMLET

Cushing was to play OSRIC in Laurence OLIVIER'S 'HAMLET' in the 1948 production.

 

NEW YORK TIMES REVIEW : BOSELY CROWTHER: 

SEPTEMBER 30TH 1948 

 

 

It may come as something of a rude shock to the theatre's traditionalists to discover that the tragedies of Shakespeare can be eloquently presented on the screen. So bound have these poetic dramas long been to the culture of our stage that the very thought of their transference may have staggered a few profound die-hards. But now the matter is settled; the filmed "Hamlet" of Laurence Olivier gives absolute proof that these classics are magnificiently suited to the screen.

 

Indeed, this fine British-made picture, which opened at the Park Avenue last night under the Theatre Guild's elegant aegis, is probably as vivid and as clear an exposition of the doleful Dane's dilemma as modern-day playgoers have seen. And just as Olivier's ingenious and spectacular "Henry V" set out new visual limits for Shakespear's historical plays, his "Hamlet" envisions new vistas in the great tragedies of the Bard.

It is not too brash or insensitive to say that these eloquent plays, in their uncounted stage presentations, have been more often heard than seen. The physical nature of the theatre, from the time of the Globe until now, has compelled that the audiences of Shakespeare listen more closely than they look. And, indeed, the physical distance of the audience from the stage has denied it the privilege of partaking in some of the most intimate moments of the plays.

 

But just as Olivier's great "Henry" took the play further away by taking it out into the open—and thereby revealed it visually—his "Hamlet" makes the play more evident by bringing it closer to you. The subtle reactions of the characters, the movements of their faces and forms, which can be so dramatically expressive and which are more or less remote on the stage, are here made emotionally incisive by their normal proximity. Coupled with beautiful acting and inspired interpretations all the way, this visual closeness to the drama offers insights that are brilliant and rare.

 Further, a quietly-moving camera which wanders intently around the vast and gloomy palace of Elsinore, now on the misty battlements, now in the great council chamber, now in the bedroom of the Queen, always looking and listening, from this and from that vantage point, gives the exciting impression of a silent observer of great events, aware that big things are impending and anxious not to miss any of them.

 

Actually, a lot of material which is in the conventional "Hamlet" text is missing from the picture—a lot of lines and some minor characters, notably those two fickle windbags, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern. And it is natural that some fond Shakespearians are going to be distressed at the suddenly discovered omission of this or that memorable speech. But some highly judicious editing has not done damage to the fullness of the drama nor to any of its most familiar scenes. In fact, it has greatly speeded the unfolding of the plot and has given much greater clarity to its noted complexities.

Hamlet is nobody's glass-man, and the dark and troubled workings of his mind are difficult, even for Freudians. But the openness with which he is played by Mr. Olivier in this picture makes him reasonably comprehensible. His is no cold and sexless Hamlet. He is a solid and virile young man, plainly tormented by the anguish and the horror of a double shock. However, in this elucidation, it is more his wretched dismay at the treachery of his mother than at the death of his father that sparks  woe. And it is this disillusion in women that shapes his uncertain attitude toward the young and misguided Ophelia, a victim herself of a parent's deceit.

In the vibrant performance of Eileen Herlie as the Queen is this concept evidenced, too, for plainly she shows the strain and heartache of a ruptured attachment to her son. So genuine is her disturbance that the uncommon evidence she gives that she knows the final cup is poisoned before she drinks it makes for heightened poignancy. And the luminous performance of Jean Simmons as the truly fair Ophelia brings honest tears for a shattered romance which is usually a so-what affair.

No more than passing mention can be made at this point of the fine work done by Norman Wooland as Horatio and by Basil Sydney as the King, by Felix Aylmer as Polonius, Terence Morgan as Laertes and all the rest. Perfect articulation is only one thing for which they can be blessed. A word, too, of commendation for the intriguing musical score of William Walton and for the rich designing of Roger Furse must suffice. In the straight black-and-white photography which Mr. Olivier has wisely used—wisely, we say, because the study is largely in somber mood—the palace conceived for this "Hamlet" is a dark and haunted palace. It is the grim and majestic setting for an uncommonly galvanic film.