#WATCHPARTY 'DARK PLACES' 1974 CHRISTOPHER LEE JOAN COLLINS AND HERBERT LOM!

JUST POSTED AT FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE one of the last of our PCASUK #WATCHWITHCUSHING Facebook #WATCHPARTIES in our quest to entertain during the #LOCK-DOWN period of the last three months! 'DARK PLACES' is one of few lesser seen films of Christopher Lee. It's a ghost story, with a few twists and some nice little surprises. It's a film of time... when it was produced back in 1974, but a lot of fun.

 

SURPRISES ON FIRST WATCH PLUS REMEMBERING ACTOR JOHN MILLS

RIGHT NOW, over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE, we've asked you to tell us about when, 'ON FIRST VIEW WHICH PETER CUSHING FILM REALLY SURPRISED YOU AND WHY?' and we are getting some great comments and answers. 

HERE ARE A FEW: 

D POWLEY says, 'Corruption. Both Peter Cushing and Sue Lloyd managed to convince me that they were mad in that film. It was a great shocker!' 

N. SANTIAGO says, 'Horror Express. I had no expectations for it. Turned out to be a very well made film with Mr. Cushing in fine form mixing it up with Mr. Lee and Telly Savalas. The movie itself was an entertaining mix of horror, science fiction, adventure and mystery. Really enjoyed it and of course the GREAT Peter Cushing!'. 

While V. Kirk says,' I was surprised by the nimble jump he did at the end of 'Brides of Dracula'. I remember rewinding to see if it was actually a stunt double but it wasn't.'. 

G. RENEHAN : 'The Blood Beast Terror! I saw it as a B movie in the cinema aged (too young)! It scared me to heck and back!'

S.COLMAN: 'Both TV appearances but I love his brilliantly nuanced performance in 1984 and the cold malevolence he channels in The Silent Scream.

A. GUNN : 'Top Secret. Peter caricatures himself - revealing his own sense of humour and strength of character. Taught me how to laugh at myself and consequently become a stronger person. Thanks, PC!' 

 M. LOISEL : ' Not a film, but the "Down the Avenue" skit on Morecombe & Wise. I wish he had done more light comedy or song and dance like that.' 

M DAWSON: 'In 1961 my father took me to see my first horror film or X film . In those days if you were under 16 you could only see those films with an adult and you got 2 films. The first film to be shown was Jack the Ripper 1959 then there was the interval when the ice cream lady would sell choc ices and ice creams, then the main feature was shown. It was 'The Curse of Frankenstein'. That film and that night I can remember it as if it was yesterday. I have had the film on video, DVD and now Blu-ray and watch it on the tele. I never tire of watching it. I dont think I ever saw a bad film he was in. But for me the favourite or favourites has to be his performances as the ruthless Baron Frankenstein'.

The post is still live and if you would like to comment and share your opinion, you would be most welcome! JUST CLICK HERE!

TODAY WE MARK THE BIRTH of one, Lewis Ernest Watts Mills... or as we knew and loved him... Sir John Mills. He was without doubt, one of our most popular and beloved English actors and born today February 22nd 1908. In a career that stretched over eight decades, Mills appeared in over 120 films, debuting in 1932 in 'Midshipmaid Gob' right up until 2009 in 'The Snow Prince'. Many of his roles like Pip in 'Great Expectations' in 1946, Shorty Blake 'In Which We Serve' in 42, Captain Scott in 'Scott of the Antarctic' in 48 and the alcohol troubled Captain Anson in 'Ice Cold in Alex' in 58 would make him an internationally renowned star.

MILLS APPEARED in three films with Peter Cushing, 'The End Of The Affair' the second in 1976 entitled 'Trial by Combat' aka 'A Dirty Knight's Work' as Sir Edward Gifford. It was no more than a guest appearance, slotted in when another project on Cushing's slate fell through. The third though, was a much grander enterprise with Tyburn films and marked Cushing's return to the character of Sherlock Holmes...and Mills as Watson! In 'The Masks of Death' they made such a terrific team as a much older duo, that another Cushing /Mills / Sherlock film from Tyburn was planned entitled 'The Abbot's Cry', but was scuppered owing to Cushing's fragile health.

JOHN MILLS AND CUSHING also appeared together in an episode of the TV series The Zoo Gang, 'The Counterfeit Trap' which was released last year as part of the series on remstered blu ray by Network.  
 

LIKE CUSHING, Mills was in his private life a sensitive romantic, in January 2001 at the age of 92, he and wife Mary, age 89, renewed their marriage vows at St. Mary's Church, next to their home, Hills House, in Denham, England. When they had wed 60 years earlier, he was denied a church service because he was serving in the Army during World War II. Happy Birthday, Sir John!
 

SUPRISE CORRECTIONS FOR FANS AFTER MANY YEARS ON!

IF YOU EVER posted your much prized copy of Peter Cushing's second autobiography, 'PAST FORGETTING' to him at his home in Whitstable in 1988 for him to sign, you may have been one of the lucky ones, to also get a little extra! The printing run of the book unfortunately had a few printers typo errors, on pages 92, 10 and 14 . . which when Peter was signing your copy, he also took the time and trouble to correct those errors, with his most unmistakeable fountain pen and handwriting. Here is an example of those pages with his corrections. Quite a few of our followers at the the PCASUK Facebook Fan Page have posted on the thread of this post today, also telling us they too have found corrections on their signed copy . . bit only found it either today or quite recently! It's just as well he isn't around to see some of MY regular typos hereat the website and on the PCAS Facebook Page . . they would keep him very busy! Many thanks to my good friend, Linda King for sharing the pages of her copy!

YOU'LL FIND TODAY'S POST AND AN ARCHIVE OF MOST OF OUR PCASUK WEBSITE POSTS FROM THE LAST EIGHT YEARS AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! IF YOU ENJOY OUR POSTS AND WANT TO COMMENT OR DISCUSS THE WORK AND LIFE OF PETER CUSHING, COME AND JOIN OVER THIRTY THREE THOUSAND OTHERS, AND TAKE PART IN THE OLDEST PETER CUSHING FAN CLUB, NOW ON FACEBOOK BOOK! ALL YOU HAVE TO DO IS CLICK HERE  AND THEN CLICK LIKE THERE! YOU'LL BE MOST WELCOME!

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! DOUBLE COMPETITIONS STRBLING AND SIR HUGO REMEMBERED!

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! THIS WEEKEND is DOUBLE COMPETITION TIME! Happening here at the website AND at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE. Our COMPETITIONS are OPEN TO EVERYONE, WHEREVER you are . . . So BE SURE to JOIN us THIS SATURDAY and SUNDAY!

REMEMBERING: Melissa Stribling who was born today November 7th 1927. Stribling appeared in just the one film with Peter Cushing...but boy did she pick the right one! She also got to play in one of Hammer films most iconic scenes in their 1958 'Dracula', where Christopher Lee's Count, in the dead of night, visits her home and..without a word.. seduces her. The scene is so super charged with sexual tension, it almost crackles off the screen and as a result got the scissors treatment from the censors at the time. In 2013, in Hammer's restored print the exorcised footage was replaced, giving us the full picture of what Director Terence Fisher, Stribling and Lee had originally intended and created.

A LARGE scan of a superb vintage publicity photograph of Melissa Stribling as Mina Holmwood, in 'Dracula / Horror of Dracula ' (1958) #hammerfilms #dracula #petercushing

I HAVE READ in several reviews of 'Dracula' both from the time of the films' release in 58 and in more recent times, that Stribling was a curious choice for the role of Mina Holmwood, that compared to the likes of Valerie Gaunt and other Hammer actresses, even though she was only in early 30's when she appeared in Dracula, many thought her slightly ordinary and plain. I totally disagree...but if that was the case, I can't help thinking that, director Fisher's choice in Stribling was intentional. That subtext in the story of Arthur Holmwood's wife being frustrated and bored, suddenly being charmed and seduced by the exotic and erotic Count, Stribling was...the perfect choice.

REMEMBERING DAVID OXLEY. (November 7th 1920 - October 30th 1985 ) Was there ever a more terrifying, evil, rip snorting, bag of fury than Oxley's portrayal of Sir Hugo Baskerville in the 1959 Hammer films production of 'The Hound of the Baskervilles' starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee? I must be honest, I actually find him more frightening than the hound!

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 : DR NAMAROFF FROM HAMMERS THE GORGON AND TWO LINES!

#MONSTERMONDAY This week's candidate is Peter Cushing's Dr Namaroff from Hammer films 'THE GORGON' If you have seen the film, this will make it all the easier for you... LIAR: He kept a deadly secret, was he right to do that? He tried to blame another for a woman's abduction. MURDERER : Where those killings his fault? He hid his affection for one woman in particular, but what a SECRET!!! You decide MONSTER?

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