RARE PHOTOGRAPHS : BEHIND THE SCENES AND LOBBY STILLS : FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAY!

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY OUR FIRST OF FOUR WEEKS Frankenstein Hammer Cushing fun! To kick us off to start, here are four from a set of eight quite rare lobby stills, from #Hammerfilms 'The Evil of Frankenstein'. These are the many photographs you would usually see in the lobby or outside the cinema in the glass cases. These particular original photographs were also hand tinted. They chose balck and white photographs, and tinted each set with liquid dyes. This was CHEAPER than colour photographs. Many of these sets were purchased by the manager of the cinema, were used once and then thrown away, after the film had played for it's duration in the local cinema. Colour transparency, were far too expensive, to be used for exhibition purposes, when used for only seven days!  Over the years they can fade and get a little tatty if not looked after. These were in good condition, but have also been freed of dust and slight damage of pin holes. They now, I think you'll agree, look GREAT!  We also have the first of a series of rare publicity and press photographs, from 'The Evil of Frankenstein'. . . .

  

ABOVE: SEVERAL OF MAKE UP ARTIST ROY ASHTON'S DIFFERENT DESIGNS

FOR THE 'EVIL OF FRANKENSTEIN' CREATION. 

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: THE MODEL PERFECTIONIST : NO SMALL TIME HOBBY

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! I have made this #BANNER using a series of promotional photographs that were commissioned by the #HAMMERFILMS  press office, during the publicity campaign of their fourth #FRANKENSTEIN film with Cushing, 'Frankenstein Created Woman' with Susan Denberg. It's true, while the good Baron was very great at making 'Monsters', Cushing was quite an accomplished and expert model maker. 

EVERYTHING FROM his model soldiers, used in his #WARGAME past-time, model aircraft, ships, boats, houses and theater's . . . particularly theaters. After Cushing's death all of his model work, was auctioned to help pay his DEATH TAX bill..a REAL horror story... of the eight or nine that still existed, displayed and fully functional in the attic studio workshop at his Whitstable home, some are now in the 'eat you heart out collectors' MEGA COLLECTION, of huge Cushing fan and director, Guillermo del Toro Gómez. Each of the theaters, consisted of a proscenium arch, scenery, tabs, curtains, actors, props and a fully operational lighting system, complete with lightning board. 

I HAVE LABELLED  the photographs, with close up images, so you can see the amazing eye for detail and authenticity that Cushing really had. Take a look at the handmade GOBO light, with different colored gels and working selection motor. The lighting positioned at the rear of the set in photograph C, a shows that colored lighting gel, was positioned over the lamps, so that the light source on the model stage, depicted daylight! I have no idea just how much the theaters sold for, but from his telephone bidding on the day, it's known their was huge interest in the theaters, and the 'lolly' that went under the hammer, was big bucks.

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