THE HAUNTING OF HERSTMONCEAUX CASTLE AND REMEMBERING DIANA DORS!

THIS WEEKS CUSHING TUESDAY TOUGHY: IDENTIFY THE ACTOR and INVESTIGATING the similarities, should not be too difficult! THE ANSWER if  SOLVED will appear here on FRIDAY. IF it remains UNSOLVED, I will reveal the solution NEXT TUESDAY! GOOD LUCK! The photograph of Peter Cushing is from Hammer films, 'SWORD OF SHERWOOD FOREST' which stars Richard Greene and Peter Cushing. THURSDAY marks it's RELEASE on BLU RAY from TWILIGHT TIME on a REGION FREE DISC! MORE NEWS on THAT HERE tomorow!

THE ANSWER WE WERE looking for was HAUNTED: HERSTMONCEAUX CASTLE made in 1975. There were clues that WEREWOLF?: Cushing worked with Paul Annette, the DIRECTOR of the documentary, just two years before in Amicus films, 'The Beast Must Die' in 1973. Annette directed BOTH. 'The Beast Must Die' was about a WEREWOLF. A HAUNTING? Herstmonceaux Castle claims to be HAUNTED, and is the theme of the documentary. SUSSEX? Castle Herstmonceaux is based in SUSSEX. CASTLE? That's the theme and setting of the documentary. PETER CUSHING? Cushing provided the NARRATION for the entire documentary! The photograph of Peter wearing the bowler hat is taken from 'The Legend of the Werewolf', a Tyburn Film. It has no connection other than it also features a werewolf, like The Beast Must Die. This was a RED HERRING!

REMEMBERING: Diana Dors born today, October 23rd 1931. '"I’m the kind of girl that things naturally happen to. When they don’t, I give them a push"....Dors much loved and real national treasure for many years with a career as a model, actress, television personality and 'blonde bombshell'...and also a co star in TWO Peter Cushing films. 'From Beyond The Grave' for Amicus films and 'Nothing But The Night' also with Christopher Lee.

ABOVE: How UK PHOTOPLAY magazine covered and review NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT back in 1973 during it's theatrical release

ABOVE AND BELOW: HOW BOTH CUSHING AND DORS looked in Amicus films, FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE in 1973

PETER CUSHING ON SET: During the making of NOTHING BUT 

THE NIGHT (1973)

 

DOOMWATCH INSEMINOID FEAR IN THE NIGHT AND DIAGNOSIS MURDER! A HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO JUDY GEESON!

A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY to actress JUDY GEESON today! We interviewed JUDY GEESON back in the early 1980's, in her dressing room, at a London theatre, where she was appearing in a play at the time. She was sharp, bright as a button, and chomped her way through a pawn salad, as she regaled us with stories for our Marantz audio recorder and microphone!

JUDY GEESON had only worked with Peter once in FEAR IN THE NIGHT (1972), and Christopher Lee in 1975 in a film called, DIAGNOSIS MURDER. Thankfully, she had much to share on both. She also commented on his Cushing's laugh...and his pleasure on finding out that Judy kept a parakeet, and had a pet dog. She even brought the bird to the set of Fear In The Night, so Peter could sketch and paint it! It's interesting that most reports and reviews of Cushing's films that you read about, from this period of time, are usual tinged sadness, and concerned with Peter Cushing's grief and loss, of his wife, Helen. It's good to know, he did have sunny days, some light and shade.

JUDY GEESON was born in Arundel, Sussex, in 1948, Her father moved the family to London when she was 10 years old and enrolled her and sister Sally Geeson into the Corona Academy, Chiswick. Judy initially wanted to be a ballet dancer, but had to change course when she suffered from terrible headaches as a result of some of the moves. Acting had always been a great interest, however, and she chose to pursue this, making her first TV appearance in Dixon of Dock Green (1955) aged 12. 

HER FIRST MAJOR FILM ROLE was as wayward teenager Pamela Dare opposite Sidney Poitier in To Sir, with Love (1967) at the age of 18. I am sure you can all name your personal favourite Judy film... I will vote for Fear in the Night and To Sire with Love... but there are many others, 10 Rillington Place, Doomwatch, Brannigian with John Wayne and a HEAP of tv dramas too! Please join us wishing Judy the BEST of birthday's today!