DONALD PLEASENCE CENTENARY: BORN 100 YEARS AGO TODAY!

BORN ONE HUNDRED YEARS AGO TODAY!... Today marks the centenary birthday of actor Donald Pleasence on October 5th 1919. Born in Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England, he was the son of Alice (née Armitage) and Thomas Stanley Pleasence, a railway stationmaster.

TODAY, AFTER HIS PASSING... you can read all about Pleasence service during WW2, his capture as a prisoner of war, humbleness kept that under wraps for most of his life.. but he would talk and share about a fateful day and television broadcast, where both he and Peter Cushing received positive critical attention for their roles in the BBC version of Nineteen Eighty-Four (1954) from the novel by George Orwell. Pleasence played Syme, to Cushing's Winston Smith. BOTH terrified the British public! I could write much here about the amazing Pleasence career, the films, the TV and theatre.. but I have left plenty of space and thread, for everyone to do that, in this post at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE and leave that to you to share . . 😉

 DONALD PLEASENCE AS SYME IN THE BBC LIVE PRODUCTION OF '1984' IN 1954.

PLEASENCE IN the 1959 'FLESH AND THE FIENDS' as William Hare 

 A FULL FEATURE REVIEW WITH VINTAGE LOBBY CARD GALLERY! HERE!

AS JACK SEWARD in the 1979 version of 'DRACULA'

ABOVE: CUSHING AND PLEASENCE TOGETHER in 'Trial by Combat' 

DONALD PLEASENCE bumped along with Peter in several roles on the big screen, mostly co starring in films like 'The Flesh And The Fiends' 'Suspect' 'From Beyond The Grave' 'The Uncanny' 'Trial By Combat' and 'The Devil's Men'. In several of his roles, Pleasence was able to with little dialogue reach and un-nerve the audience, using something his actress daughter once referred to as 'Pleasencing' . . it worked. It ALWAYS worked.

TO DO DONALD PLEASENCE justice it would take several days, many, many posts to even scratch the surface of his amazing talent and presence. I am sure everyone here, can name three if not FIVE of their favourite Pleasence performances, because each one was different, a different character... but off screen, Donald was always one... charming, gentle and always entertaining... A VERY Happy Birthday Donald Pleasence... you are missed by many and celebrated by all who were entertained by your sensitivity and brilliant talent! 😉 - Marcus 

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY! DONALD PLEASENCE REMEMBERED PLUS NEWS ON BRIDE OF FRANKENSTEIN AND

REMEMBERING: Actor Donald Pleasence who was born today in 1919... Pleasence appeared alongside Peter Cushing in a surprising amount of titles. From the quite early on brilliant BBC production of '1984' to the not so brilliant 'The Devil's Men', 'Flesh and the Fiends', 'Trial By Combat' and 'From Beyond The Grave' In a very lengthy career, with many highlights, Pleasence was always entertaining, especially with nervous, evil obsessive characters. Pleasence is probably best known for his role of Dr. Sam Loomis in the 'Halloween' films...a role interestingly enough that Peter Cushing was originally approached to play...

 Whether Cushing had any real interest in play Sam  Loomis or

or not, it still would have made . . . a very nice blu ray cover!

Pleasence as the 'not as weird as he first seems' Jim Underwood

in Amicus films 'FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE (1974) 

As Valentine De'ath, in 'THE UNCANNY' (1977)

Dr.Sam Loomis, 'Halloween 4'

As  Dr. Jack Seward, in the 1979 production of 'Dracula'

The President in 'Escape from New York' (1981)

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY!: NEWS! It looks like Universal's 'reboot-rebrand-remake' of the classic Monsters series, has no sooner started, first with a nose dive response to the recent #TomCriuse, #THEMUMMY release... than things stall with the studios planned #TheBrideofFrankenstein remake....Production was set to start this February in London, but the studio and director Bill Condon have paused plans to ensure the script is in tip-top condition. Condon has been working on the script with David Koepp, and while the screenplay is in good shape, sources say both men want more time to rework it to better reflect their vision....a wise move I'd say.

Our chap, only made one brush with the concept of creating 'A Woman' in Hammer's own Frankenstein franchise #Frankenstein Created Woman in 1967. It turned out quite well, granted fans were a little disappointed there was no 'monster' as such, rather the attractive #SusanDenberg, going on a psycho killing spree instead. It did good box office in a time when scriptwriters and studios weren't so fixated on 'super-heroes' and 'making-everything-thing-look-the-same-as-the-last-box-office-SF-blizt'..... yeah. A films with a story and real characters, would be a nice change . .. what do you think???

 MORE ON FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE: HERE! 

MORE ON 'THE UNCANNY' : HERE!

THE UNMADE PETER CUSHING FEATURE WITH

GREAT UN-MADE BLU RAY COVERS : HERE! 

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