REMEMBERING MADELEINE COLLINSON AND NEW QUESTION AND ANSWER TO THE TUESDAY TOUGHY!

TODAY WE REMEMBER one half of the Collinson twins who sadly passed on this day in 2014 . Madeleine Collinson was born on July 22, 1952 in Malta. She's the identical twin sister of Madeleine Collinson. The Collinson twins arrived in Britain in April, 1969. Noted British glamor photographer Harrison Marks cast the duo as saucy maids in his 8mm short "Halfway Inn." 

MARY AND MADELEINE were the Playmates of the Month in the October, 1970 issue of "Playboy;" they have the distinction of being the first pair of identical twins to pose for a nude pictorial in "Playboy." The Collinson sisters went on to act in a handful of movies together; they were especially effective and memorable as the radically contrasting siblings in the typically fine Hammer vampire horror outing "Twins of Evil" with Peter Cushing.

ABOVE THIS WEEKS CUSHING TUESDAY TOUGHY. BELOW THE QUESTION AND ANSWER TO LAST WEEKS TOUGHY . .

AS ALWAYS we make a point of, if you too would like to share your thoughts and memories of anyone who is included in a memorial post here at our website, you can join us at the FACEBOOK PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY UK FAN PAGE. You will be most welcome to add your message onto the thread!

QUESTIONS AND GIFS! TEST YOUR KNOWLEDGE ON THE WORLD OF CUSHING AND HIS CAREER!

FOUR NEW GIFS WITH TESTING QUESTIONS for you to try and answer! LAST WEEKS ANSWERS, you will find at the bottom of this feature! HAVE FUN!

QUESTIONS ONE : SHARPENING A STAKE and a busy BRITISH road, where is this and NAME the FILM TITLE! Can you also name  the ORIGINAL shooting title of this film?

QUESTION TWO : THAT'S A NASTY looking chap with some bad eating habits! Can you NAME this film, the ACTOR and THREE PETER CUSHING films he appeared in...and ONE with VINCENT PRICE?

QUESTION THREE : ONE OF THESE ACTORS is celebrated in a US Cartoon series, name that series! They also appeared in a very popular Western-cowboy series, can you name that series too and the TITLE of this movie?

QUESTION FOUR : CAN YOU NAME THE TITLE of this film and the city in which it is based? PETER CUSHING stars, but TWO of his CO STARS appeared in over THREE films that CUSHING starred in too! NAME THE TWO ACTORS and THE SIX FILMS!

IF YOU CAN ANSWER all these questions, send ALL your  answers to our email, petercushingpcas@gmail.com and we will use your ANSWERS and give you a credit next week!

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS:

GIF ONE: WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THIS FILM? I MONSTER THE FILM ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM DURING PRODUCTION, WHAT WAS THAT PROBLEM? A FAILED PROCESS OF SHOOTING IN 3D. THE CAT IN THE FILM WAS ACTUALLY, a) CHRISTOPHER LEE'S b) STEPHEN WEEKS THE DIRECTOR'S c) PETER CUSHING'S? 

GIF TWO: THOMAS was born in a) WALES? b) LONDON c) EGYPT d) FRANCE.  The film  is part of the KARNSTEIN TRILOGY. IS IT THE SECOND OR THIRD ENTRY IN THE TALE? There were quite a few RATS on the floor of the set on THIS CRYPT. HOW DID THEY GET THE RATS TO STAY IN SHOT? a) WITH STRINGS? b) THE RATS WERE ANIMATED AND NOT REAL? c) WITH PEANUT BUTTER? d) WITH CHEESE?

GIF THREE: JAMES VILLIERS and CHARLOTTE TRAMPLING in AMICUS FILMS ASYLUM in 1972. VILLIERS was quite a prolific actor, who nearly always played sardonic and upper class gentlemen. He worked for both AMICUS and HAMMER FILMS. HOW MANY FILMS DID HE APPEAR IN FOR HAMMER FILMS? THREE: THE DAMNED, THE NANNY, AND BLOOD FROM THE MUMMY'S TOMB. VILLIERS appeared to be of aristocratic background, BECAUSE HE WAS A DESCENDANT OF THE EARLS OF CLARENDON. TRUE or FALSE?  Descendant of the Earls of Clarendon. 

GIF FOUR: CHRISTOPHER LEE as COUNT DRACULA being assisted by Hammer films regular actor, THORLEY WALTERS as  Ludwig in DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966). WALTERS MADE HOW MANY FILMS IN WHICH PETER CUSHING APPEARED TOO? FOUR THE RISK FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS (IN THE INTRO) FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED IN HOW MANY SHERLOCK HOLMES FILMS DID WALTERS APPEAR? TWO : SHERLOCK HOLMES SMARTER BROTHER and  SHERLOCK HOLMES AND THE DEADLY NECKLACE 

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

QUESTIONS AND GIFS TO TAX YOUR KNOWLEDGE! ITS GIF WEDNESDAY!

#CUSHINGGIFWEDNESDAY! HERE IS is week's selection of animated sequences from some of the BEST films of PETER CUSHING and as usual, a few quizy questions, to test you on your knowledge of CUSHING'S work and life. IF you think you have the answer to ANY zip us a quick email to the PCAS account and if you get them all on the BUTTON, we'll celebrate your very neat achievement by creating and  posting your very own BANNER the week after here at our next #CUSHINGGIFWEDNESDAY! Good luck! HERE is our email: petercushingpcas@gmail.com

HERE IS A ROLE which  CHRISTOPHER LEE said he enjoyed very much. It is a shame that it didn't do that well at the box office. WHAT IS THE TITLE OF THIS FILM? THE FILM ENCOUNTERED A PROBLEM DURING PRODUCTION, WHAT WAS THAT PROBLEM? THE CAT IN THE FILM WAS ACTUALLY, a) CHRISTOPHER LEE'S b) STEPHEN WEEKS THE DIRECTOR'S c) PETER CUSHING'S?

HAMMER FILMS, TWINS OF EVIL stars PETER CUSHING as Gustav Weil and DAMIEN THOMAS as Count KARNSTEIN. THOMAS was born in a) WALES? b) LONDON c) EGYPT d) FRANCE.  The film  is part of the KARNSTEIN TRILOGY. IS IT THE SECOND OR THIRD ENTRY IN THE TALE? There were quite a few RATS on the floor of the set on THIS CRYPT. HOW DID THEY GET THE RATS TO STAY IN SHOT? a) WITH STRINGS? b) THE RATS WERE ANIMATED AND NOT REAL? c) WITH PEANUT BUTTER? d) WITH CHEESE?

JAMES VILLIERS and CHARLOTTE TRAMPLING in AMICUS FILMS ASYLUM in 1972. VILLIERS was quite a prolific actor, who nearly always played sardonic and upper class gentlemen. He worked for both AMICUS and HAMMER FILMS. HOW MANY FILMS DID HE APPEAR IN FOR HAMMER FILMS? VILLIERS appeared to be of aristocratic background, BECAUSE HE WAS A DESCENDANT OF THE EARLS OF CLARENDON. TRUE or FALSE?  Descendant of the Earls of Clarendon.

MORE ON AMICUS, ASYLUM, CUSHING AND VILLIERS in our PCAS FEATURE. JUST CLICK HERE!

CHRISTOPHER LEE as COUNT DRACULA being assisted by Hammer films regular actor, THORLEY WALTERS as  Ludwig in DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS (1966). WALTERS MADE HOW MANY FILMS IN WHICH PETER CUSHING APPEARED TOO? IN HOW MANY SHERLOCK HOLMES FILMS DID WALTERS APPEAR?

LAST WEEKS ANSWERS: The BEST and MOST CONCISE answers we received to  all FIVE of the questions came from MARCIA LOISEL. . . and HERE they are!

QUESTION ONE: THE INTERIORS in this GIF from THE MUMMY was filmed WHERE? WHICH TWO ACTORS who appeared in this film, originally wanted to be an OPERA SINGERS?

ANSWER ONE: The Mummy's interiors were shot at Bray Studios, Down Place. One of the actors who had wanted to be an opera singer was Christopher Lee. The OTHER name we were looking for WAS Yvonne Furneaux!

QUESTION TWO: NAME THE TITLE OF THIS FILM, name the ACTRESS in this shot AND which very famous ACTOR did THE actor almost REPLACE in a BLOCK BUSTER SCI FI film based on a TV series AND WHICH ACTOR was playing SHERLOCK HOLMES in the TV series he once appeared in?

ANSWER TWO: The title of the film in the GIF was 'Twins of Evil'. The actress playing Countess Mircalla is Katya Wyeth. Unknown to many, DAMIEN THOMAS was primed to take the role of SPOOK from Leonard Nimoy in the first STAR TREK movie. Jeremy Brett as Sherlock Holmes in the DEVIL FOOT episode that THOMAS appeared in for Granada television. .

QUESTION THREE: The GIF was of PETER CUSHING in the BBC TV series SHERLOCK HOLMES and production of THE BLUE CARBUNCLE. Cushing  used a magnifying glass in quite a few FILMS. HOW MANY can you name? GIVE US the TITLES!

ANSWER THREE: Marcia certainly provided the BEST answer we received to this question. Her answer was . . . Top Secret, Hound of the Baskervilles, Abominable Snowman of the Himalayas, Curse of Frankenstein, Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell, The Creeping Flesh, The Mummy, The Skull, Horror Express, Blood Beast Terror. He didn't use but handed a magnifying glass to Watson in Masks of Death. . . and we will go with that!

QUESTION FOUR: CAN YOU NAME the COUNTRY where this film was released in 1980?  This film also had a member of the cast who was more famous as a theatrical performer and street artist! NAME that cast member! Can you name one of the alternative  TITLES that this film was also know as? titles 

ANSWER FOUR: featured a gif from the Cushing film, FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE.  showing Ian Ogilvy in The Door. In 1980 the film was released in the USA as a re-release. The actor who was famous as a theatrical performer and street artist was Marcel Steiner. The alternative titles: Creatures From Beyond the Grave, Tales From Beyond the Grave, Tales From the Beyond, The Undead, The Creatures.

QUESTION FIVE: This question has been made VOID as we were given THE WRONG INFO!!!!!

MOMENT OF TERROR MONDAY! LET THEM ALL SEE! TWINS SHOCKER!

#PETERCUSHING Moment of Terror Monday. School teachers have quite a hard job to do these days, but had they been around back in the day, and worked in the school where Gustav Weil's nieces attended, today would seem like working in Disneyland! This weeks Moment of Terror clip, features one of Peter Cushing best villains. 

HE RARELY EVER PLAYED what would be thought of a visual 'monster', fangs or face of fright, but characters like his BARON FRANKENSTEIN were outstanding, and 'UNCLE' Gustav comes very close to passing the Baron's line. Gustav doesn't kill to create, far from it, he murders to SAVE! TWINS OF EVIL is one of Hammer films better films of the 1970's. It ticks the box for so many who would have seen it back in the day, moments of terror, vampires, a head male vamp, the dreaded Hammer Karnstein's, Hammer's trick of providing eye candy for the dirty mac brigade . . they are still with us... and executions! By BURNING THEM! 

 THE PCAS 'TWINS OF EVIL' FEATURE AND GALLERY CAN BE FOUND RIGHT HERE!

LOTS TO LIKE about this films, if you have not seen it. Beautiful cinematography, lighting, musical score, direction, 80% of the performances are very good and Peter Cushing roaringly evil, on a race and crusade to stamp out vampirism, where not even his family are safe! In this clip Gustav provides what could have been the greatest moment in a biology lesson. A bit off key for a music lesson though . .

NOT ALL THE PC VAMPIRE SUPPORT WAS NICE! CALLUM MCKELVIE LOOKS BEYOND ROLES THAT WERE VAN HELSING NICE TIMES!

WHEN ONE THINKS of Cushing and Vampires, inevitably are minds are drawn to his excellent portrayal of Van Helsing in several of Hammers Dracula films. For many fans it’s one of his best roles and (if we count the two generations as one) a part he would return to four times. However, as defining as his portrayal as Van Helsing is, it somewhat over shadows that fact that he was in roughly four other vampire films (excluding Dr Terrors House of Horrors and The House that Dripped Blood simply as he does not appear in the segments featuring bloodsuckers). 

THIS WEEK AND THE NEXT I’ll be examining these ‘Other Vampire films’, starting with his two entries into the Karstein trilogy 'The Vampire Lovers' and 'Twins of Evil'. I’ve joined these two together, not only because they book ending entries in a trilogy, but also because they both feature Cushing as a sort of Pseudo-Vampire Hunter. Both roles are worlds away from a Van Helsing stereotype and at least one is remembered amongst his finest work.

THE 'KARNSTEIN TRILIOGY'  stands as one of Hammers finest achievements simply for the fact that it marks one of the few occasions, as the studio moved into the 1970’s that one it’s attempts to try something bold and new with its formula worked. Now in terms of some of the attempts that would be made later (Kung-Fu vampires anyone?) the changes here are not that extreme and merely reflect the studios reaction to an allowance of more extreme content.

MOST OBVIOUSLY it is the films explicit portrayal of Lesbianism that gained it a certain level of attention. The film is stolen by Ingrid Pitt’s first performance for the studio and first major role in a horror movie (though she was in 1966’s Sound of Horror). Whilst not her greatest work for Hammer (that would come later in Countess Dracula) it’s a strong start and one can easily see why she became a horror icon and early scream queen.

ABOVE: PETER CUSHING and INGRID PITT together in HAMMER FILMS 'THE VAMPIRE LOVERS'. BOTH look comfortable in the roles. BOTH had also become great friends, along with Peter Cushing's wife, HELEN . . . 

PETER CUSHING'S ROLE in the film on the other hand is somewhat small, though integral and although he looks superb in his military uniform, it’s not usually counted amongst his best roles. None the less it’s an interesting take on the role of the Vampire hunter within a hammer film and the quest is made deeply personal to the General, whose niece is a victim of Carmilla. 

THUS THE GENERAL is the character who puts an end to Camilla’s bloodsucking ways and in perhaps the most famous scene in the film, decapitates her. It’s a great moment and Cushing imbues it with a sort of grim satisfaction, we may have seen the gentle side of the General to begin with but we now understand why he’s a war hero.

BELOW: JUST weeks after the tragic death of his wife, HELEN, PETER CUSHING plays a NEW HAMMER VAMPIRE FILM role. GUSTAV WEIL, the savior and helper? OR is he just as EVIL as the VAMPIRE COUNT? 

THE FINAL FILM in the Karstein series, 'Twins of Evil', sees Cushing in a role far removed from that in 'The Vampire Lovers'. Here he plays Gustav Weil, a vicious religious fanatic who prowls the local countryside in search of witches to burn. Clearly inspired by 1968’s Witchfinder General and many films that followed in its wake including 'Mark of the Devil' and 'Blood on Satan’s Claw', it’s a rare chance to see Cushing being genuinely terrifying.

EVEN IN FILMS where Cushing plays a villain, there’s usually an element of charm in his performance (his earliest portrayals of Baron Frankenstein) that have his character play out more as an anti-hero. Indeed only Hammer films, Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed in 1969, shows him in a position where he plays a character so utterly ruthless as to be genuinely frightening.

OF COURSE as his two young nieces find themselves under the sway of the evil Count Karstein, like the General Weil finds himself turning to the Vampire Hunting trade. In this film’s final moments, Cushing finds himself once again decapitating a vampire and it’s equally spectacular.

PETER CUSHING'S TWO non-Dracula vampire films for Hammer stand among some of the studios most interesting work. Cushing gives great performances in both and though one is clearly superior to the other, are interesting portrayals of Vampire hunters not in the Van Helsing mode.

WRITTEN by CALLUM MCKELVIE
TECH DEVELOPMENT: JAMIE SUMERVILLE
EDITED: MARCUS BROOKS
THE VAMPIRE LOVERS TRAILER: UvaSEP  HERE!

REMINDER OF TUESDAYS TOUGHIE : ANSWER TUESDAY 6TH MARCH!

 

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