NEWS : BRITAIN'S FIRST FRANKENSTEIN MUSEUM READY FOR CREATION!

IT WAS THE ROLE THAT nailed #PeterCushing to the movie map and made both him and Christopher Lee into household names, with a mini budget movie produced by an even smaller UK film company called, #Hammerfilms. Jimmy Sangster wrote a scaled down script of the classic novel by Mary Shelley, #Britishfilm director, Terence Fisher called the shots, and 'The Curse of Frankenstein' not only hit huge box office success, it also changed the style of horror films and rebooted the Frankenstein film. Peter Cushing would go on to appear in a further FIVE Frankenstein films for Hammer.  'The Curse of Frankenstein' also presented Christopher Lee as an often child-like but savage 'monster-creation', his appearance compared to that of the traditional Universal #BorisKarloff Jack Pearce make up artist style, was quite a different. Hammer films continued their #Frankenstein series, but again in a different style to the Universal horror films, in a clever turn, they created a focus on adventures of  The Baron himself, instead of the '#TheMonster'. It was a brilliant and box office friendly plan, as not only did the audience get a different creation for every new story and title, but also Cushing's amazing Baron for the price of one ticket!

FOR DECADES the character of Baron Frankenstein has fascinated audiences with new theatre, television and cinema productions being produced every year. And it is maybe this and the fact that that the company behind the Frankenstein Museum , #Bath Attractions . . is based in the very city where #MaryShelley wrote the iconic 'Frankenstein' novel in 1818! READ ON . . .  

PLANS ARE BEING DRAWN UP for ‘Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein’ to celebrate the author’s “extraordinary life and her most lauded work” - much of which was penned in the Somerset city. #Bath Attractions Ltd are planning to convert Grade II-listed offices in Gay Street - a few doors up from the Jane Austen Centre - and hope it could open later this year. The  planning application says: “Mary Shelley’s House of Frankenstein is a new multi-sensory, fully immersive family-friendly visitor attraction proposed for the City of Bath, and the UK’s first attraction dedicated to #MaryShelley and her novel, Frankenstein, one of the world’s most famous, iconic and lauded creations.

“Exploring her complicated and tragic personal life, literary career and the novel’s continuing relevance today in regards to popular culture, politics and science, the attraction aims to deliver a sophisticated, entertaining and visceral experience like no other, and one which we hope the city of Bath can be proud of.”

THE AUTHOR'S LINKS to Bath are commemorated on a plaque at the site of 5 Abbey Church Yard, where she took lodgings arriving in the city in September 1816, then named Mary Wollstenecraft Godwin. It was there that she wrote much of #Frankenstein , which was published anonymously in 1818 and is now regarded as the world’s first #sciencefiction novel.

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THE PETER CUSHING STORY: THEATRE TELEVISION AND FILM

ANOTHER ADDITION to our 'PCAS Cushing Things To Take You Away, For An Hour!'😊😀 You can watch or even maybe do the ironing, dusting or washing the dog while listening!😊 The excellent 1989 Tyburn films documentary 'One Way Ticket To Hollywood' on the life and career of Peter Cushing! It's full of gems, clips, stories, Peter's wonderful summing up of his good friend, Christopher Lee, his life with his late wife Helen and a few surprises! Hosted by Dick Vosburgh, who knows how to get the best from Peter here! 😉Enjoy! Please look after yourselves. Stay safe everyone 😊 More tomorrow! - Marcus

Copyright disclaimer: I do NOT own this video nor the image featured in the video. All rights belong to it's rightful owner/owner's. No copyright infringement intended. 

CATCH UP READ the PCASUK review of the LATEST Peter Cushing film now RELEASED on BLU RAY: INDICATOR's 'THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN' HERE! Feature includes : Photographs : Screen Captures and a FULL breakdown of extras PLUS full Audio and Visual standards of the release  

IF YOU WOULD LIKE  to be part of the team and write YOUR reviews of the latest releases, just drop us a line at our FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE HERE!

RARE FILM CLIP OF PETER CUSHING'S FRANKENSTEIN MONSTER ON SET PLUS THE 'EVIL' EXTRA US TV FOOTAGE!

RARE FOOTAGE! Following the popularity of the rare behind the scenes The Gorgon clips I shared with you a short while ago, here's another one! We are going back to October-November 1963 and the golden age of Hammer films, when the company, based at the tiny studios, along with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee were making some of the best of the Hammer British Gothic bunch ...and above, here is a rare glimpse inside the legendary Bray Studios, in the Make up room of Roy Ashton . .

If you ever wondered, just how Cushing's Baron Frankenstein 'Creature' make up was applied... below is your answer.

BELOW IS actor Kiwi Kingston, with Roy Ashton, showing his solution to the problem of 'How to save the producers time and money, when it comes to applying make up when making a monster, who is ready for the camera and walk on set, in ten minutes!!' The studio hated the fact that prep, applying and daily making up a monster, took time...and time costs money. This solution, for the producers it worked . . but for Roy and the fans of Hammer horror, it was a compromise that sadly effected the credibility of the film...it's a complete over-head mask... and the audience knew it too. 

THE GIF CLIP ABOVE IS QUITE RARE, not often seen and proves even for a film like 'The Evil of Frankenstein' ...with a superb performance of the Baron by Peter Cushing, tight directing of Freddie Francis, very entertaining support cast of Sandor Elès , Katy Wild, Peter Woodthorpe, Duncan Lamont and Kiwi Kingston..and amazing sets, also used in Hammer films 'The Gorgon' from Bernard Robinson and Don Mingaye...even Universal Studios on-board... if you ain't got a great Monster...it's like a firework, that promises to shock...but fails when it doesn't that have THAT bang!

HAMMER TOOK A CHANGE in direction, with the making of 'The Evil of Frankenstein'. When the camera clogs first turned on Hammer's concept of a Frankenstein movie, they were very aware of having to start their concept from scratch. On hearing of Hammer's plans, Universal films wasted no time in despatching a warning to the producers, that if anyway Hammer's 'monster' resembled the famous Jack Pearce Boris Karloff creation in any way, they would be despatching a writ, with teeth, that would for sure make a real meal of their plans and production. Universal was also clear that their script and concept was also their property, and that Hammer should tread carefully. So make up artist Phil Leakey got to work creating a 'monster appearance' on Christopher Lee, that in no way could possibly be connected with the Pearce monster. So, was the case in the Hammer sequel, 'The Revenge of Frankenstein' too.

AFTER TWO MOVIES of managing quite well in creating the 'look' of a new monster appearance, with stories too that resembled little if anything in common with the Universal Frankenstein films, fate somehow took hold of the steering wheel and tiller, and Universal relaxed their hold on the 'monster look' and story concepts, and invited Hammer films into their party. Hammer films, Anthony Hinds wrote a script that rebooted the series, no connection to either 'Curse' or 'Revenge'  . .  and a 'monster', after weeks of designing and drawing, that gave more than a wobbly nod, to the Universal creation. The bolts, the flat top and big boots, were all in! 



AFTER THE SUCCESS of 'The Curse of Frankenstein' and 'The Revenge of Frankenstein', Universal wanted IN, along with Peter Cushing as part of the deal. 'Evil' would contain many of the Universal 'Frankenstein Tropes', and after it's cinema release would also be spread across the US television screens too. The problem was that 'The Evil of Frankenstein' came up short of duration of only 84 minutes and some scenes were deemed a little too intense for family viewing . .  so a whole new back-story was shot at Universal studios, where new and quite unrelated characters were slipped into the film. None of the film's established cast were included in the footage.. and Frankenstein's monster is seen by his boots only . . .

HAPPY 54TH ANNIVERSARY OF HAMMER FILMS 'THE GORGON' : JOSHUA KENNEDY AND HOUSE OF THE GORGON!

TODAY HERE and at our FACEBOOK PCAS FAN PAGE we are marking the anniversary of the release of #hammerfilms THE GORGON starring Peter Cushing and Christopher lee, with Barbara Shelley, Richard Pasco, and directed by Terence Fisher 🙂 At the Facebook Fan Page, the text went like this...'We've covered this film many times here and at the website, it's still one of the most atmospheric and beautifually photographed films that Hammer made. It's got an amazing cast and an amazing musical score by James Bernard. Patrick Troughton, Michael Goodliffe are great too. And according to some fans, It's probably also.... hang on I'll wait for Joshua Kennedy to make his annual annoucement on the thread below.... ANY time now . . ' 😉 AND at THAT POINT, he did! HAPPY BIRTHDAY 'THE GORGON' !

HOW WE MARKED the GORGON anniversary a few years ago. Josh's comment was there on the post as usual, but this year, so was JOSH!

FOR THOSE OF YOU who don't know JOSH and the remarkable films he has made over the years, he has just probably leaped a further few giant steps in the opinions of his fans and friends. Josh is a life long fan of Hammer films, 'THE GORGON' having first seen it when he was just NINE years old. For the past ten years, I have made a tradition of posting a celebration banner, marking the release of THE GORGON, and every year, without fail, Josh has posted the same comment, in the thread below onour Facebook PCAS Fan Page or here at the website, 'THE BEST FILM EVER MADE'  

DRACULA AD 2105 and the promotional poster for HOUSE OF THE GORGON designed by artist Graham Humphrey

AT FIRST, when it appeared, I thought it was just a highly supportive comment, from a Cushing / Hammer film fan, who  was probably on a high, having just seen the film. BUT, no THE GORGON is Josh's favourite Cushing Hammer film. So much so, he has just made his OWN Gorgon movie, as a tribute to the film, that was made back in 1964. Josh has made some impressive tribute films to various Hammer and fantasy genre movies over the years. My favourite being DRACULA AD 2105. A superb full length feature, which also contains many tributes and key scenes, to the whole Hammer film Dracula series. You can catch our feature and review on the film HERE! 

THE HOUSE OF THE GORGON SYNOPSIS:

Filmed in the vein of the classic Hammer and Universal films of yesteryear: The year is 1896, and the lovely Isobel Banning travels with her mother, Anna, to the village of Carlstadt to marry her university sweetheart, Dr. Julian Pritchard. Along their journey they meet the mysterious Father Llewellyn, the local priest, who refuses to explain why the villagers appear to be in a state of mortal fear… as if the town is hiding a terrible secret. Frightened and confused, Isobel and Anna readily accept an invitation from Dr. Pritchard to stay with him and his aunt, the Baroness Bartov, in their large chateau overlooking the town… unaware of the ancient horror that lies within.

HAVING SEEN THE CROWD-FUNDING trailer for 'HOUSE OF THE GORGON' and the prospect of it's jaw dropping cast, who have joined together to support Joshua and his film, makes the release of this film all the more VERY special. The cast includes, Veronica Carlson (Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Dracula Has Risen From The Grave, The Ghoul) Caroline Munro (At The Earth's Core, Dracula AD 1972) and Christopher Neame (Dracula AD 1972) and Martine Beswick (Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde). I am sure it is going be just as impressive, as Josh's other films, The Return of Sherlock Holmes, The Alpha Omega Man, Theseus and the Minotaur and many others. Scheduled for a 2019 release, I can't wait!

OUR FEATURE on the dancer and actress who played THE GORGON in the 1964 film: JUST click HERE!

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: PETER CUSHING ON THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: Peter Cushing discusses the role of Frankenstein, the success of The Curse Of Frankenstein and Hammer films . . .

 Please visit us at our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE and help 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. 

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: BARON MAKES A QUICK EXIT!

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) making a quick exit much to the shock of the Burgomaster (David Hutcheson) and his wife (Caron Gardner) from Hammers The Evil Of Frankenstein (1964)

MORE #FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY at the Peter Cushing Appreciation

 Society Facebook Fan Page

NOW HE'S REALLY ANGRY! CUSHING LEE DRACULA HARKER HAMMER GIFS

NOW HE'S  REALLY ANGRY! Jonathan Harker in a dance with death! Never has Christopher Lee's DRACULA looked more feral than in the scene from Hammer films, 'DRACULA' /'HORROR OF DRACULA'  starring Peter Cushing as Van Helsing in 1958.

Actor John Van Eyssen did a great job of playing Harker, and went on to appear in only nine other feature films, then leave his acting career in 1961 and become the head of the Grade Organisation literary agency.  He then left the business in 65 to take up a position in the UK division of Columbia Pictures, eventually becoming Managing Director in July 1969. Finally in 1970, he was promoted to Worldwide Head of Production (ex-USA) and moved to New York.

After his tenure at Columbia, Van Eyssen became an independent producer, returning to the UK in 1991 to establish Britain's premier showcase for talented young filmmakers, the Chelsea Film Festival. Born Matthew John Du Toit Van in Africa in 1922, he died in 1995, aged 73 in London. Interestingly, his son, David Van Eyssen, is a US-based producer and director known for the web-series RCVR.

AND HERE'S ONE MORE FOR THE POT! Peter Cushing as Van Helsing on rushing to the celler of the Holmwood family home, finds DRACULA's hiding place, at first minus the Count. Until . . . . .

MORE DRACULA GIFS and trivia soon!

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