JOHN CARPENTER ON HAMMER CURSE AND REMEMBERING SIR JOHN MILLS AS DR JOHN WATSON

#TBT #THROWBACKTHURSDAY! Here's a clip we edited for Callum McKelvie's first Weekend Double feature, on Hammer films, The Curse of Frankenstein and Revenge of Frankenstein, with 'Halloween' director, John Carpenter sharing his thoughts on one of his all time favorite Hammer films... 🙂 It's great when established directors give credit to work that influenced them . . .Tim Burton and Martin Scorsese have all stepped up and doffed their caps...

TODAY WE MARK THE BIRTH of one, Lewis Ernest Watts Mills... or as we knew and loved him... Sir John Mills. He was without doubt, one of our most popular and beloved English actors and born today February 22nd 1908. In a career that stretched over eight decades, Mills appeared in over 120 films, debuting in 1932 in 'Midshipmaid Gob' right up until 2009 in 'The Snow Prince'. Many of his roles like Pip in 'Great Expectations' in 1946, Shorty Blake 'In Which We Serve' in 42, Captain Scott in 'Scott of the Antarctic' in 48 and the alcohol troubled Captain Anson in 'Ice Cold in Alex' in 58 would make him an internationally renowned star.

MILL APPEARED IN TWO FILMS with Peter Cushing, the first in 1976 entitled 'Trial by Combat' aka 'A Dirty Knight's Work' as Sir Edward Gifford. It was no more than a guest appearance, slotted in when another project on Cushing's slate fell through. The second though, was a much grander enterprise with Tyburn films and marked Cushing's return to the character of Sherlock Holmes...and Mills as Watson! They made a terrific team as a much older duo, so impressive was the chemistry that another Cushing /Mills / Sherlock film from Tyburn was planned entitled 'The Abbot's Cry', but was scuppered owing to Cushing's fragile health.

LIKE CUSHING, Mills was in his private life a sensitive romantic, in January 2001 at the age of 92, he and wife Mary, age 89, renewed their marriage vows at St. Mary's Church, next to their home, Hills House, in Denham, England. When they had wed 60 years earlier, he was denied a church service because he was serving in the Army during World War II. Happy Birthday, Sir John!

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

COMING SOON: LA GRANDE BRETECHE : A GREAT MYSTERY! COMING SOON!

#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING! Peter Cushing played some fine villains, cool, cruel, calculating and often ruthless... but there is one that is often forgotten. Back in 1973 there was a television series that became quite compulsive viewing in the UK on a Saturday night. As it was produced by the now defunct Anglia television company, it also lead the way in 1979, for their highly successful, Roald Dahl's 'Tales of the Unexpected'. Even though it's material was often inferior to 'Great Mysteries', it's 'Unexpected' that is often remembered. 'Orson Welles Great Mysteries' was originally transmitted between 1973 and 1974, with a run of 26 episodes. It had some very good writers and directors, namely Alan Gibson (Dracula AD, Silent Scream, Satanic Rites) Peter Sasdy (Nothing But The Night).

THE SERIES WAS an anthology of different tales. Each episode was introduced by Orson Welles, in big hat and opera cloak! He topped and tailed each story, though never appeared in them. The episode, 'La Grande Breteche' was broadcast, just once in the UK on Saturday 22nd September 1973. It starred Peter Cushing as the Count Gerard De Merret and Susannah York as his wife, Countess Josephine. What Cushing gives us, is a quite terrifying performance. As with all the stories in this series, they were chosen for their punch, sting or twist at the end. Needless to say, Cushing doesn't disappoint! We'll be sharing this episode during next Sunday's #GETTHECUSHINGITSCUSHING! Don't miss it!

 IT'S SUNDAY! SO IT'S  #GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING DAY!

MEANWHILE, above for those who fondly remember the show, here is John Barry's atmospheric theme, that opened every show....

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HORROR CHANNEL CHRISTOPHER LEE TRIBUTE NIGHT

The Horror Channel is to dedicate a whole night’s programming to the cinematic legacy of Christopher Lee who died on June 7th. On July 2nd from 9pm they'll be bringing you four of Christopher Lee’s finest pieces; THE DEVIL RIDES OUT, DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS, SCARS OF DRACULA and TO THE DEVIL A DAUGHTER. Stewart Bridle, Horror Channel’s manager said today: “'We feel the movies chosen for the night represent some of his most iconic characters and performances during his time with Hammer Films and in the horror genre. Watching these you realise why he was so highly respected as a fantastic character actor who could both be a stoic hero and also a terrifying villain. He will be greatly missed but he lives on through his amazing legacy of movies”. So, be sure to make a date in your diaries and set your recorders....