GOODBYE TO ROY DOTRICE OBE 1923 -2017

VERY SAD TO READ that actor ROY DOTRICE passed a few days ago. Dotrice has one of those acting CV's that crosses all genre's, generations, trends and all arts disciplines, all of which he excelled in . . . he has a tenuous connection to Peter Cushing in that he was in the cast of Amicus films, 'Tales from the Crypt' (1972) in the 'Wish You Were Here' story, with Richard Greene and Barbara Murray. But I want to mention his passing here as more of a note to myself, and maybe you too, that Roy like Christopher Lee before him, is one of the last of our actors who stood for something special. In most cases their work, as they got older, should have come with a 'Quality Reassurance' stamp!

DOTRICE PLAYED so many good roles, very well during his long career, that's it's almost impossible to make a choice of the best... but stand outs would be Leopold Mozart in 'Amadeus' (1984), John Aubrey in Patrick Garland's 'Brief Lives', a one-man show that saw Dotrice on stage for more than two-and-a-half hours. 

A WEALTH BRIT TALENT: Rehearsing for a show at the Roundhouse, Chalk Farm is Foreground Barbara Windsor, and Max wall, a bearded Roy Dotrice, George Baker, Liza Goddard, Fenella Fielding, Amanda Barry, Anna Quayle, Melvyn Hayes, Bob Todd and Miriam Karlin! 

INTERVIEW: Roy Dotrice discuses recording the audio book of George R.R. Martin's A DANCE WITH DRAGONS

DOTRICE ALSO DID a terrific job of playing the title role in the television mini-series 'Dickens of London' in 1976. Followers of the 1980s American TV series 'Beauty and the Beast' will know him as the adopt-father of Ron Pearlman's character.

AMAZINGLY HE EARNED a place in the Guinness World Records in 2004 for the highest number of character voices by a single actor for the first book in the series of, 'A Game of Thrones' (in which he voiced a total of 224 characters). He also narrated many storybook adaptations for Disney Records, including 'The Little Mermaid', for which he was nominated for a Grammy award. In 2000 Dotrice won much acclaim for his Tony Award-winning Broadway performance in the revival of 'A Moon for the Misbegotten' and in 2008 was appointed to the Order of the British Empire for services to the world of theatre and drama.

BACK A FEW YEARS ago, I had the opportunity to spend an afternoon with Roy at the BBC rehearsal rooms in Acton, London. He was relaxed, unpretentious, extremely friendly..and blessed with that same grace, manner and composure that Mr Lee and Mr Cushing also lived by... a gentleman, an outstanding talent and presence in his profession. Roy Dotrice OBE 1923 - 2017.

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 . .

WATCH THE VAMPIRE LOVERS AND DARKNESS SIGNED TRIBUTE

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY! Hammer films, 'The Vampire Lovers' just uploaded at our YOUTUBE Channel marked the first time that Peter Cushing met the lovely, Ingrid Pitt. You'll find lots of features at the website about how he and his wife, Helen became very good friends with Ingrid and how Peter encouraged her on the set of this film. They were to be cast together again later in the year in the Amicus production, 'The House that Dripped Blood' . .. though sadly they did not share screen time together...'The Vampire Lovers' marks a change in direction for Hammer films. Times had changed and the suggestive gossamer gowns and flirtatious nature of their female vampires would now appear minus gowns and engage in much more than a nibble!

The upload at the website and this youtube account is uncut, and in accordance with the sites regulations, our facebook fan page has always been restricted only to followers OVER the age of 18..as is this Youtube channel, and website. So beware, there IS flesh ahead. Depending on your sensibilities, the content of the film maybe very tame by today's standards, but not everyone has the same...standards. Though never asked at the time, I would have loved to have learned what Peter though of it all! For many, it was a step in a direction, in which Hammer could never return from . .. or recover. What do you think? 

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY! You know I mentioned, how much I look forward to your posts, and the goodies you share and send in here? While watching Horror express (!!) Follower Andy Isaacs shared this priceless framed tribute to Hammer films, 'Dracula, Prince of Darkness' ...a beautiful press still of Christopher Lee as Dracula, SIGNED by Lee, two lobby stills from 'Darkness' AND a great repro of the 'Darkness poster, signed by the late Francis Matthews and actress Barbara Shelley who both starred along Lee in the film also! I don't need to tell you about Lee's aversion to signing any stills depicting 'The Count' . . so this is outstanding on many counts..pardon the pun! Thank you Andy for sending this pic in and sharing it with us for today's theme! What do you think of this framed, signed tribute????

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