SHERLOCK HOLMES TAKES ON THE MASKS OF DEATH! #WATCHWITHCUSHING #WATCHPARTY!

DON'T THINK FOR A MINUTE THAT YOU CAN'T take another post of a Cushing Sherlock Holmes adventure? Snap out of it.😉😀 This one... is different 😉 #SirIanMckellen was 75, when he made that amazing Mr Holmes feature back in 2015. #PeterCushing was 71 when he appeared in what would almost be his 'swan song' for the big screen, and he pours just about everything he has in it 😊'Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death' (1984) is a pretty clever film, with a very cool cast to help make it work. 

THE THREE FACES OF Peter Cushing's Sherlock Holmes 

'The Hound of the Baskervilles' (Hammer films 1959)

Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes in the BBC Television series of 1968

Cushing's Holmes in semi retirement in 'Sherlock Holmes and the 

Masks of Death (1984)

THERE ARE MANY very nice touches in this film and despite Peter's obvious age and his belief he was too old to play it, it works, helped by Cushing's good friend, John Mills who fills the role of Dr Watson confidently and with a few well timed 'matured-creaks and groans'. Roy Ward Baker directs also Ray Milland, Anne Baxter and #AntonDiffring are all lovely to watch and help put the cherry on what could have been quite a stale and mouldy cake! 

I VERY MUCH LIKE the story in this film. At times it's bleak, quite dark and uses one of the 'world's darkest of times' to under pin the evil and threats' in this #Sherlock and #Watson drama, written by Hammer's Anthony Hinds and N.J Crisp. It is a shame Cushing thought himself not fit enough or capable to nail another Holmes film, which was planned for production after this one. But, he did wait while Tyburn were trying to source funding.  

CUSHING MADE '#Biggles' (1986) while waiting, which would be his last cinema role. I think he more than managed to do his last Sherlock justice and finally bow out from one of his most accomplished and always most confidently performed roles in his long and varied career. I hope you enjoy this too 😊Marcus

CATCH UP on ALL the PCASUK '#WATCHWITHCUSHING! 'watch parties' at the FACEBOOK UK PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY FACEBOOK PAGE HERE!

REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY : ORIGINAL RECORDING OF PETER CUSHING 'NO WHITE PEAKS'

TODAY ON REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY:  Remembrance events will take place across the country to mark the 100th anniversary of the Armistice in 1918 that signaled the end of World War One. We mark this day with PETER CUSHING and his original recording of 'NO WHITE PEAKS'.

ABOVE: PRESS RELEASE INFORMATION used when the recording was first released in 1991.

#MONSTERMONDAY: KARL VON BADEN: TALES OF THE UNEXPECTED

#MONSTERMONDAY: TEUTON KARL VON BADEN . . from Tales of the Unexpected in 1983. ....it may not ring a bell for many here, as it was a UK Television show, but it was syndicated to the US and most of Europe. Cushing's role, was one of his last performances before the camera. There would only be three more roles for Cushing after this, in 'Helen Keller: The Miracle Continues', 'Masks of Death' as Sherlock Holmes and 'Biggles', his last film performance for cinema. 

TEUTON KARL VON BADEN is an interesting role, and one I won't spoil here, for the many who may not have seen it. ''Tales of the Unexpected' at this point in 1983 was a shadow of the show that began in the 1970's, with author Roald Dahl's stories and famous introduction...and THAT music!

KARL VON BADEN is a role that Cushing could have played in his sleep just five years previous, that is not to say it's a weak performance, but the script gives him little to do, and it's Cushing who looks weak and frail at this point. It's a story that relies on flashbacks, and much of his screen time is played sitting down. He looks tired, but that helps to bring a poignancy to his role. Cushing shares most of his scenes with another television veteran, John Bailey. Anthony Higgins who plays Cassan in the story, would go on to play Sherlock Holmes in an updated Sherlock series and would also play Moriarty in the film 'Young Sherlock'. Vorpal Blade is a tale set in a sedate rose garden and a castle in Heidelberg... the episode was directed by John Jacobs who produced the other Anglia television series 'Orson Welles Great Mysteries'...in which Cushing also appeared, a wonderful episode entitled, 'La Grande Breteche' in 1973.

 

 

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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.

BIGGLES DVD WINNERS : TALLY HO AND CHOCS AWAY TO SCREENBOUND BIGGLES PRIZES!

Congratulations to our Winners Sean Corrigan, Andrew Coupe, Rob Hayton, Debra Prince and Helena Grace. The Prize, a REMASTERED DVD copy of Biggles from ScreenBound Entertainment, starring Peter Cushing, in his last theatrically released film!

The ANSWER to our QUESTION: What was the TITLE of the FIRST COLLECTION OF BIGGLES STORIES WAS: The Camels Are Coming (1932)

Many thanks to SCREENBOUND ENTERTAINMENT for their sponsoring of our competition. BIGGLES ADVENTURES IN TIME can be purchased on DVD and BLU RAY at this LINK:  HERE

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PETER CUSHING: SCREENBOUND ENTERTAINMENT : BIGGLES: ADVENTURES IN TIME COMPETITION

WATCH THIS CLIP FOR COMPETITION QUESTION!

Available on DVD from http://www.classicfilmsdirect.com/

 

IT'S OUR 60TH ANNIVERSARY PCAS 1956 -2016!

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