#MOMENTOFTERRORMONDAY!
Carrying on....from the werewolf themed films featured in yesterday's Weekend Double
Feature here at the website, I've pulled the final moments from 'Legend of the
Werewolf' (1975) for this weeks, #CUSHINGMOMENTOFTERROR MONDAY!. As most of us here know, it's one half of a pair of
films, that #PeterCushing
made with Tyburn films in the mid 1970's... a nice little thriller /
horror film made in the style of films that were made twenty years or
so, BEFORE this one. At the time this film was made, the film industry
in the UK was in pieces, despite CEO Kevin Francis making a few features
with his company Tyburn, plans to produce other movies, were shelved
and the two Tyburn terrors, both starring #PeterCushing, still awaiting a legit dvd or blu ray release, becoming maybe two of the 'most wanted' on most PC's fans film wish list.
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
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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
OUR FINAL Cushing-double feature this week is intended
to go against the grain somewhat. The
Curse of Frankenstein and The Revenge
of Frankenstein were thematically, visually and stylistically linked being
the first two entries in a series. The
Skull and The Creeping Flesh on
the other hand, despite being years apart shared the same director and had very
similar thematic interests. Today’s final double bill features two films that
both belong to the same sub-genre but apart from that are stylistically and
thematically different. It is those differences I want to discuss and those
differences that I feel make The Beast
Must Die (1974) and Legend of the
Werewolf (1975) the perfect ‘werewolf’ double feature.
DESPITE BEING THE ONLY TWO Werewolf movies Cushing
made (well unless you count the segment in 1964’s Dr Terrors House of Horrors that he’s not in) there’s very little
to connect these two films. The Beast
Must Die is in reality more of an action thriller, attempting to ride the ‘Blaxploitation’
wave that was occurring at the time. Thus the film is accompanied by a ‘funky’
soundtrack and numerous action set-pieces.
TELLING THE STORY of Calvin Lockhart’s
obsessive hunter Tom Newcliffe, the plot follows his gathering of five
individuals at his home. Early on he reveals that he believes one of the
gathered number to be a werewolf and he is determined to hunt the creature
down. The film is the same manner as a contemporary thriller but mixed with an
Agatha Christie like sensibility. Legend
of the Werewolf on the other hand (along with the excellent The Ghoul) is one of a number of Tyburn
films that were deliberate throwbacks to the early years of Hammer . A period
piece, the film reverts to the traditional ‘werewolf as tragic figure’ mould
and has a number of similarities to 1961’s The
Curse of the Werewolf.
SO IF INDEED, other than both featuring a werewolf and
Peter Cushing, there is very little to connect these two films, why would I
suggest watching them as a double bill? Well put simply that is the reason. Two
films from the dying days of the British horror boom, they demonstrate remarkably
different approaches to the crisis. Both use the Werewolf myth (why that
monster in particular I have no idea) but it is the difference in treatment of
this well-known monster that makes these two films interesting.
THE BEAST MUST DIE looks across the pond
to the American thrillers being produced at the time and thus chooses to rely
less on the horrific and more on action. I did a larger piece on The Beast Must Die sometime back and it’s
a film which though certainly entertaining, few would call outright successful.
However when watched back-to-back with Legend
of the Werewolf, I actually found myself gaining much greater appreciation
for Beast. Now I want to point out
that I adore Legend but when viewed
in the context of the time it was made, it appears a very odd move to do
something that relies as much on old tropes and conventions as this film does.
IN THE FACE OF MUCH DARKER and more visceral horror’s along the lines of The Exorcist, Night of the Living Dead and
Texas Chainsaw Massacre it seems a bizarre
move to emulate the early years of Hammer, a studio who by this point was on its
last legs. Watched devoid of any of this context, Legend is a rip roaring gothic melodrama in the style of old. Watched
within this context it’s a fitting tribute to the main figures within Hammer
but can only really be viewed as something of poorly judged exercise in
nostalgia, looking back to the past, when the present was taking the genre in
new and exciting directions.
THE BEAST MUST DIE on the other hand is a similar misfire,
but all the more enjoyable for the brave attempts to try and escape the rut
that most of its British Horror contemporaries had entered. Unfortunately poor
production values and a script that stretches its thing plot far beyond its
means, doom what could have been a powerful early 70’s thriller. As it is Beast stands as a fascinating artefact of
the bizarre ways that the giants of British Horror cinema were attempting to
cope with the ‘new wave’.
I REALISE THAT throughout this piece I’ve sounded
incredibly negative towards these two films, truth be told both are incredibly
enjoyable. Which is the best? Well without doubt Legend but Beast has its
moments too. Before starting this double bill I suggest watching the third instalment
of Mark Gatiss’s excellent A History of
Horror which contextualises the environment in which these two films were
made and shows what they had to compete with. As it is, Cushing’s two entries
into the werewolf sub-genre make an excellent pairing, demonstrating two
different approaches to dwindling box office returns on British Horror films.
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
#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAY!
A short video of Christopher Lee talking about the shooting of the
iconic photograph that appears on the cover of the WINGS album, BAND ON
THE RUN with footage from the photo session . . .
#CHRISTOPHERLEESATURDAYS! There is MORE than death, waiting for you in
DARK PLACES . . so the promo strap line said . . .If this is a new
title to you or you have never watched it before, do yourself a favor
...and DON'T go looking for details before you watch it! DARK PLACES was
one of the last 1970's Christopher Lee fantasy genre titles to make it
to the domestic market. With a great Brit cast, old dark house, one of
Hammer film directors and yet made somewhat, in the Amicus style . . so,
avoid the spoilers and give-away pics scattered over the net, and
settle back to watch, a bit of a treat!
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
"THE WOMAN WHO WILL BE REMEMBERED as the first Hammer horror vampire to bare
her fangs on screen, Valerie Sheila Reddington, died at St Mary’s
Hospital, Newport, on November 27, aged 84 . . . . ' These were the first three lines, that appeared in actress Valerie Gaunt's obituary, printed in the County Press Newspaper in 2016, the daily news of the Isle of Wight, Gaunt's place of residence for almost the last twenty years of her life.
ABOVE AND BELOW: OF THE TWO TELEVISION DRAMAS, that GAUNT appeared in, Only The Father In Law, survives, as her earliest work. Sadly, the ITV Playhouse drama ' A Chance Meeting' from 1956, which was the play, in which Fisher heard, that scream . . is thought lost.
IT'S INTERESTING THAT Valerie Gaunt’s film career actually amounted to just two supporting roles in
two Hammer films, and two small roles in a pair of TV dramas! And yet, she exerted an enduring fascination for horror fans
who mourned her early retirement in 1958. Just like that. Not unlike the poorly credited 'Vampire Woman', a role without a name, in Hammer films, 1958 'Dracula' she vanished into the night . . .
FOR GAUNT, her association with Hammer films began when she caught the attention
of, a soon to be Hammer films, go to director Terry Fisher. While watching the tv one night, Fisher had the chance in a million of hearing Valerie deliver
her spine-tingling scream, in the unfolding drama. He immediately sent her a telegram,
pleading with her to get in touch, with him, as soon as possible. Right there, Hammer history was hatched and Gaunt was to be forever associated with her two roles for the company.
AS FATE WOULD HAVE IT, those two roles were key in two of Hammer Films most iconic
productions. In 1957 she played Justine, the naughty maid to — and secret lover
of — one #PeterCushing Baron Frankenstein, in 'The Curse of Frankenstein'.
Cushing was fresh from the broadcast of several major BBC TV drama productions. He had been award a BAFTA just sixteen months before, the camera turned on 'The Curse of Frankenstein', in November 1956. Given the few scenes where Gaunt appears in the film, she managed to
deliver a full-blooded and nuanced character. Thanks to her jealousy,
Justine falls foul of her paramour and ends up suffering an unseen, but
implied grisly fate at the hands of his monstrous creation . . .an unknown actor at the time, called Christopher Lee.
BEFORE THIS FIRST screen appearance, Gaunt studied theatre at RADA, London. From 1951, she busily appeared in.... 'this week we perform play 'A', while learning and rehearsing next week's play 'B'...repertory theatre. Another life changing event happened in 1957, the same year that 'The Curse of Frankenstein' was released. Gaunt met her husband to be Gerald, a stockbroker and non-stipendiary priest, later to become a vicar! The happy couple, tied the knot at All Saints’ Church, Margaret Street, West London, on May 17 the following year.
NOW MRS REDDINGTON, she kept the embers of her first role on film glowing, until almost a year to the day, when she wrapped on Frankenstein, she began work on the film, that would change the fortunes of one Christopher Lee, and sadly snuff out any desires she may have had to continue as an actress. This second role was no less significant. Clad in a just demure nightgown, she pleads with a naive Jonathan Harker, to
save her from the evil clutches of the Count, before sinking her fangs
into his neck
HUSBAND GERALD, was also a friend of Christopher Lee. On invitation to the set, he watched his wife, shooting her iconic scenes for 'Dracula' at Hammer Studios, Bray. What he made of all the demonic hissing and horror, to say nothing of the feral fanged fight between his friend Lee and his new bride, we shall never know. But aficionados of English Gothic cinema, exemplified by the two films in
which Gaunt appeared now argue that, Gaunt provided the template, for what
would later became known as “Hammer glamour”.
ALTHOUGH GAUNT enjoyed her stint as a scream queen, Gaunt’s husband, Gerald Reddington, recalled that after the premier of Dracula she came home, kicked her shoes off, sat on the bed and said: “Well thank goodness that is over, I’m never working again!” And really, who could blame her? Gaunt was clearly a woman of character, she knew what she wanted from life. It seems she always did . . .
AND SO, although Gaunt, Mrs Reddington never acted professionally again, she was a dynamic
behind-the-scenes force, directing two plays at the prep school attended
by her oldest son, Marcus, and later spent five years bringing her talents to teaching drama students, at the Bush Davies
School of Theatre Arts, East Grinstead, West Sussex, she also read books for
the blind for the Calibre Audio Library. . . . . .
VALERIE GAUNT was born on June 26, 1932, in West Bromwich, the only
daughter of a Birmingham industrialist. At the age of 26, having been to
the Royal Academy of Dramatic Art and worked in repertory theatre in
Birmingham for four years, she relocated to London. Gaunt moved into a
house bought from the stepmother of the man who would become her
husband. Having met Valerie, she phoned Reddington and said: “I’ve just
sold Queen Anne Street to a very rich man with an only daughter, and you
must meet her.” By coincidence, Gaunt’s mother had met Reddington at
the same time and invited him for a drink — to meet her daughter.
ALTHOUGH BROUGHT together initially by the gentle meddling of family
members, the couple were united by their shared faith. According to
Victoria Jol, the couple’s youngest daughter: “The young couple were
invited to stay at his family’s country house. However, he was on duty
as a server at All Saints church, Margaret Street, so instead my mother
went to church with my father — and they never really left.” The church
became an integral part of the lives and faith of Valerie and Gerald,
who, after a career as a stockbroker, became an ordained minister. They
married at All Saints; their four children were baptised in the church;
their daughter Benedicta was married there and the memorial for their
son Adam, who died when he was just nine years of age, was held there.
AT THE TIME OF HER sad passing on November 27th, 2016 Gaunt was survived by her husband and three of her children. Marcus
Reddington, who, like his father, started out as a stockbroker,
eventually found his way into the theatre, and is a showman and
puppeteer working on the West End production of Wicked. Benedicta
Green is a psychotherapeutic counsellor. Victoria Jol worked at the
Wiley academic publisher in Australia and the UK and until her Mother's passing, was a full-time carer for her parents.
VALERIE'S TIME IN THE GLOW of the studio ark light was brief, but she certainly made an impression. She decided being an actress was not for her. Maybe also, Hammer studios way of retaining an almost repertory band of crew and actors, could have become a clash of personal sensibilities. She had already appeared in a pair of box office smashers. What if they were to call on her again? Understandably, the church and the glamorous, materialistic and shallow world of entertainment and . . . horror films, could never be the best of friends. BUT, Valerie was a friend of Judy Garland who moved in such glamorous circles. Gaunt was an
unlikely vicar’s wife. Although she once crisply informed a church
volunteer that buttering scones was not part of her purview — “Oh no,
I’m not into catering” — she flung herself into other duties with gusto:
writing stories, painting watercolour portraits of children, putting on musicals and editing the parish newspaper. . . which was very much part of her purview, and Very Much Valerie . . ..
Valerie Reddington's funeral was held at St Peter’s Church, Isle of Wight on December 2nd 2016. Mrs
Reddington, is survived by her husband Gerald,
son Marcus, daughters Benedicta Green and Victoria Jol, and three
grandchildren.
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
