PETER AND HELEN CUSHING'S SECRET GARDEN: A FEATURE FOR VALENTINES DAY!

      John Harman, British Columbia

                                     Canada remembers Peter and Helen Cushing'sWalled Garden

                           "All through the '30s, my Dad had a large allotment garden down the

     Lower Island (Island Wall). This was located between Island Wall

         and the back of the cottages at the far end of Wave Crest..

        He had a tool shed on it and various things to scare the birds....

      but they did more to frighten me as I was young in the late 1930s.

     My brothers George and Ray, who are quite a bit older than me,

     well remember playing on the mountains of sawdust at the adjacent

 yard of the Whitstable Shipping Co."

                                  

 "In 1963, when I took my wife, Anne, home to Whitstable to meet

my family, we stayed with mom and dad. Dad told me that a film star,

Peter Cushing, now lived at the Lower Island and had acquired

the allotment. By now, Peter and dad had become quite well

 acquainted and dad suggested that I should take Anne to

see what his allotment had become. I understand that Helen Cushing

was ailing at that time and the actor had arranged for the land to be turned

 into a beautiful 'walled garden' for her and other local seniors to share!"

"This garden of tranquility was enclosed by a lovely masonry wall.

On seeing it, it was truly beautiful and we took a couple of photographs.

Within the wall were grass lawns, rosebeds and what really

caught my eye...a 'Dovecot'!"

"When I made a further visit to Whitstable in the '70s,
I took a walk past the garden with my brother Ray
and his son, Geoff. The photo below shows them outside
 the wall and the 'dovecote' can be clearly seen above the wall."

"When last home in 2005, I was so sad to see that the

 garden no longer existed and that it had been replaced

 by infill - with a house in its place. What a shame

 that this tranquil garden that he created could not have

 been preserved in his honour for all to enjoy."

John Harman, British Columbia
Canada

This is a cutting from The Garden News Section of the UK

Daily Express Newspaper, dated Friday 30th September 1966 featuring

Peter and Helen Cushing's walled garden. It was this cutting amongst others

that Linda king too with her when PCASUK met Peter Cushing for the

last time an caused peter to whisper 'My Dear, how terribly kind

of you...to keep this and show it to me today!' Such a sweet gesture

from a very sweet and kind man.... with the greenest of fingers!      

                               

Mary Thomas from Whitstable remembers:

"Over the decades and even the centuries, Whitstable has

been home to a number of famous people. But I doubt

that any earned the affection of local people quite as much

as the actor Peter Cushing. After visiting the town in the

early 1950's, Peter and his actress wife Helen Beck,

became local residents when they purchased a seafront house

in Wave Crest during 1959.

"News swept town and it wasn't long before we could all identify

the attractive but perhaps unremarkable property that edhged the West

Beach shingle and backed onto the Lower Island Wall roadway at

the rear. Within in a few years, the Island Wall aspect had changed

quite dramatically as Peter expanded the rear garden and surrounded

it with a high stone wall. Behind the privacy of that wall, he

created a small oasis - one that we kids could only dream about!'

From the outside on the Island Wall, the stone work was very

tastefull done, with rhe wall rounded into the entrance of the garage.

This is the house that sits in the space where Peter Cushing's

 Walled Garden once stood. The wall is still standing, though

 a little lower. The back entrance to Peter's home, faces this view.

This is the rear of the house that now stands on the area.

 Left side of the house. The rear of

Peter and Helen's home can be seen in the middle background.

Fortunately, not everything disappeared. In furnishing the garden,

 Peter commissioned a garden seat that reflected

both his romantic nature and deep love for wife Helen.

The seat was designed to accommodate two people

 and the carved "back" represented the entwined arms

of two lovers. This complemented the dovecote which

also provided a symbol of love and peace.

Sadly, Helen died in 1971. In 1990, Peter donated the

seat to the people of Whitstable when the town opened

 a new viewing platform overlooking the sea at

 Keams Yard (Horsebridge). The platform (or, perhaps

 more accurately, the scene that it afforded users)

was named "Cushing's View" in his honour and

 the seat has occupied pride of place on the structure ever since.

The message on the plaque is simple and poignant.....
Peter died just four years later and, for his funeral,

 the town centre came to halt in tribute.

Peter and Helen's "View", of course, lives on.

HAMMER FILM PRODUCTIONS: 'THE HOUND OF THE BASKERVILLES' MORE FANTASTIC ARTWORK FROM THE FLICKER CLUB 'HAMMER AT THE VAULT' SEASON

ANOTHER GREAT EXAMPLE OF THE FABULOUS PROMOTION ARTWORK FOR THE FLICKER CLUB 'HAMMER AT THE VAULT' SEASON AT THE OLD VIC, LONDON

PETER CUSHING: IT'S ALL WORK AND PLAY!

PETER CUSHING AND THE GALS! THE VAMPIRE LOVERS: ON SET OFF GUARD

PETER CUSHING AND DAWN ADDAMS MAKE

 THEIR ENTRANCE AT THE BALL

PRODUCER AND WRITER HARRY FINE CHECKS

IN ON SOME LOCATION SHOOTING

NEIL BINNEY SHOOTS INGRID IN VAMPIRE

ACTION WITH FERDY MAYNE

INGRID PITT REHEARSING HER MOVES FOR THE

BALLROOM SCENE

MADELINE SMITH SQUEEZES INTO HER CORSET

THE HUNT FOR CARMILLA IS ON. BUT PETER IS WAITING

FOR THE CALL FOR ACTION!

INGRID PITT RELAXING BETWEEN TAKES

PETER CHATS AND INGRID PITT

DOES SOME LAST TOUCHES!

A CHEEKY SHOT OF INGRID PITT BETWEEN TAKES

MADDIE SMITH IN A POSE THAT MAYBE DIDN'T MAKE

THE PUBLICITY PACK.

INGRID PITT IN BATH, ON SET!

MADELINE SMITH PREPARES TO BE RAVISHED

BY INGRID PITT'S CARMILLA

PETER CUSHING AS GENERAL VON SPIELDORF

PETER POSES FOR PUBLICITY PHOTOGRAPHS IN

FULL GENERAL UNIFORM

IT'S BEEN A LONG DAY OF SHOOTING FOR

PIPA STEEL!

KIRSTEN BETTS SEEMS TO HAVE RUN OUT OF

INSPIRATION AND POSES FOR THE PUBLICITY CAMERA.

PIPA STEEL STRIKES A POSE WITH HER TONGUE

FIRMLY IN HER CHEEK!

INGRID CAUGHT BETWEEN TAKES.

PETER, INGRID PITT AND DAWN ADDAMS

MEET THE PRESS!



FEATURE: Marcus Brooks
IMAGES: Horror Unlimited
click here

PETER CUSHING : 'NOTHING BUT THE NIGHT' DVD REVIEW AND IMAGES

Directed by Peter Sasday and starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing, Nothing But The Night doesn’t get the recognition it deserves within the pantheons of British horror films, which is surprising considering the ties to Hammer Studios. Regardless, Scorpion Releasing have stepped up to the plate and brought this one to DVD for North American audiences, a treat for those of us who have wanted to see it for some time. So how does it hold up?

THE PLOT

Strange things are afoot at the Van Traylen Trust, an orphanage in rural Scotland lorded over by wealthy trustees who seem to be committing suicide at an alarming rate. Of course, these aren’t suicides at all but murders made to look like suicides by whoever is behind them. When a busload of orphans from the trust crashes and burns under some rather strange circumstances, a cop named Colonel Bingham (Christopher Lee) is tasked with solving the case. Not wanting to go it alone, he enlists the aid of his friend, a pathologist at a nearby hospital named Sir Mark Ashley (Peter Cushing). The sole survivor of the incident is a young girl named Mary (Gwyneth Strong) who is understandably put under watch in the hospital where she frequently suffers from vivid nightmares, though those in charge are unsure what’s causing them.

Meanwhile, Anna Harb (Diana Dors), a low rent hooker and convicted criminal with ties to the occult, shows up at the hospital claiming to be Mary’s mother. She wants the girl released into her custody immediately and when the hospital denies her request, begins to cause problems for all involved. Mary, however, would rather go back to the orphanage than deal with Anna, the latter of whom seems to have strange ties to the orphanage in question where all of the murders are taking place.

COMMENTARY:

Nothing But The Night is well acted from all involved, with Lee and Cushing proving as reliable here a always and Dors turning in a pretty impressive turn as the unstable antagonist. The film lacks style, however, and Sasdy, best known for Taste The Blood Of Dracula, doesn’t seem all that interested in creating much in the way of atmosphere until the end of the movie where the film turns out to owe more to The Wicker Man than to any traditional murder mystery you’d care to name. Though the picture does suffer from some pacing issues during its middle part, the ends justify the means and if it takes Sasdy and company a while to get where they’re going, at least once they do the film provides a pretty solid pay off.

Nothing But The Night probably should have been a better film than it is when you consider the talent involved but prolific Doctor Who screenwriter Brian Hayles’ screenplay (adapted from John Blackburn’s novel) doesn’t click as well as it could have to really rank this one up there with the classics that some of these guys were known for churning out. Regardless, fans of British horror will want to check it out as it does bring things to a satisfying conclusion – just be prepared for it to take a while to get there.

TEC SPEC:

Nothing But The Night looks good in this 1.78.1 anamorhpic widescreen transfer. The image is frequently grainy but in a natural looking way and only minor print damage is noticeable. Some of the darker scenes don’t show the greatest shadow detail you’re ever going to see but this looks to be how it was shot and not a transfer problem. There are no issues to note with compression artifacts or edge enhancement and both skin tones and color reproduction look nice and natural. Audio chores are handled by an English language Dolby Digital Mono track. No alternate language options or subtitles are provided. This isn’t a particularly fancy track but for an older film fast approaching its fortieth birthday it sounds just fine. Dialogue is clean, clear and audible and the levels are well balanced.

As this release is part of the Katarina's Nightmare Theater line from Scorpion, you can play this DVD with or without the optional intro/outro from wrestler turned horror hostess, Katarina Leigh Waters. Aside from that, there’s also a trailer for the film, trailers for a few other titles in the Katarina’s Nightmare Theater line, menus and chapter stops. The disc is packaged with reversible cover art so that you can display the case with or without the Katarina’s Nightmare Theater banner showing through.

The Final Word:

Yes, this one is definitely a slow burn, but Nothing But The Night rewards the patient viewer with a great twist ending that actually manages to provide some legitimately unsettling vibes. Scorpion’s DVD release is short on extras but it looks and sounds good making this one that fans of Lee and Cushing will want to look into.

TO BUY: CLICK HERE
REVIEW: IAN JANE

http://www.rockshockpop.com/

IMAGES:MARCUS BROOKS

VINTAGE PETER CUSHING ILLUSTRATIONS BY SHERRIFFS

PETER CUSHING AND HAMMER FILMS 1958 'THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN', 'THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN' AND LOVE TRIANGLE 'THE END OF THE AFFAIR' AND THE SKILLFUL HAND AND ILLUSTRATIONS OF SHERRIFFS.

HAMMER FILM PRODUCTIONS: CAN YOU NAME THE FILM PREMIER? TERENCE FISHER AND PETER CUSHING RARE IMAGE

TWO VERY DAPPER GENTLEMEN SHARE A JOKE AT A HAMMER FILM PRODUCTIONS FILM PREMIER. BUT CAN YOU NAME THE FILM HAVING IT'S OPENING NIGHT?

PETERCUSHING.ORG HORRORUNLIMITED.COM HAMMER FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAYS COMPETITION!

WELCOME TO THE FIRST OF A WHOLE RANGE OF COMPETITIONS OVER THE NEXT THREE MONTHS DURING OUR HAMMER FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAYS! IT'S YOUR CHANCE TO WIN A SUPERB AMAZING QUALITY PHOTOGRAPH FROM THE ARCHIVES OF HORRORUNLIMITED.COM.

HORROR UNLIMITED TELLS US: "AS WITH ALL HORRORUNLIMITED.COM PHOTOGRAPHS THIS PRIZE IS A 10 X 8 LUSTER GLOSS PHOTOGRAPH AND WAS DEVELOPED IN A  PROFESSIONAL PHOTOGRAPHIC LAB METICULOUSLY RESTORED AND COLOUR CORRECTED FROM VINTAGE ORIGINAL STUDIO PRODUCTION TRANSPARENCIES. THE PHOTOGRAPH HAS BEEN DEVELOPED ONTO PROFESSIONAL ENDURA METALLIC PHOTOGRAPHIC PAPER AND THE RESULTS ARE REALLY QUITE AMAZING!"

IT'S A GREAT PRIZE AND THE FIRST OF MANY!

OUR THANKS TO HORRORUNLIMITED AND GOOD LUCK IN THE COMPETITION!

'FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL' BANNER FOR SCREEN SAVER!

HAMMER FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAYS

PETER CUSHING: INVITE FOR STAR WARS TEST SCREENING 1977

QUESTIONNAIRE FOR AUDIENCES OF

THE TEST SCREENING OF 'STAR WARS' MAY 1ST 1977.

QUESTION 19: DO YOU THINK THAT THIS MOVIE WILL CHANGE THE HISTORY OF SCIENCE FICTION CINEMA???

'THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN' GERMAN PROGRAMME HAMMER FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAY

ONE SIDE OF THE GERMAN PRESS BOOK FOR HAMMER FILM PRODUCTIONS 'THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN' HAMMER FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAYS

FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED. PETER CUSHING CLASSIC HAMMER FRANKENSTEIN FRIDAYS

Cast:

Peter Cushing : Baron Frankentein. Freddie Jones: Professor Richter/Dr Brandt. Simon Ward: Karl Holst. Veronica Carlson: Anna Spengler. Maxine Audley: Ella Brandt. George Pravda: Dr Frederick Brandt. Thorley Walters: Inspector Fritsch.

Crew:Director: Terence Fisher. Screenplay: Ben Batt. Story: Ben Batt & Anthony Nelson-Keys, Producer: Anthony Nelson-Keys. Photography: Arthur Grant. Music: James Bernard. Makeup: Eddie Knight. Art Direction: Bernard Robinson. Production Company: Hammer Films

Synopsis: Frankenstein is forced to flee town again after his experiments are discovered. He signs into the boarding house of Anna Spengler in a new town. When he discovers that Anna’s fiancee Karl Holst has been stealing cocaine from the asylum where he works to help his ailing mother, Frankenstein blackmails them both with threat of calling the authorities. He takes over the boarding house and has Karl steal supplies so that he can set up a laboratory in the basement. He then discovers that his old colleague Dr Brandt is incarcerated in the asylum, having been deemed mad. Frankenstein wants the secrets of how Brandt successfully conducted brain transplants and devises a scheme to break him out with Karl’s help. However, the attempt places Brandt in a coma. Frankenstein makes the decision to transplant Brandt’s brain into the body of the incompetent asylum head Professor Richter. During the process, he cures the problem that was causing Brandt’s madness. However, when Brandt comes around, Frankenstein realizes that he was mad after all. Brandt then escapes, setting a trap to kill Frankenstein.

Commentary:

Terence Fisher is a director around whom a cult has grown, championed in particular by the likes of Anglo-horror critic David Pirie. Fisher had a distinctively florid style that used the full richness of Hammer’s cinematographic and production values and there are times, particularly the climaxes of his Dracula films, where he could bring everything together with dazzling effect. Upon other occasions, Fisher could be a pedestrian director. Fisher’s two finest moments are generally regarded as being Dracula/The Horror of Dracula (1958) and The Devil Rides Out (1968). (See below for Terence Fisher’s other films). Contrarily one might go out on a limb and suggest that Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed is the best of Terence Fisher’s films and certainly the finest of Hammer’s Frankenstein films. It is Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed, Fisher’s penultimate film, rather than Frankenstein and the Monster From Hell (1973), that Anglo-horror-philes should consider Terence Fisher’s swan song. It is the one moment where everything he did knitted together superbly.

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed is a brilliantly directed film, one that propels Terence Fisher from being an efficient manipulator of the Gothic into a master of mise en scene. The scene where the water main bursts, expelling Brandt’s buried body out of the garden just as the neighbour is visiting, is a sequence that would not go amiss in a Hitchcock film. The opening is a superbly edited piece – one that opens up like a Chinese box of shocks one after the other from the point-of-view of a burglar who breaks into Frankenstein’s laboratory. At first, we see just the feet of the figure coming down the cellar steps, the figure then joltingly revealed to have a bald, hideously scarred face, before this is revealed to be a mask worn by Peter Cushing, and with the burglar then accidentally tripping and knocking over a container that holds a recently severed human head. Of course, the climax with Freddie Jones taunting Peter Cushing and smashing oil lamps to set fire and block every exit from the house is superlative stuff too.

Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed is also a point where the new gore trends were making in-roads into Anglo-horror. Terence Fisher handles that too with an ease that leaves the film in a class way above the random splatter of today’s gore films. There is something that turns the stomach to the shot where Peter Cushing puts the brace-and-bit up against Freddie Jones’s head and starts drilling. Or the scene where he uses a fretsaw to cut open the skull. There is no blood shown in either scene – the effect is all conveyed from off-screen actions and some unnervingly convincing snapping and crunching effects.

 

 

Bert Batt’s screenplay is more complex than usual for the Hammer Frankenstein series. For Hammer’s Frankenstein series, unlike Universal’s Frankenstein series, the monster is a relatively anonymous creation that is far less interesting than Peter Cushing’s ruthless Baron. However, Freddie Jones’s creature is the most interestingly complex and well played of all the Hammer’s Frankenstein monsters – it is the only one to come anywhere near Mary Shelley’s novel and her conception of an intelligent and literate creation come to taunt its creator for the condition inflicted on it.

Surprisingly, Terence Fisher also indulges a sense of droll humour throughout the film – like the cut from Veronica Carlson telling Peter Cushing how he will enjoy the peace and quiet at the boarding house to a madwoman screaming at the asylum, or the boarders who sit around discussing Frankenstein’s infamous exploits unaware he is sitting in their midst. There are odd anachronisms, like having cocaine a regularly prescribed drug and the establishment of an international narcotics bureau in the midst of the 19th Century, although these hardly stand in the way of such an exceptional effort.

The other Hammer Frankenstein films are:– The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), The Evil of Frankenstein (1964), Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), The Horror of Frankenstein (1970) and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1973).

Terence Fisher’s other genre films are:– the sf films The Four-Sided Triangle (1953) and Spaceways (1953), The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Dracula/The Horror of Dracula (1958), The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958), The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), The Man Who Could Cheat Death (1959), The Mummy (1959), The Stranglers of Bombay (1959), The Brides of Dracula (1960), The Two Faces of Dr Jekyll (1960), The Curse of the Werewolf (1961), The Phantom of the Opera (1962), The Gorgon (1964), Dracula – Prince of Darkness (1966), Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), The Devil Rides Out/The Devil’s Bride (1968) and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1973), all for Hammer. Outside of Hammer, Fisher has made the Old Dark House comedy The Horror of It All (1964) and the alien invasion films The Earth Dies Screaming (1964), Island of Terror (1966) and Night of the Big Heat (1967).

REVIEW: Richard Scheib

Richard's Page Here

IMAGE: Marcus Brooks