Friday 17 August 2012

RARE: PCASUK UNCOVERS PETER CUSHING FORGOTTEN ROLE: NELSON!



Did you know: PETER CUSHING played HORATIO?

Horatio Nelson to be precise. The date was November 16, 1955. The place was the Empire cinema, Leicester Square in London for the Royal Premiere of the feature film "Cockleshell Heroes" directed by and starring José Ferrer. Co-written by Bryan Forbes, the film tells the true story of a daring British commando raid by canoe on German blockade runners at Bordeaux in December, 1942. Attending the premiere were: Elizabeth Taylor, Michael Wilding, Jack Hawkins with his wife Doreen (who was once engaged to Peter Cushing), Michael Denison, Douglas Fairbanks Jr., Robert Beattie, Clement Attlee and his wife, Lord and Lady Mountbatten, the Duke of Edinburgh and the Duchess of Gloucester. Major Herbert "Blondie" Haslar and William Edward "Bill" Sparks, the sole Marine survivors of the famous 1942 canoe raid, also attended with members of their families. 

Before the feature attraction, guests were treated to a lavish prologue conceived by producer Jess Yates called: "Fanfare For Heroes". This live prologue included a mock commando raid, utilizing a handful of Marines in such a way to make their numbers appear more vast. Included amongst the 300 performers of "Fanfare For Heroes" was none other than Peter Cushing. The cover of "To Day's Cinema" showcases Cushing dressed in costume as Lord Horatio Nelson. In addition, the producers of "Cockleshell Heroes", Irving Allen and Albert R. "Cubby" Broccoli (Warwick Film Productions), published a letter of thanks and singled out Cushing as a "distinguished artiste" in connection with the prologue. 

Christopher Lee was cast in the film "Cockleshell Heroes" as Submarine Commander Alan Grieves. Lee, Cushing and Ferrer had all previously worked together on John Huston's "Moulin Rouge" in 1952. Cushing and Lee (though not on screen together in the Huston film) wouldn't appear in the same film again until Hammer's "The Curse of Frankenstein" in 1957, which made them both instant film stars.


HAMMER FILMS PRODUCTIONS: PETER CUSHING : SIMON WARD : 'FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED' (1969)


AMICUS FILMS: 'THE SKULL' PUBLICITY PORTRAIT : PETER CUSHING (1965)


Tuesday 14 August 2012

'THE CURSE OF FRANKENSTEIN' : PETER CUSHING : SIR JAMES CARRERAS : WILL HINDS : PUBLICITY


Peter Cushing, Sir James Carreras, Chairman of Hammer Films and Will (Hinds) Hammer, one of founding members of Hammer Films. 'The Curse of Frankenstein' Premier, 1957.

Monday 13 August 2012

'THE SKULL' (1965) : PETER CUISHING AND CHRISTOPHER LEE: AUTOGRAPHED


VINCENT PRICE AND PETER CUSHING : BEHIND THE SCENES : MADHOUSE : 1974 : AMICUS


Here's a big scan of both Vinnie Price and Peter on the set of Amicus Films 'MADHOUSE' (1974). When you post pics of Vincent Price and Peter Cushing, they have to be BIG scans, just to get all the love and talent in there!


The above clip is taken from the BBC television programme 'Film 73' it featured a behind-the-scenes item on the programme, with interviews with Peter, Vincent, Adrienne Corri and Linda Hayden. The location is Pyrford House, London which stood in for Peter's (Herbert Flay) mansion house.


TALES FROM THE CRYPT: PETER CUSHING: GRIMSDYKE PORTRAIT : AMICUS 1971


SHERLOCK HOLMES: PETER CUSHING : BBC TV 1968 : PHOTOGRAPH


Peter as Sherlock Holmes (BBC TV 1968. 16 eps) in a great big colour scan. 

Sunday 12 August 2012

'THE TRIALS OF VAN HELSING' : THE UK PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY : COMING SOON


THE TRIALS OF VAN HELSING : PETER CUSHING AND THE HAMMER DRACULA SERIES : FEATURES GALLERIES AND COMPETITIONS : COMING SOON
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