#SILENTBUTDEADLY : A COUPLE OF CRACKING GIFS REQUESTED BY COUPLES!

#SILENTBUTDEADLY: WELCOME TO OUR WEEKLY WEDNESDAY REQUESTED GALLERY:  GIFS HAVE NO AUDIO. ARE SILENT, THEY HAVE BEEN SELECTED FROM MOMENTS OF HIGH DRAMA AND HORROR IN THE WORK OF PETER CUSHING . . . . 

THIS WEEK'S GIF GALLERY has been requested by partners and couples who are fans of the work of Peter Cushing and follow our facebook fan page and website! 

#SILENTBUTDEADLY: IF CHRISTOPHER LEE IS in the cast of a movie, and he is going to die, you know, you are going to get value for your money! Lee died a thousand deaths in movies, and his death scenes total over 20 or more, ...a fact that wasn't lost on the late Sir Christopher himself...he devoted an entire chapter to the subject in his autobiography, 'Tall, Dark and Gruesome: Lord of Misrule'. I have intend over the years, to actually draw up a list of my favourite top ten Christopher Lee Deaths, but as yet, I can't settle on the titles, as there is SO MUCH to choose from! That wasn't a problem for Fang Girl and Fang Boy who sent us a message this week, and voted, Lee meeting his sticky end in Planet films, 'Night Of The Big Heat' (1966) their all time fav. Death by sucking! Next time you are in your local McDonald's treating yourself to one of their tasty THICK SHAKES, and you can't get the thing started, just call 011-666-SILICATE-SUCK-MY-SHAKE, and one will be around in a jiffy, and will get that sucker up the straw and pumping, in a jiffy!

YOU CAN SEND US YOUR REQUESTS FOR OUR WEEKLY GIF GALLERY BY EITHER MESSAGING US  AT OUR PETER CUSHING FACEBOOK FAN PAGE OR BY EMAILING YOUR REQUEST  BY EMAIL: PETERCUSHINGPCAS@GMAIL.COM

A DREADFUL RECOGNITION : PETER CUSHING as Prof Mayback Von Klaus in the New Avengers episode, 'The Eagle's Nest' (1976). Von Klaus was kidnapped and set to work resurrecting a deceased individual from the world's past. It is here that the identity of who he brought back from the dead, is revealed. A very good story, and perfect for the rebooting of The Avengers television series. That Cushing should be chosen to star in that first episode, is a nice touch. Cushing had played Paul Beresford in the 1967 'Return of the Cybernauts' episode, a popular, stand out story in the series. Mrs and Mr Peel of Doncaster, England (!!) Have asked for anything from the 'Eagle's Nest' episode. I thought, this was a would do the trick!

THE RESURRECTED: DIGGING UP THE DEAD is the stuff of nightmares, and so it is in Hammer films, 'Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell' (1974). The Baron's latest creation, goes on the rampage in the grounds of the asylum, where he is held captive, on escaping into the grounds, he goes in search of some answers, and hopes one of those answers is to be found in the asylum cemetery. 

WATCHING THIS film recently with friends, we touched on how the creature is shown in a light of great sympathy in his scenes. Much time is given to the exploring of the impact suffered by the resurrected character, who becomes the Baron's latest project. Dave Prowse has never got recognition for the role he played as the Creature in this film. It's one thing to try and emote pathos for such a pathetic creature, it's another trying to do some with a couple of pounds of latex rubber on your face an body. Many on watching can't get passed the somewhat clumsy arrangement of the make up and costume, and for them, that completely distracts and spoils the film. Personally, I forgave the short coming of the budget and make up years ago, and take much pleasure from the performances of Cushing, Shane Briant, Madeline Smith, Prowse and the assembled 'top draw' cameos, seen by many as the weakest in the series, in my humble, it ranks with the all-time best. Mr Robin and Terry Maggs, hold this opinion too, and requested this shot specifically....Yesterday was the anniversary of the LONDON OPENING of this film, May 2nd 1972, even though the film was made TWO YEARS PREVIOUSLY in 1974! Sadly, it didn't perform well. Do you think the years have been kinder to this film??

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#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: BEHIND THE SCENES AS THE HAMMER PARTNERSHIP BOWS OUT

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY : Carrying on from our 'Satanic Rites' posts yesterday and prompted by several requests for more info on, this the last Christopher Lee / Peter Cushing Hammer Dracula film, we thought it would be interesting, to dig through our files and see what we could come up with, at short notice. Quite a bit, it turns out! So, here is a whip around the set at Elstree studios, with some rare images and the under pinning story of, Cushing and Lee's last stand off, as Vampire Hunter and the Lord of the Undead, Dracula.

ON NOVEMBER 13TH 1972, Peter Cushing began work  for Hammer films, on what would be , the last time he and Christopher Lee would lock horns, as Dracula and Van Helsing. In 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' Cushing would be playing Lorrimer Van Helsing again, continuing the time-line from earlier in the year, when he had returned to fight the Undead Count in, Dracula AD 1972. During the shooting 'Satanic Rites' would be known to inquiring press and trade papers as 'Dracula is Dead and Well and Living In London', which needless to say, made Christopher Lee's eyebrows rise so high, as to permanently stick to to any castle ceiling. Well known for his less than enthusiastic opinion on the last four Hammer Dracula films, after Satanic was made and on release, Lee publically stated that the film was a non-event'.

PETER CUSHING'S FEE was £6,000, plus his accommodation at his favorite 'Brown's Hotel' in Mayfair, London. On top of this was a fee of £25 for his driver. Alan Gibson, barely out of his seat on directing and editing duties on Dracula AD 1972, returned. Michael Cole as Inspector Murray also returned, unfortunately Stephanie Beacham was unavailable to repeat her role as Jessica Van Helsing, so the role was taken by Joanna Lumley. There was also a reunion for Cushing with both Freddie Jones- Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed and William Franklyn - Fury At Smugglers Bay.

IN THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA, Van Helsing is on call once again following a lead from Inspector Murray, when several well established figures are found to be involved in a black mass at a well heeled country estate called Pelham House. It turns out, one of the magic sect is an old friend of van Helsing's, a Nobel-prize winning bio chemist by the name of Professor Julian Keeley (Freddie Jones). Van Helsing is on the trail and visits Keeley, to find him terrified, exhausted and hysterical. On enqueuing as to his work, which has clearly pushed over the edge with pressure, Keeley reveals he has developed an 'accelerated strain of bacillus petis - the bubonic plague! 

SOON AFTER THIS the supernatural element of the plot kicks in, as Murray and Jessica stumble upon a nest of vampire girls in the cellar at Pelham House, and the feverish work that Keeley has been burning the night oil preparing has been sponsored by a reclusive tycoon called, D. D. Denham. 

IN A KEY SCENE Van Helsing meets and confronts Denham, and exposes him as none other than Dracula! After a clever bit of business, with the Count, Van Helsing is bundled off to Pelham House. Here on the 23rd day of the 11th month, the Sabat of the Undead, Dracula will release the deadly plague and fulfill the Biblical prophecy of Armageddon.

CUSHING'S SCREEN TIME as with Dracula AD 1972 is limited, but what there is, has been carefully managed and distributed to provide the story with Hammer high points of drama and suspense. There is a superb exchange between Cushing and the damaged and babbling, cow - faced Julian Keeley, played in the key that only Freddie Jones can play, and frighteningly play well. Prof Keeley is totally under Dracula's power, prompting lines like, 'Evil and violence are the only two measures that hold any power. And nothing is too vile, nothing too dreadful'. Keeley drools. 'You need to feel the thrill of disgust, the beauty of obscenity' 

AFTER VAN HELSING'S, laboured and obvious, deciphering of the 'secret' behind Alucard's surname in Dracula AD 1972, Cushing's check list of anti vampire precautions and lore, is kept to a bare minium, although the items that can repel Dracula have now added a new twist and and one epic addition. The stand off with Denham and Van Helsing is one of the key points in the whole film, and as Cushing draws the pistol loaded with the silver bullet, you feel he means it! Lee looks powerful and majestically attractive. It is to Lee credit that at no time does his performance reveal even a hint, of his disillusion with the role.

IT IS CUSHING who gets the perhaps the best line in the film when facing William Franklyn's disbelieving  Colonel  Torrence, who asks Van Helsing if they are dealing with 'hobgoblins, witches and things that go bump in the night'. 'Hobgoblins are fantasy creatures of the nursery. As for witches they certainly exist, although 90 per cent of them are charlatans. Things DO go bump in the night. Quite often!'

AGAIN CUSHING  was responsible for rewriting Van Helsing's lines. One line he was particularity bothered by was when Van Helsing says that the vampire lives in mortal dread of silver. 'This bothers me,' he wrote on the script 'because Dracula wears a ring of silver!', but the reference stayed in the script, unchanged.

CUSHING CLIPPED a biblical quotation from a newspaper and pasted it onto his script. It read, 'Be not overcome of evil, but overcome evil with good. Romans XII, 21. 

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#MONSTERMONDAY : D.D. DENHAM MEETS VAN HELSING

#MONSTERMONDAY: Mr D.D. Denham. Was there ever a more frightening business man? Hmmm, maybe 😉 A vampire Count, taking down mankind with a deadly plague. I happen to really like 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula', for me it makes the evolution of the Hammer character all the more interesting...and the fact that the family Van Helsing are still on his tail and cramping his plans and style, makes me smile.

HE IS THIS Monday's Monster, the author of hell and damnation, Dracula's 'nom de plume'... D. D. Denham 😉 Worthy of the Monster Monday Crown? Tell us what you think . . .

ABOVE Highlights from The Satanic Rites of Dracula starring Peter Cushing Christopher Lee Joanna Lumley, Michael Coles and William Franklyn

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 reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE LOVELY LUMLEY!

TODAY MARKS THE BIRTHDAY of a very special B'day girl, Joanna Lumley! She appeared as Peter Cushing's granddaughter, in quick bit of recasting for Hammer in The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) and also appeared with Cushing in The Eagle's Nest the first of the new series 'The New Avengers in 1976. The first episode established the new team, Gareth Hunt as Mike Gambit, Joanna Lumley as Purdey and Patrick Macnee as John Steed.

LUMLEY'S SECTION OF 'THE NEW AVENGERS' TITLE SEQUENCE!

Peter Cushing, Derek Farr, Joanna Lumley and Gareth Hunt in 'The Eagle's Nest' episode one of 'The New Avengers' 1976 

ABOVE: An interesting and rare peep at both Peter Cushing and Joanna Lumley on set, during the making of 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula' !

 

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 reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

#GETTHECUSHION! CHILLING SCENE FROM NAZI COMMANDANT SCAR IN SHOCK WAVES

#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHINGSUNDAY! whew.... 'Yes, I killed him, and your Captain too, perhaps...But not in the way you think.' Peter Cushing's chilling lines from the 1977 SHOCK WAVES. The character of SCAR is an interesting one, and this film too has an interesting history. There's a BIG feature on it at our website. We have chosen this clip, as there is little really of PC is the film, but what there is, he certainly makes the best of his screen time. Is SHOCK WAVES a winner with you?

  

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 reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

#HAMMERFILMSSATURDAY: THE VANISHING UK DRACULA TRAILER

#HAMMERFILMSATURDAY : Yesterday being #frankensteinfriday, we shared the trailer for The Revenge of Frankenstein and thinking about our previous post today, about the Hammer Queens Award for Export back in 1968, I had a quick scroll through the titles of Hammer film titles from 57 to 75, and most of the big winners in there were, the Frankenstein and Dracula series. It could be said, they were the most popular Hammer films, certainly if Peter and Christopher Lee appeared in them.

BUT THERE are other titles like One Million Years BC....which were also very popular indeed. With the exclusion of the Cushing and Lee Hammer films... what do you consider to be your personal Hammer film favorite? The Nanny? Plague of the Zombies? Nightmare? Slave Girls?? Surprise me. Send you comments, which will be posted below to our email address, petercushingpcas@gamil.com

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 reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!