IT'S NO JOKE! HELEN CUSHING AND THE SPOOKY ARM APPEARANCE PLUS DAVID PEEL AND LAST WEEKS TOUGHY ANSWER!

THIS WEEK'S TUESDAY TOUGHY! It sounds like a joke OR maybe there is a catch? Not so. Without giving too much away, all I can say is, this NOT about Cushing deciding he one day wanted a tattoo! I'll be giving you the answer NEXT TUESDAY. In the meantime, good luck!

THE ANSWER to last weeks TUESDAY TOUGHY is TOD SLAUGHTER, is the name of the  ominous face on the left. As JIM SHORTER commented on the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE Tod had quite the reputation as an English actor, who was best known for playing over-the-top maniacs in macabre film adaptations of Victorian melodramas. Slaughter made the films, for the most part, exactly as he liked, with all the larger than life, melodramatic acting of a bygone age, just as he did in the stage adaptions, in which he also starred. Born in March 1885 as Norman Carter Slaughter, during in his early stage career, hit gold and blood, when he appeared in SWEENEY TODD : The Demon Barber of Fleet Street in 1936. He had started to pave the way to his thrills and spills reputation when he appeared in his first film, as a villain the previous year, in 'Maria Marten or Murder in the Red Barn'. He followed these with further OTT adventures in films like, 'The Crimes of Stephen Hawke' in also in 1936, 'It's Never To Late To Mend', 'The Ticket Of Leave Man' in 1937, 'The Face At The Window' and 'Crimes At The Dark House' in 39 and 1940. These quota-quickies, quickly made Slaughter into a British horror star, almost in some ways, as a precursor to the career of Peter Cushing's . .

ABOVE: PETER CUSHING PERSONAL THE GAY INVALID THEATRE PROGRAMME AND SIGNED NOTE-LET INCLUDING ALL CAST MEMBERS SIGNATURES!

THE PLAY in which both Slaughter and Cushing appeared in together was THE GAY INVALID by Sir Barry Jackson in 1951. Slaughter played Professor Purge and Cushing as a young soldier named Valentine. Opening for two months at the Garrick Theatre, London in September of 51, and called, 'Moliere without tears!', it ran until March 24th 1951.

 

THE FILM that in which Tod Slaughter starred , that was later adapted and starred Peter Cushing was called, 'The Greed Of William Hart and was released in 1948 and was based on the gory history of  body snatchers, Burke and Hare. Director and screen-writer John Gilling adapted the story and  Cushing went on to star as Dr Knox, in the remake and retitled, 'The Flesh And The Fiends'  in 1959. Congrats to ALEX WILSON who was the only one to nail all three questions, at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE . A thumbs up to Phillip Jones, who did name Mr Slaughter though . . .!

FIND OUT MORE ABOUT THE FLESH AND THE FIENDS WITH GALLERY HERE!

TODAY we remember actor DAVID PEEL who was born today 19th June 1920. There are few who have made such an impact as Peel. He only appeared in ONE film for Hammer films and I believe only appeared in one film with Peter Cushing.

ONLY ONE ROLE, one film and yet, enter VAMPIRE HAMMER into google images, and he will appear in most of the pages. Despite the success long after The Brides of Dracula was made...audiences felt a little cheated that it was a DRACULA film, without Dracula!....I suspect that Peel wasn't impressed with either the film or the subject matter either! You probably know, he left the industry early on and went into antiques and real estate, but life for Peel was certainly difficult. We remember him today though, for that one Hammer film and the impressive performance as Baron Meinster, the boy vampire who certainly pushed the boundaries of vampire film!

ACTRESS JACQUELINE PEARCE DIES AGED 77

Extremely sad to hear of the passing of Jacqueline Pearce tonight . . Pearce always held a certain authority and glamour to any of the roles that she played in the fantasy genre. After her training at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, alongside Anthony Hopkins and John Hurt, she appeared in episodes of tv's Danger Man and The Avengers, as well as children’s dramas 'Moondial and Dark Season', written by Russell T Davies.

Alongside her role in Blake’s 7, which was expanded from a single episode to a regular role over four series due to her popularity, Pearce was also known for her guest role as Chessene in The Two Doctors episodes of Doctor Who in 1985, opposite Colin Baker’s version of the Time Lord. 

After relocating to South Africa for several years, initially to care for orphaned monkeys, Pearce returned to the UK in 2015. Her autobiography, From Byfleet to the Bush, was published in 2012. Pearce also worked with Peter Cushing in an episode of ITC's THE ZOO GANG, as Brigitte Gautier in The Counterfeit Trap in 1974.

Her work in tv was certainly prolific. She will also be remembered for her roles with Hammer films in 'The Reptile' and 'Plague of the Zombies' both in 1966.

COMMENTS and tributes are being shared and posted by friends and followers at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE NOW . .

FIFTY YEARS SINCE MORECAMBE AND WISE FIRST HIT UK TV SCREENS AND CUSHING WAS THERE TOO!

TODAY MARKS 50 YEARS since comedians Morecambe and Wise first hit our tv screens in the UK. During that time the built a following and reputation that has never been equalled in the UK, their classic shows are regularly repeated, and no Christmas ever goes by without one of their much loved shows being broadcast and watched by millions! Peter Cushing of course, was a regular guest, with the long running gag, of his not being paid for his first show appearance, running for over twenty years .... until he did get his lolly, in 1980! Do YOU have a favourite Cushing Eric and Ernie show? PLEASE come JOIN US at the FACEBOOK PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY UK FAN PAGE: CLICK HERE!

ABOVE: PETER CUSHING ATLAST GETS HIS MONEY IN 1980!

YOU CAN SEE AND ENJOY  many of Peter Cushing's GUEST appearances on the classic MORECAMBE AND WISE SHOW in our dedicated PLAYLIST at the YOUTUBE PCAS CHANNEL JUST CLICK HERE! 

THE LONG RUNNING JOKE ASIDE, Peter was o f course paid for his FIRST appearance on the Morecambe and wise Show back in 1969 . . 

FRANCIS MATTHEWS REMEMBERED : FRANKENSTEINS LITTLE HELPER!

TODAY WE REMEMBER Francis Matthews a very talented actor, known for playing Paul Temple in the BBC series of the same name, as well as voicing Captain Scarlet… But he is best known here for his roles in 3 Hammer films Dracula Prince Of Darkness (1966) Rasputin The Mad Monk (1966) both co-starring Christopher Lee and The Revenge Of Frankenstein (1958) with Peter Cushing, with whom he remained close friends ..

TWO OF THE GREAT ROLES that Francis Matthews played for Hammer Films in DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS  and  THE REVENGE OF FRANKENSTEIN

BACK IN 2001, Francis Matthews, joined Christopher Lee, Barbara Shelly and Suzan Farmer for a RE-UNITE of the cast of Dracula Prince of Darkness, for a narration on the DVD release.

FRANCIS MATTHEWS was the voice of a HERO to many growing up in the 1960's as puppet INDESTRUCTIBLE CAPTAIN SCARLETT!

SCREAM FACTORY ANNOUNCES REMASTERED HAMMER FILMS CLASSIC!

NEWS: US Label Scream Factory have announced they are to put out Hammer's Dracula Prince Of Darkness (1966) starring Christopher Lee., Francis Matthews and Barbara Shelley.

ON THE FACE OF IT a REMASTERING of any Hammer Film is always good news, especially if it stars Christopher Lee! But, as sales of some of the Hammer catalogue have proved in the past, the releasing of a title that has already been released many times before, is a gamble. The success of the Warner Brothers box set a few years ago, was a blu ray triumph. Even though the package didn't include any extras, the titles themselves and the REGION ZERO option that they gambled, made the whole deal worth every penny. Already the news has been shared at our  FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE  and the response is mixed. Maybe the extras, when finalised, will hopefully give this release, the chance to empty the stocks, and encourage other Hammer titles to get the same remastered treatment?   

THE DETAILS SO FAR . . .
• Official street date is December 18th for U.S. and Canada territories (Region A)
• Release will come with a slipcover (guaranteed for three months after its original release date)
• The newly-commissioned artwork pictured comes to us from artist Mark Maddox. This art will be front-facing and the reverse side of the wrap will showcase the original theatrical poster art design.
• Extras are still underway and will be announced later in Nov. We are reconfirming today though that we have an all-new High-Def transfer in the works.

MORE RARE PHOTOGRAPHS, GIFS and IMAGES from DRACULA PRINCE OF DARKNESS in our DOUBLE BILL FEATURE along with TASTE THE BLOOD OF DRACULA : THE HAMMER DRACULA FLICKS: THE MOMENTS WE LOVE THE BEST! 

THE HAMMER DRACULA FLICKS: THE MOMENTS WE LOVE BEST: PART TWO! JUST CLICK HERE!

 

LEGEND HORROR CLASSICS AND REMEMBERING CHARLES GRAY : MYCROFT : MOCATA : ROCKY HORROR!

TODAY WE REMEMBER Charles Gray, who is best remembered for his outstanding performance as the evil Mocata opposite Christopher Lee in Hammer’s The Devil Rides Out (1968) and his role as 'the narrator' in 'The Rocky Horror Show' … other memorable roles in include Ernst Stavro Blofeld in Diamonds Are Forever (1971) and Mycroft Holmes in The Adventures Of Sherlock Holmes TV Series… His Peter Cushing connection is that he co-stared with him in Amucis’s film The Beast Must Die (1974)

MORE ON THE BEAST MUST DIE HERE!

THIS WEEKS MAGAZINE FOCUS centres on a weird little UK series called. 'LEGEND HORROR CLASSICS'  Riding on the popularity of the UK Monster Mag, this too was a fold out eight panel affair. There was no huge flip side poster, instead a whole comic strip adaption of a 'Horror Classic' film. The first issue arrived in time for the release of the Dan Curtis adaption of DRACULA starring Jack Palance and Simon Ward. The whole thing sadly was stretched rather thin, with what room there was for editorial, the writing was rather limp and sparse. The comic strip art, was no way in the same league as the 'Hammer House of Horror' magazines, that were to follow, but as a 25 pence pocket money treat it gave a good deal to any youngsters, finding the likes of Hammer films, Cushing and Lee for the first time.  

EVEN THOUGH THE FOCUS was on the Curtis 1974 DRACULA release, both CUSHING and LEE are given a full page picture treatment, with PC looking rather funky in a comic art dotex version of the very familiar publicity photograph BARON from 'FRANKENSTEIN CREATED WOMAN'. Lee is represented in a still from 'DRACULA HAS RISEN FROM THE GRAVE' ... though in neither pics, are the titles of the films given, and that sadly is the overall standard of all the magazines, in this series . .  little in the way learning or anything any fan would find new or interesting, even back in 1974!  

THE SECOND ISSUE had a 'Frankenstein' theme based primarily on the 1931 Universal film, although Victor Frankenstein was drawn to resemble Peter Cushing, in some of the Hammer series. Later the theme and comic strip  covered The 7th Voyage of Sinbad in issue 3, Blood Lust of the Zombies in issue 4, Hammer's Dracula has Risen from the Grave, under the strange title of "Dracula Must be Destroyed") in issue 5, Terror from Space was issue 6 and the story of Beowulf in issue 7. The comic stories from issue three became at times quite bizarre, and the connection with what were 'horror classics' either from cinema or TV, floated away and from issue 10, the magazine no longer carried comic strip adaption or stories.

KEVIN O'NEILL, who would also go on to work on that other 70's horror film mag, WORLD OF HORROR and the comic 2000 AD, was closely involved with the publication, providing some of the comic strips and serving as art editor, before becoming editor. Though little. if any of the comic adaptions ever came any where close to the benchmark that Hammer House of Horror would roll out, this magazine, was probably in the beginning aimed at a younger market, and in that case, one can see why, the issues lack any real maturity or muscle. For us Horror Film Fans, it was better than nothing and certainly whet our whistles, while we waited for, what was yet to come . .  

FEEL FREE TO COME JOIN US at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE  along with over 32 thousand other followers and friends!