#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: ON SET SNAPS FOR SIX WEEKS HAMMER /CUSHING FRANKENSTEINS STARTS TODAY!

#FRANKENSTEINfriday! Over the next SIX weeks we'll be sharing an album of 'behind the scenes' snaps from Cushing's Hammer Frankenstein films... Here's the FIRST 'Frankenstein Created Woman' (1967) . .

#PeterCushing and Susan Denberg pose for a 'crazy snap' on the back lot of Bray studios during the making of 'Frankenstein Created Woman'

MAKE UP ARTIST George Partleton puts the finishing touches to Denberg's make up before the camera

EDDIE COLLINS Clapper loader, shows the slate on the latest shot, before the camera rolls at Hammer's 'go to' location just down the road, Black Park . .

TAKING A BREAK, #PeterCushing takes five and reads the newspaper.. with his essential 'cup of tea' in hand!

 

A RARE SNAP of Eileen Head head of continuity with Cushing on set . .

GEORGE PARTLETON on make up and Frieda Steiger hair stylist, working on Cushing before a take...

WE HAVE NO IDEA why Susan Denberg has her left foot in a white metal enamel kitchen jog in this shot? It looks like Rosemary Burrows from wardrobe is doing something with Denberg's shoes..? BUT why the jug and foot.. I have no idea 😕😧 Suggestions?

 

PRODUCER Anthony Nelson Keys, the crew nicknamed him 'Bunch of..' no I am not kidding 😆... Thorley Walters and Peter Cushing have chat during a break on the back lot . . .

 

ABOVE SIX BLACK AND WHITE press stills that were used to promote 'Frankenstein Created Woman' ... none of these poses are from the actual film, these snaps of Peter and Denberg became the main push of the publicity machine and were seen across the world in newspapers, magazine and publicity . These impressive photographs were devised and taken by Tom Edwards, who covered many Hammer film productions... 

 

OUR PCASUK review feature complete with RARE STILLS GALLERY you'll find at this website : RIGHT HERE!

IT CAN BE a long day on a film set, Denberg takes a stretch and a few moments to prep herself for the next shot . . 

 

 

NEXT WEEK WE'LL BE NOSING around this set at Bray, in our SECOND ON SET SNAPS for #FrankensteinFriday gallery featuring #Hammerfilms 'The Revenge of Frankenstein'

 

 

 

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REMEMBERING ACTOR MICHAEL GOODLIFFE ON ANNIVERSARY OF BIRTHDAY : 'THE GORGON' 'END OF THE AFFAIR' 'CAMP ON BLOOD ISLAND'

REMEMBERING MICHAEL GOODLIFFE on the anniversary of his Birthday today, October 1st! Goodliffe, was an English actor known for playing suave roles such as doctors, lawyers and army officers, a quite a few Brit films and tv dramas. He was also sometimes cast in working class parts. Born in 1914, educated in Canterbury, he joined the British Army at the beginning of the Second World War, and received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the Royal Warwickshire Regiment in February 1940. He was wounded in the leg and captured at the Battle of Dunkirk. Goodliffe was incorrectly listed as killed in action, and even had his obituary published in a newspaper! He was to spend the rest of the war a prisoner in Germany. Whilst in captivity he produced and acted in (and in some cases wrote) many plays and sketches to entertain fellow prisoners. These included two productions of William Shakespeare's Hamlet, one in Tittmoning and the other in Eichstätt, in which he played the title role. 

AFTER THE WAR GOODLIFFE, resumed his professional acting career. As well as appearing in the theatre, he worked in expanding his film work and appeared in a huge amount of television drama. Goodliffe also appeared in the film, 'The Wooden Horse' in 1950 and in other POW films. His best-known film  was maybe, 'A Night to Remember' (1958) directed by Roy Ward Baker, in which he played Thomas Andrews, designer of the RMS Titanic. Goodliffe, put some of his 'being captive experience' into his first film for Hammer films, 'The Camp on Blood Island' (1958) as Father Paul Anjou. In this film he worked with actress Barbara Shelley, who he would work with again in 1964 in Hammer's 'The Gorgon'..with Peter Cushing. He played his role so well, it was a shame when his character, Professor Jules Heitz left the story.

GOODLIFFE HAD WORKED in another Cushing film back in 1955, 'The End of the Affair' with Deborah Kerr and Van Johnson. Goodliffe is an actor, who sadly gets forgotten today, but his filmography is quite prolific with some box office winners... 'The Battle of the River Plate' (1956), 'A Night to Remember' (1958), 'The 39 Steps' (1959), 'Peeping Tom' (1960), '633 Squadron' (1964), 'Von Ryan's Express' (1965), 'Cromwell' (1970), . . and his two final films, with Christopher Lee : The Man with the Golden Gun (1974) and for Hammer films, 'To the Devil a Daughter' (1976).

SADLY, GOODLIFFE suffered with depression, and had a major breakdown in March 1976, during the period that he was rehearsing for a revival of the theatre production of 'Equus'. . . and he left us on 20th March 1976 aged just 61. Goodliffe was an actor with great authority, who commanded your attention in whatever role he played, despite the distractions of his health, which were never evident to the people he worked with or his audience. Today we mark and celebrate the anniversary of his birthday and the high standard of the roles he played during his career!

PLEASE COME JOIN US at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! With posts every day, rare images and photographs, features and prize competitions.You'll have good company with over 34 thousand followers, all celebrating the LIFE and CAREER of Peter Cushing OBE!

WHEN PETER CUSHING WROTE TO DISNEY! #HAMMERFILMS CAPTAIN CLEGG VS #DISNEY DR SYN

LETTER from #PETERCUSHING to DISNEY! Here is an interesting bit of background, that clearly illustrates Peter's passion for one particular character that he played and his efforts in expanding the options with a script, that HE actually wrote HIMSELF!

AS MANY OF YOU probably know, #Hammerfilms 1961 production of 'Captain Clegg' ran into some difficulties, before production began... the copyright of the Dr Syn stories written by Russell Thorndike's novel, which their film was to have been based on, were OWNED by Disney.. so Hammer were not allowed to use the story as per novel OR indeed the name of the central character, played by Cushing... Dr Syn. But, of course this didn't stop them, they renamed the character Clegg and came up with their own pirate story... but it was tricky. Peter loved the character and story so much, he actually wrote his own screenplay and submitted it to Tony Hinds at Hammer films, for his and director, Peter Graham Scott's consideration... as was Hammer's want, they liked their plots and detail to be as basic and cheap enough to fit their budgets.

SADLY, PETER WITH HIS EYE, for detail and a true lover of swashbuckling antics, also liked his plot to carry accurate detail and .. some expensive requirements. Hammer and Hinds winced at the costs and kindly passed on his script, and Hinds wrote their own script with additional dialogue from tv writer, Barbara S. Harper (...who she?) Not to be thwarted, Peter sent on his script to #Disney, who owning the rights, were setting up their own Dr Syn film... and were looking for an actor to play their pirate captain. Peter wasted no time, shipped off the script, his CV and a sweet request, asking that they consider him for their Captain, if possible! As it worked out, they too passed on Cushing's script and went on to cast the little known Irish actor #PatrickMcGoohan as Dr Syn in their adaption of the character in 'Dr. Syn, Alias the Scarecrow' in 1963 with a full British cast, with a more family entertainment target.

ABOVE: OUR PCASUK FULL FEATURE WITH GALLERY ON CAPTAIN CLEGG starring Peter Cushing, can be found right HERE!

HAMMER RELEASED their film as 'Captain Clegg' and 'Night Creatures' in the US in 1961. It was released as a double bill with Hammer's 'Phantom of the Opera' with Herbert Lom as 'the 'Phantom' Universal had problems not knowing HOW to market both films, so re-edited any 'horror' or 'unsuitable' plot and visuals from both films, rendering BOTH films 'tooth-less' as Hammer films and pushed them as almost 'family entertainment'! Cushing nursed his passion for the character and the stories for many years to come, hoping one day he would play him again... If you have seen BOTH films, how do you rate them? I saw Disney's 'Dr Syn' as a kid in the cinema one #Halloween and loved it. 'Captain Clegg' I watched many years later.. but I LOVE them both! - Marcus 

 

PLEASE COME JOIN US at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! With posts every day, rare images and photographs, features and prize competitions.You'll have good company with over 34 thousand followers, all celebrating the LIFE and CAREER of Peter Cushing OBE!

THE MAKING OF THE HOUSE OF LONG SHADOWS : DEREK PYKETT'S AMAZING DOCUMENTARY : PETE WALKER : JULIE PEASGOOD

#WATCH With #PETERCUSHING! 'IF you love the film, you will adore this doc!' Over at the Facebook PCASUK Fan Page, I have just posted and shared this superb feature length documentary, by Derek Pykett, and its is a must if you enjoyed the film, when it was released back in 1983. Lots of anecdotes from director Pete Walker, script-writer Michael Armstrong, Julie Peasgood and Desi Arnaz jr.. and many others... plus a trip done memory lane in THE house! Derek Pykett did a brilliant job making both this and his Amicus films documentary, as a labour of love.... LOVE the film? You will ADORE this doc! It up as a #WatchWithCushing post at the Fan Page NOW! - Marcus

PLEASE COME JOIN US at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! With posts every day, rare images and photographs, features and prize competitions.You'll have good company with over 34 thousand followers, all celebrating the LIFE and CAREER of Peter Cushing OBE!