SPIN ON #ALFREDPENNYWORTH? CUSHING AND MITCHELL DINE OUT ON BBC '1984' TERROR BROADCAST

AN INTERESTING IDEA from the PCASuk FB page of #TheImaginativeHobbyist, a freelance digital artist / designer, film-maker, and photographer.. a few days ago and shared at the Facebook PCASuk Fan Page, a few days ago . . .Peter Cushing as Alfred Pennyworth! . . I wonder if this would have worked?

 

EMBRACING the soon to be released blu ray remaster of the BBC broadcast of '1984' from #BFI on April 11, 2022... Here is a vintage magazine clipping scanned from the PCASuk scrapbooks, of #PeterCushing and #YvonneMitchell taking dinner for publicity.. I guess... after terrifying the whole country and raising questions with #WinstonChurchill's government ? One of four pictures, I have no idea sadly, which magazine this appeared in, as it was printed, clipped and added to the scrapbook, long before 'I was a twinkle in my father's eye'... or so he would often tell me of anything pre #1960's. Peter Cushing and Mitchell ( Winston and Julia in 1984) look to ready to chow -down on some roast beef, after they take of their cuppa. I am guessing this was either for 'the camera' or before Peter became a #vegetarian.. or maybe this was actually for Yvonne and knowing Peter, he had a cheese sandwich and apple in his pocket !- Marcus

 

ABOVE: VINTAGE press clipping, with the 'Cushing's at home' wife, Helen and Peter study the reaction to the broadcast of TWO LIVE transmissions on BBC television, the first on a SUNDAY evening Saturday 11th December 1954... prompted something of an upset. There were complaints about the "horrific" content (particularly the Room 101 scene where Smith is threatened with torture by rats) and the "subversive" nature of the play. Most were worried by the depiction of a totalitarian regime controlling the population's freedom of thought. Questions in the House of Commons and #WinstonChurchill's government on justifying the option of the second / repeat broadcast the following week. Amidst objections the BBC went ahead with a complete live restaging on Thursday 16 December, although the decision went to the 'Board of Governors', which narrowly voted in favour of the second performance. This was introduced live on camera by Head of Drama Michael Barry, who had already appeared on the Monday's edition of the topical news programme Panorama to defend the production. The seven million viewers who watched the Thursday performance was the largest television audience in the UK since the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth 2nd the previous year. 

 

MORE SCREEN CAPTURES have recently been released from the BFI remastered #BLURAY and #DVD of the #PeterCushing #BBC production of #GeorgeOrwell's '1984'. It looks a very impressive image, after decades of watching fuzzy vhs and bootleg broadcast versions, for sure. I can't wait to get my copy . . . will you be getting your copy on the 11th April too?

 

 

ABOVE: PCASuk NEWS BANNER from February 2rd 2022 and how we reported the news of the much awaited for Peter Cushing BBC classic!

 

George Orwell’s enduring dystopian masterpiece is brought vividly to life in this celebrated BBC production. Adapted by Nigel Kneale (The Quatermass Experiment), NINETEEN EIGHTY-FOUR (directed by Rudolf Cartier) broke new ground for television drama when first broadcast in 1954. Experience Orwell’s haunting vision of a society dominated by relentless tyranny and the subversion of truth – a world in which Big Brother is always watching you. 

• Presented in High Definition and Standard Definition
• Newly recorded audio commentary on Nineteen Eighty-Four by television historian Jon Dear, host of Nigel Kneale podcast Bergcast, with Toby Hadoke and Andy Murray
• Late Night Line-Up (BBC, 1965, 23 mins): members of the cast and crew look back on the controversies surrounding this adaptation of Orwell’s classic
• The Ministry of Truth (2022, 24 mins): in conversation with the BFI’s Dick Fiddy, television historian Oliver Wake dispels some of the myths that have grown up around the groundbreaking drama over the course of the past half century
• Nigel Kneale: Into the Unknown (2022, 72 mins): writer, actor and stand-up comedian Toby Hadoke and Nigel Kneale biographer and programmer Andy Murray try to unpick who Kneale was, what he did and why his work still matters today
• Gallery of rare images from the BBC Archives
• Original script (downloadable PDF)
• Newly commissioned sleeve artwork by Matt Needle

UK / 1954 / black and white / 113 mins / English language, with optional subtitles for the Deaf and partial hearing / original aspect ratio 1.33:1 // BD50: 1080p/50i, 25fps, mono audio (48kHz/24-bit) / DVD9: PAL, 25fps, Dolby Digital 1.0 mono audio (24kHz/16-bit)

 

ORDERS and PRE-ORDERS from the BFI Shop :RIGHT HERE! 

 

YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO JOIN US and over 34,000 others Peter Cushing followers at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! With posts every day, rare images and photographs, with features and prize competitions. All celebrating the LIFE and CAREER of Peter Cushing OBE     

'TIS THE MONTH OF APRIL AND ANNUAL DIG INTO THE TÄUSCHEN #PETERCUSHING ARCHIVE

AS POSTED ON THE Facebook PCASuk Fan Page THIS MORNING . . .  A VERY STRANGE THING HAPPENED LAST WEEK! PCASuk follower, Paul Charing is a grandson of a retired GP and discovered something weird last week. His Grandad had a practice, in London for the last 45 years, and and when he graduated many years ago, HIS mother, Mrs Uno April Statione, bought him a doctor's leather bag, a Gladstone bag as a gift, from an antique shop out of town... Although, Doctor Statione thought he wouldn't have any use of such a bag, he actually used the bag most days, and was quite fond of it, even though it was well worn when he got it and had obviously belonged to someone else, who had also got good wear out of! But after all these years, what surprised the grandson one day, was when he noticed worn away and faded into the leather, was some faint lettering on the doctor's case. 

 

HE TOLD HIS GRANDAD STATIONE, who told him that the lettering had never bothered him because, it was faded even back then and that HIS full name was Wallace 'Robert' Statione...which was weirdly the same initials as the bag lettering! Now, Paul is a film buff, loves old movies, loves Peter Cushing films... and very much surprised the good doctor, when he told him, WHO the bag's initials stood for and the connection of W. G. S.... Doctor Station said, he very surprised, and was proud to own such an interesting 'film prop' from Peter Cushing's 'Dr Terror's House of Horror's' film of 1965 .... It was at this point, Paul got in touch with us and asked if we knew anyone, who being a fan of Peter Cushing or Amicus films, might be interested in purchasing it for their collection? I thought there would be many takers, so asked him to send me some photographs.

 

HE AGREED TO DO SO, but when he looked in the cupboard under the stairs where his grandad kept the bag / case... it had GONE! After all these years, vanished! It's not turned up since... It's such a shame, he thought he was on TRACK, to make some spare lolly, and was STEAMING mad it had just disappeared... he had turned the HOUSE upside down looking for it, in the CELLAR, in the garden under the IVY, behind grandad's TRUMPET and JAZZ records, behind his record player DECK, his hobby art PAINTINGS in the attic... He thought his grandad had hidden it, because he likes to play tricks. ... he can be a right TERROR and a CARD. But no, it's gone! How weird! That's FATE I guess.... 😉😈 - Marcus

 

BELOW PAST INTERESTING POSTS FROM PAST YEARS 

 

NEWS: SATURDAY APRIL 1st 2017:  Peter Cushing's former home in Whitstable, Kent is to be moved 'brick-by brick' to a Dracula theme park in Transylvania, Romania later this year. The beautiful beach front home in Sea-Salter, Whitstable was home to the actor Peter Cushing and his wife, Helen from the late 1950's. The house attracts many visitors through-out the year, who want to take a snap of the 'blue-plaque' home that was once residence to the actor who is famous for having played the Dracula's nemesis and vampire hunter, Van Helsing in FIVE Hammer horror films.

 

Spokesperson for the Romanian Tourist Board, Ivan Youon said in a press release today, 'We are very excited and honored to soon have what was Peter Cushing's home in our theme park. We know it draws hundreds of tourists who want to see it every year in Whitstable. We have been in secret talks with the town council for many, many months, and now I can't believe, it is really about to happen. This summer we will under-take a huge exercise in moving the house to the site at our Dracula Theme Park, here in Transylvania, brick by brick. It is a very long, expensive and complicated process, but we were very successful in moving a summer house and garden shed from the one of Bram Stoker's homes a few years ago. Bram Stoker was the author of the novel Dracula and our museum at the park holds many rare items from Stoker's life, his writing desk, his bed and his beard grooming comb. The museum also holds many items and props that were used in the Hammer Dracula films: Dracula's cloak, used in the 1958 classic 'The Horror of Dracula', Christopher Lee's tooth brush,and a rare cinema poster from the film, thought to be worth £30,000. 'Cushing's home will be the perfect addition to the other Dracula themed attractions we have at the park' said Ivan.'I think it will be very popular' Work is expected to start on the site next month. Whitstable Town Council were unavailable for comment when this went item to post. - Marcus

 

YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO JOIN US and over 34,000 others Peter Cushing followers at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! With posts every day, rare images and photographs, with features and prize competitions. All celebrating the LIFE and CAREER of Peter Cushing OBE    

'WANNASEEMYETCHINGS?' QUESTION: THE #HAMMERFILMS DRACULA PORTRAIT ONE AND THE SAME?

THE FOLLOWING is a post made at the Facebook PCASuk Fan Page today . . .

 

'WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE MY ETCHINGS? wink😉 wink😉 Well, here's two and an interesting query from a #PeterCushing fan! 'I don't have the films on dvd or tape, but me and a few others huge Christopher Lee fans in my family, were arguing last night, that the black and white drawing hanging in #VanHelsing's office of #Dracula is the SAME drawing that is also seen on the Scars of Dracula posters and the cover of a Scars of Dracula film dvd I do own. Please tell me I am right, there's a family take-away supper hanging on this. Thank you, Dave T Graham and family'

 

'HI DAVE!  I have posted and shared several photographs here and a blu ray scan of what are TWO portraits. They were used in TWO separate Hammer Dracula films, '#ScarsofDracula' and '#DraculaAD1972' you'll see that the AD one looks very similar in style to the SCARS publicity portrait.. but, nope I am afraid they are not the same artwork. The SCARS style portrait by artist MICHAEL VAUGHAN, who also created the #HorrorofFrankenstein poster art, was actually used in several characters featured on the poster too. But that ancient engraving / etching look used in the Dracula portrait hanging in Van Helsing's study... is quite different. Sorry Dave. The meal it seems is on you 😕

 

ABOVE: Poster art by film poster art legend, #TomChantrell was used before production, maybe during Sir James's 'funding and lolly' tout' to provide the budget for Scars... an interesting poster that incorporate no elements from the actual film, as this was probably BEFORE the script was written. But the poster uses elements of Tom Chantrell's artwork of Dracula from the very popular 'Dracula has Risen from the Grave' cinema poster, with Tom himself posing as Dracula and a Jacqueline Pearce look a likey from 'Plague of the Zombies' or 'the Reptile' ??? Despite that, the artwork is typical Chantrell-amazing!' 

 

ABOVE: One of the campaign cinema posters used by Hammer's 'Scars of Dracula' featuring a DIFFERENT portrait and etching coloured style... this artwork was by artist Mike Vaughan...who also created the artwork on the double cinema poster for #HorrorofFrankenstein both films were released as a #doublebill in cinema's in the UK... 

 

'Candle lit 'Take-away supper' with your guest, Dave?' 

Christopher Lee in 'Scars of Dracula' 1970

 

MIND YOU, it could be much worse, it could be Dracula who is coming around for supper.. and a take away, might not 'cut it' 😲😨 Thanks for the opportunity to solve this one for you though! - Marcus

 

YOU ARE MOST WELCOME TO JOIN US and over 34,000 others Peter Cushing followers at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE! With posts every day, rare images and photographs, with features and prize competitions. All celebrating the LIFE and CAREER of Peter Cushing OBE