#CHRISTOPHER LEE SATURDAY: THE DRACULA FLICKS : THE MOMENTS WE LOVE BEST : PART ONE WITH RARE CONTACT SHEETS!

WHY WAS VERONICA CARLSON so good when working with both PETER CUSHING and CHRISTOPHER LEE? FIND OUT in PART FIVE of Bruce G Hallenbeck's PCAS series, WOMEN IN GOTHIC,

DID YOU MISS our TUESDAY TOUGHY this week? THIS MYSTERY ACTOR also worked with PETER CUSHING too! THINK you know the ANSWER? DROP us a email to our usual PCAS WEBSITE address, and tell us! petercushingpcas@gmail.com

THERE ARE A NUMBER OF different things to be found in Hammer films SCARS OF DRACULA, that make it not only quite different from any of the other Hammer DRACULA's that had come before, but also THE COUNT and all his supporters, don't just BITE, they stab, burn and torture too....IRONICALLY, in this feature CHRISTOPHER LEE actually speaks as DRACULA and despite some of his more monstrous habits, appears MORE romantic. In this scene, he grooms JENNY HANLEY'S attractive SARAH . . .

THE DIRECTOR of SCARS OF DRACULA Roy Ward Baker, managed to produce a Hammer DRACULA feature that stands without doubt, a totally different field to the others that had come before it. The budget was limited, the sets are time bare, but there are MOMENTS. Baker decided that what he was going to produced was a REAL horror film. Scenes that present shots and situations, that are at times... horrible! 

DENNIS WATERMAN'S Simon, discovers the murdered body of his friend, Paul played by Christopher Matthews, skewered on a wall. Graphic make up, presented something that we had no seen a DRACULA Hammer before... and it wasn't to stop there. ALL scenes that presented a death or murder, left little to the imagination. AND torture was also added to the block..!

THE SET DESIGN of Hammer films SCARS OF DRACULA was managed by SCOTT MACGREGOR. He went to a lot of trouble to make the of what he could bring to the screen, with such a limited budget. For most parts, the sets look good, but some, such a the castle rooftop, look little more than a theatre set, with a LOT of space . . 

THE HAMMER PRESS OFFICE, were also pulling out the stops. The graphic make up and the fate of Paul was added to the images in the US LOBBY CARD set too! While personally, I am not a fan of gore, I do like the lead up to Waterman's SIMON, eventually finding DRACULA here. This scene is one of many that, come as a mixed bag, over the top in places, but some of the film's best moments in places . .

THE BRINGING BACK a character called KLOVE was a nice touch! BUT we met another servant called KLOVE back in Hammer films, DRACULA, PRINCE OF DARKNESS. He too helped the COUNT with spring cleaning, guests and  . . .slaughter. There is no mention in the story, if THIS is the same KLOVE, before or after the DARKNESS story . .TROGHTON is as always, terrific and not a million miles away from his Rat Catcher in Hammer's 'PHANTOM OF THE OPERA' and Grave Robber in Peter Cushing's last Frankenstein, 'FRANKENSTEIN AND THE MONSTER FROM HELL'. 

WE ALL LOOK FORWARD to to major things, that are part of ever HAMMER DRACULA film. DRACULA'S Resurrection and the death! ALL depending on the BUDGET and the imagination of the script writer, AND the special effects... often these scenes could be a little weak and disappointing. Without giving too much away, about DRACULA return in SCARS . .  it too is a little GORY and well...weird! BUT for some it would be another MOMENT, so we include elements of it here . .

AGAIN HERE is another rare look at a set design plan by SCOTT MACGREGOR for the final moments of SCARS OF DRACULA and the death of KLOVE played by PATRICK TROUGHTON and DRACULA. The area in the sketch design looks smaller, than it actually appears on the big screen. But what makes this scene so special is, it gives us another DRAMATIC end and death for Christopher Lee's DRACULA . .

WE'LL BE PRESENTING MORE hi res photographs, contact sheets and GIFS from ANOTHER CHRISTOPHER LEE Hammer films DRACULA NEXT SATURDAY! Join us THEN!

REMEMBERING AND SHINING THE LIGHT ON THE MAN WHO MADE HAMMER LOOK GREAT!

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY! Next time you sit down and watch your favourite early Peter Cushing Hammer film, and marvel at the beautiful gothic atmosphere, the rich colours, the frightening shadows... that 'Hammer Look and Style', remember this man, ace cinematographer Jack Asher BSC, a true magician! He did indeed paint with light! Best known for his work with Hammer, The Curse of Frankenstein, The Brides of Dracula, Hound of the Baskervilles, Dracula / Horror of Dracula, The Mummy and The Revenge of Frankenstein. Jack was born in London, on this very day in 1916. A REAL craftsman, who applied his skills along with Terence Fisher and the Hammer team, and gave us these rare feasts which live on, OUT SHINING many films and features today! Jack left us in April 1991, aged 74. Happy Birthday Jack!

ANOTHER OF JACK ASHER'S GREATEST: THE BRIDES OF DRACULA and below, another excellent documentary from DONALD FEARNEY on the making of this Peter Cushing and Hammer film classic . .

ABOVE: NEW SERIES STARTING FOR #CHRISTOPHERLEE SATURDAYS, 

THIS SATURDAY!

 

GIFS WEDNESDAY: WITH HAMMER FILMS DRACULA TAROT, MUMMY'S AND A SECRET FALSE TOOTH

CUSHING GIFS WEDNESDAY! ONE OF THE BEST pay off shots ever in a Peter Cushing Amicus movie! This one is from DR TERROR'S HOUSE OF HORRORS (1965) The characters played by actors  Roy Castle, Christopher Lee, Alan Freeman, Donald Sutherland  and Neil McCallum, won't be travel on ANY train again, in the future for sure . . .

ABOVE: A RARE still of behind the scenes on the set at Shepperton studios, shooting THIS scene! EVEN DEATH gets a place in the group gathering!

OUR FIRST FULL FEATURE on the AMICUS FILMS of Peter Cushing Part One, which includes rare stills and gallery on DR TERRORS HOUSE OF HORRORS .. RIGHT HERE! TAKE A LOOK around GOOGLE and you will find links to all SIX PARTS of this feature series. ALL of Cushing Amicus films are covered, with as usual galleries of RARE images. Press, publicity and behind the scenes stills too!

A SHORT KIND OF CUT AWAY scene in HAMMER FILMS DRACULA / HORROR OF DRACULA 1958. THIS particular scene has caused quite a bit of unrest and divided opinions over the years between fans of the film. Film director, Terence Fisher always believed, in giving the audience, emotional space when watching one of his fantasy films. If they had just been frightened or caused great stress by a scene, he liked to let them recover, breathe a little! This slightly comic breather, involving the repeated breaking of the boarder control barrier, was included during the roaring race with Dracula, to do just that, BEFORE the hugely dramatic and frightening destruction of the Count. Some think it was a mistake, that sitting in the middle of the climatic closing of the film, does little more that upset the story and destroy the rhythm. It WAS Fisher's intention to disrupt the drama, to cut away to something else, and he succeeds. For some, a little too much.   I would LOVE to know what your opinion is! IF you don't know this scene, or haven't seen the movie, NOW is our opportunity! You are missing probably one of Hammer films finest! WRITE to petercushingpcas@gmail.com

THE ROLE OF the Boarder Official was played by GEORGE BENSON, nowhere near the age of his character. BUT he would be joining Cushing again on screen, when he WAS that age, playing his lab assistant Waterlow, in Tigon films wonderful feature frightener, THE CREEPING FLESH in 1973.

A MESSAGE RECEIVED FROM FOLLOWERS MARCIA LOISEL THE FOLLOWING DAY THURSDAY 29th MARCH
First, I knew that George Benson was in both Dracula and Creeping Flesh, but never once did I think that those characters were the same person! Learn something new every day! :) The comic bit doesn't really bother me. It was established earlier that he was a comic character so his second scene was in character. Of course, "Dracula" is one of my most favorite movies ever, so I love every minute of it and can't imagine it any different.

Happy Birthday to Jack Asher! He really did help to establish Hammer's 'look'. The still of Van Helsing on the stairs of Dracula's castle, before he goes into the library for the final scene is stunning. The light streaming in through the colored panes of the windows is just beautiful. "The Mummy" is also a favorite, everything about it is gorgeous.

Looking forward to Callum Mckelvie's "Brides of Dracula" article!

Kind regards.
Marcia Loisel

ABOVE: ONE OF OUR many features and galleries on HAMMER FILMS DRACULA / HORROR OF DRACULA (1958) HERE we share a WHOLE set of 1958 Front Of House CINEMA  USA LOBBY cards, from when the film was released in 1958.

CHRISTOPHER LEE'S pretty amazing portrayal of KHARIS in Hammer films THE MUMMY (1959)! Along with Cushing John Banning and a terrific cast, personally it's one of my most favourite Peter Cushing films, and it's in the top four best of Hammer's! BELOW here is an upload from our Peter Cushing Appreciation Society YOUTUBE CHANNEL of DONALD FEARNEY's excellent documentary on ALL MUMMY films, including UNIVERSAL films. Just CLICK on the BLUE LINK! 

WATCH DONALD FEARNEY'S LEGEND OF HAMMER MUMMIES! Just about EVERY Mummy film is covered. There's quite a number of interviews and some great rare supporting images too! JUST click HERE!

AND ABOVE HERE IS ANOTHER clip from Hammer films, THE MUMMY from our Peter Cushing Appreciation Society YOUTUBE CHANNEL

THE BBC PRODUCTION OF George Orwell's 1984, was not only a landmark for drama productions for the government broadcasting company, but also for PETER CUSHING himself. His performance influenced Hammer films, to cast Cushing in their FIRST Frankenstein, and his career was never the same again.  HERE we have Cushing's WINSTON SMITH, during the closing moments, where Cushing forever dedicated to doing his best to make his contribution, makes a gesture, that probably few with his romantic reputation at the time, would have entertained doing. 

YOU'LL NOTICE, Winston by this time, following months of torture and beatings, has lost a front tooth. THAT is not make up or a trick of the light. Cushing lost a front tooth during the late 1940's. In all publicity the loss of the tooth was blamed on a boot to his face, playing his favorite sports game, rugby. 

THIS WASN'T ACTUALLY the case, but for publicity, sounded more pleasant and heroic than the unpleasant dealings of smelly breath, pus filed wounds and cavities! While living in Somerset, UK with his wife, Helen Cushing fell victim to a horrible chest infection and an abscess to his FRONT tooth. Despite medication and nursing it, it was extracted. This caused much stress and insecurities for quite sometime. Just a few weeks after the removal, Cushing was cast in Olivier's film production of HAMLET.  During the shooting of a scene with Olivier, Cushung apologized to him if he accidentally dribbled or spat in to his face! Such were the problems of his still trying speak, with a tooth on a plate. After this time, it's noted that Cushing dictation became sharper than ever, and always during an interview or standard speaking role,  his speech was as sharp as a knife!



AND FINALLY FOR TODAY, a great shirt video interview extract of PETER CUSHING discussing playing HORROR FILM roles .... THIS clip is another posted here from our Peter Cushing Appreciation Society YOUTUBE CHANNEL It's easy to subscribe to, you'll never miss a NEW upload. PLEASE SUBSCRIBE and support us in keeping the memory of Peter Cushing his career and live ALIVE!

REMEMBERING ONE OF HAMMER FILMS NICEST MEN : TUESDAY TOUGHIE : WINNERS OF CINEFICCION!

REMEMBERING: A wonderful actor and special guy, RALPH BATES. Sadly, no longer with us, and died today in 1991. A talented actor and a truly gentle and kind man.

THE GREAT, GREAT nephew of the renowned French scientist Louis Pasteur developed into a strangely handsome dark haired, pale complexioned English actor. Ralph Bates was born in 1940 in Bristol, England and attended the University of Dublin and studied at the Yale Drama School. His dramatic talents first came to audiences attention playing the evil Emperor Caligula in the well received BBC TV series The Caesars (1968). However, the Hammer studios resurrection of the horror genre was then in full stride, and Bates was soon engulfed in the swirling cloak of Hammer's success as he appeared in several horror films in quick succession.

FIRSTLY IN A SUPPORT role as demonic Lord Courtley in Taste the Blood of Dracula (1970), followed as the lead character Baron Frankenstein in The Horror of Frankenstein (1970), then as Giles Barton in the sexy Lust for a Vampire (1971) and as the well meaning Dr. Jekyll in an unusual spin on the Robert Louis Stevenson story in Dr Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971) and 'Fear in the Night' with Peter Cushing in 1972. Bates brought a new zest to Hammer and with his stylish dialogue delivery and film acting methods, he quickly won himself quite a few fans in both critics and regular film goers!

UNFORTUNATELY, by the early 1970s there had been a downturn in Hammer studios fortunes, and Bates then found himself turning to more traditional character work in other production houses and he appeared in several films before snaring other superb villainous role as George Warleggan in the 18th century period piece Poldark (1975).

AFTER POLDARK, Bates himself kept busy in a few forgettable UK made TV shows and television film roles which did not really do justice to his remarkable talents. In the late 1980s his health rapidly deteriorated, and he sadly passed away from cancer aged only 51 on 27th March 1991. 

BELOW OUR ANSWER to LAST WEEKS TUESDAY TOUGHIE!

ANSWER: THE ACTORS who Peter Cushing worked with BETWEEN 1956 and 1959 who became KNIGHTED were MICHAEL REDGRAVE in TIME WITHOUT PITY (1957) , CHRISTOPHER LEE in a whole range of feature films, STANLEY BAKER in VIOLENT PLAYGROUND (1958) and JOHN MILLS in END OF THE AFFAIR (released 1956)

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! HERE ARE OUR LUCKY FOUR winners to the competition we held LAST WEEK! YOUR magazine will be with you shortly. IF ytou did not supply a postal address where you would like your prizes mailed to, PLEASE contact me at the PCAS email. AGAIN thank you everyone who took part and entered AND many thanks to DARIO at CINEFICCION for those prize copies! HERE is where you can ORDER YOUR copy too!  ANOTHER COMPETITION LATER THIS WEEK! KEEP LOOKING IN!