Remembering Today: NIGEL STOCK a superb Watson
in the BBC 'Sherlock Holmes' television series of the 60's, with Peter
Cushing as Holmes. Sadly, Stock left us in 1986, aged 66....Today would
have been his birthday...
BBC 'THE SIGN OF FOUR' starring Peter Cushing and Nigel Stock
Remembering ...Composer JAMES BERNARD: Born 20th September 1925, India. Died: 12th July 2001, London, England, UK
Today, 20th September marks the birthday of the late JAMES BERNARD composer of many of Hammer films greatest music scores,starring
Peter Cushing. Probably best remembered for his music score for Hammer
films, Dracula (1958). It featured a motif based on the name...
Dra-cu-laaaaa.... However, he could also write lushly romantic
melodies, such as appear in Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), Taste the
Blood of Dracula (1970) and Scars of Dracula (1970). Unlike the
majority of film composers, Bernard orchestrated almost all of his work.
Bernard's first major break as a composer was at the age of 17 when he
met Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears, for whom Bernard later wrote a
song cycle.
Other memorable Hammer scores include The Curse of
Frankenstein (1957), She (1964),The Kiss of the Vampire (1962), The
Plague of the Zombies (1966) and The Devil Rides Out (1968).
TRIVIA: James Bernard was educated at Wellington College, where the future actor Christopher Lee was a classmate!
#frankensteinfriday:
Today, the nineteenth of September we remember the late ANTHONY HINDS,
who sadly left us last year... today he would have been his 93rd
birthday. For many Hammer film fans, Hinds represents the 'Golden Years'
of the studios output and production.
Producer and script writer, he was responsible for some of Peter
Cushing's most revered work in the fantasy genre.
In Hammer's early
days, it was Hinds idea to hire country houses and to based the
production and shooting in the rooms and grounds of the locations,
which saved the the studio huge production costs. His script writing
skills, have been picked over by many, but few could doubt his skill in
managing tight budgets, and building impressive productions, with very
limited resources and finance...and for this, he was indeed, the 'Master
Builder and Architect of Hammer films'...and for that, we are very
grateful.....
A SPECIAL DAY.. A SPECIAL BIRTHDAY: Join us in wishing VERONICA CARLSON a VERY Happy Birthday TODAY!
Image: Veronica Carlson and Peter Cushing pose for a publicity photograph during the making of #hammerfilms 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' at Elstree film studios in 1969
A very Happy Birthday to ANDREE MELLY, who was born this day in 1932. As the 'pretty' Gina in Hammer films, 'The Brides of Dracula' she terrified audiences with her ability to transform into Baron Meinster's victim in 1960 under the direction of Terence Fisher. Three years later she worked with Fisher again in 'The Horror Of It All' as Natalia Marley alongside Anton Diffring and Hazel Court.
#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY : We kick off today's #ff
by marking the birthday of Freddie Jones! Born today, 12th September
1927 in Stoke-on-Trent, Staffordshire, England, We know him here for his
quite outstanding performances in #hammerfilms#frankensteinmustbedestroyed as Professor Richter and as Prof. Julian Keeley in #thesatanicritesofdracula.
A truly, remarkable actor. Personally I've never seen him in
performance, I didn't like. The Elephant Man, Young Sherlock Holmes,
Inspector Baynes in Granada tv's The Return of Sherlock Holmes.. Dune,
Zulu Dawn. There are many. Always entertaining and own's any scene he
appears in! So, join us in wishing him...A Very Happy Birthday, Freddie!
What's your favourite Freddie Jones performances?
During the month of SEPTEMBER we'll be celebrating #hammerfilms 'DRACULA AD 1972' with a series of galleries, featuring images, artwork and behind the scenes photographs, many in hi res and colour. It's over 42 years ago this month, that production started at Elstree film studios on the film that would bring Christopher Lee's Dracula and Cushing's Van Helsing back to the screen... together for the first time since they starred together in the box office breaking 'Dracula' in 1958.
Here are some samples of images and galleries that are also being shared with other images, at our uk Peter Cushing Appreciation Society Facebook Fan page... more next Thursday!
Director, Alan Gibson rehearses Christopher
Lee and Peter Cushing during filming of the coach top - fight to the
death, prologue. A behind-the-scenes image from Dracula A.D. 1972. ( #hammerfilms, 1972.)
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