#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: FROM CHUMPS TO PROFESSOR : THE HISTORY OF PETER CUSHING IN COMIC STRIP

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: Some panels from the very rare and vintage comic, #MOVIECOMIC from September 1939. This issue, number six included in it's colour pages, a comic strip adaption of  a Laurel and Hardy feature film, that was to be released the following year, 'A CHUMP AT OXFORD', which also included one Peter Cushing in it's cast! But, 1939 was just the beginning . . .

 

WITH THE ARRIVAL of the internet, portraits, comic strips and studies of Peter Cushing arrived on a website and forum called, DeviantArt. It was started by Scott Jarkoff (Jark), Angelo Sotira (Spyed) and Matt Stephens (Matteo), who launched the site on August 7, 2000. There are literally thousands of examples of artwork on the subject of Peter Cushing, and many comic strips too. There have of course since 2001, been several other smaller adaptions of the Star Wars saga, and many other strips that have inclusion of a Cushing-like character plus some adaptions of stories where again, the Peter Cushing image has influenced the look of a villain, doctor, academic, in comic strips and comic art. The MOST IMPRESSIVE of all of these is the breath-taking THE PROFESSOR . . .

AND SO the image and influence of Peter Cushing is still very much with as an  a comic strip character. Something that he would ndever have dreamed back in 1939, when his image was first pressed into the comic strip panel of MOVIE COMIC....

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#GIMMETHEGIFWEDNESDAY: IT'S DONALDS BIRTHDAY REMEMBERED AND PERTWEE AND PITT DO PRETENTION

REMEMBERING: Actor Donald Pleasence who was born today in 1919... Pleasence appeared alongside Peter Cushing in a surprising amount of titles. From the quite early on brilliant BBC production of '1984' to the not so brilliant 'The Devil's Men', 'Flesh and the Fiends', 'Trial By Combat' and 'From Beyond The Grave' In a very lengthy career, with many highlights, Pleasence was always entertaining, especially with nervous, evil obsessive characters. Pleasence is probably best know for his role of Dr. Sam Loomis in the 'Halloween' films...a role interestingly enough that Peter Cushing was originally approached to play....

#GIMMETHEGIFWEDNESDAY: Peter Cushing as the forensic surgeon of Tyburn films, Legend of the Werewolf, kisses the 'SILVER' top, of his favourite walking cane... he needs the silver for a better purpose....

 

#GIMMETHEGIFWEDNESDAY: TOMAS HILL from Sheffield, UK has requested this gif of JON PERTWEE and INGRID PITT from the Amicus film, 'The House That Dripped Blood' . . . what a pair of 'Theatricals'! Both Pertwee and Pitt enjoyed playing the roles of Paul Henderson and Carla Lind in what was intended to be 'the fun' story in the film, 'The Cloak'. Watching an interview with director Peter Duffell included in the extras of the DVD box set release, Duffell explained that he wasn't quite sure if the under-cranked shots in the story actually achieve the effect he was looking for. I think I agree with him. In two of producer Milton Subotsky's films that include a 'wacky-comedy story' The House that Dripped Blood' (1971) : The Cloak and 'The Monster Club' (1980) :  The Vampires, they are, in my opinion, the weakest stories of the bunch, and the comedy in very weak and pathetically pun filled'. Still, 'The Cloak' did give Pertwee the opportunity to exercise his comedy chops, a field in which he made his name, and it gave us the rare opportunity to see him and Ingrid work together.

#GIMMETHEGIFWEDNESDAY: Requested by Anne Price. The Nightmare sequence featured in 'The House That Dripped Blood' is one of the few stand out moments in the film. Cushing had played a similar scene for another Amicus film, The Skull back in 1965. Interestingly, here we can see the choices of two directors, shooting the illusion of a terrifying nightmare... both effectively use distorted angles, slow motion and dry ice. In The Skull Freddie Francis used different lenses, while director Peter Duffell here in this scene, uses the cheaper, but maybe more effective method of almost comic strip, 'Dutch Tilts'. It's the one scene that most often is remembered when you write to us about this Cushing film.

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#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: LUSH LASER : DODGY DISCS : GRAB THE CUSHION

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: Pretty much a defunct format now, this laser disc of Cushing and Lee's Dracula epic, Dracula AD 1972 comes in some not too tatty packaging. The word is #lush ! It might not have extras, but the copy-em-wrap-em-and-shift-em presentation of some of the higher end 'special edition' blu ray and DVD disc releases of today, could learn a thing or two from this release.... #grabthecushinitscushing

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: Quite a desirable item for some of us, as it's the full 83 mins 39 seconds long! Many dodgy (see Brit speak for: 'Unreliable, scammers, fakers, crooks, con-artist and robbing ********) traders have been selling DVD recordings of VHS 2nd generation copies of the BBC 1980 transmission of The Ghoul for quite a few years now, sticking anything to hand that's related to the film, onto the cover, to pass mustard. (Brit speak for to appear legitimate, kosher..sound as a pound..!! ..ok I'll stop now!) I saw one box a while ago, sporting a cover with just a pic of John Hurt, from his role in the film, '1984', funnily enough as Winston Smith, the role Cushing played in the amazing BBC production of '1984' broadcast in 1954. Weird huh?

STARTING THIS SUNDAY, we are giving our #SHERLOCKSUNDAYS a rest for a little while, but there will still be occasional Cushing Holmes posts! Instead we are trying something new... #grabthecushionitscushing ! Drop by this SUNDAY and see what you think?? 

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REMEMBERING : MICHAEL HORDERN : FISHING AND MAKING THE BEST CATCH

REMEMBERING : Actor Michael Hordern Born Today.... here is an actor as prolific as Cushing,who from the beginning cast his net wide and played quite an eclectic and diverse collection of roles. Both he and Peter Cushing had established theatre careers before appearing in film and on tv. Hordern, sticks in most fantasy films fan minds for his portrayal as the pompous theatre crictic George Maxwell in Vincent Price's Theatre of Blood and the M.R James BBC Ghost story, Whistle and I'll Come to from 1968. He also chimes a sweet memory for me as the narrator of the BBC Paddington Bear stories. Hordern appeared with Cushing in the 1956 film , Alexander the Great as Demosthenes. Hordern like Cushing played many Shakespearean roles, and his worn and conservative looks made him the go-to-guy for civil servants in Brit 1950's movies and the character of Jacob Marley in several productions of 'A Christmas Carol'.

A quality actor, whose autobiography 'A World Elsewhere' is worth looking up. Among the stories of his obsession with fly-fishing, there are some very interesting insights to this most gentle of men.

  

 

ALEXANDER THE GREAT: It had the cast, the budget . . it also had Cushing! So, what went wrong. Feature later this week!

 

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#MONSTERMONDAY: THE CHEMICAL BROTHER: TERROR IN A TOP HAT

 

#MONSTERMONDAY : Here's a particularly nasty fellow. Not even slipping under the pseudonym of Mr Blake, can HIDE this particular monster . . . Christopher Lee as Mr Blake in 'I, Monster' Amicus films 1971.

PETER CUSHING IN A ON SET PHOTOGRAPH FROM 'I, MONSTER' 

 

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#SHERLOCKSUNDAY: NAME THOSE FILMS

#SHERLOCKSUNDAY: Over at our FACEBOOK FAN PAGE we have set everyone this cunning little teaser! COULD YOU NAME THEM????

#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING

#ONSETSATURDAY : GETTING 'THE POINT' OVER AT HAMMER FILMS

#ONSETSATURDAY : Here's a dip behind the scenes on Dracula Has Risen From The Grave (1968) Christopher Lee staked, as Hammer films bend the ol vampire rules of yore, while director Freddie Francis has a chat with his stars Veronica Carlson and Barry Andrews... who IS that looking on in the background??

#getthecushionitscushing

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#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING : TCM MONSTER PACKED MONTH FOR HALLOWEEN

#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING!

BE SURE TO CLEAR SOME SPACE ON YOUR DVR as October approaches. Turner Classic Movies has gathered at least 121 titles for this year’s month-long Halloween festival of fear! There are FOUR Cushing / Hammer Frankenstein's in the mix, Curse, Revenge, Created. Plus some other Cushing and Lee titles make the list: Sunday, October 16 The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958). Sunday, October 23 Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1970) Monday, October 10 A Tale of Two Cities (1958) Nothing But the Night (1972) Scream and Scream Again (1970) Monday, October 17 She (1965) Horror Express (1972) The House That Dripped Blood (1970) The Creeping Flesh (1972) Monday, October 24 The Gorgon (1964) Horror of Dracula (1958) Dracula, Prince of Darkness (1965) Dracula A.D. 1972 (1972) Monday, October 31 The Mummy (1959) The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959) There are also many other classic horror and fantasy films in tyhe mix. Be sure to check out the TCM WEBSITE for comprehensive listings. I will be giving a heads up here on all Cushing films leading up to and on the day they are being transmitted!

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#ONSETSATURDAY: WIRES, HOOKS AND EYES LOOKING FOR BEHIND THE SCENES TRIVIA

#ONSETSATURDAY: Yvonne Monlaur is a shot from Peter Cushing's 'The Brides of Dracula' Poor ol Monlaur's damsel in distress Marianne Danielle, had all sorts of danger to avoid in the vampire's lair, Chateau Meinster... horrible house-keepers, mad Mother's, sinister son's..and CABLES!

  

#ONSETSATURDAY: The first of our on set posts today, on just how Christopher Lee got into that superb looking 'Mummy Costume' in Hammer films, 'THE MUMMY' co starring Peter Cushing back in 1959. . . 

#ONTHESETSATURDAY: Broadcast as part of the traditional SUNDAY NIGHT DRAMA on BBC television on March 6th 1955, Peter Cushing in his memoirs, remembered 'The Moment of Truth' co written by Nigel Kneale, Peter Ustinov as a particularly 'dry old stick'. It was according to Cushing a depressing affair, that not even the talents of director, Rudolph Cartier could lift out of the dull-drums. It was hoped that Cartier and Cushing would rework the magic they had made to great public and critical success just three months previous with their nightmare production of Orwell's '1984'. Alas, it was not to be. Pictured here during rehearsals at the BBC, Cushing as The Prime Minister, Walter Rilla as The Victor and Jeannette Sterke as The Marshall's daughter. The satire-comedy tells the story of a republic which is about to fall, while facing the threat of invading army with crippling government structure. Ustinov wrote the play inspired by French hero Marshal Petain and his political collusion with the Nazi’s and the events resulting in creation of Vichy France. This two hour play started life as a theatre play which premiered at the Adelphi Theatre in 1951.

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