WE REMEMBER THORLEY WALTERS : BORN TODAY 1913 ON SET GIF AT BRAY!

TODAY, we remember the great character actor, Thorley Walters on what would have been his birthday. Known for often playing eccentric characters in a variety of different films, many of which he made for Hammer. Over the years he became part of the Hammer film repertory company, a dozen or so actors, who were cast as not only support characters, but would turn up as barmen, coach drivers, butlers, doctors and... 'victims' Among Walters titles for Hammer were, 'The Phantom of the Opera' (1962), 'Dracula, Prince of Darkness' (1966), with Christopher Lee, 'Frankenstein Created Woman' (1967), 'Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed' (1969) with Peter Cushing and his last Hammer appearance, 'Vampire Circus' (1972). He also played Dr Watson to Christopher Lee's Holmes in 'Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace' (1962) and co starred with Peter Cushing in a non hammer film 'Suspect' (1960) 

Thorley Walters as Special Agent Princein Suspect / The Risk starring Peter Cushing Hammer films 1960

'FRANKENSTEIN MUST BE DESTROYED'  was Walters last role with Peter Cushing, though not sharing any scenes together, he did play with scenes with Geoffrey Bayldon, who sadly passed away yesterday. Walters and Bayldon were very skilled actors, who could take the simplest of dialogue and scenes, and make them very much their own...and yet, without being selfish to others sharing the scenes. 

As LUDWIG in 'Dracula, Prince of Darkness', Hammer films (1966)

BOTH Bayldon and Walters also appeared as many government officials, civil servants and poker faced clerks. For a time they had almost a monopoly on from men from the department of.... in pin-striped suits, bowler hats with chilly jobs-worth attitudes to match! Both Walters and Bayldon were an extremely skilled breed of actor, we now so rarely get to see and enjoy... which makes the work they have left for us, all the more important, and for that, we thank them and remember one of them today . . .

Walters, Peter Cushing and director Terence Fisher share a joke on the set

of Hammer films, 'Frankenstein Created Woman'  (1967)

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: REQUESTED BLAZING EXIT GIFS!

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: REQUESTED BY Pamela Sanchez, Redlands, CA. USA. 'Hi, Can I make a request for not one but a few GIFS from the end of Peter Cushing first Frankenstein movie? I ask for GIFS and not a clip, because I want to put one of the GIFS on my cell phone!!! The scene is the one where Christopher Lee is on fire? I remember watching this on a late night show with my Mom. I was a young teen at the time. I had never seen this movie before, but my Mom had with my Dad, when they were dating, back in the day. She wanted so much for me to see it. They were quite the horror fans, going to drive in's to catch the latest when they came round. It made quite an impression on me and needless to say, I have loved all the Hammer horrors, ever since!' Thank you. Pamela'. Happy to oblige, Pamela. Below, the flaming final moments of Hammer films, 'The Curse of Frankenstein' (1957) with Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee . . .

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

A BIRTHDAY AND FOND REMEMBRANCE : MCCLURE AND FURNEAUX

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY: My name is Doug McClure... and you may now me from films like....' TODAY we celebrate the birthday of McClure, born and educated in Los Angeles, had small parts in the local film industry, starting with a submarine drama, The Enemy Below (1957) Soon, television stardom beckoned in The Overland Trail, as William Bendix's sidekick, and in a private eye series, Checkmate, and John Huston made him Burt Lancaster's younger brother in his western The Unforgiven (1960). He was a natural man of the West, enlivening The Virginian, the first television western series to have 90-minute episodes. In The Virginian, which ran from 1962 to 1970, McClure played Trampas, friend of the ranch foreman of the title, played by James Drury.

IN 1975 McClure came to Britain to star in The Land That Time Forgot, based on Edgar Rice Burroughs' 1918 science fiction novel. It was strictly double-bill fare, and he appeared in three follow-ups: At the Earth's Core (1976) with Peter Cushing as Abner Perry, The People That Time Forgot (1977) and Warlords of Atlantis (1978). 

AMICUS PRODUCTIONS did the producing duties, with co-operation on the last two from American International Pictures, temporarily deserting teenagers on motor-bikes. Fighting dinosaurs and such, McClure was energetic, especially as he looked as if he had had a heavy night. Later movie appearances included Cannonball Run II (1983) and Omega Syndrome (1986). McClure has been regularly parodied as Troy McClure, an ageing star of the 1950s, in the television series The Simpsons. David Shipman Doug McClure, actor: born Glendale, California 11 May 1934; married three times; died Los Angeles 5 February 1995. Remembered and Missed.....

THROWBACKTHURSDAY: YVONNE FURNEAUX, was born today 11th May 1928. 'VERY mixed and elective' is probably the best qualificative that defines the career of Yvonne Furneaux, even though she always gave believable and  superb performances, her name and magical presence on screen, has sadly never earned her a more memorable place in the public memory.

YVONNE was born in Roubaix, in the North of France in 1928. She was immediately placed under the sign of bilingualism, her father being English and her mother French. As a result, once this alluring brunette had become an actress, she could as easily play in an English or a French film, which did not prevent her from being a regular in Italy and in West Germany, with a foray into Spain.

YVONNE FURNEAUX AND JOHN ERICSON IN 'SLAVE QUEEN OF BABYLON' (1963)

FURNEAUX has appeared in films noirs.... (Enough Rope (1963), The Champagne Murders (1967), sword & sandal movies (Slave Queen of Babylon (1963), The Lion of Thebes (1964) comedies (Temptation in the Summer Wind (1972) to chillers (Repulsion (1965)). The quality of her films, ranging from bombs (Frankenstein's Great Aunt Tillie (1984), mediocre run-of-the mill products (The Death Ray of Dr. Mabuse (1964) . . . and has sadly always read as an actor, who in every sense of the word was 'a working actor, an actor for hire.....but a very adaptable one! We celebrate here today for her connection to Peter Cushing as the beautiful Isobel Banning / Princess Ananka, in Hammer films, 'THE MUMMY (1959). 

FURNEAUX is an actress who because of her eclectic body of work, is so often over-looked. From La Dolce Vita (1960) to Helen in 'Repulsion' (1965) to Princess Ananka in 'The Mummy'......Without a doubt, Yvonne Furneaux's work deserves to be remembered in our hearts as well as our heads.... Born Elisabeth Yvonne Scarcherd 11th May 1928. Happy Birthday Yvonne Furneaux!

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

#SILENTBUTDEADLY: TRIPLE BILL OF YOUR REQUESTED CUSHING GIFS : GORGONS MUNRO AND MONEY

#SILENTBUTDEADLY : #1 : AN EYE-POPPING GIF OF Peter Cushing as Sir John Rowan in the film 'CORRUPTION' (1968) We have covered some areas of this off-the-wall thriller over the past few days and this shot was mentioned by ALEX LEES of Preston, UK, JAY RANDELL, Skenfrith, Wales, IZZY PARKS, Gloucester, UK and SEB GALLAGHER, USA. Seems no-one knew PC's eyes were so blue! Ah but the character's heart was soooo black! Or was???

YOU CAN SEND YOUR REQUEST FOR NEXT WEDNESDAY'S #SILNETBUTDEADLY GIF GALLERY, BY SEND US A EMAIL OR MESSAGE: EMAIL TO petercushingpcas@gmail.con OR at our PCAS Facebook Fan Page : HERE

#SILENTBUTDEADLY: #2 :BARBARA SHELLEY in Hammer films 'THE GORGON' sees something, that isn't too easy to erase from your mind, after seeing it, for sure! THE GORGON was a 1965 feature that also included the popular casting of both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee together. They had by this time appeared in several films for Hammer, this time out, the usual casting casting of Lee as Black Hat, Cushing as the good guy, was switched. Cushing played the confused and comprised in a love triangle, Dr. Namaroff. Lee played a weird mix of Einstein and dusty type academic, Prof. Karl Meister. It was an interesting swap, but I am not sure that Lee was old enough for that role, and that it came out well.... This GIF has been requested by Robert Beach, Swansea, UK.

#SILENTBUTDEADLYWEDNESDAY: #3 : AND FOR TODAY'S last post.... here is a gif from Peter Cushing's THIS IS YOUR LIFE from 1990....but can you tell us WHO is that fine young lady, meeting Peter on the show????? Requested by Joe Price, Watford, UK

#SILENTBUTDEADLY: #4 WE HAVE REALLY ENJOYED making several posts over the past few days, that have been taken from Peter Cushing's numerous appearances on the 'MORECAMBE AND WISE SHOW' from 1968 until 1980. This was GIF footage is from the first of the Morecambe and Wise shows that formed part of their recent NEW contract with ITV, away from the coziness of the BBC, after a period lasting almost 20 years of shows together. ITV promised them money money, a longer contract and some one off musical specials...all of which they saw very little of, as Eric sadly died  three years after signing, on May 28th 1984. They left the BBC, But...the long running Peter Cushing, 'Pay Me My Money' sketch happily followed with them! Many thanks to Stuart Morgan, London, UK.

 

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

GEOFFREY BAYLDON DIES TODAY AGED 93

Very sad to hear today that, British actor Geoffrey Bayldon has died at the age of 93. Geoffrey had a very good relationship with PCAS over the years. He was our first interview subject back in 1988, recorded several audio jingles for our PCAS Audio Magazine. Always wonderful company, accommodating to friends and fans alike. 

His career was long and extensive, appearing in many films with Peter Cushing including his first, Hammer films 1958 'DRACULA', which he once told me, he watched at his local cinema at the time of it's release, with 'horror'...not anything in connection to the subject matter, but the shock of himself on a 15 foot cinema screen! A gentle, kind and sensitive human being. He will be missed by everyone... goodnight Geoffrey . . .

A full tribute feature to Geoffrey Bayldon will appear at our website later today...

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: CAN YOU CHANGE A TWENTY POUND NOTE???

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: Peter was always honest about the fact that he couldn't hold a note and that he had THREE left feet..all size 12! But, he certainly had a go at trying to put that right. The 'We're Couple of Swells' song and dance routine with Eric Morecambe and Ernie Wise in their 1973 BBC show.... Peter's routine was devised in a way that, his steps were sometimes slightly out of time, and copying the moves that Eric and Ernie made....not that you could ever tell . . . 

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY: Peter Cushing appears on the Morecambe and Wise show, on the first of their shows as part of their recent contract with ITV and away from the coziness of the BBC. But...the long running 'Pay Me My Money' sketch follows with them!

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

#MONSTERMONDAY: TYBURN'S LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF ETOILE

#MONSTERMONDAY: WHEN HAMMER FILMS released their one and only 'werewolf' themed film in 1961, The Curse of the Werewolf, Oliver Reed's portrayal of the cursed 'Leon' cast a very large and terrifying shadow over any attempt at that theme for a long time. Maybe it was only in 1981, with the arrival of 'An American Werewolf In London' did the 'go to' reference shift from Olly and Hammer. 

IT WASN'T AS IF there were no other lycanthropic releases until then,far from it, it's just that like many 'Monster pictures'...the film flies or fails on the performance of the actor and without doubt, the appearance and standard of the make up job. Roy Ashton, the artist behind the hammer make up on Curse, did such an amazing job, to take what had been seen sometimes as, 'an actor with a LOT of YAK hair glued to his face.... and make a convincing wolf-man creation, from latex and hair. 

#MONSTERMONDAY: Professor Paul (Peter Cushing) saying goodbye to his sliver cane from Tyburn's Legend Of The Werewolf (1975)

BOTH ASHTON and 'Legend' make up artist Graham Freeborn, favored the 'white timber-wolf' appearance...which somehow gave the man wolf a more neater, groomed and realistic appearance..a far cry from what had sometimes looked like the results of man caught in 'glue pot, freak wind, sweepings from barber shop floor' incident! David Rintoul played the unfortunate Etoile, the lycanthrope of the film's title....who until that time, had never set foot or paw in a film studio.

MORE ON LEGEND OF THE WEREWOLF : HERE!

HOW DO YOU RATE Rintoul's werewolf appearance and performance? BTW.....Back in 1978 we were the first to have interviewed David Rintoul about this role and his time with Peter Cushing and Tyburn..... I hope to share this video interview, in it's entirety when we launch the PCAS POD CASTS and on our ever expanding youtube channel later in the year...

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING! THE CHASE FROM CORRUPTION 1968

#GETTHECUSHIONITSCUSHING: THIS WEEK our clip is from one of Peter Cushing's most controversial films, the 1968, Corruption. In this clip we see Terry (Wendy Varnals) fleeing from Sir John Rowan (Peter Cushing) and his wife Lynn (Sue Lloyd) after seeing Sir John with a served head!! A unique film in Cushing's filmography, it has often divided fans. But as usual Cushing gives a fantastic performance as the troubled doctor who takes to murder to help his wife, and features some very effective POV shots during the murder sequences.... shot through a fish-eye lens, lending it a delirious quality.

CORRUPTION is another film in the Cushing filmography that divides as many as it brings together! ARE YOU A FAN?

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

#HAMMERFILMSATURDAY: OUR ALL TIME MOST REQUESTED GIF!

#HAMMERFILMSSATURDAY: One of our most requested gifs... Here is the moment that Van Helsing (Peter Cushing) gets thrown from the carriage by Count Dracula (Christopher Lee) from the prologue of Hammer Dracula AD 1972.

LIFING THE VEIL ON THE STORY BEHIND THE GREAT 26,000 DRACULA CLOAK CAPER COMING SOON!

MORE ON PETER CUSHING AND CHRISTOPHER LEE IN HAMMER FILMS

DRACULA SAGA : HERE!

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: A GLASS OF WATER AND A BOWL!

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: This year marks the 60th anniversary of the release of Hammer films The Curse of Frankenstein, starring Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. The first of the whole Hammer saga which featured Peter Cushing in six epics about the Baron. 60 years old, and still as popular as ever, it still very much ALIVE! Enjoy this classic clip where Baron Frankenstein (Peter Cushing) sees his 'creation' alive for the first time!!

#FRANKENSTEINFRIDAY: It's FORTY THREE YEARS since Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell was released in the US. There was a delay of several years before Cushing / Hammer fans got to see the last of the Cushing Hammer series... and even then, the censors cut it to ribbons. Here is one of the scenes, that got the censors knife... ironically! All I will say is give me a 'Glass of Water And A Basin......! Enjoy this resurrected clip!

IF YOU LIKE what you see here at our website, you'll  love our daily themed posts at our PCAS FACEBOOK FAN PAGE.  Just click that blue LINK and click LIKE when you get there, and help us reach our 30K following total for Peter Cushing BIRTHDAY on MAY 26th 2017 AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!