YOUR UNDERRATED FILMS OF PETER CUSHING!

OVER AT THE FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE today, we've asked a simple question, and have received a skip load of answers, some quite surprising! You may want to add your opinion too? Below are just a few of the many suggestions you have suggested, in some of our past features and galleries . . 

OUR 'CASH ON DEMAND FEATURE and gallery : HERE!

ON THE SET during the making of 'CASH ON DEMAND' gallery : HERE! 

 ONE OF OUR features on the DR WHO films of Peter Cushing : HERE!

AND ALSO HERE!

OUR FEATURE AND GALLERY on DR PHIBES RISES AGAIN!

OUR FEATURE AND GALLERY ON  Peter Cushing and Hammer films 'SHE' : HERE!

BEHIND THE SCENES of Amicus Productions : 'I MONSTER' Gallery Part Two: HERE!

CUSHING'S 'NIGHT OF THE BIG HEAT' and 'ISLAND OF TERROR' Feature and Gallery : HERE!

THE MAKING OF A VERY MODERN GENERAL : HOW TO WEAR A COSTUME WITH STYLE

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! MANY OF YOU have often mentioned Cushing's wonderful ability to ware costumes, like they were his every day wear and wear them SO WELL! The role of General von Spielsdorf in Roy Ward Baker's 'The Vampire Lovers' for Hammer in 1970, gave Cushing the opportunity to play another Vampire Hunter, but unlike his Van Helsing, here Cushing notonly plays the role, he also actually WEARS it! Silk dressing gown, general unforms, high collars and hunting cloaks, few actors wore a costume like Cushing in Hammer movie. Indeed, Christopher Lee looked every inch the Count in his cloaks, but look at both actors in Amicus productions, 'I, Monster'.... Here are few rare colour images of Peter looking his best. Without saying a line, as soon as he appeared on the screen in this movie, you knew Ingrid Pitt's Carmilla had met her match . . in supernaturally and style . . .

PETER CUSHING WAS ONE of those very lucky actors, who could wear a Victorian horses nose-fed bag, and still look very much fitting into the period and quite amazing! This uniform so suits him, and unlike the Tarkin 'slipper-episode' these boots fit him, like a glove

PETER CUSHING and actress Pippa Steel. Pippa would also go on to appear in Hammer films, 'Lust For A Vampire' in 1971. A film that Cushing was also set to appear in. Sadly Helen Cushing's health and passing, prevented him from appearing, and Ralph Bates played a re-written version of the role of Giles Barton . .

A DRAMATIC SHOT in colour transparency of Peter Cushing as General von Spielsdorf on set at Elstree film studios, then called Associated British Picture Studios . .the studio photographer probably spotted Peter, waiting during blocking of a shot, and slipped in to take this shot. It's an amazing pic!

WARNER BROTHERS AND 'FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE' PLUS MARKING THE BIRTHDAY OF JACK PALANCE

TODAY WE REMEMBER ACTOR:  JACK PALANCE, born on this day in 1919....everyone has a favourite Palance movie and there's many crackers to choose from..Shane, Batman, Sword of the Conquer, Hawk the Slayer, City Slickers...or even his performances as Dracula in 74 or Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde in 1968.

ABOVE AND BELOW: When Canning and Wyatt were included in our Monday Themed posts, #MONSTERMONDAY a few years ago . .

A RARE STILL: PALANCE STRIKES A POSE  for the studio stills photographer, to be included in the press packs, this shot was not included in the edit of the film, 'Torture Garden'

ABOVE: JACK WITH HIS BROTHER, IVAN in the 1962 film, 'Sword of the Conquer'

 

THE NUTS AND BOLTS of the film and Cushing and Palance's performances is covered in our THE AMICUS FILMS OF PETER CUSHING : PART TWO SERIES! Click that thread and enjoy the skip load of rare images and photographs! 

THE CUSHING CONNECTION would his be crackling performance as Ronald Wyatt in 'The Man Who Collected Poe' story in 'Torture Garden' (Amicus films 1967) A man of few words off the set, he owned his own cattle ranch and displayed other creative sides as a exhibited painter and published poet.

OUR SECOND POST of today at the Released in 1974, Peter Cushing as the 'shop keeper' and Ian Ogilvy as William Seaton in 'The Door' part of the four stories that made the Amicus films portmanteau movie, 'From Beyond The Grave'. I have often thought while walking around Cushing's home-town of Whitstable in Kent, that on turning a corner, up a narrow alleyway, that a little shop called, 'Temptations Ltd' was going to melt out of the sea-side fog!

A WHISPER.... PCASUK is.. fingers crossed... planning a something quite unusual and exciting in that little town in a few months time.

THE FILM'S SCRIPT is adapted from four short stories by R. Chetwynd-Hayes strung together about an antique dealer (Peter Cushing) who owns a shop called Temptations Ltd. and the fate that befalls his customers who try to cheat him. Stories includeThe Gate Crasher with David Warner who frees an evil enity from an antique mirror,An Act of Kindness featuring Donald Pleasence,The Elemental, and The Door. As Warner Brothers still owns this Amicus classic, we have over at the Facebook PCASUK FAN PAGE been discussing, if the success of Warner releasing the Hammer Horror Classic these last few months, might make them think about releasing THIS long time awaiting a blu ray release, soon? 

 

REMEMBERED TODAY: ACTOR RALPH BATES

REMEMBERING: Born today in 1940, RALPH BATES. Sadly, no longer with us. 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.

WAS CHRISTOPHER LEE APPROACHED TO PLAY GRAND MOFF TARKIN IN 'STAR WARS : A NEW HOPE' ?

A DRIBBLE across the net and on several STAR WARS forums, is the fact or fiction that Christopher Lee was approached to play, Grand Moff Tarkin is the firs Star Wars movie. According to 'the source', 'Christopher Lee suggested Peter Cushing....!' Personally? I have no idea. Posting this story onto the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE has prompted a mixed reaction today. What do you think?

ABOVE: One of the sources sharing the story is STARWARS_FIX 

PC 'BUILDS UP' TO ANOTHER GREAT TELEVISION PERFORMANCE FOR ORSON WITH NETWORK DVD

RELEASED TOMORROW 'Orson Welles Great Mysteries' and along with a feast of other great names and casts, Peter Cushing stars with Susannah York in 'La Grande Breteche' ... Cushing gives us a top notch 'sly and cruel' performance. 

NO MERCY IN THIS CUSHING ROLE, for sure. But it is wonderful to see this very cool TV series from the 1970's. Network has a done a very good job in presenting the series, just as it was seen back in the day.  

SHOT ON 'EARLY DAYS' VIDEO, with some film inserts, it is, what it is. Anyone who is familiar with the visual quality of Anglia TV's early 'Tales of the Unexpected' or some of the Cushing's BBC Sherlock episodes, will be aware of where studio television production and editing was at, during this time. If you are familiar too with the quality of the BBC 1970's classic, 'I, Claudius', you'll know there was little room for tone and shadows, early TV video cameras, needed light. But that doesn't spoil or take anything away from what we are watching here. In this first Volume from Network..let us hope there will be a second...it's the performances, the drama and tension that is worth every penny!

SOME REVIEWERS, will have already received their copies and maybe some of you too? I would love to hear any opinions you may have on this much awaited for TV classic!