HAPPY ST PATRICK'S DAY AND PADDY PUSHES THE WHEELCHAIR!

A HAPPY #STPATRICKSDAY! I was looking for any connections with Peter and Ireland... couldn't find anything really. A few tours in theatre productions and the filming of #Hammerfilms, 'Sword of Sherwood Forest' Robin Hood film in some beautiful surroundings.. And then I realised I had missed the obvious . . Paddy Smith! 😃

PADDY WAS A CLOSE friend to Peter for many years, was his driver, stand-in, and extra in quite a few films, Hammer's 'The Curse of Frankenstein' and 'Frankenstein Created Woman' , 'Captain Clegg' . . he drove the coach to Château Meinster in 'Brides of Dracula' and did some work on Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing's 'Nothing But The Night' .. sometimes known under it's 'total give away title' 'The Resurrection Syndicate' in 1973. Here is Paddy in costume, clowning around with PC during the shoot. Paddy appeared in quite a lot of TV work too, usually 'walk on-walk off' roles. BUT he always stands out! 😃 If you are celebrating today, have a grand and safe 😐 Happy St Patrick's Day 😊

A RARE AND CANDID photograph of Peter Cushing on a home visit to see his friends, Nic Gadd and his wife in Whitstable in around 1991😊 .. this was a rare thing, as in his later years PC loved nothing better than staying home, reading. During the 1950's up until his wife Helen died in 1971, he 'upstairs studio' was his den of many, many hobbies and activities . . painting, model making, stamps, postcards . . a man happy to #stayathome

ROY HUDD : COMEDIAN ACTOR AND VARIETY HISTORIAN DIES AGED 83

AFTER A SHORT ILLNESS, Roy passed away peacefully yesterday afternoon, Sunday 15th March. It's very sad news. At 83, Roy had a career that gave us a great comedian, excellent straight actor.. and proved himself to be our most knowledgeable and authoritative variety and comedy historian too. Hudd was a treasure, for so long. Back in 1968, he appeared in his first feature film with #PeterCushing .. 'The Blood Beast Terror'. Not the best of films, but an extremely enjoyable experience for Roy, who he said, 'savoured every minute working with Peter!' Roy had a very productive and long career in both radio and theatre.. both will now be a sad place without him . . #RoyHudd 16 May 1936 - 15 March 2020.

ROY HUDD, hosted BBC Radio 2 sketch show The News Huddlines from 1975 until 2001 and also starred in Broadchurch and as Archie Shuttleworth in Coronation Street. His TV career began in 1964 with satirical series That Was The Week That Was after a stint as a Butlin’s Redcoat in Clacton alongside Sir Cliff Richard. He went on to perform in variety shows in London and became a huge fan of music hall, later writing books on the subject.Born in Croydon in 1936, he worked in telephone exchanges for the RAF. 

ABOVE: During our 20th Anniversary of Peter Cushing's passing, we shared ROY HUDD's memory of working with Peter on the film 'The Blood Beast Terror' READ IT HERE! 

HIS INTEREST in entertaining was sparked when he went to live with his grandmother who regularly took him to Croydon’s Empire Theatre. Hudd made his professional debut as a comedian in 1957 at the Streatham Hill Theatre, where he was billed as The Peculiar Person. Across a varied career, he appeared in Call The Midwife, Midsomer Murders and Holby City, as well as Dennis Potter’s Lipstick On Your Collar, and Karaoke. Other projects include acclaimed comedy-drama Common As Muck and David Jason’s The Quest.

HUDD'S passion for music hall meant that alongside writing books, he also re-recorded and restored old music hall records, and appeared in a revival show called The Good Old Days. He was the longstanding president of the British Music Hall Society, and chose the genre as his specialist subject when he appeared on Celebrity Mastermind in 2014.

HUDD WAS awarded an OBE for services to entertainment in the 2004 New Year Honours List. Three years ago, Roy provided the narration to Donald Fearney's mammoth dvd documentary on Amicus films, 'Amicus : The Vault of Horror's'. 

MORECAMBE AND WISE : WHEN CUSHING ALMOST GOT PAID TWICE AND CHRISTMAS 1970 REHEARSAL PHOTOGRAPHS

TWO GREAT AND RARELY SEEN photographs taken when Peter Cushing appeared on his SECOND 'Morecambe and Wise' show, the 1970 Christmas Show! It was also the beginning and first time the 'I want my money' gag appeared too! The long running gag of Cushing making guest appearances, 'begging' for the cheque that he was never paid for his first guest star appearance in the 1969 show. This was also the show that gave Eric, the chance to “saw a Peter Cushing in half”. In this photograph we see, Eric and Ernie, actor Eric Porter (“A drunk’s just come on. Play it cool. Don’t worry about it”) . . . William Franklyn, who appeared with Cushing in #Hammerfilms, 'The Satanic Rites of #Dracula' ..all here performing a very funny sketch loosely adapted from #TheThreeMusketeers.

ONE THE SUBJECT of the 'MONEY' ... many people forget PC was paid in a sketch that stretched through a Christmas Show on ITV in 1980. Eric and Ernie were Carol Singers, and PC snatched the collection box from them!

IN FACT PETER WAS ALMOST PAID TWICE!... on Peter's 'This is Your Life' in 1990, Ernie as a guest tried to pay PC, in a little 'bit of business'. But in trying to do a bit of 'patter' with Peter, PC improvised and totally lost the plot ... the gag was derailed, and Ernie improvised and took the 20 quid away!! Ernie was trying the well known, 'I'll lend you 20 pounds 'gag...which PC no doubt knew at one time... but not then! 😀😛 It was a bit of a mess with Cushing calling Joyce Broughton his secretary  'Ernie' at one point, when unable to do the math in his head. Understandable... even though PC knew about the show, it was no secret to him. But as many interviews knew at this time, PC could be a little unpredictable 😊.

FLASHBAK SADDEST FEATURE : STUNTMAN SUPREME EDDIE POWELL AND OSCAR QUITAK BIRTHDAYS!

A HEADS UP! Thank you to the several friends out there who sent me a link to a feature that has turned up on the nostalgia site FlashBak . . on Peter Cushing 😉 Here is a link to the feature HERE!

IT'S LOVELY HERE to see all the past clubs mentioned and a hand written letter from our founder and friend, the amazing Gladys Fletcher 😊 Also I've had a quite a few messages asking how to become a 'member' of PCASUK? Gosh, 'members' . . those were the days🌝 Sadly those days have also long gone, we do though have a this fab Facebook Fan Page fan page and super website 😉 ... and very lucky to have the support and interest of over 30K very friendly followers 😃😉Here below in the comments thread, for those of you who asked for info is the PCASUK promo trailer  HERE!... four years old now! Time for a new one? - Marcus

REMEMBERING EDDIE POWELL TODAY 😃 Here is a guy who who appeared in many many Hammer films...was Christopher Lee's favorite stuntman and stand in for the majority of his horror films. Dracula Prince of Darkness, The Mummy's Shroud, he appeared in several BOND films, Cushing's Dr Who, Daleks Invasion Earth. Later, Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade, Batman in 1989... and not many of the fans of Ridley Scott's ALIEN, realise it was Eddie in the costume during many of the scenes and stunts!  

BLESS YOU EDDIE, you were a master and genius! PLEASE help us celebrate his birthday today, he sadly left us in August 11th in 2000. He has left behind a real archive of work and many friends and people who still miss him 😊 HAPPY BIRTHDAY EDDIE!

PLEASE JOIN US in wishing actor, 94 years young Oscar Quitak today! Quitak has a huge CV of performances and work which started in 1946, in As You Like It, to 1993 in the BBC TV series 'Every Silver Lining'! His Cushing connection was playing Karl in Hammer's sequel to 'The Curse of Frankenstein', The REVENGE of Frankenstein in 1958. In quite limited screen time, he successfully squeezed every last drop of pathos for a man who wanted to be cured. Thereafter follows a carrer that saw him appear in some classic television dramas and british movies. From the BBC Colditz serial, ITC's Man In Suitcase, Doomwatch, Ace of Wands in the 1970's, BBC's Z Cars series, and in 1976, 'The Last of The Cybernauts' New Avengers episode, picking up where Peter Cushing's Paul Beresford left off in 1967 with 'Return of the Cybernauts'.   

QUITAK also appeared in Terry Gilliam's 'Brazil', the Hammer return TV series, Hammer House of Mystery and Suspense episode, 'Black Carion' in 1984. The same year, he appeared as 'a doctor' in Kenny Everett's 'Bloodbath In The House of Death' black comedy, which also starred Vincent Price! Over four years, he turned up in various roles in Everett's BBC TV series and a total of eight shows!

OSCAR was married to actress Andree Melly (who is probably most famous for her role as Gina in Cushing's 'The Brides of Dracula' (1960) she sadly passed away on 31st January 2020.

FROM US ALL, a VERY Happy Birthday Oscar Quitak . . and many more to come😊

 

COMPETITION! TWO SETS OF PC BOOKS UP FOR GRABS WITH TWO GREAT RARITIES!

I AM SURE MOST of you will know TWO of these books, the one other maybe not. The first published in 1986, 'Peter Cushing An Autobiography' was reviewed at the time as ' Peter Cushing discusses his childhood, his early acting career in films and on stage, his BBC television work and his renowned years at Hammer, all with literary wit and charm. While Mr. Cushing's humour will tickle readers' funny bones, the everlasting love story between Mr. Cushing and his dear wife Helen will touch their hearts' It is I am happy to say, all that and more . . 

THE SECOND AUTOBIOGRAPHY , 'Past Forgetting : The Hammer Years' published in 1988 picks up from the end of the first, covers lots of anecdotal material from his TV and theatre years, he does dip into 'Hammer Time' but many thought at the time... not enough. It's a good read and links with Volume one perfectly

THE THIRD BOOK 'Peter Cushing' was edited and published by Donald Fearney in 1996. It's Mr Fearney...and a whole raft of actors, directors and friends paying tribute to Cushing, with personal stories and impressions of working with Peter. Every page carries one or more very nice photographs, beautifully produced with large-format glossy pages. The tributes include contributions from Ingrid Pitt, Christopher Lee, Joyce Broughton, Francis Matthews, Charles Gray, Barbara Shelley, Freddie Francis and many more. 

THIS BOOK RARELY sits on eBay, but when it does it sells for £25 and up to £40, depending on its condition. This one is mint! You can enter this competition either by sending your entry via email to 'theblackboxclub@gmail.com' label YOUR entry 'BOOK COMPETITION' OR you can zip along to the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE and send your entry via the chat / message box! Any entries posted onto the post or the thread below the post, will be deleted and not entered into the competition.   Good luck Everybody! Have fun!

ABOVE: IF YOU ALREADY OWN the Peter Cushing autobiographies, if you haven't read them yet... have you CHECKED them??? READ HERE!

ORIGINALLY POSTED AND SHARED HERE  two years ago. ANOTHER great story, with a Peter Cushing Autobiography connection: READ HERE!

MODELS AND COLLECTABLE MAGAZINES: ARTHUR IS BACK!

YEAH! YOU WANT HIM? I KNOW I want him! But sadly, he...gone! ☹️😢 This neat little figure of Peter Cushing as 'Revenge . .  Dead and Walking' Arthur Grimsdyke from Amicus films, 'Tales from the Crypt' 1972, was made by Readful Things, as a static figure mode and presented as a 'collectable model in it's packaging' for display on your shelf or display case only. NOT for playing with 😉 . . a one of a kind sculpted piece, has no moving parts & should remain in packaging.

BUT HOW NEAT is that? Sadly, out of stock and unlike Arthur, probably never to return. It's a great figure that captures one of the rare times Cushing wore THAT kind of make up. A job that both he and master make-up artist, Roy Ashton, loved creating. The 'Tales from the Crypt' story is a firm favourite with many, BUT sooooo hard to endure and watch. 'Snifffffff!. . . Gosh, it's sad. A bit like this figure, a missed opportunity to own 😢 What do you think?- Marcus : MANY thanks to Rob Shaw who posted the link to us earlier 😉

A FUN DAY HERE and at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE,yesterday! We celebrated #worldbookday, with some interesting comments and messages. No doubt you may be wondering where the #PCASUK #competition is for winning those cracking Cushing books???

THAT will be posted tomorrow 😉 'Issues' on this side of the page, has delayed it, my apols. Meanwhile, today over at the  FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE still on the subject of paper matter, books and mags... I've been asking, if you can recall what was the FIRST book or mag you bought with Cushing in it... that you purchased because he was the reason??? Going back a bit huh? No prob if it has long gone, but if not snap a pic I would love to see it and attach it to your comment.

 

ABOVE HERE is mine. Purchased after my loving Gran bought me two Famous Monster for my eight birthday 😊😄 I bought it, at the wee age of 13 years old, from a REAL dodgy newspaper shop . .. a LOT of top shelf oddities.. cough... in Blackpool on holiday with a Aunty, as you do 😝😜😆 .. I wandered in not knowing WHAT kind of magazine store it was! Well, THAT'S my excuse. 😉 What it was doing in there, on a carousel rack, I have no idea. But this well worn magazine, went with me everywhere for a long time, school, visiting family, church (HA!) I still love it and the cover is amazing 😊 Next, I asked everyone, What did they buy and lets see?? There were some great mags!

THIS VINTAGE CRACKER FROM M. MONTAGRIFF

 

AND THIS GREAT ISSUE 86 FAMOUS MONSTERS

 ISSUE FROM M.H. ROLLIE!