Showing posts with label comedy. Show all posts
Showing posts with label comedy. Show all posts

Saturday 14 March 2020

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 😊.








Monday 21 October 2019

REMEMBERING CARRIE FISHER PLUS THE MOMENT TARKIN HIT A TONGUE-TWISTER!


TODAY, WE ARE REMEMBERING  on her birthday the lovely Carrie Fisher a woman, who was never dull, touched all she met, was a mountain of energy and fun and yet sadly, like many of us, carried another life, that sometimes worked against her, making even the sunniest of days, dark and exhausting. Many here of course will know her connection to Peter Cushing, through the movie, STAR WARS 

WITH CUSHING playing the evil TARKIN and Carrie the vulnerable PRINCESS LEIA Tarkin, together they played a key scene, with Peter cranking up his performance, as the cruel and most Machiavellian of characters in the Star Wars universe. Carrie later shared how difficult it had been for her to find the motivation, to hate Peter's Tarkin. She too,like many before her, had been charmed and moved, by his kindness and manner on set, it was quite a task to actually say those lines. Even though she left us a wonderful library of work on screen and on the page, it's a weird feeling, knowing, she isn't around to cheer us up and make us laugh in her interviews. As a teen she was my first crush, she dazzled and shone very brightly . . on screen and in life, a real Princess! 😊 We remember Carrie today . ..


Monday 1 October 2018

SIGNED CHRISTOPHER LEE DRACULA AD FRAMED PORTRAIT UP FOR GRABS! OCTOBER PCASUK


MORE NEWS on OUR PCASUK OCTOBER COMPETITION! To celebrate and mark the release of the REMASTERED blu rays of both Cushing and Christopher Lee Hammer Dracula films, Dracula AD 1972 and The Satanic Rites of Dracula, we'll be holding, what could be a very popular competition! Copies of the Warner Brothers blu rays AND signed framed portraits will up for grabs! Make sure you don't miss it and miss out!


THIS PICTURE is a little blurred, but the gentleman, posing with Peter Cushing here, was as SHARP and quick witted as they came! Who do you think he is and what did he write that Peter appeared in several times? Have fun and give us your suggestions over at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE NOW!


LOOK OUT FOR MORE NEWS ON OUR PCASUK OCTOBER
 COMPETITION SOON!

Sunday 2 September 2018

FIFTY YEARS SINCE MORECAMBE AND WISE FIRST HIT UK TV SCREENS AND CUSHING WAS THERE TOO!


TODAY MARKS 50 YEARS since comedians Morecambe and Wise first hit our tv screens in the UK. During that time the built a following and reputation that has never been equalled in the UK, their classic shows are regularly repeated, and no Christmas ever goes by without one of their much loved shows being broadcast and watched by millions! Peter Cushing of course, was a regular guest, with the long running gag, of his not being paid for his first show appearance, running for over twenty years .... until he did get his lolly, in 1980! Do YOU have a favourite Cushing Eric and Ernie show? PLEASE come JOIN US at the FACEBOOK PETER CUSHING APPRECIATION SOCIETY UK FAN PAGE: CLICK HERE!


ABOVE: PETER CUSHING ATLAST GETS HIS MONEY IN 1980!


YOU CAN SEE AND ENJOY  many of Peter Cushing's GUEST appearances on the classic MORECAMBE AND WISE SHOW in our dedicated PLAYLIST at the YOUTUBE PCAS CHANNEL JUST CLICK HERE! 



THE LONG RUNNING JOKE ASIDE, Peter was o f course paid for his FIRST appearance on the Morecambe and wise Show back in 1969 . . 





Monday 14 May 2018

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ERIC MORECAMBE : PETER CUSHING AND HIS MONEY LONGEST RUNNING GAG!


TODAY MAY 14TH 2018 marks the birthday of Eric Morecambe, one half of the most successful comedy team in the UK. Still missed, loved by all, with Eric's passing back in 1984, it left a hole not only in the entertainment world but also in people's hearts. With his partner, Ernie...they provided one of tv's longest running gags, 'Peter Cushing and his Money!'... he did eventually get it , but not until the boys, had a lot of fun with it, stretching over many years and several programmes. God bless, Eric, Happy Birthday and thanks for all those precious memories and laughs.








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 all lovers of Peter Cushing's work AND Help Keep The Memory Alive!

Wednesday 3 January 2018

CHRISTOPHER LEE SINGS STUDIO VERSION OF NAME YOUR POISON

#TOOCOOLTUESDAY! CHRISTOPHER LEE gives a fun rendition of his song 'Name Your Poison' from the musical comedy film 'The Return of Captain Invincible' from 1983. The film starring Alan Arkin as Captain Invincible' and Christopher Lee as Mr. Midnight, grossed a mere $55,110 at the Australian box office despite a budget of $7 million.





LYRICIST RICHARD O'BRIEN Lyricist  and composer Richard Hartley, known for their prior collaboration on The Rocky Horror Show and The Rocky Horror Picture Show, contributed three songs, including "Captain Invincible" sung by O'Brien, "Evil Midnight" sung by Lee and Arkin, and "Name Your Poison" sung by Lee during which the evil Mr. Midnight tempts the alcoholic Captain Invincible with a well-stocked bar.





REMEMBER! 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 . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA

Sunday 16 July 2017

#GETTTHECUSHIONSUNDAY! THE 1999 RELEASE OF A CAMP CLASSIC! REALLY?


#GETTHECUSHIONSUNDAY! THE BOX SAYS... 'Recently discovered CAMP CLASSIC! UNRELEASED for 25 YEARS!' ..Yeah, there was a reason for that delay 🙂  I wonder how much those critics were paid, or how much they drank before the screening??? ..It's a classic alright 😉 Anyone else have this release? This is one of those rare times where the box and packaging is more exciting and impressive that the contents!


HOW CAN A FILM, that gives us great images like the one above, get it so wrong??? I have said here many times, it almost seems that the budget and imagination needed for the creation of the film, was diverted into the publicity. The press and lobby photographs, were printed on hi quality colour paper, the photographer who took them, knew what he was doing. 


THERE ARE SOME EXCELLENT photographs, the press kit was pretty lush-deluxe too! In 1976, I was at a meeting where a short promo reel was screened... it was made up entirely of the 'My grand father was a grave digger' scene. Cushing (MacGregor) was playing his character's grandfather, a young boy, actor Robert Edwards, played Cushing in a wonderfully atmospheric scene. Horse drawn hearse, the black feather plumes, wind howling... 'It took 40 years to bury my grandfather! For a grave digger that is tragic!....' The tragedy is the premise of Cushing playing a retired Horror film actor, holed up in a creepy castle, playing the 'I could really be a vampire' card, was a good idea. The props department even used actual press photographs of Peter from his own films, to add back story evidence of MacGregor's career on the screen.


THIS FILM PROBABLY gets more interest here at PCAS than it rightly deserves, and that is probably because, we don't know WHY Cushing signed on the line.  There have been well documented instances in the past, where Cushing, questioned details in script, The Brides of Dracula and The Mummy for example, I would think he would have almost certainly declined to be involved with a film like this in his earlier years. And, I don't think we can lay the blame at the director shooting extra scenes in PC's absence or an editor putting a spin on the footage. I have never seen a full shooting script for Tender / Tendre Dracula.. but I am pretty sure the scene of PC's dashing out some buttock slapping (!!) to cast member Miou -Miou, was down in black and white, even if it was on a yellow or pink rewrite page !


WE ASKED YOU AT OUR FACEBOOK FAN PAGE  what YOUR opinion and thoughts on the film were. Here are some of your comments from the post at the page: 

S. ALEXANDER: 'A venture that Peter would have declined to be involved with in his earlier years. Remember his initial objections and reluctance over 'The Brides of Dracula'? Obvioulsly the finished cut differed from the scripted scenes too.'

R.JOYCE: 'I to  have confess...it's the only Cushing movie I can't sit through. Beautiful box art. But it's a disjointed, pseudo erotic flick. Er, not even that erotic, actually'.
 

J.PLAYER: 'I watched it there last year...everytime I thought that I couldn't believe I was watching that crap and was ready tonight it down, something would happen that made me want to keep going to see how it would end up!'

R.SMITH: I have a fondness for films like this that are so bad they're not even funny, just jaw dropping exercises in disbelief! Similar to the Bond knock-offs of Lindsay Shonteff (you have to see these to believe their creative ineptitude) I do feel there's a real need to see TENDER DRACULA on Blu-ray someday. The version I have on VHS is pretty shabby. 

G.GRANT: I watched this on YouTube a few years ago😱It was really bad. I mean it had novelty value, because Mr Cushing was in it. But just awful

T.TUTTLE: I got 20 minutes into it and had to stop! My pain threshold wasn't high enough to make it!


OUR FULL FEATURE AND GALLERY ON TENDRE DRACULA
CAN BE FOUND BY CLICKING : 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 . . Keep The Memory Alive!. The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society website, facebook fan page and youtube channel are managed, edited and written by Marcus Brooks, PCAS coordinator since 1979. PCAS is based in the UK and USA
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