LATEX TISSUE PAPER WAX AND GORE : THE ANSWER TO THE MYSTERY BOX

BOX CLEVER ANSWER: Yesterday, I posted a photograph of an 'interesting' multi layer case-box and asked you if you could identify what it was, who was its owner ..and maybe it's contents! A larger version of the pic was also posted at the website, so you get a closer look, if needed. It was quite a puzzle for some, as the compartments of the box also contained, cotton wool balls, pencils, paint brushes.. and two knives and forks!!

ABOVE : ROY ASHTON MODELS HIS FANGS, that were used by David Peel in Hammer films, 'THE BRIDES OF DRACULA' (1960) Peter Cushing's second outing as Van Helsing!

SUGGESTIONS OF  'Something to do with model soldiers?' from Darren Park, was a good guess, as the box has a connection with Peter Cushing and this could have easily been a handy box for his painting and making of his mass collection of model soldiers and model theatres 😉 Daniel Worlsey suggested something similar in 'Is it it not Cushing’s “bit box”, wherein he keeps all the tools for gaming miniatures, paints and the left over bits and bobs of such a hobby?' Mateja Djedovic, asked if it was 'A vampire hunter tool kit box' ! 😁. It could have been, that fork looked nasty! 😉 Stephen Johnson said 'Is it Peter's private make up box, as he was allergic to the studio make up?🤔' which was a good answer and certainly on the right track! Donna Vallois Broughton thought it was a 'Fishing box' 🤔. Hmm...I too have seen plastic versions of these boxes used for that job too. One of the clues was that weird fork 😉 Colleen Crouch suggested 'It looks like a make-up kit. I'd guess Phil Leakey's. Wonder what the fork is for...🤔 The Cushing Connection would be Curse of Frankenstein, among other films.

THIS FORK LEAD QUITE A FEW to the ANSWER : Roy Ashton's Make Up Box. Roy had three. He said, 'One to beautify, one for extras and crowd and the other... for more extensive jobs, like monsters!' This box held fangs, latex vampire bite marks, noses, ears and of course two bottles of 'Kensington Gore'... blood! The Knife and Fork, Roy used '..for lunch'! Often he would find himself on location, or unable to leave work for the 'canteen or catering truck, so would bring his own lunch.. and use THAT knife and fork!

A ROY ASHTON QUIZ from the past! You can find the answers to 'NAME THE MONSTER' HERE! 

NAME DROP ALERT! I did three interviews with Roy, and one quite detailed video interview while he worked. He was always very kind and I was very fortunate to meet him and his wife at home too. You wouldn't think such a charming, calm gentleman could devise and create such works of terror and horror... but he did 😊 

THE BOX IN QUESTION has many connections to Hammer films, Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, Amicus and Tyburn productions. Roy told me he only replaced the 'monster box once.. in 1960. The other one the hinges broke!!'😕 So I asked him, which films and creations was THIS box in partnership with himself responsible for?' He replied ' Well. Most of them after 1960... certainly one you would be interested in with Peter. Arthur Grimsdyke in 'Tales from the Crypt'! He then pulled things from the box, that would have been typical of the materials he used over the period of working with Peter on the character, latex, make up sticks Leichner 'Greasepaint 'G' Stick - Light Blue, Black and Greasepaint Stick - Light Grey.. and TISSUE PAPER for Grimsdyke's skin! So HERE was THE box!

QUITE A FEW OF YOU cracked it, but WELL DONE Robert Withers, who got it in 20 minutes with ' Roy Ashton’s box of tricks' 😀 Also, Deb Duncan-Faul, Ben Smothers took two guesses, but got it. No one guessed the movie, lots of suggestions, but not the title I was looking for. . .

ABOVE : ACTOR DANIEL JOHNS who was transformed by Roy Ashton into a 'living wax mannequin' with Peter Cushing in Amicus films 'ASYLUM' (1972)

MIKE GIACOLONE, was almost there with 'Jimmy Sangster's lunch box!!' Sangster was probably there for most of Roy's work in some fashion or another, having written most of the Hammer films on which he did the make up. Thanks for everyone who took part, had a go. I hope you like the photographs too! 😉 Another one soon 😉 - Marcus

 

'THE MAN WHO HATED SCENES' FROM 1973

HI EVERYONE! 😃 Here and at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE I am going to be changing the style a little of our post this week. Many of you have messaged and asked if we have recordings of Peter reading or radio plays.. anything you can peacefully listen to of an evening of an hour or two, as a break. So, I've been digging to find some of the best in the way of dramas, interviews, documentaries etc, that you might find entertaining. All fun, appropriate and a little distraction from the day😉 Some you may have heard before, but hey, these are so good, they are worth a second or third dip! So here is our first today, it's from BBC radio's 'The Price of Fear' which was a creepy come mystery radio serial, that was produced by BBC during the 1970s. The host and star of the show is the wonderful Vincent Price. This episode also stars #petercushing.

ABOVE: VINCENT PRICE AND PETER CUSHING recording the radio series, 'ALIENS IN THE MIND' broadcast by the BBC back in 1977. I hope to be bringing you episodes of this over the coming few days!

WHEN SOMEONE DROPPED IN ON CHRISTOPHER LEE AND REMEMBERING ACTOR MICHAEL RIPPER

YOU KNOW THE LINE OF DIALOGUE? 'I’VE SEEN THE LIKES TONIGHT that mortal eyes shouldn’t look at!’… say THAT line of dialogue and any Hammer film fan worth his or her salt, quick as a flash will reply, ‘Michael Ripper, as the poacher in 'The Mummy!’.. And it is Michael Ripper who we remember today on the day his birth, 27th January 1913. Ripper appeared in many productions for Hammer, seven with Peter Cushing, nine with Christopher Lee.  . . .

AND TALKING OF CHRISTOPHER LEE, Michael Ripper, it turns out, found out about Christopher Lee appearing at a book signing in London back in the 1990's  and dropped in to see his old friend! Giving everyone the wonderful opportunity to see these two icons, together again, relaxed, chatting about old times. These photographs were generously shared with us by James Murray, who was working 'on the door' that day! Thanks again, James 😌😉  

INN KEEPERS, coachmen, police officers, Ripper an accomplished stage and film actor it could be argued is as much part of the Hammer family as Cushing, Lee, Fisher and Francis. Christopher Lee once announced to a packed convention in Baltimore, with Ripper standing at his side.. 'This man IS Hammer!’ And for many of us, he always will be . . . 

CAN YOU IDENTIFY THESE MYSTERY WOMEN : RARE PHOTOGRAH FROM 1989 : WITH A LEE CONNECTION?

PETER CUSHING POSES for the camera on the eve of his birthday in 1989. BUT who are the two ladies at his side? Don't forget our weekly Tuesday Toughy, makes his appearance here tomorrow!

ABOVE AND BELOW: A REMINDER of the glue that helped make two great actors stay friends and also provide us with TWENTY TWO amazing films! You can find out more about their friendship and those films, in our SERIES HERE!  A TALENT TO TERRIFY : The Twenty Two Films of Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee. 

CUSHING AND LEE: A TALENT TO TERRIFY :  JUST CLICK HERE!

OCTOBER IS PETER CUSHING DRACULA MONTH! OUR CELEBRATION COMPETITION, MARKING THE WARNER BROTHERS RELEASE OF THE REMASTERED BLU RAYS OF 'DRACULA AD 1972' AND 'THE SATANIC RITES OF DRACULA' THIS MONTH! WIN BLU RAYS, SIGNED AND RARE FRAMED CHRISTOPHER LEE AD 72 PORTRAIT , PLUS MORE! DON'T MISS IT AND MISS OUT!

OCTOBER DRACULA MONTH : COMICS AND MAGAZINE WEDNESDAY PLUS CAN YOU IDENTIFY THIS?

HAJIME ISHIDA'S MONSTERZINE made a wonderful return in 2013. I know little about Ishidma, except that he edited a very popular and quite excellent magazine / fanzine for fans of the fantasy genre during the 1980's. Sadly, as with many such mags, it bowed out and looked never to return. But like, what appears to be his favorite Horror film character, it CAME BACK, from the GRAVE. And what a return! MONSTERZINE covered an array of monster movies, the classic Universal film catalogue and also the brilliant Godzillia flicks. But, it's the subject of #HAMMERFILMS that seems to hold Hajime's attention and passion. And in particular, their Dracula series of films

TO BE QUITE FRANK I am not not a lover of books on Hammer films, with ACRES of reviews of said films. I quite like to make my own mind up about a film and unless the opinions of the flick, are giving by people who were involved with the production of it, I glaze over. Now I know there are MANY who LOVE reviews, that's why I post them. But me? I am a visual chap. I still like to spend a Sunday afternoon, grazing through my children's picture books, minus the text and a story. A box of crayons, I am game! Simple? Yes, I am. AND YES, it STILL remains a mystery as to how, I EVER got my Degree's and Masters. So, when I first opened a Ishida magazine, I thought I had found the Ambrosia of Hammer Film books. MASSES OF PHOTOGRAPHS. 

YOU SEE, I am also a collector of stills and images. Ishida, edits and publishes the kind of books that present Hammer films, in the most of attractive ways, visually. During 2011 and 2013, MONSTERMAGAZINE also released TWO Photo Album Books. Volume one on the Hammer Dracula series and Volume Two dedicated to the Hammer Frankenstein's. Lovingly Lavish, Sensibly Presented and not shy on sharing a few rare photographs too. The regular MONSTERMAGAZINE also contains a news and features section, but there are still many many pages of images. The dedicated Photo Album's have very little text. Which is just as well, as what there is, is in Japanese. If you LIKE the experience of turning the page and going 'Ooooh!' at the content, The Hajime Ishida's Photo Album's are for you!

IT'S WORTH MENTIONING, that it was HAJIME ISHIDA who for many years, religiously pushed the idea that Hammer films 1958 DRACULA DID contain a shoot of the melting Christopher Lee's Count, in the films final moments. Hajime went along to see the film in the 1960's with a still camera, hidden away on his person and snap a blurred shot of the burning face of Dracula AND the passionate scene with Christopher Lee and Melissa Stribling. Many experts and fans, still refused to listen and insisted the scenes did not exitst, only as still publicity photographs, taken by the set photographer. ALL these amazing shots WERE finally included in the Lionsgate Blu Ray remaster of the film in 2103. They were all cleaned and remastered from a Japanese print, just like the one Hajime saw decades before . . . 

WHAT IS THAT THING???  Yes! It ain't pretty is it? In our continuing dip into Collectable Comic, Mags and Posters featuring the work of Peter Cushing, comes THIS very odd cinema poster for, 'The Satanic Rites of Dracula'. The film had a long tour and presence in cinemas around the globe after it's stunted release in 1973 and with it came weird posters, titles and press kits. In some cases like this one, posters were quickly and cheaply made up, with limited images and resources. I am not absolutely sure of the country where this 'art attack' was displayed and used.

THE STUCK ON WHITE FANGS are 'interesting', also Lee's glowing eyes, but personally, that isn't what has puzzled me most about the pasted up images, that were cobbled together and used to make this poster. Can ANYONE identify and tell me, what is THAT behind the photo of our frantic king vamp?? For years, I have blown up the image, studied it and have drawn a blank! Anyone??? IF you have a suggestion, please come join us at  our post on this NOW at the FACEBOOK PCASUK FAN PAGE!

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY! TWILIGHT AND FRAISER AND CONNECTIONS!

#THROWBACKTHURSDAY! Here's a GREAT rare colour pic of Peter from the film, ARABIAN ADVENTURE . . WHO or WHAT connects tHat film with the TWO mentioned TITLES????? Answer later . ..

ABOVE: THE BANNER for our FEATURE with GALLERY elsewhere in this website. HERE IS the LINK: ARABIAN ADVENTURE FEATURE HERE! 

BOTH PETER CUSHING and CHRISTOPHER LEE with director KEVIN CONNOR 

PETER CUSHING, CHRISTOPHER LEE AND the film star, OLIVER TOBIAS during the making of ARABIAN ADVENTURE . . 

ABOVE: When CHRISTOPHER LEE's role in ARABIAN ADVENTURE made our #MONSTERMONDAY list, that week . . . 

PETER CUSHING getting into costume for his scenes, and being dressed by Cushing's HAMMER FILM costume artist, ROSEMARY BURROWS . . 

FRIDAY IS FEMME FATALE FRIDAY! THIS IS THE LADY WHO WORKED WITH PETER CUSHING WE'LL BE FEATURING . . .DO YOU KNOW HER?? CATCH IT FRIDAY!

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