THE FILMS OF DONALD PLEASENCE (hardback)
Mention the words "horror star" and certain names immediately spring to mind—Boris Karloff, Bela Lugosi, Peter Cushing, Christopher Lee, and Vincent Price—but another, lesser-known name was also heavily involved in numerous horror and science-fiction films: Donald Pleasence. Featuring a distinctive look, memorable voice, and a serious approach to his roles, he shined brightly in many genre favorites. Whether as a maniacal body snatcher in The Flesh and the Fiends, a surgical assassin in Fantastic Voyage, the archvillain of 007 in You Only Live Twice, a sarcastic inspector in Raw Meat, or his career defining role as the heroic Dr. Loomis in Halloween, he proved himself to be a top performer in the fantastical genres of horror and science-fiction.
He also made a name for himself in British and American theatre, garnering four Best Actor Tony Award nominations, beginning with his irascible tramp in playwright Harold Pinter's The Caretaker. He added to his acclaim by appearing in several big-budget Hollywood films, such as The Great Escape, Night of the Generals, and Will Penny, along with numerous TV appearances in a career that lasted more than forty years.
The Films of Donald Pleasence includes a full biography, tributes from Pleasence's friends and coworkers, reviews of all his films, and a rare photo gallery in the first-ever book devoted to the man who became a genre favorite to countless fans worldwide.
"Chris has written an excellent bio of Donald to start out the book, interspersed with many comments from his coworkers and family...I give credit to Chris, too, for playing down the synopsis and doing more commentary. Nice selection of photos. Another great book from Bear Manor." -Little Shoppe of Horrors
"For Pleasence’s fans it’s an invaluable reference, bringing order and context to his bewildering filmography of 134 movies. Reading each entry, I found film upon film of which I was unaware or only vaguely aware, and which I’m now highly keen on watching, so already on that level the book is a success. And Gullo has done his homework: despite the many obscure titles, there are only two films he has been unable to track down and see, a fact that makes this volume far more complete than I had expected." -Mistlake's Blog