Director
Val Guest said he was particularly impressed with Cushing's preparation and ability to plan which props to best use to enhance his performance, so much so that Cushing started to become known as "Props Peter". Cushing and Lee appeared together in the Hammer horror ''
The Mummy
A mummy is an unusually well preserved corpse.
Mummy or The Mummy may also refer to:
Places
* Mummy Range, a mountain range in the Rocky Mountains of northern Colorado in the United States
* Mummy Cave, a rock shelter and archeological site in P ...
'' (1959), with Cushing as the archaeologist John Banning and Lee as the antagonist
Kharis.
Cushing saw a promotional poster for ''The Mummy'' that showed Lee's character with a large hole in his chest, allowing a beam of light to pass through his body. There was no reference to such an injury in the film script, and when he asked the publicity department why it was on the poster, they said it was simply meant to serve as a shocking image to promote the movie. During filming he asked director Terence Fisher for permission to drive a harpoon through the mummy's body during a fight scene, to explain the poster image. Fisher agreed, and the scene was used in the film.
Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror
''. Cushing, Peter (actor). (5 October 2004). Documentary">/nowiki>Documentary/nowiki>. Chatsworth, Los Angeles, California: Image Entertainment
RLJ Entertainment (formerly Image Entertainment) is an American film production company and home video distributor, distributing film and television productions in North America, with approximately 3,200 exclusive DVD titles and approximately 34 ...
. Retrieved 14 February 2018.
Around the same time, he portrayed the detective
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
in the Hammer production of ''
The Hound of the Baskervilles
''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set ...
'' (also 1959), an adaptation of
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel of the same name.
He once again co-starred opposite Lee, who portrayed the aristocratic Sir Henry Baskerville.
A huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, Cushing was highly anxious to play the character,
[Earnshaw, p. 1] and reread the novels in anticipation of the role. Hammer decided to heighten the source novel's horror elements, which upset the estate of Conan Doyle, but Cushing himself voiced no objection to the creative licence because he felt the character of Holmes himself remained intact. However, when producer
Anthony Hinds
Anthony Frank Hinds (19 September 1922 – 30 September 2013 proposed removing the character's
deerstalker
A deerstalker is a type of cap that is typically worn in rural areas, often for hunting, especially deer stalking. Because of the cap's popular association with the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, it has become stereotypical headgear f ...
, Cushing insisted they remain because audiences associated Holmes with his headgear and pipes.
[Earnshaw, p. 10] Cushing prepared extensively for the role, studying the novel and taking notes in his script. He scrutinised the costumes and screenwriter Peter Bryan's script, often altering words or phrases. Lee later claimed to be awestruck by Cushing's ability to incorporate many different props and actions into his performance simultaneously, whether reading, smoking a pipe, drinking whiskey, filing through papers or other things while portraying Holmes.
[ Lee, Christopher (actor). (2002). ''Actor's Notebook: Christopher Lee''. [Documentary, from '']The Hound of the Baskervilles
''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set ...
'' DVD]. Greg Carson: MGM Home Entertainment. Retrieved 19 September 2010. In later years, Cushing considered his Holmes performance one of the finest accomplishments of his career.
Cushing drew generally mixed reviews: ''
Film Daily
''The Film Daily'' was a daily publication that existed from 1918 to 1970 in the United States. It was the first daily newspaper published solely for the film industry. It covered the latest trade news, film reviews, financial updates, informatio ...
'' called it a "tantalising performance" and ''
Time Out
Time-out, Time Out, or timeout may refer to:
Time
* Time-out (sport), in various sports, a break in play, called by a team
* Television timeout, a break in sporting action so that a commercial break may be taken
* Timeout (computing), an engine ...
'' David Pirie called it "one of his very best performances", while the ''
Monthly Film Bulletin
''The Monthly Film Bulletin'' was a periodical of the British Film Institute published monthly from February 1934 to April 1991, when it merged with '' Sight & Sound''. It reviewed all films on release in the United Kingdom, including those with ...
'' called him "tiresomely mannered and too lightweight" and
BBC Television
BBC Television is a service of the BBC. The corporation has operated a public broadcast television service in the United Kingdom, under the terms of a royal charter, since 1927. It produced television programmes from its own studios from 193 ...
's Barry Norman said he "didn't quite capture the air of know-all arrogance that was the great detective's hallmark". ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' was originally conceived as the first in a series of Sherlock Holmes films, but eventually no sequels were made.
Immediately upon completion of ''The Hound of the Baskervilles'', Cushing was offered the lead role in the Hammer film ''
The Man Who Could Cheat Death
''The Man Who Could Cheat Death'' is a 1959 British horror film, directed by Terence Fisher and starring Anton Diffring, Hazel Court, and Christopher Lee. Jimmy Sangster adapted the screenplay from the play '' The Man in Half Moon Street'' by ...
'' (1959), a remake of ''
The Man in Half Moon Street
''The Man in Half Moon Street'' is a 1945 science fiction romantic melodrama dealing with a man who retains his youth and cannot die, living throughout the ages. The plot is similar to Oscar Wilde's '' Picture of Dorian Gray'', except that the ...
'' (1945). Cushing turned it down, in part because he did not like the script by Jimmy Sangster, and the lead role was taken instead by
Anton Diffring
Anton Diffring (born Alfred Pollack, 20 October 1916 – 19 May 1989) was a German-born character actor who had an extensive career in the United Kingdom from the 1940s to the 1980s, latterly appearing in international films. He appeared in ove ...
. Cushing next appeared for Hammer when he played the
Sheriff of Nottingham in the adventure film ''
Sword of Sherwood Forest'' (1960), which starred
Richard Greene as the outlaw
Robin Hood
Robin Hood is a legendary heroic outlaw originally depicted in English folklore and subsequently featured in literature and film. According to legend, he was a highly skilled archer and swordsman. In some versions of the legend, he is dep ...
.
It was filmed on location in
County Wicklow
County Wicklow ( ; ga, Contae Chill Mhantáin ) is a county in Ireland. The last of the traditional 32 counties, having been formed as late as 1606, it is part of the Eastern and Midland Region and the province of Leinster. It is bordered by ...
in the
Republic of Ireland
Ireland ( ga, Éire ), also known as the Republic of Ireland (), is a country in north-western Europe consisting of 26 of the 32 counties of the island of Ireland. The capital and largest city is Dublin, on the eastern side of the island. ...
. The next year, Cushing starred as an
Ebenezer Scrooge
Ebenezer Scrooge () is the protagonist of Charles Dickens's 1843 novella '' A Christmas Carol''. At the beginning of the novella, Scrooge is a cold-hearted miser who despises Christmas. The tale of his redemption by three spirits (the Ghos ...
-like manager of a bank being robbed in the Hammer
thriller film
Thriller film, also known as suspense film or suspense thriller, is a broad film genre that evokes excitement and suspense in the audience. The suspense element found in most films' plots is particularly exploited by the filmmaker in this genre. ...
''
Cash on Demand
''Cash on Demand'' is a 1961 British black and white neo noir crime thriller film directed by Quentin Lawrence and starring Peter Cushing and André Morell. The film company Hammer Film Productions invested approximately £37,000 to produce ...
'' (1961). Cushing considered this among the favourites of his films,
and some critics believed it to be among his best performances, although it was one of the least seen films from his career.
He appeared in the Hammer film ''
Captain Clegg'' (1962), known in the United States as ''Night Creatures''. Cushing starred as Parson Blyss, the local reverend of an 18th-century English coastal town believed to be hiding his smuggling activities with reports of ghosts.
The film was roughly based on the
Doctor Syn
The Reverend Doctor Christopher Syn is the smuggler hero of a series of novels by Russell Thorndike. The first book, ''Doctor Syn: A Tale of the Romney Marsh'' was published in 1915. The story idea came from smuggling in the 18th-century Romney ...
novels by
Russell Thorndike
Arthur Russell Thorndike (6 February 1885 – 7 November 1972) was a British actor and novelist, best known for the Doctor Syn of Romney Marsh novels. Less well-known than his sister Sybil but equally versatile, Russell Thorndike's first love ...
. Cushing read Thorndike to prepare for the role, and made suggestions to
make-up artist
A make-up artist, also called a makeup artist, and often shortened to MUA, is an artist whose medium is the human body, applying makeup and Prosthetic makeup, prosthetics on others for theatre, television, film, fashion, magazines and other simil ...
Roy Ashton
Howard Roy Ashton (17 April 1909 – 10 January 1995) was an Australian tenor, associated for a while with Benjamin Britten's English Opera Group, and make-up artist who became particularly associated with his work on the Hammer Horror films. ...
about Blyss' costume and hairstyle.
[Meikle, p. 126] Cushing and director
Peter Graham Scott did not get along well during filming and at one point, when the two were having a disagreement on set, Cushing turned to cameraman Len Harris and said, "Take no notice Len. We've done enough of these now to know what we're doing."
Cushing and Lee appeared together in the horror film ''
The Gorgon'' (1964), about the female snake-haired
Gorgon
A Gorgon ( /ˈɡɔːrɡən/; plural: Gorgons, Ancient Greek: Γοργών/Γοργώ ''Gorgṓn/Gorgṓ'') is a creature in Greek mythology. Gorgons occur in the earliest examples of Greek literature. While descriptions of Gorgons vary, the te ...
character from
Greek mythology
A major branch of classical mythology, Greek mythology is the body of myths originally told by the ancient Greeks, and a genre of Ancient Greek folklore. These stories concern the origin and nature of the world, the lives and activities o ...
and in ''
She
She most commonly refers to:
*She (pronoun), the third person singular, feminine, nominative case pronoun in modern English.
She or S.H.E. may also refer to:
Literature and films
*'' She: A History of Adventure'', an 1887 novel by H. Rider Hagga ...
'' (1965), about a lost realm ruled by the immortal queen Ayesha, played by
Ursula Andress
Ursula Andress (born 19 March 1936) is a Swiss-German actress, former model and sex symbol who has appeared in American, British and Italian films. Her breakthrough role was as Bond girl Honey Ryder in the first James Bond film, '' Dr. No'' (1962 ...
. Cushing later appeared in ''
The Vampire Lovers
''The Vampire Lovers'' is a 1970 British Gothic horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Ingrid Pitt, Peter Cushing, George Cole, Kate O'Mara, Madeline Smith, Dawn Addams and Jon Finch. It was produced by Hammer Film Productions. I ...
'' (1970), an erotic Hammer horror film about a lesbian vampire, adapted in part from the
Sheridan Le Fanu novella ''
Carmilla
''Carmilla'' is an 1872 Gothic novella by Irish author Sheridan Le Fanu and one of the early works of vampire fiction, predating Bram Stoker's '' Dracula'' (1897) by 26 years. First published as a serial in ''The Dark Blue'' (1871–72), the ...
''.
The next year he was set to star in a sequel, ''
Lust for a Vampire'' (1971), but had to drop out because his wife was ill and
Ralph Bates substituted.
However, Cushing was able to star in ''
Twins of Evil
''Twins of Evil'' (also known as ''Twins of Dracula'') is a 1971 British horror film directed by John Hough and starring Peter Cushing, with Damien Thomas and the real-life identical twins and former ''Playboy'' Playmates Mary and Madeleine ...
'' (also 1971), a prequel of sorts to ''The Vampire Lovers'', as Gustav Weil, the leader of a group of religious
puritan
The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become more Protestant. ...
s trying to stamp out
witchcraft
Witchcraft traditionally means the use of magic or supernatural powers to harm others. A practitioner is a witch. In medieval and early modern Europe, where the term originated, accused witches were usually women who were believed to have ...
and
satanism
Satanism is a group of Ideology, ideological and Philosophy, philosophical beliefs based on Satan. Contemporary religious practice of Satanism began with the founding of the atheistic Church of Satan by Anton LaVey in the United States in 19 ...
. Among his final Hammer roles was ''
Fear in the Night'' (1972), where he played a one-armed school headmaster apparently terrorising the protagonist, played by
Judy Geeson.
Non-Hammer film work
Although best known for his Hammer performances from the 1950s to the 1970s, Cushing worked in a variety of other roles during this time, and actively sought roles outside the horror genre to diversify his work.
In an interview published in ''ABC Film Review'' in November 1964, Cushing stated, "People look at me as if I were some sort of monster, but I can't think why. In my macabre pictures, I have either been a monster-maker or a monster-destroyer, but never a monster. Actually, I'm a gentle fellow. Never harmed a fly. I love animals, and when I'm in the country I'm a keen
bird-watcher
Birdwatching, or birding, is the observing of birds, either as a recreational activity or as a form of citizen science. A birdwatcher may observe by using their naked eye, by using a visual enhancement device like binoculars or a telescope, by ...
." In an interview published in 1966, he added, "I do get terribly tired with the neighbourhood kids telling me 'My mum says she wouldn't want to meet you in a dark alley'." He continued to perform in occasional stage productions, such as Robert E. MacEnroe's ''The Silver Whistle'' at Westminster's
Duchess Theatre
The Duchess Theatre is a West End theatre in the City of Westminster, London, located in Catherine Street near Aldwych.
The theatre opened on 25 November 1929 and is one of the smallest West End theatres with a proscenium arch. It has 494 sea ...
in 1956. Around the same time, he appeared in the film ''
Alexander the Great
Alexander III of Macedon ( grc, Ἀλέξανδρος, Alexandros; 20/21 July 356 BC – 10/11 June 323 BC), commonly known as Alexander the Great, was a king of the ancient Greek kingdom of Macedon. He succeeded his father Philip II to ...
'' (1956) as the
Athenian
Athens ( ; el, Αθήνα, Athína ; grc, Ἀθῆναι, Athênai (pl.) ) is both the capital and largest city of Greece. With a population close to four million, it is also the seventh largest city in the European Union. Athens dominates a ...
General
Memnon of Rhodes
Memnon of Rhodes (Greek: Μέμνων ὁ Ῥόδιος; c. 380 – 333 BC) was a prominent Rhodian Greek commander in the service of the Persian Achaemenid Empire. Related to the Persian aristocracy by the marriage of his sister to the satr ...
.
In 1959, Cushing originally planned to appear in the lead role of William Fairchild's play ''The Sound of Murder'', while shooting a film at the same time. The hectic schedule became overbearing for Cushing, who had to drop out of the play and resolved to never again attempt a film and play simultaneously.
He appeared in the biographical
epic film
Epic films are a style of filmmaking with large-scale, sweeping scope, and spectacle. The usage of the term has shifted over time, sometimes designating a film genre and at other times simply synonymous with big-budget filmmaking. Like epics in ...
''
John Paul Jones
John Paul Jones (born John Paul; July 6, 1747 July 18, 1792) was a Scottish-American naval captain who was the United States' first well-known naval commander in the American Revolutionary War. He made many friends among U.S political elites ( ...
'' (1959), in which
Robert Stack played the
title role
The title character in a narrative work is one who is named or referred to in the title of the work. In a performed work such as a play or film, the performer who plays the title character is said to have the title role of the piece. The title of ...
of the American naval fighter in the
American Revolutionary War
The American Revolutionary War (April 19, 1775 – September 3, 1783), also known as the Revolutionary War or American War of Independence, was a major war of the American Revolution. Widely considered as the war that secured the independence of t ...
.
Cushing became very ill with
dysentery
Dysentery (UK pronunciation: , US: ), historically known as the bloody flux, is a type of gastroenteritis that results in bloody diarrhea. Other symptoms may include fever, abdominal pain, and a feeling of incomplete defecation. Complications ...
during filming and lost a considerable amount of weight as a result. Cushing played
Robert Knox in ''
The Flesh and the Fiends'' (1960), based on the true story of the doctor who purchased human corpses for research from the
serial killer
A serial killer is typically a person who murders three or more persons,A
*
*
*
* with the murders taking place over more than a month and including a significant period of time between them. While most authorities set a threshold of three ...
duo
Burke and Hare.
Cushing had previously stated Knox was one of his role models in developing his portrayal of Baron Frankenstein. The film was called ''Mania'' in its American release. Cushing appeared in several films released in 1961, including ''
Fury at Smugglers' Bay'', an adventure film about pirates scavenging ships off the English coastline;
[Cushing, p. 166] ''
The Hellfire Club'', where he played a lawyer helping a young man expose a cult;
[American Film Institute, p. 468] and ''
The Naked Edge
''The Naked Edge'' is a 1961 thriller film starring Gary Cooper (in his final film role) and Deborah Kerr. The film was a British-American co-production distributed by United Artists, directed by Michael Anderson and produced by George Glass an ...
'', a British-American thriller about a woman who suspects her husband framed another man for murder. The latter film starred Deborah Kerr, Cushing's co-star from ''The End of the Affair'', and
Gary Cooper
Gary Cooper (born Frank James Cooper; May 7, 1901May 13, 1961) was an American actor known for his strong, quiet screen persona and understated acting style. He won the Academy Award for Best Actor twice and had a further three nominations, a ...
, one of Cushing's favourite actors.
In 1965, Cushing appeared in the
Ben Travers
Ben Travers (12 November 188618 December 1980) was an English writer. His output includes more than 20 plays, 30 screenplays, 5 novels, and 3 volumes of memoirs. He is best remembered for his long-running series of farces first staged in the ...
farce
Farce is a comedy that seeks to entertain an audience through situations that are highly exaggerated, extravagant, ridiculous, absurd, and improbable. Farce is also characterized by heavy use of physical humor; the use of deliberate absurdity o ...
play ''Thark'' at Westminster's
Garrick Theatre
The Garrick Theatre is a West End theatre, located in Charing Cross Road, in the City of Westminster, named after the stage actor David Garrick. It opened in 1889 with ''The Profligate'', a play by Arthur Wing Pinero, and another Pinero play, ' ...
. It was his final stage performance for a decade, but he continued to stay active in film and television during this period.
[Cushing, p. 158]
Cushing took the lead role in two
science fiction film
Science fiction (or sci-fi) is a film genre that uses speculative, fictional science-based depictions of phenomena that are not fully accepted by mainstream science, such as extraterrestrial lifeforms, spacecraft, robots, cyborgs, interstel ...
s by AARU Productions based on the British television series, ''
Doctor Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
''. Although Cushing's protagonist was derived from television scripts used for
First Doctor
The First Doctor is an incarnation of the Doctor, the protagonist of the BBC science fiction television series ''Doctor Who''. He was portrayed by actor William Hartnell.
Within the series' narrative, the Doctor is a centuries-old alien Time ...
serials, his portrayal of the character differed in the fact that Cushing's
Dr. Who
''Doctor Who'' is a British science fiction television series broadcast by the BBC since 1963. The series depicts the adventures of a Time Lord called the Doctor, an extraterrestrial being who appears to be human. The Doctor explores the ...
was a human being, whereas the original Doctor as portrayed on TV by
William Hartnell
William Henry Hartnell (8 January 1908 – 23 April 1975) was an English actor. He is best remembered for his portrayal of the first incarnation of the Doctor in ''Doctor Who'' from 1963 to 1966. In film, Hartnell notably appeared in '' Brig ...
was extraterrestrial.
[''Petting: Webster's Quotations, Facts and Phrases'' (2008). Icon Group International. p. 603. .] Cushing played the role in ''
Dr. Who and the Daleks'' (1965) and ''
Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D.'' (1966).
Cushing later starred in the fifteen-episode BBC television series ''
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes () is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a " consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and ...
'', once again reprising his role as the title character with
Nigel Stock as Watson, though only six episodes now survive. The episodes aired in 1968.
Douglas Wilmer had previously played Holmes for the BBC,
[Meikle, p. 280] but he turned down the part in this series due to the extremely demanding filming schedule. Fourteen days of rehearsal was originally scheduled for each episode, but they were cut down to ten days for economic reasons. Many actors turned down the role as a result, but Cushing accepted, and the BBC believed his Hammer Studios persona would bring what they called a sense of "lurking horror and callous savagery" to the series.
Production lasted from May to December,
[Earnshaw, p. 30] and Cushing adopted a strict regimen of training, preparation and exercise. He tried to keep his performance identical to his portrayal of Holmes from ''The Hound of the Baskervilles''.
[Knight, Chris (1971). "Talking to...Peter Cushing". ''L'Incroyable Cinema''.] Although the series proved popular, Cushing felt he could not give his best performance under the hectic schedule, and he was not pleased with the final result.
Cushing appeared in a handful of horror films by the independent
Amicus Productions, including ''
Dr. Terror's House of Horrors'' (1965), as a man who could see into the future using
Tarot
The tarot (, first known as '' trionfi'' and later as ''tarocchi'' or ''tarocks'') is a pack of playing cards, used from at least the mid-15th century in various parts of Europe to play card games such as Tarocchini. From their Italian roots ...
cards; ''
The Skull
''The Skull'' is a 1965 British horror film directed by Freddie Francis for Amicus Productions, and starring the frequently paired horror actors Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee, alongside Patrick Wymark, Jill Bennett, Nigel Green, Patrick ...
'' (1965), as a professor who became possessed by a spiritual force embodied within a skull; and ''
Torture Garden'' (1967), as a collector of
Edgar Allan Poe
Edgar Allan Poe (; Edgar Poe; January 19, 1809 – October 7, 1849) was an American writer, poet, editor, and literary critic. Poe is best known for his poetry and short stories, particularly his tales of mystery and the macabre. He is wid ...
relics who is robbed and murdered by a rival. Cushing also appeared in non-Amicus horror films like ''
Island of Terror
''Island of Terror'' is a 1966 British horror film released by Planet Film Productions. The film was released in the United States by Universal Studios on a double bill with ''The Projected Man'' (1967).
The idea for the film came when the produ ...
'' (1966) and ''
The Blood Beast Terror
''The Blood Beast Terror'' is a 1968 British horror film directed by Vernon Sewell and starring Peter Cushing, Robert Flemyng and Wanda Ventham, released by Tigon in February 1968.John Hamilton, ''Beasts in the Cellar: The Exploitation Film Care ...
'' (1968), in both of which he investigates a series of mysterious deaths. He appeared in ''
Corruption
Corruption is a form of dishonesty or a criminal offense which is undertaken by a person or an organization which is entrusted in a position of authority, in order to acquire illicit benefits or abuse power for one's personal gain. Corruption m ...
'' (1968), a film that was billed as so horrific that "no woman will be admitted alone" into theatres to see it. Cushing played a surgeon who attempts to restore the beauty of his wife (played by
Sue Lloyd), whose face is horribly scarred in an accident.
In July 1969, Cushing appeared as the
straight man
The straight man is a stock character in a comedy performance, especially a double act, sketch comedy, or farce. When a comedy partner behaves eccentrically, the straight man is expected to maintain composure. The direct contribution to the c ...
in ''
The Morecambe & Wise Show'', the British comedy series. In the skit, Cushing portrayed
King Arthur
King Arthur ( cy, Brenin Arthur, kw, Arthur Gernow, br, Roue Arzhur) is a legendary king of Britain, and a central figure in the medieval literary tradition known as the Matter of Britain.
In the earliest traditions, Arthur appears as ...
, while the other two gave comedic portrayals of characters like
Merlin
Merlin ( cy, Myrddin, kw, Marzhin, br, Merzhin) is a mythical figure prominently featured in the legend of King Arthur and best known as a mage, with several other main roles. His usual depiction, based on an amalgamation of historic and leg ...
and the knights of the
Round Table
The Round Table ( cy, y Ford Gron; kw, an Moos Krenn; br, an Daol Grenn; la, Mensa Rotunda) is King Arthur's famed table in the Arthurian legend, around which he and his knights congregate. As its name suggests, it has no head, implying that ...
. Cushing continued to make occasional cameos in the series over the next decade, portraying himself desperately attempting to collect a payment for his previous acting appearance on the show.
[Scully, Rob (11 August 1994). "Peter Cushing: The First Gentleman of Horror". '']Press Association
PA Media (formerly the Press Association) is a multimedia news agency, and the national news agency of the United Kingdom and Ireland. It is part of PA Media Group Limited, a private company with 26 shareholders, most of whom are national and re ...
''. Cushing and Lee made cameos as their old roles of Frankenstein and Dracula in the comedy ''
One More Time'' (1970), which starred
Peter Lawford
Peter Sydney Ernest Lawford ( Aylen; 7 September 1923 – 24 December 1984) was an English-American actor.Obituary '' Variety'', 26 December 1984.
He was a member of the " Rat Pack" and the brother-in-law of US president John F. Kennedy and se ...
and
Sammy Davis Jr. The single scene took only one morning of filming, which Cushing agreed to after Davis asked him to do it as a favour.
The next year, Cushing appeared in ''
I, Monster
''I, Monster'' is a 1971 British horror film directed by Stephen Weeks (his feature debut) for Amicus Productions. It is an adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella '' Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde'', with the main characte ...
'' (1971),
which was adapted from
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson (born Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson; 13 November 1850 – 3 December 1894) was a Scottish novelist, essayist, poet and travel writer. He is best known for works such as '' Treasure Island'', ''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll ...
's ''
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
''Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde'' is a 1886 Gothic novella by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It follows Gabriel John Utterson, a London-based legal practitioner who investigates a series of strange occurrences between his old ...
'', alongside Lee as the Jekyll/Hyde figure. Later that year he was set to appear in ''
Blood from the Mummy's Tomb'' (1971), an adaptation of the Bram Stoker novel ''
The Jewel of Seven Stars
''The Jewel of Seven Stars'' is a horror novel by Irish writer Bram Stoker, first published by Heinemann in 1903. The story is a first-person narrative of a young man pulled into an archaeologist's plot to revive Queen Tera, an ancient Egypti ...
''. He was forced to withdraw from the film to care for his wife, and was ultimately replaced by
Andrew Keir
Andrew Keir (né Buggy, 3 April 19265 October 1997) was a Scottish actor who appeared in a number of films made by Hammer Film Productions in the 1960s. He was also active in television, and especially in the theatre, in a professional career ...
.
In 1971, Cushing contacted the
Royal National Institute for the Blind
The Royal National Institute of Blind People (RNIB) is a UK charity offering information, support and advice to almost two million people in the UK with sight loss.
History
The RNIB was founded by Thomas Rhodes Armitage, a doctor who had ey ...
and offered to provide
voice acting
Voice acting is the art of performing voice-overs to present a character or provide information to an audience. Performers are called voice actors/actresses, voice artists, dubbing artists, voice talent, voice-over artists, or voice-over talen ...
for some of their audiobooks. They immediately accepted, and among the works Cushing recorded was ''
The Return of Sherlock Holmes
''The Return of Sherlock Holmes'' is a 1905 collection of 13 Sherlock Holmes stories, originally published in 1903–1904, by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle. The stories were published in the ''Strand Magazine'' in Britain and ''Collier's'' in ...
'', a collection of thirteen one-hour stories.
[Earnshaw, p. 65] He appeared alongside
Vincent Price
Vincent Leonard Price Jr. (May 27, 1911 – October 25, 1993) was an American actor, art historian, art collector and gourmet cook. He appeared on stage, television, and radio, and in more than 100 films. Price has two stars on the Hollywood Wal ...
in ''
Dr. Phibes Rises Again
''Dr. Phibes Rises Again'' is a 1972 British horror-dark comedy film, produced by Louis M. Heyward, directed by Robert Fuest, that stars Vincent Price and Robert Quarry. The film is a sequel to ''The Abominable Dr. Phibes'' (1971). After seekin ...
!'' (1972), a sequel to ''
The Abominable Dr. Phibes'', and then co-starred with Price again in the film ''
Madhouse'' (1974).
Cushing continued to appear in several Amicus Productions films during this period, including ''
Tales from the Crypt
Tales from the Crypt may refer to:
* ''Tales from the Crypt'' (album), by American rapper C-Bo
* ''Tales from the Crypt'' (comics), published by EC Comics during the 1950s
** ''Tales from the Crypt'' (film), a 1972 Amicus film starring Ralph Ric ...
'' (1972), ''
From Beyond the Grave'' (1973),
[Chibnall, Steve and Petley, Julian (2001). ''British Horror Cinema''. ]Routledge
Routledge () is a British multinational publisher. It was founded in 1836 by George Routledge, and specialises in providing academic books, journals and online resources in the fields of the humanities, behavioural science, education, law ...
p. 138. . ''
And Now the Screaming Starts!
''And Now the Screaming Starts!'' is a 1973 British gothic horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Peter Cushing, Herbert Lom, Patrick Magee, Stephanie Beacham and Ian Ogilvy. It is one of the few feature-length horror stories by Am ...
'' (1973),
and ''
The Beast Must Die'' (1974).
For ''Tales from the Crypt'', an
anthology film
An anthology film (also known as an omnibus film, package film, or portmanteau film) is a single film consisting of several shorter films, each complete in itself and distinguished from the other, though frequently tied together by a single theme ...
made up of several horror segments, Cushing was offered the part of a ruthless businessman but did not like the part and turned down the role. Instead, Cushing asked to play Arthur Grymsdyke,
[Cushing, p. 153] a kind, working-class widower who gets along well with the local children, but falls subject to a
smear campaign
A smear campaign, also referred to as a smear tactic or simply a smear, is an effort to damage or call into question someone's reputation, by propounding negative propaganda. It makes use of discrediting tactics.
It can be applied to individual ...
by his snobbish neighbours. Eventually, the character is driven to commit suicide, but returns from the grave to seek revenge against his tormentors.
[Kay, Glenn (2008). ''Zombie Movies: The Ultimate Guide''. Chicago, Illinois: ]Chicago Review Press
Chicago Review Press, or CRP, is a U.S. book publisher and an independent company founded in 1973. Chicago Review Press publishes approximately 60 new titles yearly under eight imprints: Chicago Review Press, Lawrence Hill Books, Academy Chicago, ...
. pp. 69—70. . After Cushing was cast in the role, several changes were made to the script at his suggestion. Originally, all of the character's lines were spoken aloud to himself, but Cushing suggested he speak to a framed photo of his deceased wife instead, and director
Freddie Francis
Frederick William Francis (22 December 1917 – 17 March 2007) was an English cinematographer and film director. He achieved his greatest successes as a cinematographer. He started his career with British films such as Jack Cardiff's '' Sons and ...
agreed.
Cushing used the emotions from the recent loss of his wife to add authenticity to the widower character's grieving.
Make-up artist
Roy Ashton
Howard Roy Ashton (17 April 1909 – 10 January 1995) was an Australian tenor, associated for a while with Benjamin Britten's English Opera Group, and make-up artist who became particularly associated with his work on the Hammer Horror films. ...
designed the costume and make-up Cushing wore when he rose from the dead,
but the actor helped Ashton develop the costume, and donned a pair of false teeth that he previously used in a disguise during the ''Sherlock Holmes'' television series. His performance in ''Tales from the Crypt'' won him the Best Male Actor award at the 1971 French Convention of Fantasy Cinema in France.
In 1975, Cushing was anxious to return to the stage, where he had not performed in ten years. Around this time he learned that Helen Ryan, an actress who impressed him in a televised play about
King Edward VII
Edward VII (Albert Edward; 9 November 1841 – 6 May 1910) was King of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland and Emperor of India, from 22 January 1901 until his death in 1910.
The second child and eldest son of Queen Victoria an ...
, was planning to run the Horseshoe Theatre in
Basingstoke
Basingstoke ( ) is the largest town in the county of Hampshire. It is situated in south-central England and lies across a valley at the source of the River Loddon, at the far western edge of The North Downs. It is located north-east of Southa ...
with her husband, Guy Slater. Cushing wrote to the couple and suggested they stage ''
The Heiress'', a play by
Ruth and Augustus Goetz, with Cushing himself in the lead role. Ryan and Slater agreed, and Cushing later said performing the part was his most pleasant experience since his wife had died four years earlier.
Cushing also starred in several horror films released in 1975. Among them were ''
Land of the Minotaur'', where he played Baron Corofax, the evil leader of a Satanic cult opposed by a priest played by
Donald Pleasence. Another was ''
The Ghoul'', where he played a former priest hiding his
cannibalistic son in an attic. That film marked the first Cushing worked for producer
Kevin Francis, who worked in minor jobs at Hammer and had long aspired to work with Cushing, whom he admired deeply. They went on to make two other films together, ''
Legend of the Werewolf'' (1975) and ''
The Masks of Death
''The Masks of Death'' is a 1984 British mystery television film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes and John Mills as Doctor Watson.
Plot
In 1913, Sherlock Holmes, virtually in retirement, is persuaded by ...
'' (1984) with the actor playing Sherlock Holmes once more. Cushing appeared in the television film ''The Great Houdini'' (1976) as Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes.
Cushing wrote the forewords to two books about the detective:
Peter Haining's ''Sherlock Holmes Scrapbook'' (1974) and ''Holmes of the Movies: The Screen Career of Sherlock Holmes'' (1976), by
David Stuart Davies
David Stuart Davies (born 1946) is a British writer. He worked as a teacher of English before becoming a full-time editor, writer, and playwright. Davies has written extensively about Sherlock Holmes, both fiction and non-fiction. He is the edi ...
. Cushing also appeared in the horror film ''The Uncanny'' (1977).
''Star Wars''
Film director
George Lucas
George Walton Lucas Jr. (born May 14, 1944) is an American filmmaker. Lucas is best known for creating the '' Star Wars'' and '' Indiana Jones'' franchises and founding Lucasfilm, LucasArts, Industrial Light & Magic and THX. He served as c ...
approached Cushing with the hopes of casting the actor in his upcoming space
fantasy film
Fantasy films are films that belong to the fantasy genre with fantastic themes, usually magic, supernatural events, mythology, folklore, or exotic fantasy worlds. The genre is considered a form of speculative fiction alongside science fiction ...
, ''
Star Wars
''Star Wars'' is an American epic space opera multimedia franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the eponymous 1977 film and quickly became a worldwide pop-culture phenomenon. The franchise has been expanded into various film ...
''. Since the film's primary antagonist
Darth Vader
Darth Vader is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. The character is the central antagonist of the original trilogy and, as Anakin Skywalker, is one of the main protagonists in the prequel trilogy. ''Star Wars'' creator George ...
wore a mask throughout the entire film and his face was never visible, Lucas felt a strong human villain character was necessary. This led Lucas to write the character of
Grand Moff Tarkin
Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise, introduced as the main antagonist of the original 1977 ''Star Wars'' film (played by Peter Cushing). In the film, Tarkin is depicted as a high-ranking officer o ...
: a high-ranking Imperial governor and commander of the planet-destroying battlestation, the
Death Star. Lucas felt a talented actor was needed to play the role and said Cushing was his first choice for the part.
[Rinzler, J.W. (2007). ''The Making of Star Wars: The Definitive Story Behind the Original Film''. New York City, New York: Del Rey. p. 125. .] However, Cushing has claimed that Lucas originally approached him to play the Jedi Master
Obi-Wan Kenobi
Obi-Wan Kenobi () is a fictional character in the ''Star Wars'' franchise. Within the original trilogy, Obi-Wan is a Jedi Master as a supporting character and is portrayed by English actor Alec Guinness. In the later-released prequel trilogy, ...
, and only decided to cast him as Tarkin instead after the two met each other. Cushing said he would have preferred to play Kenobi rather than Tarkin, but could not have done so because he was to be filming other movie roles when ''Star Wars'' was shooting, and Tarkin's scenes took less time to film than those of the larger Kenobi role. Although not a particular fan of science fiction, Cushing accepted the part because he believed his audience would love ''Star Wars'' and enjoy seeing him in the film.
Cushing joined the cast in May 1976, and his scenes were filmed at
Elstree Studios
Elstree Studios is a generic term which can refer to several current and demolished British film studios and television studios based in or around the town of Borehamwood and village of Elstree in Hertfordshire, England. Production studios ha ...
in
Borehamwood
Borehamwood (, historically also Boreham Wood) is a town in southern Hertfordshire, England, from Charing Cross. Borehamwood has a population of 31,074, and is within the London commuter belt. The town's film and TV studios are commonly know ...
.
Along with
Alec Guinness
Sir Alec Guinness (born Alec Guinness de Cuffe; 2 April 1914 – 5 August 2000) was an English actor. After an early career on the stage, Guinness was featured in several of the Ealing comedies, including '' Kind Hearts and Coronets'' (1 ...
, who was ultimately cast as Kenobi, Cushing was among the best known actors at the time to appear in ''Star Wars'', as the rest of the cast were then relatively unknown. As a result, Cushing was paid a larger daily salary than most of his fellow cast, earning
£2,000 per day compared to weekly salaries of $1,000 for
Mark Hamill
Mark Richard Hamill (; born September 25, 1951) is an American actor and writer. He is known for his role as Luke Skywalker in the '' Star Wars'' film series, beginning with the original 1977 film and subsequently winning three Saturn Awards ...
, $850 for
Carrie Fisher and $750 for
Harrison Ford
Harrison Ford (born July 13, 1942) is an American actor. His films have grossed more than $5.4billion in North America and more than $9.3billion worldwide, making him the seventh-highest-grossing actor in North America. He is the recipient o ...
, who played protagonists
Luke Skywalker, Princess
Leia Organa and
Han Solo
Han Solo is a fictional character in the '' Star Wars'' franchise created by George Lucas. The character first appeared in the 1977 film '' Star Wars'' portrayed by Harrison Ford, who reprised his role in '' The Empire Strikes Back'' (1980) an ...
, respectively.
When Cushing smoked between shots, he wore a white glove so the make-up artists would not have to deal with nicotine stains on his fingers. Like Guinness, Cushing had difficulty with some of the technical jargon in his dialogue, and claimed he did not understand all of the words he was speaking. Nevertheless, he worked hard to master the lines so they sounded natural and that his character appeared intelligent and confident.
[Rinzler, p. 177]
Cushing got along well with the entire cast, especially his old co-star David Prowse who played Darth Vader and Carrie Fisher, who was appearing in her first major role as Princess Leia Organa.
The scene in which Tarkin and Organa appear together on the Death Star, just before the destruction of the planet Alderaan, was the first scene with major dialogue that Fisher filmed for ''Star Wars''.
Cushing consciously attempted to define their characters as opposite representations of good and evil, and the actor purposely stood in the shadows so the light shone on Fisher's face. Fisher said she liked Cushing so much that it was difficult to act as though she hated Tarkin,
and she had to substitute somebody else in her mind to muster the feelings. Although one of her lines referred to Tarkin's "foul stench," she said the actual actor smelled like "
linen
Linen () is a textile made from the fibers of the flax plant.
Linen is very strong, absorbent, and dries faster than cotton. Because of these properties, linen is comfortable to wear in hot weather and is valued for use in garments. It also ...
and
lavender
''Lavandula'' (common name lavender) is a genus of 47 known species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is native to the Old World and is found in Cape Verde and the Canary Islands, and from Europe across to northern and easte ...
," something Cushing attributed to his tendency to wash and brush his teeth thoroughly before filming because of his self-consciousness about
bad breath.
During the filming of ''Star Wars'', Cushing was provided with a pair of boots far too small to accommodate the actor's size twelve feet. This caused a great deal of pain for him during shooting, but the costume designers did not have enough time to get him another pair. As a result, he asked Lucas to film more
close-up
A close-up or closeup in filmmaking, television production, photography, still photography, and the comic strip medium is a type of shot (filmmaking), shot that tightly film frame, frames a person or object. Close-ups are one of the standard s ...
shots of him from the waist up and, after the director agreed, Cushing wore
slippers
Slippers are light footwear that are easy to put on and off and are intended to be worn indoors, particularly at home. They provide comfort and protection for the feet when walking indoors.
History
The recorded history of slippers can be traced ...
during the scenes where his feet were not visible.
["How Jim fixed it for horror actor Cushing" (8 May 2004). '']Nottingham Evening Post
The ''Nottingham Post'' (formerly the ''Nottingham Evening Post'') is an English tabloid newspaper which serves Nottingham, Nottinghamshire and parts of Derbyshire, Leicestershire and Lincolnshire.
The ''Post'' is published Monday to Saturday ...
'': p. 16. During rehearsals, Lucas originally planned for Tarkin and Vader to use a giant screen filled with computerised architectural representations of hallways to monitor the whereabouts of Skywalker, Solo and Organa. Although the idea was ultimately abandoned before filming began, Cushing and Prowse rehearsed those scenes in a set built by computer animation artist
Larry Cuba Larry Cuba (born 1950) is a computer-animation artist who became active in the late 1970s and early 1980s.
Born in 1950 in Atlanta, Georgia, he received A.B. from Washington University in St. Louis in 1972 and his Master's Degree from California In ...
. The close-up shots of Cushing aboard the Death Star, shown right before the battlestation is destroyed, were actually extra footage taken from previously-shot scenes with Cushing that did not make the final film. During production, Lucas decided to add those shots, along with
second unit
Second unit is a discrete team of filmmakers tasked with filming shots or sequences of a production, separate from the main or "first" unit. The second unit will often shoot simultaneously with the other unit or units, allowing the filming stag ...
footage of the Death Star gunners preparing to fire, to add more suspense to the film's space battle scenes.
When ''Star Wars'' was first released in 1977, most preliminary advertisements touted Cushing's Tarkin as the primary antagonist of the film, not Vader;
[Kroll, Jack (30 May 1977).] Cushing was extremely pleased with the final film, and he claimed his only disappointment was that Tarkin was killed and could not appear in the subsequent sequels. The film gave Cushing the highest amount of visibility of his entire career, and helped inspire younger audiences to watch his older films.
[Majendie, Paul (7 August 1986). "Master of horror tells his story." '']Chicago Tribune
The ''Chicago Tribune'' is a daily newspaper based in Chicago, Illinois, United States, owned by Tribune Publishing. Founded in 1847, and formerly self-styled as the "World's Greatest Newspaper" (a slogan for which WGN radio and television ar ...
'': p. D9.
For the film ''
Rogue One
''Rogue One: A Star Wars Story'' (or simply ''Rogue One'') is a 2016 American epic space opera film directed by Gareth Edwards. The screenplay by Chris Weitz and Tony Gilroy is from a story by John Knoll and Gary Whitta. It was produced by L ...
'' (2016),
CGI and digitally-repurposed-archive footage
were used to insert Cushing's likeness from the original movie over the face of actor
Guy Henry. Henry provided the on-set capture and voice work with the reference material augmented and mapped over his performance like a digital body-mask. Cushing's estate owners were heavily involved with the creation which took place more than twenty years after Cushing died.
This extensive use of CGI to "resurrect" an actor who had died many years earlier created a great deal of controversy about the ethics of using a deceased actor's likeness.
Joyce Broughton, Cushing's former secretary, had approved recreating Cushing in the film. After attending the London premiere, she was reportedly "taken aback" and "dazzled" with the effect of seeing Cushing on screen again.
Later career
Toward the end of his career, Cushing performed in films and roles critics widely considered below his talent.
Director
John Carpenter
John Howard Carpenter (born January 16, 1948) is an American filmmaker, actor, and composer. Although he worked in various film genres, he is most commonly associated with horror, action, and science fiction films of the 1970s and 1980s. He ...
approached him to appear in the horror film ''
Halloween
Halloween or Hallowe'en (less commonly known as Allhalloween, All Hallows' Eve, or All Saints' Eve) is a celebration observed in many countries on 31 October, the eve of the Western Christian feast of All Saints' Day. It begins the observan ...
'' (1978) as
Samuel Loomis, the psychiatrist of murderer
Michael Myers, but Cushing turned down the role. It was also turned down by Christopher Lee, and eventually went to Donald Pleasence, another of Cushing's former co-stars. Cushing appeared alongside his old co-stars Christopher Lee and Vincent Price in ''
House of the Long Shadows'' (1983), a horror-
parody film featuring
Desi Arnaz, Jr.
Desiderio Alberto Arnaz IV (born January 19, 1953), known professionally as Desi Arnaz Jr., is an American actor and musician. He is the son of Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz.
Early life
Arnaz was born on January 19, 1953, at Cedars-Sinai Medical ...
as an author trying to write a gothic novel in a deserted Welsh mansion.
Cushing appeared in the television film ''The Masks of Death'' (1984), marking both the last time he played detective Sherlock Holmes and the final performance for which he received top billing.
He appeared alongside actor
John Mills
Sir John Mills (born Lewis Ernest Watts Mills; 22 February 190823 April 2005) was an English actor who appeared in more than 120 films in a career spanning seven decades. He excelled on camera as an appealing British everyman who often portray ...
as Watson, and the two were noted by critics for their strong chemistry and camaraderie. As both actors were in their seventies, screenwriter
N.J. Crisp and executive producer Kevin Francis both in turn sought to portray them as two old-fashioned men in a rapidly changing world. Cushing's biographer Tony Earnshaw said Cushing's performance in ''The Masks of Death'' was arguably the actor's best interpretation of the role, calling it "the culmination of a life-time as a Holmes fan, and more than a quarter of a century of preparation to play the most complex of characters". The final notable roles of Cushing's career were in the comedy ''
Top Secret!'' (1984), the fantasy film ''
Sword of the Valiant'' (also 1984) and the adventure film ''
Biggles: Adventures in Time'' (1986).
In 1986, he appeared on the British television show ''
Jim'll Fix It'', hosted by
Jimmy Savile
Sir James Wilson Vincent Savile (; 31 October 1926 – 29 October 2011) was an English DJ, television and radio personality who hosted BBC shows including ''Top of the Pops'' and '' Jim'll Fix It''. During his lifetime, he was well kno ...
, in which it was arranged for the wishes of guests to be granted. Cushing wished for a strain of rose to be named after his wife, and it was arranged for the Helen Cushing Rose to be grown at the Wheatcroft Rose Garden in
Edwalton
Edwalton is an area of West Bridgford in the Borough of Rushcliffe, in Nottinghamshire, England, covering Gamston and the older Edwalton village. The population of the Rushcliffe Ward was 3,908 at the 2011 Census. A 2019 estimate put it at 4, ...
, Nottinghamshire.
During this period, Cushing was honoured by the
British Film Institute
The British Film Institute (BFI) is a film and television charitable organisation which promotes and preserves film-making and television in the United Kingdom. The BFI uses funds provided by the National Lottery to encourage film production, ...
, which invited him in 1986 to give a lecture at the
National Film Theatre. He also staged ''An Evening with Peter Cushing'' at St. Edmund's Public School in
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of t ...
to raise money for the local Cancer Care Unit. In 1987, a
watercolour painting Cushing painted was accepted by
Prince Edward and auctioned at a charity event he organised to raise funds for
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award
The Duke of Edinburgh's Award (commonly abbreviated DofE) is a youth awards programme founded in the United Kingdom in 1956 by Prince Philip, Duke of Edinburgh, that has since expanded to 144 nations. The awards recognise adolescents and young ...
Scheme. Also that year, a sketch Cushing drew of Sherlock Holmes was accepted as the official logo of the Northern Musgraves Sherlock Holmes Society.
Cushing wrote two autobiographies, ''Peter Cushing: An Autobiography'' (1986) and ''Past Forgetting: Memoirs of the Hammer Years'' (1988).
Cushing wrote the books as what he called "a form of therapy to stop me going stark, raving mad" following the loss of his wife. His old friend and co-star John Mills encouraged him to publish his memoirs as a way of overcoming the reclusive state Cushing had placed himself into following her death.
In 1989 he was made an
Officer of the Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is a British order of chivalry, rewarding contributions to the arts and sciences, work with charitable and welfare organisations,
and public service outside the civil service. It was established ...
for his contributions to the British film industry. Cushing also wrote a children's book called ''The Bois Saga'', a story based on the history of England. Published in 1994, it was originally written specifically for the daughter of Cushing's long-time secretary and friend Joyce Broughton, to help her overcome reading problems resulting from her
dyslexia
Dyslexia, also known until the 1960s as word blindness, is a disorder characterized by reading below the expected level for one's age. Different people are affected to different degrees. Problems may include difficulties in spelling words, r ...
. It was Broughton who encouraged Cushing to have the book published. His final acting job was narrating, along with Christopher Lee, the Hammer Films documentary ''Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror'' (1994), which was recorded only a few weeks before his death.
Produced by American writer and director Ted Newsom, his contribution was recorded in
Canterbury
Canterbury (, ) is a cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour.
The Archbishop of Canterbury is the primate of t ...
, near his home. Lee recognised Cushing's health was fading and did his best to keep his friend's spirits up, but Lee later claimed he had a premonition that it would be the last time he saw Cushing alive, which proved to be true.
Personal life
Cushing had a variety of interests outside acting, including collecting and battling
model soldiers, of which he owned over five thousand. He hand-painted many and used the ''
Little Wars'' rule set by
H. G. Wells for
miniature wargaming
Miniature wargaming is a form of wargaming in which military units are represented by miniature physical models on a model battlefield. The use of physical models to represent military units is in contrast to other tabletop wargames that use ...
. He also loved games and
practical joke
A practical joke, or prank, is a mischievous trick played on someone, generally causing the victim to experience embarrassment, perplexity, confusion, or discomfort.Marsh, Moira. 2015. ''Practically Joking''. Logan: Utah State University Press. ...
s,
and enjoyed drawing and painting watercolours, the latter of which he did especially often in his later years.
After his wife's death, Cushing visited several churches and spoke to religious ministers, but was dissatisfied by their reluctance to discuss death and the afterlife, and never joined an organized religion. He nevertheless maintained a belief in both
God and an
afterlife
The afterlife (also referred to as life after death) is a purported existence in which the essential part of an individual's identity or their stream of consciousness continues to live after the death of their physical body. The surviving es ...
.
He was an ardent vegetarian for most of his life who served as a patron with the
Vegetarian Society from 1987 until his death. He also had a great interest in
ornithology
Ornithology is a branch of zoology that concerns the "methodological study and consequent knowledge of birds with all that relates to them." Several aspects of ornithology differ from related disciplines, due partly to the high visibility and t ...
and wildlife in general.
He suffered from
nyctophobia
Fear of the dark is a common fear or phobia among children and, to a varying degree, adults. A fear of the dark does not always concern darkness itself; it can also be a fear of possible or imagined dangers concealed by darkness. Some degree of ...
from early in his life, but in his later years overcame this by forcing himself to take walks outside after midnight.
Cushing was known among his colleagues for his gentle and gentlemanly demeanour, as well as his professionalism and rigorous preparation as an actor.
He once said that he learned his parts "from cover to cover" before filming began.
[Meikle, p. 71] His co-stars and colleagues often spoke of his politeness, charm, old-fashioned manners and sense of humour.
While working, he actively provided feedback and suggestions on other elements beyond his performance, such as dialogue and wardrobe. At times, this put him at odds with writers and producers; Hammer Studios producer Anthony Hinds once declared him a "fusspot
ndterrible fusser about his wardrobe and everything, but never a difficult man."
Although he appeared in both television and stage productions, Cushing preferred the medium of film, which allowed his perfectionist nature to work out the best performance possible.
He did not enjoy the repetitive nature of stage performances, and once compared it to a painter being forced to paint the same picture every day.
Cushing himself was not a particular fan of horror or science fiction films, but he tended to choose roles not based on whether he enjoyed them, but whether he felt his audience would enjoy him in them.
However, Cushing was very proud of his experiences with the Hammer films, and never resented becoming known as a horror actor.
He always took the roles seriously and never portrayed them in a
campy or
tongue-in-cheek
The idiom tongue-in-cheek refers to a humorous or sarcastic statement expressed in a serious manner.
History
The phrase originally expressed contempt, but by 1842 had acquired its modern meaning. Early users of the phrase include Sir Walter Scot ...
style because he felt it would be insulting to his audience.
On 10 April 1943, Cushing married Violet Hélène Beck, sister of
Reginald Beck.
["Obituary: Peter Cushing OBE"](_blank)
(Autumn 1994). ''The Vegetarian
''The Vegetarian'' () is a South Korean three-part novel written by Han Kang and first published in 2007. Based on Han's 1997 short story "The Fruit of My Woman", ''The Vegetarian'' is set in modern-day Seoul and tells the story of Yeong-hye, a ...
''.[Cushing, p. 81]
In 1971 Cushing's wife died of
emphysema
Emphysema, or pulmonary emphysema, is a lower respiratory tract disease, characterised by air-filled spaces ( pneumatoses) in the lungs, that can vary in size and may be very large. The spaces are caused by the breakdown of the walls of the alv ...
. Cushing often said he felt his life had ended when hers did,
and he was so crushed that when his first autobiography was published in 1986, it made no mention of his life after her death.
In 1972, he was quoted in the ''
Radio Times
''Radio Times'' (currently styled as ''RadioTimes'') is a British weekly listings magazine devoted to television and radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves ...
'' as having said, "Since Helen passed on I can't find anything; the heart, quite simply, has gone out of everything. Time is interminable, the loneliness is almost unbearable and the only thing that keeps me going is the knowledge that my dear Helen and I will be reunited again some day. To join Helen is my only ambition. You have my permission to publish that ... really, you know, dear boy, it's all just killing time. Please say that."
In his autobiography, Cushing implies that he attempted suicide on the night of his wife's death by running up and down stairs in the vain hope that it would induce a
heart attack
A myocardial infarction (MI), commonly known as a heart attack, occurs when blood flow decreases or stops to the coronary artery of the heart, causing damage to the heart muscle. The most common symptom is chest pain or discomfort which ma ...
. He later stated that this had simply been a hysterical response borne out of grief, and that he had not purposely attempted to end his life; a poem left by Helen had implored him not to die until he had lived his life to the full.
The effects of his wife's death proved to be as much physical as mental. For his role in ''
Dracula A.D. 1972'', Cushing (who was 58) had originally been cast as the father of
Stephanie Beacham
Stephanie Beacham (born 28 February 1947) is an English television, film, radio and theatre actress. Although she has a wide number of credits to her name, Beacham is best known for for playing Sable Colby in the ABC soap operas ''The Colbys' ...
's character, but had aged so visibly and lost so much weight that the script was hastily rewritten to make him her grandfather: it was done again in the last Dracula film from Hammer, ''
The Satanic Rites of Dracula''. In a silent tribute to Helen, a shot of
Van Helsing's desk includes a photograph of her. He repeated the role of the man who lost family in other horror films, including ''
Asylum'' (1972), ''
The Creeping Flesh'' (1973), and ''
The Ghoul'' (1975).
Death and legacy
In May 1982, Cushing was diagnosed with
prostate cancer
Prostate cancer is cancer of the prostate. Prostate cancer is the second most common cancerous tumor worldwide and is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related mortality among men. The prostate is a gland in the male reproductive system that su ...
. He was rushed to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital when his left eye had swollen to nearly three times its normal size, a side effect of the cancer. Doctors determined he had twelve to eighteen months to live, and that his left eye might be lost. To their surprise, however, Cushing recovered well enough to be released from the hospital, and although his health continued to gradually decline, Cushing lived another twelve years without any operative treatment or
chemotherapy
Chemotherapy (often abbreviated to chemo and sometimes CTX or CTx) is a type of cancer treatment that uses one or more anti-cancer drugs (chemotherapeutic agents or alkylating agents) as part of a standardized chemotherapy regimen. Chemother ...
. During this period, he lived with Joyce Broughton and her family at their homes in
Hartley
Hartley may refer to:
Places Australia
*Hartley, New South Wales
* Hartley, South Australia
** Electoral district of Hartley, a state electoral district
Canada
*Hartley Bay, British Columbia
United Kingdom
* Hartley, Cumbria
* Hartley, Pl ...
, Kent. In August 1994, Cushing entered himself into Pilgrims Hospice in Canterbury, where he died on 11 August at 81 years old.
[Movie star Cushing's stamp of approval]
" (6 September 2008). ''Kent News''. In accordance with his wishes, Cushing had a low-profile funeral with family and friends, although hundreds of fans and well-wishers came to Canterbury to pay their respects. In January 1995, a memorial service was held in
The Actor's Church
St Paul's Church is a Church of England parish church located in Bedford Street, Covent Garden, central London. It was designed by Inigo Jones as part of a commission for the 4th Earl of Bedford in 1631 to create "houses and buildings fit fo ...
in
Covent Garden
Covent Garden is a district in London, on the eastern fringes of the West End, between St Martin's Lane and Drury Lane. It is associated with the former fruit-and-vegetable market in the central square, now a popular shopping and tourist si ...
, with addresses given by Christopher Lee, Kevin Francis,
Ron Moody and
James Bree. In total, Cushing appeared in more than 100 films throughout his career.
In an interview included on the DVD release of ''
The Hound of the Baskervilles
''The Hound of the Baskervilles'' is the third of the four crime novels by British writer Arthur Conan Doyle featuring the detective Sherlock Holmes. Originally serialised in ''The Strand Magazine'' from August 1901 to April 1902, it is set ...
'' (1959), Lee said of his friend's death: Several filmmakers and actors have claimed to be influenced by Peter Cushing, including actor
Doug Bradley, who played
Pinhead in the
''Hellraiser'' horror films, and John Carpenter, who directed such films as ''Halloween'' (1978), ''
Escape from New York'' (1981) and ''
The Thing'' (1982).
Director
Tim Burton
Timothy Walter Burton (born August 25, 1958) is an American filmmaker and animator. He is known for his gothic fantasy and horror films such as '' Beetlejuice'' (1988), '' Edward Scissorhands'' (1990), '' The Nightmare Before Christmas'' (1993 ...
and actor
Johnny Depp
John Christopher Depp II (born June 9, 1963) is an American actor and musician. He is the recipient of List of awards and nominations received by Johnny Depp, multiple accolades, including a Golden Globe Award and a Screen Actors Guild Awa ...
both said the portrayal of
Ichabod Crane
Ichabod Crane is a fictional character and the protagonist in Washington Irving's short story "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow." Crane is portrayed, in the original work, as well as in most adaptations, as a tall, lanky individual with a scarecro ...
in ''
Sleepy Hollow'' was intended to resemble that of Cushing's old horror film performances.
In 2008, fourteen years after his death, Cushing's image was used in a
set of stamps issued by the
Royal Mail
, kw, Postya Riel, ga, An Post Ríoga
, logo = Royal Mail.svg
, logo_size = 250px
, type = Public limited company
, traded_as =
, foundation =
, founder = Henry VIII
, location = London, England, UK
, key_people = * Keith Williams ...
honouring Hammer Studios films on the fiftieth anniversary of the release of ''Dracula''.
In 2013, Cushing was honoured by the Royal Mail as one of ten people selected for their
"Great Britons" commemorative postage stamp issue.
Filmography
Film
Television
Television films
Short films
Other credits
Sources
References
External links
*
Peter Cushingat
AusStage
*
*
*
*
The Peter Cushing Appreciation Society UKPeter Cushing Literature
{{DEFAULTSORT:Cushing, Peter
1913 births
1994 deaths
20th-century English male actors
20th-century English painters
English male painters
Male actors from Surrey
Alumni of the Guildhall School of Music and Drama
Best Actor BAFTA Award (television) winners
Birdwatchers
Burials in Kent
Deaths from cancer in England
Deaths from prostate cancer
English male film actors
English male stage actors
English male television actors
English watercolourists
Officers of the Order of the British Empire
People associated with the Vegetarian Society
People educated at Shoreham College
People from Dulwich
People from Kenley
People from Purley, London
People from Whitstable
Philosophical theists