[21] Cushing became very ill with dysentery during filming and lost a considerable amount of weight as a result. "Charleston fanatics ready to celebrate 'Revenge'". Thus a grey pallor is added to his . [108] Another was The Ghoul, where he played a former priest hiding his cannibalistic son in an attic. They both appeared in numerous Hammer films, as well as other genre films, throughout their careers. And his face was memorable. [107] His performance in Tales from the Crypt won him the Best Male Actor award at the 1971 French Convention of Fantasy Cinema in France. Chibnall, Steve and Petley, Julian (2001). He moved to New York City in anticipation of his eventual return home, during which time he voiced a few radio commercials and joined a summer stock theatre company to raise money for his voyage back to England. 1959 - 1984. [18] After Cushing attempted the accent and failed, Olivier replied, "Well, I appreciate you not wasting my time. During his. Fisher said she liked Cushing so much that it was difficult to act as though she hated Tarkin,[10] and she had to substitute somebody else in her mind to muster the feelings. Terence Fisher's The Curse of Frankenstein is a movie full of cinematic firsts: Hammer's first color horror film, Peter Cushing's first leading role in a movie, and his first time acting in the same scenes as Christopher Lee.Loosely based on Mary Shelley's novel, the film tells the story of Victor Frankenstein - an unorthodox scientist who brings a creature to life, only to have it . [114] 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. [3] In his infancy, Cushing twice developed pneumonia and once what was then known as "double pneumonia". [48] The Curse of Frankenstein also featured Christopher Lee, who played Frankenstein's monster. [10] In 1986, he appeared on the British television show Jim'll Fix It, hosted by Jimmy Savile, in which it was arranged for the wishes of guests to be granted. He earned particular acclaim for his lead performance as Winston Smith in a BBC adaptation of George Orwell's Nineteen Eighty-Four (1954). His next role was in Vigil in the Night (1940), which was a much larger part and played opposite Carole Lombard. Peter Cushing was and is one of the most well-loved and well-known actors of his own generation and of those which have followed. [10] She suggested he write to all the producers listed in the Radio Times magazine seeking work in the medium. "Who wants to see me as Hamlet? Filmed on location in Munich, Cushing played Otto Wesendonck, the husband of poet Mathilde Wesendonck, who in the film is portrayed as having an affair with Wagner. Known for a number of iconic roles, Peter Cushing's career stretched across multiple genres. The effects of his wife's death proved to be as much physical as mental. [4][42], In an interview included on the DVD release of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), Lee said of his friend's death: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, I don't want to sound gloomy, but at some point of your lives, every one of you will notice that you have in your life one person, one friend whom you love and care for very much. [45] He later said that his career decisions entailed selecting roles where he knew that he would be accepted by the audience. Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE (26 May 1913 - 11 August 1994) was an English actor best known for his roles in the Hammer Productions horror films of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, and as Grand Moff Tarkin in the 1977 film Star Wars. Although some childhood injuries prevented him from serving on active duty,[10] a friend suggested he entertain the troops by performing as part of the Entertainments National Service Association. [10], Cushing joined the cast in May 1976, and his scenes were filmed at Elstree Studios in Borehamwood. Cushing was just a fabulous actor. [87] Cushing played the role in Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) and Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. As a result, playwright Edward Percy was brought in to make modifications to the script, though the rewrites pushed filming into early 1960 and brought additional costs to the production. He always had a glass of milk handy to remove the . [16][17] By the end of the summer of 1936, Cushing accepted a job with the repertory theatre company Southampton Rep, working as assistant stage manager and performing in bit roles at the Grand Theatre in the Hampshire city. [39] Cushing was cast in the lead role of The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), marking the first of twenty-two films he made for Hammer. Matt Smith 2010 - 2013. At birth, Peter disappointed his mother, who, already having a sonPeter's older brother Davidreally wanted a daughter. Hope was the name of a whaling ship sailing from Scotland's Peterhead to Greenland. [21] One of Cushing's primary scenes involved Osric talking to Hamlet and Horatio while walking down a wide stone spiral stairway. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. [96] Cushing also appeared in non-Amicus horror films like Island of Terror (1966) and The Blood Beast Terror (1968), in both of which he investigates a series of mysterious deaths. Most, however, were complimentary of Cushing's performance,[50] claiming it added a layer of distinction and credibility to the film. [18] The tour, which lasted until February 1949, took them to Melbourne, Sydney, Brisbane, Hobart, Tasmania, Auckland, Wellington, Christchurch and Dunedin, and included performances of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's The School for Scandal, Shakespeare's Richard III, Thornton Wilder's The Skin of Our Teeth, Jean Anouilh's Antigone and Anton Chekhov's The Proposal. [102] He appeared alongside Vincent Price in Dr. Phibes Rises Again! 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. To his many fans, the British star was known as 'The Gentle Man of Horror' and is recognized for his work with Hammer Films which began in the late 1950's, but he had numerous memorable roles outside of Hammer. He appeared in several horror films and was in Lawrence Olivier's Hamlet. To their surprise, however, Cushing recovered well enough to be released from the hospital,[149] and although his health continued to gradually decline, Cushing lived another twelve years without any operative treatment or chemotherapy. [10] Director Tim Burton and actor Johnny Depp both said the portrayal of Ichabod Crane in Sleepy Hollow was intended to resemble that of Cushing's old horror film performances. [152] In total, Cushing appeared in more than 100 films throughout his career. Cushing appeared in several other Hammer films, including The Abominable Snowman (1957), The Mummy and The Hound of the Baskervilles (both 1959), the last of which marked the first of the several occasions he portrayed the detective Sherlock Holmes. Although I didn't . Peter and Helen Cushing with the neighborhood children Peter Vincent The Lovely Bones Peter Cushing English Gentleman Saint Peter Obe Memoirs That Way Candid More information . Twins of Evil. During production, Lucas decided to add those shots, along with second unit footage of the Death Star gunners preparing to fire, to add more suspense to the film's space battle scenes. This article incorporates text from a free content work. For information on reusing text from Wikipedia, please see the terms of use. His first job was as a surveyor's assistant in . .mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}To learn how to add open license text to Wikipedia articles, please see this how-to page. Despite performing in a string of roles, including one as Osric in Laurence Olivier's film adaptation of Hamlet (1948), Cushing struggled greatly to find work during this period. He made me believe he was evil and cruel. PETER CUSHING, the prolific and . At times, this put him at odds with writers and producers; Hammer Studios producer Anthony Hinds once declared him a "fusspot [and] terrible fusser about his wardrobe and everything, but never a difficult man. [88] Production lasted from May to December,[90] and Cushing adopted a strict regimen of training, preparation and exercise. As a Hammer Film actor, he portrayed Baron Frankenstein, Dr. Van Helsing, and Sherlock Holmes. [14] Cushing continued to appear in several Amicus Productions films during this period, including Tales from the Crypt (1972), From Beyond the Grave (1973),[103] And Now the Screaming Starts! I love animals, and when I'm in the country I'm a keen bird-watcher." [129][130][131] Joyce Broughton, Cushing's former secretary, had approved recreating Cushing in the film. In the films where Lee iconically played Dracula, Cushing plaid his foil and rival, the righteous vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing. [77] 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. [48] Screenwriter Jimmy Sangster wrote the protagonist as an ambitious, egotistical and coldly intellectual scientist who despised his contemporaries. 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. Peter Cushing said in an interview that he picked parts based on what he thought audiences would like to see him in. 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. Other people in this association: David Tennant 2005 - 2010. Peter Sellers died young, and in the decades since his passing, debate about his character and behavior has rarely ceased, with a great number of well-researched biographies and a big-budget movie, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, trying to get a grip on the reverse side of this most gifted creator of characters, to show something of the real His childhood inspiration was Tom Mix, an American film actor and star of many Western films. It is also difficult to visualise Cushing - at least for me - without also visualising Christopher Lee. 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 Scheme. At the age of 82, Peter died at his Los Angeles, California home. [112] 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. Ryan and Slater agreed, and Cushing later said performing the part was his most pleasant experience since his wife had died four years earlier. Fear in the Night. Eventually, the character is driven to commit suicide, but returns from the grave to seek revenge against his tormentors. And then when that person is gone, there will be nothing like that in your life ever again. [70] 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. [10] As a result, while the film did well at the box-office with its target audience, it drew mixed to negative reviews from the critics. Peter Cushing was born in Surrey. Cushing struggled to find work during this period, with some plays he was cast in failing to even make it past rehearsals into theatres. Presumably living in a famous actor's former house is a mixed blessing for its current occupants. They first met on the set of the film, where Lee was still wearing the monster make-up prepared by Phil Leakey. Peter Wilton Cushing was born in Kenley, then a district in the English county of Surrey, on 26 May 1913 to George Edward Cushing (18811956) and Nellie Marie (ne King) Cushing (18821961). [133] 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. as an author trying to write a gothic novel in a deserted Welsh mansion. The supremely talented British actor portrayed some of horror literature's best-loved heroes . Since the film's primary antagonist Darth Vader wore a mask throughout the entire film and his face was never visible, Lucas felt a strong human villain character was necessary. [97] 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. 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. Biography - A Short Wiki. [4] He always took the roles seriously and never portrayed them in a campy or tongue-in-cheek style because he felt it would be insulting to his audience. Others closed after a few showings, like an ambitious five-hour stage adaptation of Leo Tolstoy's novel War and Peace that opened and closed in 1943 in London's Phoenix Theatre. [58] Cushing said one of the biggest challenges during filming was not missing whenever he struck a prop stake with a mallet and drove it into a vampire's heart. No, he did not have any children. Instead, Cushing asked to play Arthur Grymsdyke,[105] a kind, working-class widower who gets along well with the local children, but falls subject to a smear campaign by his snobbish neighbours. [10] 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. He was 81. "Horrormeister Cushing belonged to gentlemanly school of actors". [10] Along with Alec Guinness, 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. Clothes did not flatter his frame but they were flattered by him. [61], In 1959, Cushing agreed to reprise the role of Van Helsing in the sequel, The Brides of Dracula (1960). Originally Doyle wanted to call his detective Sherrinford Hope. [86] Cushing also starred in several horror films released in 1975. When Peter Cushing was a child, his mother dressed him as a girl. [21] Cushing performed many of his own stunts in Dracula A.D. 1972, which included tumbling off a haywagon during a fight with Dracula. Dis St Peter, who was married, have any. One day Peter went missing, having wandered off in his frock to paddle in some puddles. Shooting ran from September to November 1939,[23] and the film was released in 1940, drawing Cushing's first semblance of attention and critical praise. He had long blonde hair, tied with a bow, and enviable selection of dresses. Both Peter Cushing and Christopher Lee had agreed to work together one last time. [28] Shot in dynamic colour with a 65,000-budget, the film became known for its heavy usage of gore and sexual content. [15][26] In 1942, the Nol Coward play Private Lives was touring the military stations and hospitals in the British Isles, and the actor playing the lead role of Elyot Chase was called to service. The cause was cancer, The Associated Press reported. Peter Cushing's wife died in the early 1970's, they never had children so when he died of cancer in 1994 he left his estate to his secretary Joyce Broughton. [144] His co-stars and colleagues often spoke of his politeness, charm, old-fashioned manners and sense of humour. Actors Who Have Played Sherlock Holmes. Peter Cushing was born in Surrey, England on May 26, 1913, to George Edward and Nellie Marie Cushing, and was younger of the two brothers. [110] Cushing also appeared in the horror film The Uncanny (1977). Text taken from Peter Cushing, Wookieepedia, Wikia. Cushing's estate owners were heavily involved with the creation which took place more than twenty years after Cushing died. 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. 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". [10] 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. The timeline seems to match, as James Mason passed away in 1984. [73], Cushing had a variety of interests outside acting, including collecting and battling model soldiers, of which he owned over five thousand. The horror films were produced by Hammer Films in Britain. [105] Cushing used the emotions from the recent loss of his wife to add authenticity to the widower character's grieving. The Vampire Lovers. Peter Cushing (1913-1994) was one of the most respected and important actors in the horror and fantasy film genres. He was eventually noticed by a Broadway theatre talent scout,[25] and in 1941 he made his Broadway debut in the religious wartime drama The Seventh Trumpet. ", British Academy Television Award for Best Actor, Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council, Entertainments National Service Association, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, "Great Britons" commemorative postage stamp, Lawrence Van Helsing and Lorrimer Van Helsing, Medalla Sitges en Plata de Ley Award for Best Actor, "Horror actor Peter Cushing dead at age 81", Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Haeritage of Horror, Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror, "The effect was achieved by drawing on preexisting footage of the actor, particularly his work in A New Hope", "the CGI used to repurpose the footage may not age well", "Rogue One VFX head: 'We didn't do anything Peter Cushing would've objected to', "CGI resurrection of Peter Cushing is thrilling but is it right? The movie actor Peter Cushing died at the age of 81. [18] Although the job meant Cushing received no actual screen time, he was eventually cast in a bit part as the king's messenger, which made The Man in the Iron Mask his official film debut. Answer (1 of 2): His former secretary and the executor/manager of his estate was apparently pleased with the result. [15] After Hamlet, both Peter and Helen Cushing accepted a personal invitation from Olivier to join Old Vic, Olivier's repertory theatre company, which embarked on a year-long tour of Australasia. Though they worked together often, they were not necessarily friends. [72] 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. 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