Peter Cushing

Peter Cushing (born Peter Wilton Cushing) was born on May 26, 1913 in Kenley, Surrey England to George Edward Cushing and Nellie Marie Cushing.  His father was a Quantity Surveyor and his family had quite a few connections with the theater.  His grandfather traveled with Sir Henry Irving on tours of the US and Canada, his aunt worked with actress Gertie Miller and his step-uncle Wilton Herriot was a well-known actor (played a principal in 'Charley's Aunt').   Cushing also had an older brother named David.

In Kenley Cushing was educated at Shoreham Grammar School and Purley County Secondary School where he enjoyed painting, rugger (rugby), and amateur theatricals.

His first encounter with the stage was at eleven.  He and his brother, David, ran a puppet show for friends and family.  His uncle advised they not charge admission, afraid they would lose their audience.  After the performance, though, Cushing's brother stood at the door with an upturned hat and charged 3 pence to leave the room. Cushing's first job was with the Purley Urban District Council as Surveyor's Assistant, '...little more than a glorified office boy' he said.   It was during this time that he'd won a scholarship to Guildhall School of Music and Drama in London.

At 21 he applied for a position with the Worthing Repertory Company (from an ad in 'The Stage') He did not receive a reply to his initial application or the fifteen subsequent letters to the manager. One morning he did receive an answer with an invitation to see the manager, Bill Fraser.  Cushing quit his job and left for Worthing.  When he met Mr. Fraser he was told to stop being a nuisance.  Cushing explained tearfully that he could not return as he'd given up his job.  Bill Fraser's sympathies stirred, Cushing went on as a 'debtor' that very night in Priestley's play Cornelius.  Cushing worked at Worthing for several months as the Assistant Stage manager, he says it was the best training he could have had for a dramatic career.  He wasn't paid much but did not live too badly.  He was allowed to eat all the food a local well-known grocery provided for the eating scenes (for credit in the program).  For this reason Cushing became very fond of Coward and Lonsdale plays for in nearly every one there was 'a pork pie at least'

He then moved to Southampton where he played small parts and later worked with various companies allover England gradually working his way up to juvenile leads. This was not just a small part here and there, as a member of the William Borrkfield Players at the Theatre Royal in Rochdale and Harry Hanson's Court Players in Nottingham, he, and other actors, would sometimes play up to 45 parts in just as many weeks and up to eighteen hours a day!

He had, like many other British actors, a strong desire to go to 'the Coast' so after nearly 4 years in English repertory, he left for the US with 60 pounds (about $140) in 1938.  He spent his first week in New York City trying to make contacts, then went straight to Hollywood, he found work after only two weeks, in James Whale's film The Man in the Iron Mask Cushing was employed as a double for Louis Hayward (who played the lead both bad and good brother)  He received $75 per week for 4 months.  He got a bit part on the film, he had to gallop up on a horse and call, 'The Captain wishes to see you, sir' 

He landed a role as second lead in Vigil in the Night with Carol Lombard.  Just after that, war was declared between England and Germany.  Cushing was declared unfit for military duty but became homesick and wanted to return home, but that proved difficult to find passage on a ship during war-time.  So, he went to NY to work in Broadway plays and traveled to Canada.  While saving for home he worked as a night-porter at the YMCA, a parking lot attendant and as an usher in Montreal.

He finally returned home in 1940.  He appeared in Noel Cowards'
Private Lives in 1940 where he met and later married actress Helen Beck.  During World War II he made his contribution to the war effort by joining the Entertainment National Services Association.  

Cushing and Helen bought a seafront home in Whitstable in 1959 after visiting in the 40's and loving the town and it's people.  He turned the attic into a studio where he produced water colors, detailed theatrical set models, scarves and jewelry for his wife. In 1948 his first British film appearance was in Hamlet.  Not too long after this he started to receive many offers from Hollywood, bringing him back to the US.  He would go on to make a long string of horror films, known as the Hammer films, spanning over 30 years. 

In 1971 his wife Helen died.  While continuing to work, those who knew him best said, he would never fully recover from her death.  He is most known though to Star Wars fans as Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin.

Cushing died of cancer on August 11, 1994 in Canterbury, Kent, England.

 

 

Film

Actor's Notebook: Christopher Lee~2002 archive footage - Sherlock Holmes

100 years of Horror~1996 - interviewee  (from previous footage)

Vampire Interviews, The~1994 - archive footage  himself

Dr. Who: Daleks - The Early Years~1993 - archive footage Dr. Who 

Biggles: Adventures in Time~1986 - Colonel William Raymond (see Actor Connections - Film)

House of the Long Shadows~1983 - Sebastian Grisbane (see Actor Connections - Film)

Sword of the Valiant~1982 - Seneschal

Monster Island~1981 - William T. Kolderup

Black Jack~1980 - Sir Thomas Bedford

Arabian Adventure~1979 - Wazir Al Wuzara (see Actor Connections - Film)

Touch of the Sun, A~1979 - Commissioner Potts

Hitler's Son~1978 - Heinrich Hussner

Shock Waves~1977 - Major Von Hackenberg

Standarte, Die~1977 - SS Commander

The Uncanny~1977 - Wilbur Gray

Star Wars~1977 - Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin

Land of the Minotaur~1976 - Baron Corofax (see Actor Connections - Film)

Trial by Combat~1976 - Sir Edward Gifford (see Actor Connections - Film)

Ghoul, The~1975 - Dr Lawrence (see Actor Connections - Film)

Legend of the Werewolf~1975 - Paul Cataflanque (see Actor Connections - Film)

Tender Dracula~1975 - MacGregor

Beast Must Die, The~1974 - Dr Christopher Lundgren

Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell~1974 -- Baron Frankenstein

Madhouse~1974 - Herbert Flay

Satanic Rites of Dracula, The~1974 - Professor Larimer Van Helsing (see Actor Connections - Film)

Shatter~1974 - Paul Rattwood

Legend of the  7 Golden Vampires, The~1974 - Professor Van Helsing

And Now the Screaming Starts~1973 - Dr Pope

Creeping Flesh~1973 - Emmanuel Hildern (see Actor Connections - Film)

From Beyond the Grave~1973 - Antique Shop Proprietor (see Actor Connections - Film)

Asylum~1972 - Smith

Dr Phibes Rises Again~1972 - Ship's Captain

Horror Express~1972 - Dr Wells (see Actor Connections - Film)

Nothing But the Night~1972 - Sir Mark Ashley (see Actor Connections - Film)

Dracula A.D. 1972~1972 - Professor Van Helsing (see Actor Connections - Film)

Fear in the Night~1972 - Michael Carmichael 

Tales from the Crypt~1972 - Arthur Edward Grimsdyke "Poetic Justice"

 

Incense for the Damned~1972 - Dr Walter Goodrich

Detour, The~1971 - voice

I, Monster~1971 - Frederick Utterson (see Actor Connections - Film)

Twins of Evil~1971 - Gustav Weil (see Actor Connections - Film)

House that Dripped Blood~1970 - Philip Grayson in Waxworks (see Actor Connections - Film)

One More Time~1970 - (uncredited) Dr Frankenstein (see Actor Connections - Film)

Vampire Lovers, The~1970 - General Von Spielsdorf

Scream and Scream Again~1969 - Benedek (see Actor Connections - Film)

Blood Beast Terror, The~1967 - Inspector Quennell (see Actor Connections - Film)

Corruption~1967 - Sir John Rowan

Frankenstein Created Woman~1967 - Baron Frankenstein

Night of the Big Heat~1967 - Dr Vernon Stone

Torture Garden~1967 - Lancelot Canning

Mummy's Shroud, The~1967 - (uncredited narrator)

Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 (Doctor Who)~1966 - The Doctor

Doctor Who and the Daleks~1965 - The Doctor

Daleks' Invasion Earth:2150 AD~ 1966 - Dr Who

Island of Terror~1966 - Dr Brain Stanley

Dracula Prince of Darkness~1966 - (uncredited/archive footage) Dr Van Helsing

Dr Terror's House of Horrors~1965 - Dr Sandor Schreck

Dr Who and the Daleks~1965 - Dr Who

Skull, The~1965 - Dr Christopher Maitland

She~1965 - Major Horace Holly

Gorgon, The~1964 - Dr Namaroff

Evil of Frankenstein~1964 - Baron Frankenstein

Lolita~1962 - Himself as Dr. Frankenstein (archive)

Man Who Finally Died, The~1962 - Dr Von Brecht

Captain Clegg~1962 - Reverend Dr Blyss (Capt Clegg)

Cash on Demand~1961 - Fordyce

Cone of Silence~1961 - Capt Clive Judd

Fury at Smugglers Bay~1961 - Squire Trevenyan

Naked Edge, The~1961

Devil's Agent, The~1961 - (scenes deleted) (see Actor Connections - Film)

Hellfire Club, The~1960 - Merryweather

Suspect~1960 -Professor Sewell

Sword of Sherwood Forest~1960 - Sheriff of Nottingham

Brides of Dracula~1960 - Dr Van Helsing

Flesh and the Fiends, The~1959 - Dr Robert Knox

The Hound of the Bakservilles~1959 - Sherlock Holmes (see Actor Connections - Film)

Mummy, The~1959 - John Banning (see Actor Connections - Film)

John Paul Jones~1959 - Captain Pearson

Hound of the Baskervilles, The~1959 - Sherlock Holmes

Revenge of Frankenstein~1958 - Dr Victor Stein AKA Frankenstein (see Actor Connections - Film)

Violent Playground~1958 - The Priest

Dracula~1958 - Dr Van Helsing (see Actor Connections - Film)

Abominable Snowman, The~1957 - Dr John Rollason

Curse of Frankenstein, The~1957 - Baron Victor Frankenstein (see Actor Connections - Film)

The Abominable Snowman~1957 - Dr. John Rollason

Magic Fire~1956 - Otto Wesendonk

Time Without Pity~1956 - Jeremy Clayton

Alexander the Great~1956 - Memnon

End of the Affair, The~1955 - Henry Miles

Black Knight, The~1954 - Sir Palamides

Moulin Rouge~1952 - Mareel de la Voisier (see Actor Connections - Film)

Hamlet~1948 - Osric (see Actor Connections - Film)

Return From Nowhere~1944 - (uncredited) Awakening Man

Woman in the House~1942 - (uncredited) Man Waking Up

They Dare Not Leave~1941 - Sub-Lt Blacker

Howard's of Virginia~1940 - Leslie Stevens

Laddie~1940 - Robert Pryor

Women in War~1940 - Capt Evans

Dreams~1940 - First Dreamer

Hidden Master, The~1940 - Robert Clive of India

Chump at Oxford~1940 - Student (Jones)

Vigil in the Night~1940 - Joe Shand

Man in the Iron Mask~1939 - King's Messenger

 

TV

AFI's 100 Years, 100 Thrills: America's Most Heart-Pounding Movies~2001 - Himself (archive footage)

67th Annual Academy Awards, The~1995 - Himself in a memorial tribute (previously filmed)

Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror~1994  archive footage - narrator/himself

BBC News~1993 - Himself

Doctor Who: Thirty Years in the Tardis~1993  - Dr. Who

Behind the Headlines~1992 - Himself 12/2/92

Pebble Mill at One~1991 - Himself 10/31/91

Newsroom South East~1990 - Himself 7/12/90 & 8/9/90

Human Factor: For the Love of Helen~1990 - Himself

This is Your Life, Peter Cushing~1990 - Himself in Peter Cushing (#30.21) 2/21/90

Peter Cushing: A One-Way Ticket to Hollywood~1989  - Himself

Hammer: The Studio that Dripped Blood~1987 - Himself

Wogan~1986 - Himself 

    2/24/88

    12/19/87

    5/22/87

    3/10/86

Jim'll Fix It~1986 - Himself in Helen Cushing Rose

Look North~1986 - Himself 6/5/86

Pebble Mill at One~1973 - Himself 3/24/86

Everyman~1986 - Himself/interviewee in The True Story of Frankenstein 1986

Masks of Death, The~1984 - Sherlock Holmes

Helen Keller: The Miracle Continues<Helen and Teacher>~1984  Professor Charles Copeland

Breakfast Time~1983 - Himself/guest 6/14/83

Tales of the Unexpected~1979 - Von Baden in The Vorpal Blade (#(6.8) 5/28/83

Tale of Two Cities, A~1980 - Dr. Alexander Manette

Silent Scream, The~1980 - Martin Blueck in THe House of Hammer Series

Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show~1980 - Himself

Hammer House of Horror~1980 - in The Silent Scream (#1.7) 10/25/80

Tale of Two Cities, A~1980  - Dr Manette

Morecambe and Wise Show~1978 - Guest

Land Looking West, A~1977 (doc - mini)  - himself 

Jim'll Fix It~1976 - Himself in the Bank Holiday Special

Magpie~1976 - Himself for At the Earth's Core

Clapperboard~1976 - Himself for At the Earth's Core

Great Houdini, The~1976  - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

New Avengers, The~1976 - Von Claus in The Eagle's Nest (#1.1) 10/17/76

Space: 1999~1975 - Raan in Missing Link (#1.19) 2/27/76

Jim'll Fix It~1975 - Himself in Bank Holiday Special 1976

Amazing World of Cinema, The~1975 - Narrator of The Mad Scientists

Haunted - Herstmonceaux Castle~1975 - narrator

Tomorrow Show, The~1973 - Tom Snyder interview

Christ - What Was He Like?~1974 - Himself

Zoo Gang, The~1974 - Judge Gautier in The Counterfeit Trap (#1.5) 5/3/74

This is Your Life~1955 - Himself in Christopher Lee (#14.21) 4/3/74

Ask Aspel~1973 - guest

Nationwide~1973 - guest

Morecambe and Wise Show~1973 - Himself

Film '73~1973 - Himself for Madhouse

Great Mysteries~1973 - Count Gerard de Merret in La Grande Breteche 11/23/73

Going for a Song~1972 - Himself

Man Alive~1971 - Guest

Wild-Life Spectacular~1971 - Himself

Morecambe and Wise Christmas Show~1970 - Himself

Line-Up~1970 - Himself

Morecambe and Wise Show~1969 - Two appearances as a guest/himself

Line-Up~1968 - Interviewee

Sherlock Holmes~1968 (mini)  - Sherlock Holmes

Greek Interpreter, The~1968

Hound of the Baskervilles~1968 - two episodes

Study in Scarlet, A~1968 

Naval Treaty, The~1968

Dancing Men, The~1968

Star Choice~1968 - guest

Avengers, The~1961 - Paul Beresford in Return of the Cybernauts (#.6.1) 9/30/67

Some May Live~1967 -John Meredith

First Impressions~1965 - Interviewee

Bernard Cribbens Show, The~1965 - guest

Late Night Line Up~1965 - Interviewee

Thirty Minute Theatre~1965 - Leonard in Monica (#1.5) 11/4/65

Caves of Steel~1964  - Elijah Baley

Spread of the Eagle, The~1963 (TV mini-series) Cassius

Plan, The~1963 - Albert Fawkes

Julius Caesar~1963 - Caius Cassius

Living Today~1963 - Interviewee

Peace with Terror~1962 - Parsons

Uncle Harry~1958 - Uncle Harry

Winslow Boy, The~1958 - Sir Robert Morton

What's My Line~1958 - guest

Picture Parade~1957 - Interviewee

Gaslight~1957 - Mr. Manningham

House Magazine~1955 - Interviewee

Home at Seven~1955 - David Preston

Richard of Bordeaux~1955 - Richard III

Browning Version, The~1955 - Andrew Crocker-Harris

Moment of Truth, The~1955 - Prime Minister

Find the Link~1955 - guest

Creature, The~1955  - Dr John Rollason

Nineteen Eighty-Four<BBC Sunday Night Theatre>~1954 - Winston Smith 12/12/54

 

Face of Love~1954 - Mardian

Down You Go!~1954 - guest

Men of Mystery~1954 - guest

May Day~1954 - narrator

Beau Brummell~1954 - Beau Brummell

Tovarich~1954 - Prince Mikail

BBC News~1953 - Himself 8/5/53

Number Three~1953 - Mr. Simpson

Epitaph for a Spy~1953 (mini) - Vadassey

Social Success, A~1953 - Henry Robbins

Rookery Nook~1953 - Clive Popkins

Road, The~1953 - Antoine Vanier

Anastasia~1953 - Piotr Petrovsky

Nobel Spaniard~1953 - Duke of Hermanos

Portrait by Peko~1953 - Seppi Fredericks

Asmodee~1952 - Blase Lebel

Bird in Hand~1952 - Cyril Beverly

For the Children: The Silver Swan~1952 - Lord Henriques

If This be Error~1952 - Nick Grant

Pride and Prejudice~1952 (mini) - Mr. Darcy

When We Are Married~1951 - Gerald Forbes

Eden End~1951 - Charles Appleby

 

Theatre

Heiress, The~1975 - Dr. Austin Sloper (Provinces)

Thark~1965 - Sir Hector Benbow (Gilford then to West End, London, UK)

Sound of Murder, The~1959 - Charles Norbury (West End, London, UK)

Silver Whistle, The~1956 - Oliver T. Erwenter (West End, London, UK)

Soldier and the Lady, The~1954 - (West End, London, UK)

Wedding Ring, The~1952 - (Great Britain Tour)

Antony and Cleopatra~1951 - Alexas/Diomedes (Laurence Olivier's Festival Season, West End, London, UK)

Caesar and Cleopatra~1951 - Bel Affris/Britannus (Laurence Olivier's Festival Season, West End, London, UK)

Gay Invalid, The~1951 - (West End, London, UK)

Marriage Bureau~1950 - 

Antigone~1949 - (Old Vic, London, UK)

Proposal, The~1949 - Ivan Vassilyevitch Lomov (Old Vic, London, UK)

School for Scandal~1949 - Joseph Surface (Old Vic, London, UK)

Richard III~1949 - George, Duke of Clarence/Cardinal Bouchier (Old Vic, London, UK)

Skin of Our Teeth~1948 - (Old Vic Tour, Australasia)

School for Scadal~1948 - Joseph Surface (Old Vic Tour, Australasia)

Richard III~1948 - George/Duke of Clarence/Cardinal Bouchier (Old Vic Tour, Australia, New Zealand, London)

While the Sun Shines~1946 - Lt. Deckers Colbert (Q Theatre, Kew Bridge, Chiswick, UK)

Fumed Oak~1946 - (Q Theatre, Kew Bridge, Chiswick, UK)

Astonished Heart~1946 (Q Theatre, Kew Bridge, Chiswick, UK)

They Came to a City~1946 - (Q Theatre, Kew Bridge, Chiswick, UK)

Curious Dr. Robson~1946 (Q Theatre, Kew Bridge, Chiswick, UK)

While the Sun Shines~1945 - Lt. Deckers Colbert (Globe<Gielgud>, London, England, UK)

Rivals, The~1945 - Mr. Faulkland (West End, London, UK)

Fifth Column, The~1944 - (West End, London, UK)

Happy Few~1944 - (West End, London, UK)

Morning Star~1944 - Private Charles (West End, London, UK)

Watch on the Rhine~1944 - (Q Theatre, Kew Bridge, Chiswick, UK)

Crime of Margeret Foley~1944 - (Q Theatre, Kew Bridge, Chiswick, UK)

Dark Potential, The~1944 - (Q Theatre, Kew Bridge, Chiswick, UK)

War and Peace~1943 - Alexander I/Captain Ramballe (West End, London, UK)

Private Lives~1942-3 - Elyot Chase (ENSA tour, GB, UK)

Seventh Trumpet, The~1941 - Percival, a London Bobby (Mansfield Theatre, New York, US)

MacBeth~1941 - Banquo (Summer Stock, US)

Fumed Oak~1941 - (Summer Stock, US)

Ghost Train, The~1941 - (Summer Stock, US)

Petreified Forest, The~1941 - (Summer Stock, US)

Biography~1941 - (Summer Stock, US)

Love From a Stranger~1939-40 - Bruce Lovell (Summer Stock, California, US)

Tonight at 8:30~1939 - 

Dick Whittington~1937 - 

Lean Harvest~1937 - (Grand Theatre, Southampton, UK)

Middle Watch, The~1936 - (Connaught Theatre, Sussex, UK)

Cornelius~1936 - (Connaught Theatre, Sussex, UK)

 

Radio

Human Conflict~1990 - narrator

Aliens in the Mind~1977 - Hugh Baxter 1/2/77 - 2/6/77 (6 part series)

Tender Dracula~1974? 

Legend of the Seven Golden Vampires~1974?

 

Live Performances

John Player~1973 - Lecture (National Film Theatre, London, UK)

 

Music

No White Peaks~1991 (spoken poem about the Gulf War that was set to music, as a rap, and released as a single)

 

Audio Books

Peter Cushing: An Autobiography~1999 - narrator

Past Forgetting: Memories of the Hammer Years~1994 - narrator

 

Books for the Blind

Many titles as yet unknown

 

Books

In All Sincerity...Peter Cushing~ by Christopher Gullo 

Peter Cushing: An Autobiography and Past Forgetting~1999

Past Forgetting: Memories of the Hammer Years~1994 (audio cassette)

Video Games 

Star Wars: Battlefront~2004 - Grand Moff Tarkin (archive voice)

 

Awards and Nominations

National TV Award 

Rec'd 1953 & 1954 - Daily Mail 'Outstanding Actor of the Year'

Guild of TV Producers and Directors 

Rec'd 1955 'Best Performance Award (as Winston Smith in '1984')

Pipe Smoker of the Year 

Rec'd 1968 (as Sherlock Holmes on BBC TV series)

Licorne d'Or Award 

Rec'd 1971 Best Male Actor 2nd French Convention of Fantasy Cinema (as Arthur Grimsdyke in 'Tales from the Crypt')

Rec'd 1971 Most Popular Actor in France  ( for his roles in Fantasy Entertainment and service to the cinema)

International Festival of Science Fiction and Terror

Rec'd 1976 Best Actor at Sitges, Spain ( for Dr Lawrence in The Ghoul)

Rec'd 1983 Best Actor (shared with Christopher Lee, Vincent Price, John Carradine for their roles in 'House of the Long Shadows')

International Fantasy Film Award 

Rec'd 1984 fantasporto festival (for his contributions to the fantastic film genre)

Most Excellent Order of the British Empire 

Rec'd 1989 OBE  (by Queen Elizabeth II)

Laemle Award

Rec'd 1999 Monster Rally Convention at Virginia, US (for his lifelong contribution to films - posthumous)

 

Miscellany

Hand-created wooden theatre models

Archives

CONTESTS

Coming Soon!

LINKS

See Rare personal Star Wars photos!

Other

Stuff!

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