As a lifelong fan of Peter Cushing, I’ve suffered
the trauma of his “dying” on three separate occasions. Bear with me,
that’ll make sense soon enough. I was born in 1977, the year that Star
Wars was unleashed on the world. I was too young to see it theatrically,
though my father and my brother both went nuts over it and became fans
for life. I seem to recall seeing the film theatrically at a very young
age, however, and I can only imagine it was in 1980, when the film was
reissued to coincide with the release of The Empire Strikes Back. I
don’t recall much about what I thought of it then, but even at that
ridiculously young age, I knew who Peter Cushing was. Even though he was
playing a villain with a heart of stone, I still recall being deeply
upset that he went up in smoke at the end. Somehow, that just didn’t
seem quite right and proper to me.
The second time I learned of his demise was when
WTBS ran Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed in 1986. A friend of mine was
able to watch the telecast, including the host segments by station
personality Bill Tush, but I had to wait to watch it until later -
fortunately, we had a VCR by then, so I wasn’t too terribly resentful
that my dad had whisked my brother and I off to Kennywood for a sunny
day at the amusement park, when I could have been inside, huddled in
front of the TV set. When I got home, I sat down and watched the film -
and it made a tremendous impression on me. The next day, I spoke with my
friend - and he told me that Peter Cushing had died. I couldn’t believe
it; it must be a mistake! There was nothing in the paper, nothing on
the news. Surely his passing would attract some kind of attention? But,
he was insistent - Bill Tush said the man had died. Spurred by this, I
decided to check out my recording to see if
there was any truth to it. Tush made no mention of anything of the kind
at the start of the film, but sure enough, after the film was done, he
made note that Cushing had died earlier that year. I was crestfallen.
Cushing was one of my idols, and he was gone. I grieved for a little
while, but life went on.
Imagine my amazement, therefore, when I found out a
few years later that he was not only still alive - but he was also
granting interviews! I caught up with some pieces on him, and felt like
order had been restored. Peter Cushing, the epitome of the English
gentleman, the symbol of good in the horror film, was back among the
living. I gather Tush’s gaffe did not escape notice; I have no idea if
he ever issued a retraction or if indeed he ever gave it much thought
altogether…
The third time proved to be unlucky, however. I
can remember it well: my dad was watching the news, and he called me to
come to the living room. As I entered the room, I noticed a clip playing
from Horror of Dracula: the final battle between Van Helsing and
Dracula, played to perfection by Cushing and Christopher Lee. Oh no, I
thought, one of them has died. A voice over confirmed the worst - Peter
Cushing has died at the age of 81. Truth be told, saddened as I was, I
wasn’t as devastated as I was when Vincent Price passed away the year
before. I had no idea how ill Price was, and I pictured him as he so
often appeared on films and TV talk shows - vibrant, full of energy, and
loving life. With Cushing, I knew the man had been ill for years. I
knew that he had been miserable ever since the death of his wife in
1971. I knew that he was so sickly that he couldn’t even get acting jobs
anymore - producers and directors wanted him,
but the insurance companies weren’t so keen. Somehow, I knew he was at
peace - and though I was not - nor do I remain - a man of religious
conviction, he was, on some level, free of years of suffering. It was
hard to imagine that he was no longer among the living, and yet - he had
had a long life, and he finally got what he really wanted.
Among genre fans, Cushing remains a true icon.
Like so many icons, he is sometimes elevated to a level of perfection
that no human being can ever truly attain. Some insist upon referring to
him as “Sir Peter,” perhaps even believing that he was finally made a
Knight before his passing in 1994. The reality is, he was a human being,
with flaws and shortcomings like the rest of us; and though he had been
honored by his government with being given OBE (Order of the British
Empire) status, the Knighthood never did come his way. Perhaps if he had
lived a bit longer, the latter might have really occurred. As to the
former, far from glossing over his defects and acting as if he never
uttered a bad word or ever made a bad move, it’s more instructive to
acknowledge his flaws and accept him as a terrific human being - as
opposed to a one dimensional saint.
Cushing’s love of his wife is well known; indeed,
it has become the stuff of legend. They married in 1943, but Helen’s
health was in precarious condition from the beginning. She suffered from
emphysema for many years, and Cushing often took on acting roles in
order to pay for her mounting medical expenses and treatment. After the
success of The Curse of Frankenstein 1957, the actor contemplated the
horrors of typecasting - but the realization that steady employment
would benefit Helen’s treatments talked him out of any concerns over
being “trapped” by his horror roles. Nobody would ever question the
man’s adoration of his wife, but by his own admission he “strayed” on
several occasions. One can theorize that the nature of Helen’s illness
made it difficult - if not impossible - to sustain much of a physical
relationship, and that Cushing, being a man rather than a saint, had to
turn elsewhere to have these needs
satisfied. Cushing apparently confessed his transgressions, and Helen
was understanding throughout. Ultimately, it’s not for us to judge him
for this - but the fact that his relationship with Helen remained as
deep and profound as it was speaks volumes in itself. Really, it only
bears mention in this context to drive the point home: Cushing was many
things, but he was not above making mistakes. His ability to talk about
these mistakes, with disarming honesty, is part of what makes his
two-part memoirs such a warm and rewarding read.
As an actor, Cushing was arguably one of the
greats - his friend and colleague Sir Laurence Olivier was even moved to
remark that he was one of the country’s best screen actors. He was not,
however, beyond reproach. Like any other actor, he had his limitations.
He was not especially convincing when it came to accents - he had a
peculiar theory that audiences would accept it if the actor threw the
accent in on occasion, just to remind them that they were playing a
foreigner - and he seemed ill at ease in roles that deprived him of any
shred of charm or affability. He could play villains beautifully, but
they needed to have a bit of depth - “cold fish” characters, by
contrast, simply didn’t gel with him. He could deliver a putdown with
rapier wit, but when he played broad comedy, he seemed terribly
strained. Cushing was always a very mannered actor, one prone to
indulging in little bits of “business,“ but when he went
too far with these mannerisms and quirks, it could seem a bit phony and
arbitrary. On the whole, however, he was a compulsively watchable
actor. At his best, he was brilliant. Truth be told, his “dud”
performances are few and far between.
Cushing’s long career saw him making triumphant
appearances on stage, on film, and on television - but it was the latter
that first made him a bankable name. Legend has it that, at the peak of
his popularity as a TV star in the 1950s, Cushing could empty the pubs,
because everybody wanted to be home to see him in whatever play he was
appearing in on “the telly.” Like so many actors, Cushing struggled to
find a reputation on film - he started off by going to Hollywood, where
he was given his first (minor) break by British director James Whale.
The irony of Cushing being given his start by the director of the most
iconic screen version of Frankenstein (1931) cannot go unremarked, but
there was nothing remotely “horrific” about his early screen
appearances. He scored some nice notices for a flashy supporting role in
the three-hanky melodrama Vigil in the Night (1941), but his screen
career never really took off until the
1950s, boosted, in no small measure, by his triumphant appearance on so
many landmark BBC teleplays of the era, including Nigel Kneale’s
then-shocking adaptation of George Orwell’s 1984 (1954).
Hammer Horror
helped to make Cushing a known property worldwide, but for many critics,
he was limited by his associations with such gaudy fare. Genre
magazines would extol his talents, but more mainstream publications
would adopt a cooler attitude. There was no denying the man’s talents,
yet critics with an axe to grind against the genre seemed to view him as
a once-fine actor who was content “slumming” his way through
B-and-Z-grade horror films. There would be no recognition from the
British or American Academy Awards, though smaller, fantasy-oriented
festivals would festoon him with prizes for his nuanced work on such
titles as Tales from the Crypt (1972). If Cushing’s health had stood up
better, he may have been able to parlay his reputation into
appearances in films by fans-turned-filmmakers - just as his good
friend and colleague Christopher Lee is continuing to do to this day.
Alas, it was not meant to be. Worsening health and a general contet
to enjoy the quiet life in his seaside abode in Whitstable took Cushing
away from the limelight. Fans would continue to seek him out, and being
a true gentleman of the old school, he always tried to make time to
speak with them and sign countless autographs.
I, myself, never had the privilege of meeting
Peter Cushing - but I did manage to make some contact with him. In 1993,
inspired by the passing of Vincent Price, I decided I had better put my
thoughts to paper and send Peter Cushing a fan letter. I was able to
pass the letter on to his agent, having been given contact information
by a fanzine, and I still shudder with embarrassment to think of my
commenting on how he never won an Oscar (but deserved several!) and
asking if he could autograph a picture of himself (maybe one with
Christopher Lee!) and mail it to me. Most celebrities would have tossed
this aside, but much to my amazement, I received a letter from the UK. I
didn’t get an autographed picture, but he did see fit to write me a
brief little note - with his autograph attached. I’m sure it was just a
standard letter he sent out at this stage in his life, as he was
certainly too ill to do much beyond just an autograph.
Even so, it was a classy gesture that filled me with joy. It was almost
surely one of the last autographs he ever did. It remains one of my
most treasured possessions and has been displayed proudly on the walls
of every home I have lived in since that timeframe. For me, there is no
need to attach phony honors or attributes to the man as a sign
of respect. Warts and all, he was a class act - a great actor, a decent
human being, a loving husband, a true philanthropist. There’s no need
to enshrine him as some kind of a wannabe saint - I prefer, rather, to
think of him as he was: as a man to be respected and admired for his
many good points.
This year marks the centernary of Peter Cushing. He's been gone
for 19 years - though, for me, it seems like just yesterday that he
passed - but his legacy continues to inspire and create new fans. His
acting style remains fresh, his appeal undiminished. For me, he remains
one of the most purely enjoyable actors to watch when he's at the top
of his game. I'm still catching up with a few titles that have eluded
me, but by now I've seen all of his major credits - and I've revisited
favorites from Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed and The Mummy to Cash on
Demand and The House That Dripped Blood more times than I can
calculate. Truth be told, he's not my favorite actor - but he runs a
very close second to his most beloved co-star, Christopher Lee. To read
of his life and his ups and downs -
the true version, not the airbrushed one perpetuated by some blinkered
sections of fandom - is to be inspired to be a better person - and in a
business not exactly renowned for its moral backbone, he remains one of
the truly "nice" people about whom seldom a negative word is uttered.
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