Peter Cushing was born on 26 May 1913. For most people, he is Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars. He brings gravitas to a thankless role. Who else to end Darth Vader’s choking trick? A lesser actor couldn’t pull it off — especially at his age and gauntness.

Although English, Cushing started his film career in Hollywood. He got small roles, like his first in the James Whale film, The Man in the Iron Mask. But he seemed to do more theater work there. When World War II started, he returned to England. But he did not fight in the war due to an injury. I find this curious since I know him to do minor stunts in various Hammer films.

Peter Cushing at Hammer

After the war, he was relatively successful in TV. And he probably would have continued like that and ultimately appeared as one of the critics in Theatre of Blood. But it was not to be. Hammer decided to make a go at horror and cast Cushing in the title role of The Curse of Frankenstein. That led directly to a two-decade relationship and 19 films. Note that not all are horror films.

Peter Cushing at Amicus

In addition to Hammer, Peter Cushing made 15 films with Amicus. Of course, he wasn’t as big a part of them. That’s partly due to his age. But it’s more due to six of them being anthology films (marked with †). Here they are:

Shock Waves

These two production companies explain why everyone knows Peter Cushing. I doubt seriously that he would have been cast in Star Wars without them. But the film I most associate with him (despite his importance in the Hammer Frankenstein series) is Shock Waves. And since I don’t think nearly enough people have seen it, let’s watch it to celebrate Cushing’s birthday!

Other 19 May Anniversaries

Filmmakers

• Robert Morley (1908-1992): Character actor known for The Old Dark House and Theatre of Blood.
• James Arness (1923-2011): Actor best known for the Gunsmoke TV series but also known for The Thing From Another World and Them.
• Pam Grier (1949-): Blaxploitation icon in films like Coffy and Foxy Brown.
• Bobcat Goldthwait (1962-): Director-writer of Shakes the Clown and God Bless America.
• Musetta Vander (1963-): Actor known for Oblivion, O Brother, Where Art Thou? and more.
• Helena Bonham Carter (1966-): Actor known for Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein and Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street.
• Rocky Costanzo (1973-): Low-budget writer-director of films like Hallowed and A Psycho’s Path.

Films

• The Gorilla (1939): Investigators look for a serial killer named The Gorilla but then a real gorilla shows up.
• The Scarlet Claw (1944): Another Roy William Neill Sherlock Holmes.
• Batman and Robin (1949): The duo fights against The Wizard who controls cars.
• Beneath the Planet of the Apes (1970): The second and best of the series, including a group that worships the atomic bomb!
• The Other (1972): Rather good evil twin film.
• Tower of Evil (1972): Phoenician archaeology leads to death.
• Mother, Jugs & Speed (1976): Unfunny comedy about ambulance companies.
• Casper (1995): Sweet children’s horror-comedy where none of the ghosts are scary.
• Johnny Mnemonic (1995): Data courier needs to get data out of his brain implant before it kills him.
• Doppelganger (1993): The new girlfriend seems to have an evil doppelganger, but then it turns out to be a conspiracy. But then she really does have one!
• Curse of the Puppet Master (1998): More fun with the puppets at a doll museum. A middling effort from David DeCoteau.
• Shanghai Noon (2000): Comedy western starring Jackie Chan.
• Beneath Still Waters (2005): A town is drowned to kill an evil force, but 40 years later, it comes back. Brian Yuzna directed this Spanish production.
• Beneath the Flesh (2009): Anthology horror from Randall Kaplan.
• The Devil’s Tomb (2009): A military unit goes to an underground structure to rescue a scientist, but unwittingly enters a war between God and the Nephilim. You’d think God wouldn’t need help…
• The Offerings (2009): A new housekeeper is harassed by angry ghosts.

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Peter Cushing via Wikimedia. It is in the public domain.