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britstarfan |
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Post subject: Dedicated to a true Gentleman
 Posted: May 23, 2008 - 10:41 PM
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Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 6996
Location: 221B Baker Street London
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May 26 would have been actor Peter Cushings 95th Birthday. Known for his many appearances in Hammer Films, in which he played Baron Frankenstein and Dr. Van Helsing, amongst many other roles, often appearing opposite his close friend Christopher Lee. Although talented as an actor, he admitted that career decisions for him meant choosing roles where he knew the audience would accept him. "Who wants to see me as 'Hamlet'? Very few. But millions want to see me as Frankenstein so that's the one I do."
In 1976, he was cast in Star Wars, which was shooting at Elstree Studios, Borehamwood, London. He appeared as one of his (now) most recognised characters, Grand Moff Tarkin despite having originally been considered for the role of Obi-Wan Kenobi. Cushing found accepting the role in a science fiction fantasy easy. "My criterion for accepting a role isn't based on what I would like to do. I try to consider what the audience would like to see me do and I thought kids would adore Star Wars."
In 1989, Cushing was made an Officer of the Order of the British Empire. He retired to Whitstable, where he had bought a seafront house in 1959, and continued his hobby of birdwatching, and to write two autobiographies. Cushing also worked as a painter, specialising in watercolors.His final professional engagement was as co-narrator of Flesh and Blood, the Hammer Heritage of Horror, produced by American writer/director Ted Newsom. As co-narrator, Cushing thus took his "last bow" with friend Christopher Lee, the BBC and Hammer Films. The narration was recorded in Canterbury near Cushing's home. The show was first broadcast in 1994, the week before Cushing's death from cancer in a Canterbury hospice, aged 81.
In an interview on the DVD release of Hound of the Baskervilles, Christopher Lee remarked on his friend's death: "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. That person is so close to you that you are able to share some things only with him. For example, you can call that friend, and from the very first maniacal laugh or some other joke you will know who is at the other end of that line. We used to do that with him so often. And then when that person is gone, there will be nothing like that in your life ever again".
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE (26 May 1913 - 11 August 1994)
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Post subject:
Posted: May 24, 2008 - 05:21 AM
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Joined: Sep 19, 2005
Posts: 2948
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| He was some actor. |
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Post subject:
Posted: May 24, 2008 - 06:39 AM
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Joined: Dec 12, 2005
Posts: 10423
Location: Never you mind where I'm at! You don't need to be knowing! Snoops!
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Happy birthday.  |
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Posted: May 24, 2008 - 08:32 AM
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Joined: Sep 18, 2004
Posts: 4764
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| RIP. He was a great actor, indeed. |
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Post subject:
Posted: May 24, 2008 - 08:50 PM
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Joined: Feb 02, 2003
Posts: 3865
Location: Walthamstow
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| One of British cinema's greats. I have never seen a film of his I didn't enjoy. Did he ever do any comedy, Brit? He has that persona that would have been ideal for a dry comedy role. |
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Cuzsis |
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Post subject:
Posted: May 25, 2008 - 01:55 PM
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Joined: Oct 24, 2002
Posts: 4124
Location: Outer Space ;)
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| BWW wrote: | | One of British cinema's greats. I have never seen a film of his I didn't enjoy. Did he ever do any comedy, Brit? He has that persona that would have been ideal for a dry comedy role. |
I think you overestimate his chances...
Well, no, not really. But I just couldn't resist using that line!  
Cheers indeed to fine actor, and what sounded like a great friend!  |
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Posted: May 26, 2008 - 07:15 AM
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Joined: Oct 24, 2002
Posts: 5475
Location: Corn country in Illinois
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My favorite role of his was as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars: A New Hope.
He was a great actor and is greatly missed.
DianaG |
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britstarfan |
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Post subject:
Posted: May 28, 2008 - 10:01 PM
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Joined: Mar 25, 2003
Posts: 6996
Location: 221B Baker Street London
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| BWW wrote: | | One of British cinema's greats. I have never seen a film of his I didn't enjoy. Did he ever do any comedy, Brit? He has that persona that would have been ideal for a dry comedy role. |
He did appear on the Morcambe and Wise show, where he was a " foil" for their jokes, which he took in great humour.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lT6e58r3 ... re=related
Of course people think of his film career, but for many years before he got into movies, he was considered one of our best stage actors.He did do a sort of comedy -horror- who dunnit , movie " House of the Long Shadows" in 1983. Which co-starred Vincent Price, Christopher Lee, and John Carradine. Peters performace as the drunken, Sebastian Grisbane, is quite amusing but all in all not a great movie, by the standards of the other films these stars have been in.
Trivia
This is the final film in which both Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing appeared,together. |
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