13 Great Peter Cushing Performances

[Earth 2 Chris]

Over at 13th Dimension, I celebrate Peter Cushing's birthday by looking at 13 of his greatest roles!

https://13thdimension.com/dig-these-13-great-peter-cushing-performances-ranked/

[shaunaconda]

I definitely need to watch more of these movies!

[PNGwynne]

Chris!!! When I saw this thread, I thought, "Cash on Demand deserves Honorable Mention--I'll bet he's never seen it, let alone include it." I shouldn't be so arrogant.

I've loved this film ever since it debuted on TCM, I'm so pleased to see it included amongst your excellent choices. Cushing is so good in it, a tour-de-force in a modest, engaging film. Must-see Christmas viewing IMO.

I just saw The Skull on Svengoolie a few months ago and liked it. I'm pleased to see, too, that you included Night Creatures. (I'm a fan of Dr. Syn.)


Thanks, as always.

[PNGwynne]

I'd really like to see Corruption (1968), but it never turns up. I like Island of Terror, too.

[BudgetMego]

One of my favorites is From Beyond the Grave. He runs a cursed antique shop. Don't try to cheat or rob him.

[Earth 2 Chris]

Chris!!! When I saw this thread, I thought, "Cash on Demand deserves Honorable Mention--I'll bet he's never seen it, let alone include it." I shouldn't be so arrogant.

I've loved this film ever since it debuted on TCM, I'm so pleased to see it included amongst your excellent choices. Cushing is so good in it, a tour-de-force in a modest, engaging film. Must-see Christmas viewing IMO.

I just saw The Skull on Svengoolie a few months ago and liked it. I'm pleased to see, too, that you included Night Creatures. (I'm a fan of Dr. Syn.)


Thanks, as always.

Yeah, I had to included Cash On Demand. Him and Morrel are just fantastic in that movie. I only saw it for the first time a few years ago, but it's become a favorite.

I really dig Night Creatures/Captain Clegg, but I will admit despite Cushing, I like Disney's version just a bit more.

[Earth 2 Chris]

One of my favorites is From Beyond the Grave. He runs a cursed antique shop. Don't try to cheat or rob him.

That almost made the cut, but I thought Dr. Terror was the more iconic role.

[Frenchy99]

Great article as always.

[Jorge Galvan]

Legend of the 7 Golden Vampires is one of the best films in the vampire genre, doesn't matter if it's a HAMMER film or not. The first time I saw it when I was young it scared the '$het outta me! I when I saw it again years later when I was older, I just marveled at the brilliance of it all.

How would I remake it? I would have to give it a lot of thought and really go out of the box writing the script.


Cushing is such a brilliant actor and the acclaim is so well deserved.



Cheers!

[Dan2Dan]

Great article!

My only caveat would be that in his films from about 1973-75, he is painfully thin. (You reference this in the article, regarding his appearance in the final Hammer Frankenstein film.) I noticed this when I watched these films initially in the 1980s, after I had been introduced to Peter Cushing as a kid in 1977 "Star Wars" (where he, once again, looked healthier). Only years later did I learn that his wife of 40+ years had died at that time, rendering him heartbroken and causing an already gaunt, chain-smoking man to become nearly emaciated for a time. Coincidentally, about a month ago, I found an old issue of Starlog magazine from the mid-1980s. It had an interview with Peter Cushing reflecting back on his career. At the end, the magazine printed him saying that when his wife died, his life had lost all happiness, and so he tried to find some purpose in work while he still lived. Man, not only was that super sad, but I also think in the modern era, that wouldn't be printed, but instead someone would've tried to get that old, distraught man some professional help.