Author Christopher Gullo has been a life-long admirer of actor Peter Cushing. He has spent the last four years collecting rare materials and conducting interviews with Cushing’s co-workers for his research on his book, "In All Sincerity...Peter Cushing". In the beginning of 2000, he took over the running of The Peter Cushing Association, a club for all fans of the great actor, which was created under the guidance of Peter Cushing’s former secretary, Joyce Broughton. Over the past couple of months, he's been compiling photos and info for the upcoming Amicus issue of Little Shoppe of Horrors. If you're interested in picking up a copy of his book, go to www.petercushing.co.uk. This is the first of a three part series on Peter Cushing and his roles in the Amicus films.
Mention the name Peter Cushing and Hammer Films usually springs into mind with such memorable Cushing performances as Baron Frankenstein and Van Helsing. But there is another studio that Peter Cushing was also closely associated with, that of Hammer’s rival – Amicus Films. Started by Max Rosenberg and Milton Subotsky, Amicus Films would become well-known for their tried and true formula of anthology horror films. The following list represents all of the films that Peter Cushing starred in for Amicus Films.
“The more exact translation would be terror, an unfortunate misnomer for I am the mildest of men; however, I sometimes foretell things which are frightening”--Peter Cushing as Dr. Schreck (Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, 1964 film).
Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors was Amicus Studio’s first foray into the anthology horror film, pioneered by the excellent Dead of Night (1945), which was followed in 1959 with City of the Dead, their first horror hit starring Christopher Lee. Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors is a horror classic and one of Amicus’ best efforts. The rival of Hammer would turn out other anthology films with varying success, practically making the use of the format their very own. The format almost always guaranteed that at least one or two of the segments would prove popular and carry the rest of the film. This proved true in Dr. Terror with the best segment being Disembodied Hand with Christopher Lee playing a snobbish art critic who gets his just punishment for his actions. The only real problem with the film was that Lee’s segment was not held for the end. He is the only passenger who continually opposes Dr. Schreck’s (Peter Cushing) claims of fortune- telling and after he is put in his place, the last segment with Donald Sutherland loses some of its power since viewers know that everyone is doomed. With this aside, Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors proved popular at the box office and gave Cushing employment with another company from time to time.
“It’s all part of the unknown. The unknown is always intriguing”--Peter Cushing as Christopher Maitland (The Skull, 1965 film).
In the second production for Amicus after the popular Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors, Cushing would be given the plum role of an obsessed collector in this basically one character study. The Skull is definitely one of the more interesting horror films of the 1960s and it is a welcomed change of pace from the regular cast of movie monsters that were making the rounds. Of course, the Marquis de Sade was an actual person, which makes the film all the more creepier. Cushing’s portrayal as the inquisitive Maitland is the true centerpiece of the film; all the events are directly or indirectly aimed towards him. His character questions Lee’s Phillips on how the skull could possibly be the harbinger of death: “But how can a mere skull be dangerous? Only your mind makes it so.” The film also showcased the new ideas that Amicus would use to compete with Hammer, their established rival. Director Freddie Francis used an interesting technique as he shot some scenes from the viewpoint of the skull’s empty sockets to give ‘life’ to an inanimate villain.. An interesting aspect of the film is the 'Maitland' connection. Cushing's character is named Christopher Maitland, a name which is a death sentence in an Amicus film. The use of the name was the product of Milton Subotsky, but no one knows if there ever was a real Maitland that inspired such a curse.
“Anyone can understand science if they only put their minds to it”--Peter Cushing as Dr. Who (Dr. Who and the Daleks, 1965 film).
Dr. Who and the Daleks, based on the popular children’s BBC science-fiction adventure, was produced by Amicus although the name was changed to AARU by financial backers. The actor portraying the doctor on TV was William Hartnell, but it was decided that the film needed a more recognizable ‘name’ actor; the producers settled on Peter Cushing, one of their tried and true talents. As originally envisioned, Dr. Who was a renegade alien who traveled the universe battling evil wherever it existed. Hartnell portrayed the doctor as a grumpy but brilliant character who did not fear the unknown. For the film adaptation, Dr. Who was changed to an eccentric inventor on Earth and Cushing portrayed him as a dotty but kindhearted man. The film was obviously heavily influenced by the events of the time; lava lamps and a psychedelic sets served to create an ‘alien’ world. Like the TV series, the film also catered to children, with young Roberta Tovey as Susan, an inquisitive and spirited girl. The comedy relief comes courtesy of Roy Castle, whose Ian is constantly tripping about in displays of physical humor. Although Dr. Who and the Daleks did not quite measure up, an improved-upon sequel was instantly in the works.
“Just as time is regarded as the fourth dimension, so space is equally the fifth dimension, though space knows no boundaries and is completely timeless. Now, I’m sure that has made it perfectly clear”--Peter Cushing as Dr. Who (Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 A.D., 1966 film).
Compared with its predecessor, Dr. Who and the Daleks, Daleks: Invasion Earth 2150 A.D. is a vast improvement in plot pacing and budget, due to the story line taking place on Earth which helped to trim costs and allow for better special effects. Indeed, the poorly-made forest sets of the first film are in stark contrast to the sets of the ruined city in this sequel which look impressive and have explosions galore. Peter Cushing and Roberta Tovey return as Dr. Who and Susan, pretty much identical to their last appearances. New to the cast are Bernard Cribbins and Jill Curzon, along with rebel leader Andrew Keir, all of which assist the movement of the plot with the exception of Curzon who does not add much. But it is Cribbins this time who offers the comedy relief; an amusing scene involves him trying to imitate a roboman. Even though this sequel improved upon the original film, future films were scrapped, due to poor receipts outside of England, for most people in America were not familiar with the characters so widely watched on the BBC.
(To be continued next week)
Peter Cushing & His Amicus Films by Christopher Gullo - Part One
