An eminent centenary today - one of the masters of the Hammer Horror genre, Mr Peter Cushing.
Famous for playing Doctors Frankenstein, Van Helsing and Who, he was also a recurring guest on the Morecambe and Wise Show.
As I said in my blog back in 2009, it is worth pondering on a bizarre coincidence...
Peter Cushing was born on 26th May. Christopher Lee and Vincent Price were both born on 27th May.
Three horror icons, contemporaries, sharing birthdays on two consecutive dates. Even better, the three men were good friends.Mr Cushing's home town of Whitstable in Kent appears to be about the only notable place where this milesone is being celebrated, with an exhibition of his life and works until 23rd Jun 2013.
Of his meeting Christopher Lee in 1968, Vincent Price said, “I had heard he was very pompous, and I was really a little worried about meeting him. Well, we took one look at each other and started laughing… We find each other hysterically funny.”
On meeting Peter Cushing on the set of The Curse of Frankenstein. Christopher Lee wrote, “Our very first encounter began with me storming into his dressing-room and announcing in petulant tones, ‘I haven’t got any lines!’ He looked up, his mouth twitched and he said dryly, ‘You’re lucky. I’ve read the script'.” And from that moment on the two men became friends for life.
"Who wants to see me as Hamlet? Very few. But millions want to see me as Frankenstein so that's the one I do."
Peter Wilton Cushing, OBE (26th May 1913 – 11th August 1994)
