Peter Cushing reunited with Dave Prowse in Star Wars |
The
presence of Alec Guinness ensured the critics would pay some attention
to Star Wars – but
the name that would have attracted the interest of genre fans was
that of Peter Cushing.
Cushing
would have been 101 today. (Thanks to the fundraisers of
@UKGarrison for reminding me of that on Twitter this morning and
inspiring this blog post.) So it's a fitting time to consider his
contribution to the most successful film of his long career.
Cushing
was 62 when he shot his role in Star Wars.
He had been in films since 1939, when he talked his way into a bit
part in The Man in the Iron Mask and
followed that with a small role in the Laurel and Hardy comedy A
Chump at Oxford. He had played
Shakespeare with Laurence Olivier, performed in plays by Coward and
Sheridan, and had been one of British TV's first true stars. But he
was best known as a genre star, appearing in a succession of Hammer
horror films over a period of 17 years, including The Curse
of Frankenstein, Dracula
(called Horror of
Dracula in the US) and The
Mummy. As well as horror
films for other producers, he had played Sherlock Holmes on TV and
film, played the lead in two Doctor Who films
and, in 1976, had been in another family SF movie, At the
Earth's Core.
Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin |
George
Lucas had reportedly considered casting Cushing as Obi-Wan
Kenobi before making him his Grand Moff Tarkin, a role which earned
him either £1,000 or £2,000 (sources vary) and required two weeks' work at Elstree Studios at the
start of May 1976. The movie reunited Cushing with Dave Prowse, who
had played his creation in Frankenstein and the Monster
From Hell in 1973, and with Don
Henderson (playing General Tagge), with whom he had made The
Ghoul in 1974.
Everyone
who writes about Cushing mentions how nice he was, and that's
certainly the impression given in accounts of the making of Star
Wars. Carrie Fisher has
recalled how hard it was to be nasty to him in their scenes together,
while Dave Prowse remembers Cushing tutoring Fisher on set. “He
really bent over backwards for her because it was her first major
film,” he said. “He explained all the pitfalls, what she should
look for, how to take advantage of all the key light.”
But
all the talk of Cushing's niceness sometimes threatens to sidetrack
us from appreciating what a big star and what a skilled actor
he was.
Even
though the Hammer films had fizzled out before Star Wars, and even though
he had appeared in plenty of films that were beneath him, Cushing's
presence still made a film worth seeing for many fans. That may
explain why he is billed above Alec Guinness in the cast of Star Wars and on the
posters, despite having a smaller role. Cushing's status as a genre
legend is illustrated by the fact that Mark Hamill came into Elstree
Studios especially to watch him at work and get his autograph.
Cushing
was also a highly professional actor, who gave his all to even the
least of his films, and who had a large box of acting tricks at his
command. His tightly controlled movements within the frame, his
precise diction, his facility with props and stage 'business', were
all hallmarks of a Cushing performance, and you can see his
professionalism being deployed as Tarkin.
Whether
he was playing the hero or the villain, Cushing was at his best when
bringing a steely conviction to his roles. (I always wish he'd been
encouraged to take that approach in the Doctor Who
movies, rather than making the Doctor a kindly old gent.) That's
exactly what he does in Star Wars,
and as a result the character carries incredible authority. In his
first scene, he instantly quietens the bickering Imperial generals
aboard the Death Star. Moments later, he orders Darth Vader to stop
throttling General Motti. Cushing's presence on screen is so
compelling that you can believe he has the authority to order Vader
about. But it's an uneasy relationship. When the Millennium
Falcon leaves the Death Star,
homing beacon aboard, and Darth Vader declares that this day “will
soon see the end of the Rebellion”, the anxious sideways look that
Tarkin gives Vader suggests that their power relationship is
shifting.
Unlike
Alec Guinness, Cushing never betrayed any irritation at being
associated with Star Wars,
although he admitted he had been confused as to what it was all
about. He may not be on screen for very long, yet Star Wars would not
have been the same without him.
5 comments:
I've stumbled across this wonderful site by accident, so I apologise for the late reply.Peter Cushing remains my favourite actor and his performance would often elevate what in lesser hands would be a bad film into a good one.His gentlemanly attitude towards Star Wars is in stark contrast to Sir Alec's.Always wished Tarkin had escaped the destruction of the Death Star ( and that Kenner had made an action figure of him! )
Hello Hywel. Many thanks for commenting and the kind comments about the site. Do share it if you can.
Funny about Guinness and Cushing and their differing attitudes to Star Wars. Cushing claimed he didn't understand a lot of it, but was, as you say, very gracious about the movie and grateful to have been in it. Guinness was much more central to it but unkind about the film and its fans later on.
Cushing became my favourite genre actor, thanks to Star Wars prompting me to seek out his other movies. As you say, he could often turn a bad film into something worth watching.
Hi Guys,
Bit late to the party, but greatly enjoyed reading this article. Cushing was a maestro and treated every film he was in with the utmost sincerity, what a pro.
I'll second Hywels thoughts on the Kenner figure, apparently they thought kids wouldn't play with a Tarkin figure. I've also heard that the Death Squad Commander/Star Destroyer Commander was the Tarkin prototype altered late in the game.
Its a pity he was killed off, although fitting as he was the main villain of the film. I think they should have kept the Regional Governors as villains as was the original plan, in the kind of unofficial sequel Splinter Of The Minds Eye, Vader is again an emissary of the Regional Governor and not the defacto second in command of the Empire as he appeared in later
works, kind of shrunk the "world" a bit I think having all the officers answer to him.
Thanks,
ST.CLAIRE
Hi St Claire. Many thanks for your comments. Great to have a fellow Cushing fan commenting. Yes, I'd forgotten that Vader still answers to regional governors in Splinter of the Mind's Eye. Somehow having him subordinate to Tarkin but obviously keen to rule the galaxy made him even more sinister back then.
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