In the set CUSHING CURIOSITIES, there are 5 feature films and the 6 remaining episodes of the BBC's SHERLOCK HOLMES series from 1968. The movies were made between 1959 and 1974 and reflect not only the growth of Cushing's career but the many changes in society and the movie industry that brought about the end of the Gothic horror films in which he specialized. Three of the films are in black and white. SUSPECT (1960) and THE MAN WHO FINALLY DIED (1962) have pre-James Bond espionage themes. CONE OF SILENCE, based on a book, deals with faulty aircraft design and is based on fact.
In SUSPECT, Cushing plays a scientist who wishes to publish his findings on deadly bacteria while the British Government wants them withheld from public knowledge. The film co-stars Donald Pleasance and Ian Bannen. In THE MAN WHO FINALLY DIED, Cushing is an ex-Nazi who is trying to commit insurance fraud...or is he? Headlining the movie is Stanley Baker, just 2 years away from international stardom in ZULU. Baker plays a man who is shocked to discover that his German father (not Cushing), whom he thought was long dead, is still alive. Both movies are tense and terse.
The earliest movie in the set, CONE OF SILENCE, dates from 1959. It tells the story of a new line of airplanes that sometimes crash while attempting to land. Peter is an ambitious pilot who, in order to advance his career, blames the crashes on an older cohort rather than the structural flaw he knows to be the real cause. The film has a strong cast that includes George Sanders and Bernard Lee. Future Hammer regulars Andre Morell and Marne Maitland have significant supporting roles. As stated earlier, the screenplay is based on fact.
The other two films, BLOODSUCKERS and TENDER DRACULA are both in color, made in the early 1970s and were barely released. The first movie, about modern day vampires, suffered from producer interference resulting in the director having his name removed. It also underwent several name changes. I first saw it in a drive-in and it wasn't half bad. In addition to Cushing, it has the added presence of Patrick Macnee and Edward Woodward. The 10 minute LSD induced orgy scene, which caused the director to leave and was ultimately cut, has been restored here. .. SPOILER ALERT!... It adds absolutely nothing to the film.
TENDER DRACULA is a real oddity. It was made in France in 1974 and, aside from Cushing and THE THIRD MAN star Alida Valli, features an all French cast and crew. It was intended to be a combination horror comedy and sex farce and how well it succeeds will depend on your taste for...French horror comedies / sex farces. It does have its admirers but only in France which is the only place it was released before going straight to video. Whether it is Cushing's worst movie is debatable. He didn't think so, giving that distinction to 1967's THE BLOOD BEAST TERROR, but TD gets my vote.
As for the 6 SHERLOCK HOLMES episodes, they prove that Peter Cushing was one of the great Holmes interpreters right up there with Jeremy Brett and Basil Rathbone. His lean, gaunt features, dismissive attitude, and nervous energy are very close to Doyle's description of the character. Cushing also insisted that his wardrobe match the illustrations from the Victorian period magazines where Holmes first appeared. Nigel Stock is the perfect Dr. Watson. An ordinary man who helps to ground his extraordinary friend. Of the stories, only A STUDY IN SCARLET disappoints as the murderer's background has been eliminated.
So, in the final summary, CUSHING CURIOSITIES is a must for all fans of the actor even if not all the material is first rate. It gives us a chance to see Peter in some of his solid supporting roles before he became a horror star and some lesser known movies that he made to keep himself busy after his wife died in 1971... For more reviews visit The Capsule Critic.
