OT: As Halloween nears, remembering a noted British horror film actor, who beat PCa for years

This is OT, but perhaps an appropriate thread for Halloween week.

I watched one of his films on TV recently, "Dracula " (1958), and was reminded of what an accomplished actor he was in the genre of horror films.

But if the name Peter Cushing doesn't ring a bell, then seeing him in action onscreen likely will:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ssvgmhca45s

He became very successful in horror films coming out of Hammer Studios in England during the late 1950s and into the 1960s, playing such roles as Dr. Frankenstein and Van Helsing, hence his association with Halloween themes, and he even tried his hand at playing Sherlock Holmes:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=peter+cushing+sherlock+holmes+site%3awww.youtube.com&qs=n&sp=-1&pq=peter+cushing+sherlock+holmes+site%3awww.youtube.com&sc=0-50&sk=&cvid=9819dc12d23d47559dd56657865e83e2&ghsh=0&ghacc=0&ghpl=&first=39&ru=%2Fsearch%3fq%3Dpeter%2bcushing%2bsherlock%2bholmes%2bsite%253awww.youtube.com%26qs%3Dn%26sp%3D-1%26pq%3Dpeter%2bcushing%2bsherlock%2bholmes%2bsite%253awww.youtube.com%26sc%3D0-50%26sk%3D%26cvid%3D9819dc12d23d47559dd56657865e83e2%26ghsh%3D0%26ghacc%3D0%26ghpl%3D%26first%3D39%26form%3Dpere2&view=detail&mmscn=vwrc&mid=739c64780ad1cb0474b8739c64780ad1cb0474b8&form=wrvorc

He was also noted for playing Grand Moff Tarkin in the Star Wars films:

https://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=peter+cushinggrand+moff+tarkin+youtube&view=detail&mid=0315919a46969013e36d0315919a46969013e36d&form=vire

He thus became a well-known onscreen face both in the UK, his native country, the US, and eventually worldwide.

What is perhaps a lesser known fact about him is that he passed on from PCa in 1994 at age 81. But it was his journey with the beast, and the obvious courage that he showed in dealing with a particularly awful side effect of it, that makes him worthy of our attention now, especially at Halloween.

From Wikipedia:

"In May 1982, Cushing was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He was rushed to the Kent and Canterbury Hospital when his left eye had swollen to nearly three times its normal size, a side effect of the cancer. Doctors determined he had twelve to eighteen months to live, and that his left eye might be lost. To their surprise, however, Cushing recovered well enough to be released from the hospital, and although his health continued to gradually decline, Cushing lived another twelve years without any operative treatment or chemotherapy." (Boldfaces mine)

So while he eventually did die of PCa, good for him for outliving his doctors' premature terminal forecast by twelve years!

And since it's near Halloween, some of his films are now being shown on TV, as noted, an annual tribute to the fine actor that he was.

May he RIP, a talented actor, as well as an inspirational model for how to deal well with the beast!

This time of year, I like to watch a couple of old retro spooky movies, as Halloween approaches ...

I remember watching Vincent Price movies at the local movie theater, when I was growing up ... just a half a block away from my boyhood home.

They had a special deal for kids ~ ticket, box of popcorn, and bottle of soda pop ~ all for only $1.00 ~ and the ticket stub from Friday night was good for admissions the rest of the weekend! What a deal!

I remember seeing "The Legend Of H*ll House" in my boyhood ~ and it scarred the tar out of all of us kids that Friday night!

A local family had opened the theater in 1919 ~ in the days when they hired a piano player to plunk out music, as the silent black & white movies flickered on the projection wall ...

Best of all ~ for decades, the owner's wife took the leftover popcorn home every night & made old-fashioned molasses & sugar "popcorn balls"'~ which were sold for 10¢ ...

Tonight ~ sure enough ~ "The Mummy" is showing on T.V. ~ from 1959 ~ featuring Peter Cushing.

Another old retro favorite when Halloween rolls around ... "Hush, Hush, Sweet Charlotte" ~ filmed in black & white ~ with Bette Davis, Olivia DeHaviland, Agnes Moorehead, Joseph Cotten, and Bruce Dern ...

S-P-O-O-K-T-A-C-U-L-A-R!

CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University

Post Edited (Cyclone-ISU) : 10/28/2022 8:04:15 AM (GMT-7)

I also love old Alfred Hitchcock movies & his old television show ...

Top of my list is "Rear Window" from 1954 ~ with Jimmy Stewart & Grace Kelly & Thelma Ritter & Raymond Burr ... a masterpiece in 1950s Technicolor ... classic suspense.

CYCLONE ~ # Iowa State University