Peter Cushing

Peter Cushing in The Ghoul

Peter Cushing (1913 - 1994)

Film Deaths

• The Black Knight (1954) [Sir Palamides]: Stabbed in the stomach with a dagger by Alan Ladd in the castle. (Thanks to Brian)

• Alexander the Great (1956) [Memnon]: Killed in combat with Richard Burton's army, after Peter's offer of surrender is rejected. (Thanks to Garrett)
• The Curse of Frankenstein (1957) [Baron Victor Frankenstein]: Seemingly executed (off-screen) by the guilotine; the film ends as the blade drops. (Note: The 1958 sequel, The Revenge of Frankenstein, reveals that he escaped before his execution and put someone else in his place, but the filmmakers did intend this to be an actual death before deciding to make a sequel, so I'll list it.)
• The Revenge of Frankenstein (1958) [Baron Victor Frankenstein]: Beaten up by his patients in the hospital; he dies after Francis Matthews rushes him to his laboratory to try and save him. He is brought back to life when Francis transplants his brain into a body that strongly resembles him (that Peter had prepared earlier).
• Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960) [Sheriff of Nottingham]: Stabbed repeatedly in the back with a dagger by Oliver Reed in the castle. (Thanks to Garrett and Uwe)
• Night Creatures (Captain Clegg) (1962) [Rev. Dr. Blyss a.k.a. Captain Clegg]: Harpooned through the stomach by Milton Reid. (Thanks to Garrett and Uwe)
• The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) [Baron Victor Frankenstein]: Killed (off-screen) in an explosion inside his chateau after his creature accidently sets fire to his laboratory. (Note: Although Peter reprised his role in later films, none of them share any continuity with this film, so this is an actual death.)
• The Gorgon (1964) [Dr. Namaroff]: Turns to stone (off-screen) after looking upon the Gorgon's (Prudence Hyman) face in the castle; he collapse behind a curtain just before he dies, and his body is never shown. We only know he turned to stone because all of the other characters in the film who looked upon the Gorgon's face did turn to stone.
• The Skull (1965) [Dr. Christopher Maitland]: Bitten on the throat (off-screen) by a disembodied skull in his bedroom; the scene ends as the skull floats towards him. His body is shown afterwards.
• Night of the Big Heat (Island of the Burning Doomed) (1967) [Dr. Vernon Stone]: Dies (off-screen) of heatstroke near a field when the invisible aliens raise the temperature around him; we only hear his scream. (Thanks to Garrett)
• Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) [Baron Victor Frankenstein]: Frozen to death (off-screen) in his laboratory when Thorley Walters and Robert Morris put him inside a criogenic tube (under Peter's instructions). He is brought back to life when Thorley unfreezes him and releases him from the tube.
• Torture Garden (1967) [Lancelot Canning]: Head caved in with a candlestick by Jack Palance in Peter's celler.
• Corruption (Carnage; Laser Killer) (1968) [Sir John Rowan]: Slashed/burned to death by the surgical laser in his laboratory after it goes out of control. (The entire movie turns out to be Peter's dream, but the final scene indicates that it's coming true.)

• Scream and Scream Again (Screamer) (1969) [Benedek]: Killed when Marshall Jones applies a death-grip to his shoulder in Peter's office.
• Frankenstein Must be Destroyed (1969) [Baron Frankenstein]: Seemingly burned to death (off-screen) in a house fire along with Freddie Jones. (Note: The 1974 sequel, Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell, revealed that he had survived the fire, but the filmmakers did intend this as an actual death before deciding to make a sequel, so I'll list it.)
• The House That Dripped Blood (1971) [Philip Grayson]: Decapitated (off-screen) with an axe by Wolfe Morris in the wax museum; the scene ends as Wolfe brings the axe down. His severed head is later shown on display in the shop window.
• Twins of Evil (1971) [Gustav Weil]: Thrown over a stair banister by Damien Thomas in the castle, on top of Damien throwing an axe into his back. (Thanks to Garrett)

• Asylum (House of Crazies) (1972) [Smith]: Accidentally shot to death when his own gun goes off during a struggle with Barry Morse. (Thanks to Garrett)

• Dracula AD 1972 (1972) (Dracula Today) [Professor Van Helsing]: Playing the 20th century Van Helsing and his 19th century anscestor, the 19th century Van Helsing is fatally injured when his coach crashes during a struggle with Christopher Lee; he dies shortly after managing to impale a wooden spike through Christopher's heart. (The 20th century Van Helsing survives the movie.) (Thanks to Garrett)

• Tales from the Crypt (1972) [Arthur Edward Grimsdyke]: Commits suicide (off-screen) by hanging himself in his home; his body is shown afterwards. He later comes back to life as a zombie.

• From Beyond the Grave (1974) [Antique Shop Proprietor]: Dies (off-screen) before the film begins; he appears as a ghost throughout the film.

• Madhouse (Deathday; The Madhouse of Dr. Fear; The Revenge of Dr. Death) (1974) [Herbert Flay]: Pushed down a flight of stairs by Vincent Price. (Thanks to Garrett)

• The Ghoul (1975) [Dr. Lawrence]: Commits suicide (off-screen) in his office by shooting himself in the head; we hear the gunshot. His body is shown afterwards.

• Trial by Combat (A Choice of Arms; Choice of Weapons; Dirty Knight's Work) (1976) [Sir Edward Gifford]: Stabbed to death with a sword by a man in medieval knight's armor. (Thanks to Garrett and Uwe)

• Land of the Minotaur (1976) [Baron Corofax]: Destroyed along with his other satanists, when Donald Pleasence throws holy water around and on them and says a prayer.

• Shock Waves (1977) [SS Commander]: Drowned by one of the zombies while trying to escape through the marsh. We only see him being pulled under; his body is not shown afterwards.

• The Uncanny (1977) [Wilbur Gray]: Falls down a flight of stairs after being attacked by a group of cats. (Thanks to Garrett)

• Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope (Star Wars) (1977) [Grand Moff Tarkin]: Killed (off-screen) in an explosion (along with the rest of the Death Star crew) when Mark Hamill blows up the Death Star.
• House of the Long Shadows (1983) [Sebastian Grisbane]: Hanged, it's later revealed that Peter was faking his death.

TV Deaths

• The Avengers: Return of the Cybernauts (1967) [Paul Beresford]: Electrocuted by a short-circuiting Cybernaut, when Patrick Macnee tries to disable the Cybernaut while it's trying to crush Peter to death. (Thanks to Garrett)

• Hammer House of Horror: The Silent Scream (1980) [Martin Blueck]: Dies (off-screen) after being caught in his own inescapable trap; the episode ends with him screaming in the cell.

Gallery

Peter Cushing a split-second before the explosion of the Death Star in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

The Death Star explosion (that kills Cushing and 1 million others) in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Peter Cushing's death in Tales from the Crypt.

Peter Cushing in Asylum.

Peter Cushing just before his death in The Gorgon