Peter Cushing

Peter Cushing in The Ghoul

Peter Cushing (1913 - 1994)

Film Deaths

• The Black Knight (1954) [Sir Palamides]: Stabbed in the stomach by Alan Ladd as he tries to bludgeon him with a mace, knocked down the stone staircase into the courtyard. (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]: Apparently executed (off-screen) by the guillotine; we only see the blade dropping at the end of the movie. (The 1958 sequel The Revenge of Frankenstein revealed that Peter escaped just before his execution, but the original film implies that the execution was carried out.) (Thanks to Stephen)

• Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960) [Sheriff of Nottingham]: Stabbed repeatedly in the back by Oliver Reed when he refuses to go along with Richard Pasco's evil plans. (Thanks to Garrett and Uwe)

• Captain Clegg (Night Creatures) (1962) [Rev. Dr. Blyss a.k.a. Captain Clegg]: Shot with a harpoon when Milton Reid fires it at Michael Ripper, and Peter throws himself in front of Michael. (Thanks to Garrett and Uwe)

• The Gorgon (1964) [Dr. Namaroff]: Looks into the Gorgon's (Prudence Hyman) eyes (which is fatal). We never actually see Peter turn to stone, as he stumbles and collapses under a curtain, but the implication is obvious.

• The Evil of Frankenstein (1964) [Baron Frankenstein]: Seemingly killed in an explosion after a fire breaks out in his laboratory. (He returned in the sequel Frankenstein Created Woman, which did not mention the events of this film.)

• The Skull (1965) [Dr. Christopher Maitland]: Bitten on the throat (off-camera) by the disembodied skull in his bedroom. The scene fades to black as the skull floats towards him; his body is shown afterwards when Jill Bennett discovers him the next morning.

• Dr. Terror’s House of Horrors (1965) [Dr. Sandor Schreck]: Appears as a grim reaper or an 'embodiment of death’. (I don’t know if this would count as a death, but I’ll just list it in case.)

• Frankenstein Created Woman (1967) [Baron Frankenstein]: Frozen to death in his laboratory, shortly before he first appears; his body is shown afterwards as Robert Morris and Thorley Walters bring him back to life (following Peter's own prepared instructions). After being revived, he survives the rest of the movie.

• Night of the Big Heat (Island of the Burning Doomed) (1967) [Dr. Vernon Stone]: Dies of heatstroke when the aliens raise the temperature around him. (Thanks to Garrett)

• Torture Garden (1967) [Lancelot Canning]: Bludgeoned to death with a candlestick by Jack Palance during a struggle in Peter's cellar.

• 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]: Burned to death (off-camera) when Freddie Jones brings his unconscious body into the burning building (Note: as with "Curse of Frankenstein" this was intended to be his actual death, before they decided to make a sequel which he survived).

• The House That Dripped Blood (1970) [Philip Grayson]: Decapitated (off-camera) with an axe by Wolfe Morris in the wax museum. We only see Wolfe coming at him with the axe, followed by a scene of another customer passing Peter's wax-covered severed head in one of the displays.

• Twins of Evil (The Gemini Twins; Twins of Dracula) (1971) [Gustav Weil]: Hit in the back with an axe thrown by Damien Thomas after Peter first threw the axe and missed him. (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 (Dracula Today) (1972) [Professor Van Helsing]: Playing a dual role as the 20th-century Van Helsing and his ancestor, the 19th-century Van Helsing is fatally injured when the carriage crashes during a struggle with Christopher Lee; he dies after managing to drive the wooden wheel-spoke into 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 (from the waist down) afterwards when the townspeople discover him. He later comes back to life as a zombie to get revenge on Robin Phillips.

• From Beyond the Grave (1973) [Antique Shop Proprietor]: appears as a ghost/spirit owning a shop. We learn he's that at the end of the film.

• Madhouse (Deathday; The Madhouse of Dr. Fear; The Revenge of Dr. Death) (1974) [Herbert Flay]: Killed (from falling down stairs) by Vincent Price, as Vincent finds out that peter had been killing people and framing Vincent for it. (Thanks to Garrett)

• The Ghoul (Night of the Ghoul; The Thing in the Attic) (1975) [Dr. Lawrence]: Commits suicide (off-screen) by shooting himself in the head after killing his son Don Henderson.

• Trial by Combat (A Choice of Arms; Choice of Weapons; Dirty Knight's Work) (1976) [Sir Edward Gifford]: Stabbed to death (off-screen) 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 in an explosion (along with the rest of the Death Star crew) when Mark Hamill blows up the Death Star.

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 many others) in Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

Peter Cushing's death in Tales from the Crypt.

Peter Cushing in Asylum.