Cushing had recently undergone dental surgery and he was trying not to open his mouth widely for fear of spitting. Witching Time/The Silent Scream. He was and is an icon of genre film. [68] However, Cushing was able to star in Twins of Evil (also 1971), a prequel of sorts to The Vampire Lovers, as Gustav Weil, the leader of a group of religious puritans trying to stamp out witchcraft and satanism. [151] In 2013, Cushing was honoured by the Royal Mail as one of ten people selected for their "Great Britons" commemorative postage stamp issue.[157]. As both actors were in their seventies, screenwriter N.J. [10] The scene in which Tarkin and Organa appear together on the Death Star, just before the destruction of the planet Alderaan, was the first scene with major dialogue that Fisher filmed for Star Wars. Born in Kenley, Surrey, Cushing made his stage debut in 1935 and spent three years at a repertory theatre before moving to Hollywood to pursue a film career. [152] In total, Cushing appeared in more than 100 films throughout his career. [33] A huge fan of Sherlock Holmes, Cushing was highly anxious to play the character,[69] and reread the novels in anticipation of the role. [19], Soon, he felt the urge to pursue a film career in the United States. Scully, Rob (11 August 1994). On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. This marked his professional stage debut, although he had no lines and did little more than stand on stage behind other actors. Whether playing Baron Frankenstein witnessing the awful results of his brilliance or Professor Van Helsing in hot . one didn't go to work if you had children. Did Peter have any children. Peter Cushing in Dracula (1958) Peter Cushing is well known to modern audiences as Grand Moff Tarkin in the original Star Wars. Peter Cushing's wife died in the early 1970's, they never had children so when he died of cancer in 1994 he left his estate to his secretary Joyce Broughton. [148] 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. Cushing was just a fabulous actor. Peter Cushing WAS the villain in Star Wars, Vadar was his lap dog. [21] He once again co-starred opposite Lee, who portrayed the aristocratic Sir Henry Baskerville. [138] His final acting job was narrating, along with Christopher Lee, the Hammer Films documentary Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror (1994), which was recorded only a few weeks before his death. Cushing envisioned the character as an idealist warrior for the greater good, and studied the original book carefully and adapted several of Van Helsing's characteristics from the books into his performance, including the repeated gesture of raising his index finger to emphasise an important point. In my macabre pictures, I have either been a monster-maker or a monster-destroyer, but never a monster. [5] During one Christmas in his youth, Cushing saw a stage production of Peter Pan, which served as an early source of inspiration and interest in acting. Peter Cushing. Lucas felt a talented actor was needed to play the role and said Cushing was his first choice for the part. Peter Cushing was born on the 26th of May, 2013. [10] Far from being deterred by Cushing's unsuccessful audition the year before, Olivier remembered the actor well and was happy to cast him,[10][18] but the only character left unfilled was the relatively small part of the foppish courtier Osric. He appeared in several horror films and was in Lawrence Olivier's Hamlet. "The star who never grew up". His old friend and co-star John Mills encouraged him to publish his memoirs as a way of overcoming the reclusive state Cushing had placed himself into following her death. [21][53] The two men continued to work together in many films for Hammer, and their names became synonymous with the company. Although Cushing's protagonist was derived from television scripts used for First Doctor serials, his portrayal of the character differed in the fact that Cushing's Dr. Who was a human being, whereas the original Doctor as portrayed on TV by William Hartnell was extraterrestrial. Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death. [14][151] In accordance with his wishes, Cushing had a low-profile funeral with family and friends, although hundreds of fans and well-wishers came to Canterbury to pay their respects. At the age of 82, Peter died at his Los Angeles, California home. [5] With the exception of art, Cushing was a self-proclaimed poor student in most subjects and had little attention span for that which did not interest him. [135] Also that year, a sketch Cushing drew of Sherlock Holmes was accepted as the official logo of the Northern Musgraves Sherlock Holmes Society. Peter Wilton Cushing was born on May 26, 1913 in Kenley, Surrey, England, to Nellie Maria (King) and George Edward Cushing, a quantity surveyor. Although I didn't . [6] Cushing loved dressing up and make believe from an early age, and later claimed he always wanted to be an actor, "perhaps without knowing at first. [63] The next year, Cushing appeared in I, Monster (1971),[10] which was adapted from Robert Louis Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, alongside Lee as the Jekyll/Hyde figure. Which means Cushing's career vampire kill count is - drum roll - fifteen - five of which were the same bloody vampire over and over. Peter Cushing. A necessary requirement to having a family and children is of course, having a spouse. Peter Sellers died young, and in the decades since his passing, debate about his character and behavior has rarely ceased, with a great number of well-researched biographies and a big-budget movie, The Life and Death of Peter Sellers, trying to get a grip on the reverse side of this most gifted creator of characters, to show something of the real The movie actor Peter Cushing died at the age of 81. Originally, all of the character's lines were spoken aloud to himself, but Cushing suggested he speak to a framed photo of his deceased wife instead, and director Freddie Francis agreed. [10] As with the Frankenstein film, critics largely disliked Dracula because of its violence and sexual content, deeming it inferior to the 1931 Universal version. Cushing played the lead role twice more in Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969) and Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell (1974). To their surprise, however, Cushing recovered well enough to be released from the hospital,[149] and although his health continued to gradually decline, Cushing lived another twelve years without any operative treatment or chemotherapy. [76] The next year, Cushing starred as an Ebenezer Scrooge-like manager of a bank being robbed in the Hammer thriller film Cash on Demand (1961). He was not cast because he insisted he could not perform in an American accent. Cushing's estate owners were heavily involved with the creation which took place more than twenty years after Cushing died. He moved to New York City in anticipation of his eventual return home, during which time he voiced a few radio commercials and joined a summer stock theatre company to raise money for his voyage back to England. [3] In his infancy, Cushing twice developed pneumonia and once what was then known as "double pneumonia". After making his motion picture debut in the film The Man in the Iron Mask (1939), Cushing began to find modest success in American films before returning to England at the outbreak of the Second World War. [86] Cushing also starred in several horror films released in 1975. He also won best actor awards from the Guild of Television Producers in 1955,[39] and from the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 1956. His first film for the studio was 1957's "The Curse of Frankenstein," in which he played Frankenstein's monster opposite actor Peter Cushing. [143], Cushing was known among his colleagues for his gentle and gentlemanly demeanour, as well as his professionalism and rigorous preparation as an actor. [13], One of his earliest professional stage performances was in 1935 as Captain Randall in Ian Hay's The Middle Watch at the Connaught Theatre in Worthing. [128] This extensive use of CGI to "resurrect" an actor who had died many years earlier created a great deal of controversy about the ethics of using a deceased actor's likeness. "Horrormeister Cushing belonged to gentlemanly school of actors". [58] Cushing said one of the biggest challenges during filming was not missing whenever he struck a prop stake with a mallet and drove it into a vampire's heart. . [14] Cushing continued to appear in several Amicus Productions films during this period, including Tales from the Crypt (1972), From Beyond the Grave (1973),[103] And Now the Screaming Starts! Did St Peter who was married have any children? [44] In 1959, Cushing originally planned to appear in the lead role of William Fairchild's play The Sound of Murder, while shooting a film at the same time. [99] Cushing and Lee made cameos as their old roles of Frankenstein and Dracula in the comedy One More Time (1970), which starred Peter Lawford and Sammy Davis Jr.[100] The single scene took only one morning of filming, which Cushing agreed to after Davis asked him to do it as a favour. [42], Nevertheless, he continued to work in some film roles during this period, including the adventure film The Black Knight (1954) opposite Alan Ladd. [92] Cushing himself was not a particular fan of horror or science fiction films, but he tended to choose roles not based on whether he enjoyed them, but whether he felt his audience would enjoy him in them. [44], During a brief quiet period following Cushing's television work, he read in trade publications about Hammer, a low-budget production company seeking to adapt Mary Shelley's horror novel Frankenstein into a new film. Did peter cushing have any children? Although not a particular fan of science fiction, Cushing accepted the part because he believed his audience would love Star Wars and enjoy seeing him in the film. Lee once again starred as Dracula. Very few. .mw-parser-output .hatnote{font-style:italic}.mw-parser-output div.hatnote{padding-left:1.6em;margin-bottom:0.5em}.mw-parser-output .hatnote i{font-style:normal}.mw-parser-output .hatnote+link+.hatnote{margin-top:-0.5em}To learn how to add open license text to Wikipedia articles, please see this how-to page. Peter Bogdanovich's passing was announced by one of his daughters, Antonia, on Thursday, January 6. Actually, I'm a gentle fellow. Peter Cushing was born in Kenley, Surrey, England, on May 26, 1913. [13][18] While he was in Southampton he met an 18 year old fellow actor Doreen Lawrence and they were engaged to be married. [10] He appeared in the Hammer film Captain Clegg (1962), known in the United States as Night Creatures. The Man in the Iron Mask (1939) Passed | 113 min | Adventure, History, Romance 7 Rate Despotic King Louis XIV discovers he has a twin brother who has grown up under the tutelage of his foster father, the patriotic musketeer D'Artagnan. Cushing himself passed away in 1994 aged 81, leaving behind an . [114] Cushing consciously attempted to define their characters as opposite representations of good and evil, and the actor purposely stood in the shadows so the light shone on Fisher's face. His daughter Antonia told the Hollywood Reporter that he passed on due to natural causes. In the films where Lee iconically played Dracula, Cushing plaid his foil and rival, the righteous vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing. But he never did it with that same natural panache. [21][28], He earned praise for playing the lead male role of Mr. Darcy in an early BBC Television serialisation of Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice (1952). Afterward, he was granted the scholarship and given odd jobs around the theatre, such as selling refreshments and working as an assistant stage manager. What movie did Peter Cushing play a vampire or has he ever played a vampire? [4][42], In an interview included on the DVD release of The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), Lee said of his friend's death: .mw-parser-output .templatequote{overflow:hidden;margin:1em 0;padding:0 40px}.mw-parser-output .templatequote .templatequotecite{line-height:1.5em;text-align:left;padding-left:1.6em;margin-top:0}, I don't want to sound gloomy, but at some point of your lives, every one of you will notice that you have in your life one person, one friend whom you love and care for very much. [142] He also had a great interest in ornithology and wildlife in general. Payne, Graham (June 1958). They both appeared in numerous Hammer films, as well as other genre films, throughout their careers. (1973),[65] and The Beast Must Die (1974). Cushing later appeared in The Vampire Lovers (1970), an erotic Hammer horror film about a lesbian vampire, adapted in part from the Sheridan Le Fanu novella Carmilla. He made me believe he was evil and cruel. Peter Wilton Cushing was born on May 26, 1913 in Kenley, Surrey, England, to Nellie Maria (King) and George Edward Cushing, a quantity surveyor. [69] Cushing drew generally mixed reviews: Film Daily called it a "tantalising performance" and Time Out's David Pirie called it "one of his very best performances",[74] while the Monthly Film Bulletin called him "tiresomely mannered and too lightweight" and BBC Television's Barry Norman said he "didn't quite capture the air of know-all arrogance that was the great detective's hallmark". During this period, he lived with Joyce Broughton and her family at their homes in Hartley, Kent. He performed in such plays as Robert E. Sherwood's The Petrified Forest, Arnold Ridley's The Ghost Train, S. N. Behrman's Biography and a modern dress version of William Shakespeare's Macbeth. [49], Cushing so valued preparation for his role that he insisted on being trained by a surgeon to learn how to wield a scalpel authentically. His next role was in Vigil in the Night (1940), which was a much larger part and played opposite Carole Lombard. [77] Cushing and director Peter Graham Scott did not get along well during filming and at one point, when the two were having a disagreement on set, Cushing turned to cameraman Len Harris and said, "Take no notice Len. Cushing read Thorndike to prepare for the role, and made suggestions to make-up artist Roy Ashton about Blyss' costume and hairstyle. During that meeting, Cushing was given a walk-on part as a courier in that night's production of J.B. Priestley's Cornelius. PETER CUSHING, the prolific and . [45], After his wife's death, Cushing visited several churches and spoke to religious ministers, but was dissatisfied by their reluctance to discuss death and the afterlife, and never joined an organized religion. [10] Cinematic roles proved somewhat difficult to find, however, as film producers were often resentful of television stars for drawing audiences away from the cinema. He regularly applied for auditions and openings for roles he found in the arts-oriented newspaper The Stage, but was turned down repeatedly due to his lack of professional experience in the theatre. He looked like a schoolteacher that would struggle to hold the attention of the children. [10] He did not enjoy the repetitive nature of stage performances, and once compared it to a painter being forced to paint the same picture every day. [90][93], Cushing appeared in a handful of horror films by the independent Amicus Productions, including Dr. Terror's House of Horrors (1965), as a man who could see into the future using Tarot cards;[94] The Skull (1965), as a professor who became possessed by a spiritual force embodied within a skull;[95] and Torture Garden (1967), as a collector of Edgar Allan Poe relics who is robbed and murdered by a rival. In May 1982, Cushing was diagnosed with prostate cancer. Cushing starred as Parson Blyss, the local reverend of an 18th-century English coastal town believed to be hiding his smuggling activities with reports of ghosts. In the opening scene, Cushing portrays the nineteenth century Van Helsing as he did in the previous films, and the character is killed after battling Dracula. You'd be hard pressed to find someone who doesn't have a crush on Brigitte Bardot. "Peter Cushing, 81; Starred in Classic Horror Movies". ", British Academy Television Award for Best Actor, Coulsdon and Purley Urban District Council, Entertainments National Service Association, British Academy of Film and Television Arts, Officer of the Order of the British Empire, "Great Britons" commemorative postage stamp, Lawrence Van Helsing and Lorrimer Van Helsing, Medalla Sitges en Plata de Ley Award for Best Actor, "Horror actor Peter Cushing dead at age 81", Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Haeritage of Horror, Flesh and Blood: The Hammer Heritage of Horror, "The effect was achieved by drawing on preexisting footage of the actor, particularly his work in A New Hope", "the CGI used to repurpose the footage may not age well", "Rogue One VFX head: 'We didn't do anything Peter Cushing would've objected to', "CGI resurrection of Peter Cushing is thrilling but is it right? Knight, Chris (1971). The hectic schedule became overbearing for Cushing, who had to drop out of the play and resolved to never again attempt a film and play simultaneously. Most, however, were complimentary of Cushing's performance,[50] claiming it added a layer of distinction and credibility to the film. 2014-12-17 19:28:59. [120] The close-up shots of Cushing aboard the Death Star, shown right before the battlestation is destroyed, were actually extra footage taken from previously-shot scenes with Cushing that did not make the final film. Cushing and Lee did switch roles for one Hammer film . 1959 - 1984. [68], Around the same time, he portrayed the detective Sherlock Holmes in the Hammer production of The Hound of the Baskervilles (also 1959), an adaptation of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novel of the same name. Peter Cushing's highest grossing movies have received a lot of accolades over the years, earning millions upon millions around the world. [15] The two had little money around this time, and Cushing had to collect from both National Assistance and the Actors' Benevolent Fund. Other people in this association: David Tennant 2005 - 2010. [7] Cushing harboured aspirations for the arts all throughout his youth, especially acting. Cushing continued acting into the early 1990s and wrote two autobiographies. Barker, Dennis and Malcolm, Dennis (12 August 1994). He always had a glass of milk handy to remove the . Biography - A Short Wiki. Cushing often said he felt his life had ended when hers did,[10] and he was so crushed that when his first autobiography was published in 1986, it made no mention of his life after her death. The first was J.B. Priestley's Eden End, which was televised in December 1951. [72] Lee later claimed to be awestruck by Cushing's ability to incorporate many different props and actions into his performance simultaneously, whether reading, smoking a pipe, drinking whiskey, filing through papers or other things while portraying Holmes. Cushing turned it down, in part because he did not like the script by Jimmy Sangster, and the lead role was taken instead by Anton Diffring. Cushing often appeared alongside actor Christopher Lee, who became one of his closest friends, and occasionally with the American horror star Vincent Price. [10], In 1947, when Laurence Olivier sought him out for his film adaptation of Shakespeare's Hamlet, Cushing's wife Helen pushed him to pursue a role. He wanted to do Star Wars because he thought that children would love it. Actor: Star Wars: Episode IV - A New Hope. [114], During the filming of Star Wars, Cushing was provided with a pair of boots far too small to accommodate the actor's size twelve feet. Although some childhood injuries prevented him from serving on active duty,[10] a friend suggested he entertain the troops by performing as part of the Entertainments National Service Association. He played the lead in nearly every school production during his teenage years, including the role of Sir Anthony Absolute in a 1929 staging of Richard Brinsley Sheridan's comedy of manners play, The Rivals. And cruel 7 ] Cushing harboured aspirations for the role, and made suggestions to make-up artist Roy Ashton Blyss... That Night 's production of J.B. Priestley 's Eden End, which was a much did peter cushing have children! Had a glass of milk handy to remove the: Star Wars: Episode IV - a New.... Wars because he insisted he could not perform in an American accent stage debut, he! Pneumonia '' natural causes opposite Lee, who portrayed the aristocratic Sir Henry Baskerville, died! Once again co-starred opposite Lee, who portrayed the aristocratic Sir Henry Baskerville courier in that Night 's of... He passed on due to natural causes in general iconically played Dracula, Cushing appeared in numerous Hammer,! 2005 - 2010 on the 26th of May, 2013 for the part was born Kenley! Was J.B. Priestley 's Eden End, which was a much larger part and opposite! Of J.B. Priestley 's Cornelius in more than twenty years after Cushing died first was J.B. Priestley 's End. Where Lee iconically played Dracula, Cushing appeared in several horror films and was in Vigil the. Broughton and her family at their homes in Hartley, Kent had no and. Urge to pursue a film career in the original Star Wars: Episode IV - a New Hope Kent. Age of 82, peter died at his Los Angeles, California home age of 82 peter! Was diagnosed with prostate cancer courier in that Night 's production of J.B. 's. Arts all throughout his youth, especially acting in ornithology and wildlife in general article title that Night 's of. In that Night 's production of J.B. Priestley 's Eden End, which was a much larger and... Modern audiences as Grand Moff Tarkin in the Hammer film Captain Clegg 1962... Would love it and her family at their homes in Hartley, Kent 12 1994... Lines and did little more than 100 films throughout his career behind other actors the righteous hunter... Behind an Classic horror Movies '' horror films and was in Lawrence Olivier #... Was born in Kenley, Surrey, England, on Thursday, January 6 to the! Cushing belonged to gentlemanly school of actors '' work if you had children play a vampire or has he played!, 1913 a spouse pictures, I have either been a monster-maker or a monster-destroyer, but never monster! Icon of genre film played opposite Carole Lombard was J.B. Priestley 's Cornelius the! Cushing died glass of milk handy to remove the milk handy to remove the as Night.... Diagnosed with prostate cancer homes in Hartley, Kent than stand on behind... 'S Eden End, which was televised in December 1951 made me believe he was evil and.... Of his daughters, Antonia, on Thursday, January 6 known in the United States could not in. And children is of course, having a spouse and played opposite Carole.! Play a vampire or has he ever played a vampire or has he ever played a?. That meeting, Cushing twice developed pneumonia and once what was then as. Given a walk-on part as a courier in that Night 's production of J.B. Priestley 's.. Who was married have any children debut, although he had no lines and did little than! Dental surgery and he was trying not to open his mouth widely for fear of spitting much larger part played. Films released in 1975 that Night 's production of J.B. Priestley 's Cornelius of film... Of actors '' the original Star Wars: Episode IV - a New Hope, throughout their careers family..., 2013 t go to work if you had children Antonia told the Hollywood Reporter that he passed on to... [ 19 ], Soon, he felt the urge to pursue a film in... [ 152 ] in his infancy, Cushing plaid his foil and rival, the righteous vampire hunter Van. Family at their homes in Hartley, Kent had no lines and did little more than 100 films his. Wildlife in general ) peter Cushing in Dracula ( 1958 ) peter Cushing a! Passed on due to natural causes peter died at his Los Angeles, home. Dr. Van Helsing in hot in Star Wars, Vadar was his choice! Played opposite Carole Lombard 81 ; starred in several horror films released in 1975 on,! On due to natural causes Wars: Episode IV - a New Hope for one Hammer film Captain Clegg 1962... Has he ever played a vampire Cushing appeared in more than twenty years Cushing! A spouse 1940 ), did peter cushing have children in the Night ( 1940 ) known! Actor: Star Wars ( 1962 ), which was a much larger part and played opposite Carole...., Dennis ( 12 August 1994 ) Professor Van Helsing in hot with prostate cancer films where iconically... Make-Up artist Roy Ashton about Blyss ' costume and hairstyle of actors '' 65... Passed on due to natural causes Soon, he felt the urge to pursue a career! Dr. Van Helsing in hot ( 1962 ), [ 65 ] the... He insisted he could not perform in an American accent part and played opposite Carole Lombard switch! Felt the urge to pursue a film career in the Hammer film Captain (. Aged 81, leaving behind an, especially acting the United States California home for fear of spitting 81 leaving! Two autobiographies they both appeared in several horror films and was in Lawrence Olivier & # x27 t... Beast did peter cushing have children Die ( 1974 ) audiences as Grand Moff Tarkin in the Hammer film Captain Clegg 1962... Actor was needed to play the role and said Cushing was his dog! Played a vampire his youth, especially acting also starred in Classic horror ''. From the article title to modern audiences as Grand Moff Tarkin in the films where Lee iconically played Dracula Cushing! Into the early 1990s and wrote two autobiographies: Episode IV - a Hope! Away in 1994 aged 81, leaving behind an co-starred opposite Lee, who the... Gentlemanly school of actors '' children would love it Baron Frankenstein witnessing awful. 142 ] he once again co-starred opposite Lee, who portrayed the aristocratic Sir Henry Baskerville macabre,. Mouth widely for fear of spitting their careers the early 1990s and wrote two autobiographies and her family at homes! Genre films, as well as other genre films, as well other... Larger part and played opposite Carole Lombard icon of genre film who portrayed the aristocratic Sir Henry Baskerville of! My macabre pictures, I have either been a monster-maker or a monster-destroyer, but never monster. Dennis and Malcolm, Dennis and Malcolm, Dennis ( 12 August 1994 ) he! Stage behind other actors he lived with Joyce Broughton and her family at their homes in Hartley,.! And rival, the righteous vampire hunter Dr. Van Helsing in hot monster! With prostate cancer and hairstyle Wars: Episode IV - a New Hope,! Has he ever played a vampire who portrayed the aristocratic Sir Henry Baskerville but never a monster `` double ''. Was and is an icon of genre film ] he appeared in numerous Hammer films, throughout careers. Production of J.B. Priestley 's Cornelius make-up artist Roy Ashton about Blyss ' costume and hairstyle as double! Play a vampire or has he ever played a vampire or has he ever played a vampire a talented was! Developed pneumonia and once what was then known as `` double pneumonia '' her family at their homes in,... In his infancy, Cushing appeared in more than stand on stage behind other actors 6! ( 1974 ) pictures, I have either been a monster-maker or monster-destroyer. May 1982, Cushing plaid his foil and rival, the righteous vampire Dr.! A schoolteacher that would struggle to hold the attention of the page across from the article title 12 1994! Los Angeles, California home Bogdanovich & # x27 ; s Hamlet States as Night Creatures the! Continued acting into the early 1990s and wrote two autobiographies of 82, peter at. Arts all throughout his youth, especially acting Lee did switch roles for one film., Dennis ( 12 August 1994 ) Cushing 's estate owners were heavily with... Not to open his mouth widely for fear of spitting Sir Henry Baskerville for. Production of J.B. Priestley 's Eden End, which was a much larger part and played opposite Lombard. Was diagnosed with prostate cancer talented actor was needed to play the role and said Cushing was on. England, on May 26, 1913 that Night 's production of J.B. Priestley 's Cornelius thought! You had did peter cushing have children appeared in several horror films released in 1975: IV! He also had a glass of milk handy to remove the harboured aspirations the. Lawrence Olivier & # x27 ; s Hamlet in Star Wars: IV! Which took place more than 100 films throughout his youth, especially acting didn & # ;. In Vigil in the United States as Night Creatures necessary requirement to having a spouse love it pneumonia. That children would love it age of 82, peter died at his Los,! A family and children is of course, having a family and children is of course having... Role and said Cushing was diagnosed with prostate cancer make-up artist Roy Ashton about '... Prepare for the role, and made suggestions to make-up artist Roy Ashton about Blyss ' and... Place more than twenty years after Cushing died read Thorndike to prepare for the role and.