In All Sincerity, Peter Cushing

by Christopher Gullo

“In All Sincerity... Peter Cushing”
by Christopher Gullo
with a foreword by Peter Sasdy


In All Sincerity…Peter Cushing is a new book examining the career of the
gentle man of horror. In a career spanning six decades and many mediums,
including film, television, theatre, radio, and writing, Peter Cushing
has been hailed as a consummate actor who was loved by both fans and
co-workers alike. Whether through his early days touring with Laurence
Olivier, becoming England’s first television star, recreating the
characters of Baron Frankenstein and Abraham Van Helsing for Hammer
Films, or appearing in Star Wars, the most famous science fiction film
ever produced, Peter Cushing exemplified dignity, preparedness and
dedication to his craft.

Four years in the making, “In All Sincerity…Peter Cushing” breaks down the
actor’s career into decades from his very beginnings in local theatre,
his stint in Hollywood, and his rise to fame as the king of horror and
beyond. Over eighty actors, actresses and directors have contributed to
the book, including Val Guest, Robert Quarry, Francis Matthews, Brian
Cox, Forrest J. Ackerman, Yvonne Monlaur, Mark Hamill, John Carpenter,
Ted Newsom, Caroline Munro and the late Sir Nigel Hawthorne. Featuring
dozens of pictures, “In All Sincerity…Peter Cushing” includes some rare
candid and never before published photos of Peter Cushing on the sets of
The Curse of Frankenstein, The Gorgon, The Skull, Frankenstein
Created Woman, and Tendre Dracula, at leisure; indulging in his love
of painting, the 1975 Famous Monsters convention and the 1992 opening of
‘Cushing’s View.’ Also featured is a dedication from his life-long love
Helen Beck six months before their marriage. In All Sincerity…Peter
Cushing offers fans a personal look at a truly talented man.

Author Christopher Gullo has been a life-long admirer of actor Peter
Cushing. He has spent the last four years collecting rare materials and
conducting interviews with Cushing’s co-workers for his research on the
book. In the beginning of 2000, he took over the running of The Peter
Cushing Association, a club for all fans of the great actor, which was
created under the guidance of Peter Cushing’s former secretary, Joyce
Broughton.


YOU COULD OWN A GENUINE PIECE OF PETER CUSHING
Author Christopher Gullo is offering all fans who order the book and e-mail him at cgullo@juno.com (including their name, mailing address, and e-mail address) the chance to win an actual letter written by Peter Cushing to the BBC in 1986. It is on a piece of Mr. Cushing’s official stationery, written on both sides, and signed by him. All names and addresses will be kept on file, and at the time of the book’s publication will be entered into a draw - the first one drawn will win Peter Cushing’s letter.

420 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 2004

Reviews

[Catherine Coyle · Rating 5 out of 5]

Peter Cushing

Very thorough! A good read. I highly recommend this book. A must have for any fan to enjoy! Thank you!

[Colin Hunt · Rating 4 out of 5]

A long read on Peter Cushing that covers many of his theatre and film roles. I did not realise he had done so many . Peter was from all accounts and statements in the book to be a true gentleman a nice and honest person. Someone who I would have loved to meet and even to be a friend to. I had spoken to one person who worked at Bray studious who had experience meeting many of the actors filming there and backed up my image on Peter has a most charming person. The book has many personal stories and thoughts by friends and actors who again back up the experience working with Peter. I would now like to read his own autobiography written by him now. This may need some tracking down. I did read his biography many years ago and would like to read again. I truly recommend this book to anyone who has the interest to follow his career and learn a bit more about this great star of theatre and screen.

[Lorna Baker · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am awarding this book a 5 * as I am and always have been a passionate fan of Peter Cushing. The author obviously feels the same as I do, but unfortunately many of the questions he asked of those who worked with Mr Cushing were very 'run of the mill'.

'What was it like working with Peter Cushing' was the main question, and I felt that those being interviewed were the ones who introduced anecdotes and emotions about the great man.

I thoroughly enjoyed reading every word though, and I was delighted to read of how many other artists held Mr Cushing in such great esteem. I know that no one was going to say bad things about him, but the words they used to describe him were absolutely sincere.

Christopher Gullo is definitely a life-long fan of Mr Cushing, and his collection of photographs, which are included in the book, are amazing!

All in all, a read which was extremely difficult to put down!

[Dennis Burchett · Rating 3 out of 5]

This wasn't really a biography, but more a collection of data on Peter Cushing's performances, and some interviews with people that he performed with. It was still very interesting. It is interesting to consider that a man who was most famous for Britain's Hammer Film's horror movies in the 50s and 60s was apparently as unlike his nasty, evil characters as could be imagined. All who spoke of him said that he was an unassuming, gentle man who thought more of others than himself. He seeemd to revive his own career with his performance as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars, but he had more to his bow than that - a gifted sketcher and had an avid interest in models, and spent many years in the theatre. A talented man!

[Amy Perry · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good read and I adore Peter Cushing, this is a nice tribute but it does read a little like a list of every film he'd ever been in with a plot summary attached, the interviews are simple and repeat themselves but it's testement to Cushing that no-one had a bad word to say about him!

A wonderful man who perhaps we should all aspire to be a little bit like...