FROM BEYOND THE GRAVE

PETER CUSHING - "THE PROPRIETOR"

"From Beyond the Grave" was a 1974 United Kingdom horror anthology movie with Peter Cushing as "The Proprietor", that has four short horror stories revolving around a mysterious antique shop owner and his antique pieces, each of which hides a deadly secret.

From Wikipedia: Peter Wilton Cushing was born on 26 May 1913 in Kenley, Surrey, England, UK and died on 11 August 1994 in Canterbury, Kent, England, UK. His acting career spanned over six decades and included appearances in more than 100 films, as well as many television, stage, and radio roles. He achieved recognition in his home country for his leading performances in the Hammer Productions horror films from the 1950's to 1970's, while earning international prominence as Grand Moff Tarkin in the original 1977 Star Wars. Cushing made his stage debut in 1935 and spent three years at a repertory theatre before moving to Hollywood to pursue a film career. After making his motion picture debut in the film "The Man in the Iron Mask" (1939), Cushing began to find modest success in US movies before returning to the UK at the outbreak of the Second World War. Despite performing in a string of roles, including one as Osric in Laurence Olivier's movie adaptation of "Hamlet" (1948), Cushing struggled greatly to find work during this period. His career was revitalised once he started to work in live television plays, and he soon became one of the most recognisable faces in UK television. He earned particular acclaim for his lead performance in a BBC Television adaptation of George Orwell's "Nineteen Eighty-Four" (1954). Cushing gained worldwide fame for his appearances in 22 horror films from the Hammer studio, particularly for his role as Baron Frankenstein in six of their seven Frankenstein films, and Doctor Van Helsing in five Dracula films. Cushing often appeared alongside actor Christopher Lee, who became one of his closest friends, and occasionally with the US horror star Vincent Price. Cushing appeared in several other Hammer films, including "The Abominable Snowman" (1957), "The Mummy" (1959) and "The Hound of the Baskervilles" (1959), the last of which marked the first of the several occasions he portrayed the detective Sherlock Holmes. Cushing continued to perform in a variety of roles, although he was often typecast as a horror film actor. He played Dr. Who in "Dr. Who and the Daleks" (1965) and "Daleks' Invasion Earth 2150 A.D." (1966) and gained the highest amount of visibility in his career with his part in the original Star Wars film. Cushing continued acting into the early 1990's and wrote two autobiographies. Portrait of "Peter Cushing" (from "Island of Terror") by Dave Dunlap.

Portrait of "Peter Cushing" by Bradley Beard.
"Peter Cushing" - biography (taken from Bradley Beard's Facebook page)"

He ordered the destruction of Princess Leia's home world Alderaan. When I saw Star Wars in 1977 as a child, I had already become quite familiar with Peter Cushing as an actor, having seen him portray Professor Van Helsing in two of the Hammer Dracula films and Baron Frankenstein in several of the Hammer Frankenstein films. I was completely unaware when I went to see Star Wars for the first time that Cushing was in the film. I was both thrilled to see his portrayal of Grand Moff Tarkin and taken back by the level of sheer villainy he brought to the role. While Darth Vader gave the film a dramatic presence with his amazing costume and dark force abilities, it was Tarkin who truly allowed us to comprehend the absolute tyranny and malevolence of the Empire. What man could decimate an entire planet and its inhabitants without any conscience? Darth Vader may have been the most memorable villain in the movie but it was Tarkin who was truly the most evil. Grand Moff Tarkin lives in my mind as one of the greatest and most infamous movie villains of all time.

The following is a trailer for the movie:

"From Beyond The Grave" - trailer from The Professor's Scary Clips on Vimeo.