Peter Cushing: A Life In Film is being published to coincide with the centenary of Cushing’s birth, and writer David Miller brings together a thorough and fascinating collection of anecdotes and memorabilia in this chronological journey that focuses on the progression of his career, from the early days in regional theatre to the successes on BBC television and Hammer, ending with the less than inspiring roles that he was offered at the end of his life. There are gems of information in there: Cushing’s time in the US before and during World War Two (he was declared medically unfit for active service) where he worked in the Hollywood system and appeared in small roles in movies such as Laurel and Hardy’s A Chump At Oxford (1939); the tussles between the BBC and Hammer in the 1950s to gain his attention at a time when he was arguably the face of the new medium of television drama; his friendship with Laurence Olivier that led to an Australasian theatre tour and a nervous breakdown. The path of Cushing’s life was not an easy one, and the roles he took were often to accommodate personal issues, such as the health of his beloved wife Helen or his own devotion to the quiet life in Whitstable. Here’s where the book excels – Cushing’s personal life is interwoven into his work, and we get a real sense of how one affects the other. This illuminates the quality he was famous for, and why Christopher Lee describes him still as a ‘gentleman’. It’s easy to see, in what becomes a very sad story, how Cushing might have become bitter about the opportunities that he was unable to accept, or the typecasting that affected him, but instead he maintained his professionalism and a dedication to his job. Reminiscences from fellow actors emphasise how his manner remained gracious even after the death of his wife and the years he spent working in any role simply to kill time until he could join her. Still, the delight in Cushing’s early life and his heyday comes across clearly, and makes you want to sit down and watch some of those classics again, particularly the Frankenstein films, where the strange laboratory sets looks so great in the photographs. After reading, I decided to watch Frankenstein Created Woman once more, and was struck by how much Hammer relied on Cushing’s steely, committed characterisation to carry a film. He was a wonderful actor. Reading this book makes it easy to remember that fact. Peter Cushing: A Life In Film is out on the 19th April courtesy of Titan Books.