Peter Cushing--Turner Classic Movies' Star of the Month for October

Turner Classic Movies' Star of the Month for this month is Peter Cushing, the British actor well known for the films he made for Hammer Film Productions and Amicus Productions. Every Monday night in October will be dedicated to Mr. Cushing's work. While he may be best known for his work in horror movies, Peter Cushing made films in a variety of genres, and TCM's selection of movies reflects that. In fact, perhaps Mr. Cushing's only notable films missing from the schedule are The Brides of Dracula (I am not sure why Turner Classic Movies is not showing it) and Star Wars (which is probably too expensive for  TCM to show).

Even beyond the horror movies Peter Cushing made for Hammer and Amicus, there are many movies worth checking out. I highly recommend Cash on Demand (1961), a wonderful crime thriller made at Hammer. It features one of Mr. Cushing's very best performances. It airs at 7:00 PM Central/8:00 PM Eastern on October 5. Following Cash on Demand is The End of the Affair (1955), in which Peter Cushing appears alongside Deborah Kerr, Van Johnson, and John Mills. It airs at 9:30 PM Central/9:30 PM Eastern. On Monday, October 12 TCM is airing Sword of Sherwood Forest (1960), a Robin Hood film produced by Hammer and starring Richard Greene as Robin Hood (reprising the role from the classic TV show The Adventures of Robin Hood) and Peter Cushing as the Sheriff of Nottingham. It's on at 7:00 PM Central/8:00 PM Eastern. Following Sword of Sherwood Forest is Dr. Who and the Daleks (1965) at 8:30 PM Central/9:30 Eastern and Daleks' Invasion Earth: 2150 A.D. (1966). Both films are loosely based on the TV series Doctor Who and, while neither movie is particularly good, they will be of historical interest to Whovians. Similarly, Violent Playground (1958), at 12:30 AM Central/1:30 AM Eastern on October 13, will be of interest as it features David McCallum (later of The Great Escape and The Man From U.N.C.L.E.) as the leader of a juvenile gang.

Of course, October 19 is the night I am sure many Peter Cushing fans will be waiting for, a night of Hammer Horrors. It kicks off with The Hound of the Baskervilles (1959), starring Peter Cushing as Sherlock Holmes, at 7:00 PM Central/8:00 Eastern. It is followed by Dracula (1958, known in the United States as Horror of Dracula), The Mummy (1959), The Curse of Frankenstein (1957), Frankenstein Created Woman (1967), and Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed (1969).

October 26 will see another night of horror movies starring Peter Cushing, kicked off with Nothing but the Night (1973) at 7:00 PM Central/8:00 PM Eastern. It is followed by three films from Amicus Productions: Madhouse (1974), From Beyond the Grave (1974), and Scream and Scream Again (1970). Peter Cushing's stint as Star of the Month ends with two latter day Hammer Films: The Satanic Rites of Dracula (1973) and Dracula A.D. 1972.