peter cushing

Peter Cushing

If there was a vampire lurking about, snatching pretty girls in the

neighborhood and tossing aside their bloodless husks, this is the Van

Helsing I'd want on the case.

His best quality? His main strength as a vampire killer? He's able to

take command of the situation - always. He stays calm and he thinks

and you never see him lose his nerve. He's a man of action, but he's

also book learned. He tends to create the opportunities to turn

tragedies into successes.

Ever wonder what you should do if you got bit? Follow and learn:

First, heat an iron -

Then sear the bite thoroughly -

Dowse generously with holy water -

Wait - Heaven takes care of the rest -

He enters a room without hesitation - though he's mindful of the

danger. I'm not sure where his confidence comes from since he never

seems foolhardly or reckless. Quite the contrary, he's inquisitive and

direct, as here, where he deduces the fears of the local innkeeper

right in front of him - tells him he knows what they are afraid of and

that he knows it is evil:

And when it's time to confront evil, face to face, his steely nerves

allow him to act unassuming and casual. Because he knows the vampire

is not an athiest.

And you can always count on a good finish, as in Brides of Dracula,

where Cushing turns a windmill into a crucifix.