Peter Cushing (1956)

Kensington, London.
M/S of actor Peter Cushing sitting at his desk looking at papers in his hand. He takes a model toy soldier on a horse and compares it with its drawing. He puts it back and takes another toy soldier. C/U of his hand painting a white belt on the little soldier's uniform. C/U on his eyes as he works - he must have a good eyesight to do this!
Peter Cushing, enthusiastic member of Model Soldier Society, collects, makes and plays with toy soldiers from all periods of military history. He plays with his toys in accordance to the rules laid down by H. G. Wells in his book 'Little Wars'. M/S of Mr Cushing getting off his chair, approaching a little battlefield laid out on the floor. He organises the battlefield to match a map in his hand.
Voiceover tells the audience that many of historical figures played this game, for example Napoleon. It engages the mind of a person as much as the game of chess, which means it is not as simple as it looks. M/S of Mr Cushing kneeling on the floor, putting a horse drawn carriage next to a little house. Top panning shot reveals his little battlefield: soldiers, huts, horses, trees, farms...
M/S of Mr Cushing taking a cigarette, putting it in his mouth and lighting it while observing the battlefield. C/U shot of H. G. Wells' book "Little Wars".
Note: Mute neg for this story is missing.
FILM ID:55.27
A VIDEO FROM BRITISH PATHÉ. EXPLORE OUR ONLINE CHANNEL, BRITISH PATHÉ TV. IT'S FULL OF GREAT DOCUMENTARIES, FASCINATING INTERVIEWS, AND CLASSIC MOVIES. www.britishpath...
FOR LICENSING ENQUIRIES VISIT www.britishpath...
British Pathé also represents the Reuters historical collection, which includes more than 136,000 items from the news agencies Gaumont Graphic (1910-1932), Empire News Bulletin (1926-1930), British Paramount (1931-1957), and Gaumont British (1934-1959), as well as Visnews content from 1957 to the end of 1984. All footage can be viewed on the British Pathé website. www.britishpat...

[@markfoley3402]

I can imagine Grand Moff Tarkin in his private quarters aboard the Death Star, idling his spare time away in his comfy slippers painting miniature stormtroopers.

[@apaez3219]

^This is canon

[@DarkAngelGuyver]

"Did you see anything!?" "No, sir! I didn't see you playing with your dolls again!" "Good!"

[@T3CH33]

@@DarkAngelGuyver More like 'My what?' 'Your highly detailed gaming miniature figurines Lord Tarkin' 'Thats what I thought you said.'

[@DarkAngelGuyver]

@@T3CH33 Reference whizzed on by, didn't it? lol

[@clevermcgenericname891]

Imagine him playing with Count Dooku. Oh wait, thats real life.

[@AlVainactual]

Learning that he was a miniatures painter and wargamer made my day. He'd be glad, I think, to see that his hobby is still alive in 2022. He'd get a chuckle out of seeing miniatures of himself as Grand Moff Tarkin from Legion, the WotC Star Wars minis game or some other game.

[@ninjat-rex7472]

He might even get a wee chortle out of the number of Heroforge miniatures

[@hate2191]

There isn't a Tarkin model unfortunately

[@ComicGladiator]

​@@hate2191There's been a mini of him for 20 years. Star Wars Miniature Game, 2004.

[@puffadder92]

You KNOW he said "You may fire when ready" during at least one session.

[@braxtonbobo4004]

Peter Cushing played with toys as an adult, I love him even more for thay

[@tomstanziola1982]

This is absolutely awesome!!! Peter Cushing, a Renaissance man in every sense of the word!!! R.I.P., dear man!!! I pray that you are reunited in Heaven with your dear Helen and your dearest friend Christopher Lee!!! ❤

[@thedr00]

Compressed paper, hear that Games Workshop, we no longer need to pay your exorbitant prices: I'm off to stash some bog-roll....

[@Legogunpro]

Good to see Grand Moff Tarkin is using his retirement well

[@em23]

Evacuate? In our moment of triumph? I think you overestimate their chances *****MOVES INFANTRY FORWARD****

[@aaropajari7058]

Just when you think Peter Cushing cannot become more wonderful.

[@j.b.macadam6516]

Wow! I never knew Peter Cushing was a fellow miniature wargamer. Very Cool!

[@malpreece5008]

“A game for boys...and for that more intelligent sort of girl”! Classic! 😂

[@troubleboy]

Oh those innocently sexist times, lol

[@apaez3219]

That line was surprisingly progressive for the time. At least they mentioned intelligent girls. I'd expect them to fully exclude girls!

[@lsadikoglu]

Casual sexism, the best kind of sexism.

[@ComradeCage]

Os it really sexism if hes implying that smart women go beyond the norm of the expected misogynist 'duties' and 'hobbies'? Personally I see it more as a complement towards women who want to get away from what was considered normal then. But I spose this is all only answered one way or the other if we know Mr. Cushing was a sexist in general.

[@forthrightgambitia1032]

@@ComradeCage It's HG Wells who wrote that. And it's pretty ****ing hilarious.

[@SobiTheRobot]

Oh my lord imagine playing Dungeons and Dragons at Peter Cushing's house.

[@charlesli6751]

Virgins

[@j.b.macadam6516]

Imagine playing a Star Wars miniatures attack on the Death Star game with Peter Cushing, with him defending it as Grand Moff Tarkin!

[@iancasey704]

Toy soldiers are like one of the best hobbies ever !

[@nightfire734]

I have a feeling he was a tactical genius.

[@Amp661]

I would so game with Tarkin!!!!

[@Dethmeister]

Not such a genius. He underestimated the Rebels' chances and didn't evacuate the Death Star after he was advised to by his tacticians analyzing the attack.

[@Stanley-px3bt]

@@Dethmeister A exhaust port, 2 meters wide, was his undoing.

[@martinadini4142]

@@Stanley-px3bt indeed, an assassin gets assasinated only fair still cool charachter

[@pnutz_2]

how'd that death star get her- TARRRRRRKIIIIIIN

[@bartekkubica1802]

Oh my God! It was the best 2 minutes and 13 seconds of my life.

[@billybatson8657]

I know right?? I see him in a whole new dimension now.

[@OhManTFE]

That's what she said.

[@cetx]

It makes me so nervous to see his battlefield set up on his floor. Those miniatures would have been crushed under foot several times over, in my office.

[@hcu4359]

Me too, but he had the reputation of being fairly agile in his prime, and you can see here how carefully he steps around the miniatures. He and his wife didn't have children, and I never heard that they had four-legged pets either, so the main risk would have been from the film crew.

[@emamid]

"Take evasive action? In my moment of triumph? I think you overestimate your chances."

[@RaptorShadow]

Shame he wiffed that invuln save.

[@shawnzeppo4361]

We've analyzed the Rebels' attack, sir, and there is a danger. Shall I have your ship standing by?

[@Rhianna.M]

Does this mean that in theory Peter Cushing would like Dungeons and Dragons???

[@landsurfer66]

Perhaps. He strikes me as a Tolkien fan. Probably would have enjoyed GW's SBG.

[@philhelm1318]

Interestingly, the concept of the Cleric class was partially modelled after Peter Cushing in his Hammer Horror movie Van Helsing roles. This is why Turn Undead has always been one of the signature abilities.

[@jamietroini]

According to the recent Art & Arcana book (which I got for Christmas, yay me!), Cushing was part of a movement (Miniature Wargamming) that inspired Gary Gygax to create Chainmail (a medieval wargamming system), which (a few years later) with David Arneson, lead directly to D&D. So, perhaps Cushing would have been. But really, you should be thanking him for helping inspire Gygax to create D&D in the first place! :D books.google.ca/books?id=BfNEDwAAQBAJ&pg=PA431&lpg=PA431&dq=art+and+arcana+peter+cushing&source=bl&ots=9P9CHfXG36&sig=u0d9pVesuXxWdG5-DJJ2noP6lGo&hl=en&sa=X&ved=2ahUKEwj4y_Gl2-HfAhUE7oMKHT32AUgQ6AEwCXoECAcQAQ#v=onepage&q=art%20and%20arcana%20peter%20cushing&f=false

[@LordZontar]

Had he been so inclined, he would have joined up with the Society Of Ancients, a British wargaming group that played out fantasy battles patterned off the worlds of Tolkien and Robert E. Howard and rules developed for the "Hyborean Campaign" by Tony Bath. However, it seems Mr. Cushing was primarily inclined toward historical wargaming given the extensive library of period uniforms and military tactics he collected to support his hobby. What we see in this film was, no doubt, only part of that collection.

[@DarkShroom]

so i love the way you all read very deep into this but i don't think because he was interested in serious military tactics he necessarily feels the same way about goblin armies

[@Abaddon86]

"You may paint,when ready"

[@grimdesaye6534]

God Bless this Great Actor! He was the Best! And a Wargamer can't beat that:) RIP Peter 🙏

[@dagor97]

What ever happened to Cushing's toys soldiers?? How can i see them today?

[@davedogge2280]

He sold them all off and bought a T'au army for Warhammer 40k unfortunately.

[@billybatson8657]

I was thinking the same thing lol! They must be worth a fortune, I'd buy them in an instant!

[@Turpin77]

I have visited the English town of Whitstable on the Kent coast where Cushing lived. They have some of his things at the local museum including from memory some of his toy soldiers.

[@Dethmeister]

His parents threw them all away.

[@rojasbazan]

Dracula has them hidden!

[@militarywargaming7840]

A magnificent Wargamer, actor and all round good egg

[@legopoliceofficer121]

Grand moff tarkin was a model soldier collector nice

[@nathanyork2358]

His minis were made from compressed paper? That’s awesome. Also, I wonder if the Model Soldiers Society still exists

[@SavageGreywolf]

An internet search told me that the British Model Soldiers Society and an American equivalent both still exist and maintain web presences.

[@olivertwist7677]

Peter Cushing was Tarkin even in real life! Rest in peace, Grand-moff...

[@harveydents]

IF i didnt need ANOTHER reason to love this man i have it now! A fellow wargamer!

[@farpointgamingdirect]

Robin Williams and Jonathon Winters used to game together as well; they were discussing it on Johnny Carson back in the 90s

[@processred2858]

i come back to this all the time it's just too damn cute

[@davidandrews8963]

Peter Cush is my fave ever actor I love the guy wonder who's got this wonderful collection can't believe he's been gone 27 years thank god his movies live on

[@paultrundley6408]

Couldn’t agree more. A superb actor and a wonderful person. If you like Peter and live in the U.K. you should go to Whitstable. I believe the museum will probably have most of his military items. They had a few soldiers and play-sets on display when I went recently. There is so much to see and do and Peter has left his mark everywhere from the museum to a walk, view, home and even a donated bench from him and his dear wife Helen. His image, illustrations and poems can be found in the Tudor Tea Rooms and there is even a Pub called the Peter Cushing. He was extremely well love and rightly so.

[@davedogge2280]

He only plays Star Wars Legion miniatures skirmish game these days.... ... .. but only has an Empire army.

[@maxsmarts8210]

Mr Tarkin playing with soldiers? awesome

[@mooncove]

I wonder if George Lucas got the idea to cast him from this video!

[@aliceanderson5154]

That's Grand Mof Tarkin to you.

[@aliceanderson5154]

@@TheCoolCucumber -- Point out my typos one more time and I'll explode your planet. See if I don't.

[@lsadikoglu]

One of us! One of us!! One of us!!! Never felt cooler about my miniature casting, painting, collecting, and tabletop wargaming hobby as I did after watching this video. Notwithstanding Jules Verne's casual sexism.

[@Lytton333]

'Casual sexism'.. You just couldn't resist wiggling your buzzing little abdomen of virtue could you.

[@chrisgutteridge]

And Robin Williams collected forgeworld titans and Henry Cavill paints custodees...

[@metalhead170194]

henry cavill = peter cushing

[@Onefromthedarkness]

He’s just like me… he’s just like me.

[@hardrada8407]

As a warhammer player now, so much is familiar. The little boxes and being crammed into a space slightly too small lol

[@RedcoatsReturn]

“ ....or played by more intelligent girls....who like boys‘ games!“....😄😄😂😄😁😉

[@amysands8925]

I think Peter was a boy at heart. and i think its loverly. my late husband was the same.

[@thomassutton3448]

I will never question my figure collecting again💛✨!

[@morlokvestai-kurak9680]

I would dearly love to own one of those little soldiers Peter Cushing painted. Too cool.

[@ianhd9396]

I could certainly see as time goes on, things like this being sold and traded about like paintings

[@soupalex]

i wonder if the cush ever managed to persuade price or lee to join him in a game. that would have made for a good batrep!

[@RaptorShadow]

My headcanon is now that they did a LOTR campaign and despite wanting to field the Rohirrim and Gandalf, Lee had to settle for Isengard.

[@tombstoneharrystudios584]

As they were all best friends I can imagine they DID have a few games over a few bottles of wine!

[@just_mini_painting]

I simply need a painting cravat.

[@MarcusTullman]

You mean you don't have one already?! 🧐

[@terrywestbrook-lienert2296]

Absolutely fascinating! I'm into board games, and the fact Peter Cushing was into gaming makes me happy 😊!

[@SamvedIyer]

This sort of music is delightful to the ear. I recall that similar music graced the episodes of Tom and Jerry.

[@Helen-s9j]

Totally surprising and fascinating side to Peter Cushing. Thank you for posting this.

[@fluffygutts2240]

Iam proud to be one of those more intelligent sorts of girls hahahahaha

[@satyrosphilbrucato9140]

"Most soberly." Heavens forfend they actually had FUN or anything!

[@jeffholt9437]

What happened to Peter's collection when he passed away?

[@AlexDraco]

So, one of my all-time favorite actors just happened to share my passion for miniature painting! This made my day !

[@margotwenty6436]

Lol I was one of those more intelligent girls. Good heavens can you imagine seeing that in today's world

[@TheDaz167]

from HG Well "Little Wars" to George Lucas "Star Wars"

[@abundantYOUniverse]

You would prefer a different target a military target then name the system!

[@RubyMarkLindMilly]

This makes me so happy👍

[@darkdialga777]

well what do you know! not only do I share a birthday with Peter Cushing, but also a hobby.

[@Fraude_fiscale4]

based

[@strangerintown3676]

I wonder if his good friend Christopher Lee took up the hobby ?

[@gamezdude5544]

I'd love to see that! :D

[@XenIsWhen]

I'd love to see a full-length film of them playing this and having very polite arguments over the rules.

[@oneinathousand2156]

I can imagine if he did he would bring his WWII experience into it somehow. “No Peter, people don’t scream when they’re stabbed in the back, they make a gasping sound, I should know…”

[@thrilliod147]

Wow! I’m going to only listen to this music when I paint

[@monkeyboy92able]

Wonderful! What a lovely man he was.

[@rebeccaw6890]

The important question is does he run Ultramarines or Black Templars? I could see him going either way.

[@Vizerker]

Imperial guard, he has some field experience, you see.

[@MrGarrard]

Neither. The Cush was mad for the Waaagh!

[@Amp661]

I see him as Imperial Guard myself

[@ashersix1780]

12 to 150....

[@iancasey704]

Peter Cushing was amazing 👏 love his acting and old movies.

[@tonycowards4689]

Shame that he couldn't afford a wargaming table. Those soldiers and scenery are going to get trodden on for sure.

[@anorganlover6281]

Glad to see life in 2150 A.D. still looks the same in 1956 A.D ! ! !

[@tomalexander4327]

That is one helluva chair.

[@socalemeraldaztecanrhino922]

Who had thought the actor who played Grand Moff Tarkin was an enthusiast of such a cool hobby. I would have enjoyed spending a month with the Cushings, especially Peter. Additionally, it would be an absolute privilege of watching from beside the opposite side of a soundstage to observe his acting style in functioning mode while a scene was being filmed.

[@hcu4359]

Some of his female costars were very impressed by the way he could switch a character "on" for the cameras and then revert to his normal manner the moment they yelled cut. If you look up his line flub on the set of Star Wars, you can see an example. With his later, darker roles, he seemed to spend a lot of time making sure the women were comfortable with whatever sinister interactions the script required.

[@jsl151850b]

1:05 An early type of Role Playing Game. I thought that he was going to mention HG Wells!

[@dravenn2632]

Age 12-150 😂 that has to be a joke. Hahahahah.

[@aamir-hk8px]

Did he play Sherlock Holmes in the black and white era ? A man with multifaceted pursuits. Truly remarkable and a gift that some of us carry as God's finest creation.

[@hcu4359]

First color film version (Hound of the Baskervilles), first color tv version (1968, only six surviving eps out of sixteen), and I think possibly first "elderly Holmes" in 1984.

[@aamir-hk8px]

@@hcu4359 I admire your zest for the old and precious.

[@Trund27]

I love this man!!

[@biomjolk]

warhammer in the 50's

[@assassindroidig88]

Makes me wonder what happened to his collection after he passed. ???

[@hcu4359]

My understanding is that he and his wife got rid of their house in London in the late sixties when her health got worse, and he seriously downsized his toy/model collection at the same time. He kept the homemade pieces, but a lot of the commercially made ones were very collectible at the time, so he sold those off. The remainder were mostly sold off in the 90s, after his death, but there's a few for sale (in one lot) on the canterbury auctions website right now (Sept2023) from the estate of his late secretary.

[@MaskofFayt]

Nowadays you get mocked for having a model painting hobby

[@aaropajari7058]

By fools

[@Amp661]

Grand Moff Tarkin was a tabletop wargamer!! How freaking rad is that?? I would so game with him!!!

[@Tikiboomboom84]

Van Helsing would have tots been into WM40k

[@Beowulf-eg2li]

he would've played mordian iron guard for sure

[@gooseywhispers]

haha yes

[@captstern]

And to all those that thought Warhammer or Battletech brought a new thing, that.... Uh... yeah. They did make things more fun. But so what! (And actually, D&D is kinda an arguably skirmish game. Like Kill Team.) Just love it all!!!

[@hcu4359]

I sincerely hope someone who was both a D&D player and wargamer sat Cushing down in the late 80s, and explained both the basics of tabletop RPGs to him and his influence on the D&D cleric class (originally invented by Gygax to take out an annoying player whose character had gone vampire) and the Ravenloft NPC Van Richten.

[@Ogre6972]

I wonder if he ever ended up building a gaming table...

[@billybatson8657]

You would think he could have afforded to have a room or adjacent building added just for gaming rather than playing on the floor of an already cluttered room.

[@MrMickio1]

@@billybatson8657 My guess is they did this for the video. Most likely he has one in another room but they wanted a more continuous shot with no abrupt cuts.

[@artistpoet5253]

Well, with infantry able to move 12", I'd say a table is woefully inadequate.

[@clonetf141]

I would love to see his reaction to wargaming today, The scale he plays in doesnt really exist anymore, but in return he can play napoleonics in 6mm all the way up to 28mm scales. Doubt hed be in that tho But who knows what id think of the small bases our minis are attached to today, we certainly saw the rise of the first metal and plastic minis, but did je ever seen the various resin and even 3d printed minis? Its such a marvel that he would for example play the battle of waterloo woth these paper like minis, while today its done woth plastics and metals

[@everydaywithpam2964]

ITS DR WHO!!!

[@jordanbradford7729]

LOL and facepalm at H.G. Wells’ casual misogyny at 1:15.

[@RaptorShadow]

I mean, it was published in 1913. Despite the incredible poorly aged wording, I think the sentiment was progressive for its time.

[@darthsidious7103]

You may pay your respects when ready

[@psychoonipsychooni]

>in a snarky british voice< It was that moment when Peter realized that one important part was missing in his army: The Emperor's Wrath MK7 Astartes Chainsaw, to purge the universe from the Xenos and proclaim the Glory of the Golden Throne.

[@WJ0476]

Tarkin played Warhammer

[@niklassororitas]

I bet he has a Custodes Army 😂

[@metalhead170194]

peter cushing are the master of henry cavill

[@billybatson8657]

If he were alive today, what PC war game would he be playing...?

[@BlueWingedPanther12]

And the poor bloke never got to see a figure of his made

[@christianmccann9400]

I came .. i saw .. i painted

[@walterloehrmann5213]

Warhammer 1956

[@ZZZGGGLLLAAAHHH]

I wonder if Peter would be into Warhammer 40K if he was around today.

[@FoxDie978]

I imagine he'd be a Knights player

[@dvdatkinson811]

This is just Fire Emblem

[@deece1482]

Except not brain rotting anime trash.

[@damianoakes2592]

"That more intelligent sort of girl who likes boy's games and books." Boys don't understand the sophistication of tea parties. Right, Mr. Stuffy?

[@guybrushthreepwood3054]

SJW/white knight syndrome

[@mooncove]

LOL! So glad someone else said something about that cuz I was about to ask if I'd just heard what I thought I heard! And I'm a genuine female-woman girl who likes boys' games like Social Justice Warrior (and knows how to spell it out) and books like Treasure Island and hates tea parties. :P So there, all you he-man woman haters! (Was just thinking Peter Cushing would probably like playing in virtual worlds with me if he were alive today. There's a whole lot less of that girly dusting involved too!)

[@majordolbyscat]

Get off your high horse and stop applying today's standards of morality to history, it will lead you no where.

[@Lytton333]

He never even implied that. Do try and curb your burning desire to show everyone that you are yet another tiresome soldier of playground righteousness, it's really very adolescent and won't impress anyone but the other narcissistic dolts who indulge it. If you do curb it, you'll find you'll get on in society much better.

[@lsadikoglu]

The tea parties with Mr. Stuffy are practice for social intrigue and courtly backstabbing.

[@jeffsmith2022]

Well done, Mr. Cushing...

[@marcdelente2456]

Peter cuching un monument du cinéma il éternel et intemporel . La ont voit un document très rares a conservé precieusement .

[@鷲尾惠子]

日本語にしてくたさい

[@bubbadoom1837]

He played Warhammer!

[@metalhead170194]

warhammer is from 80s, but you see the same soul in henry cavill

[@bubbadoom1837]

@@metalhead170194 may the Emperor watch over him and guide him.

[@hermatred572]

Peter Cushing lives in Whitstable

[@bblue5448]

"It's said that Napoleon was an enthusiast." How could Napoleon, who died in 1821, be an enthusiast of a game published in 1913 and whose author wasn't even born until 1866?

[@nobbynobbs3418]

Could have been one of the later Napoleons, there are still cadet branches of the family alive today.

[@nobbynobbs3418]

But most likely good old lack of research :D

[@David_Blake91]

Because while Little Wars came out in 1912, games like that already existed in earlier centuries. They were called kriegspiel and were used in to train military commanders.

[@SegFaultMatt]

War games have existed for a very long time. 100s of years. This wasn’t the first one

[@nobbynobbs3418]

@@SegFaultMatt Little wars was the first published one which popularised it for the masses.

[@Rey-lg8sx]

Peter Cushing is immortalised as Tarkin.

[@Amp661]

Amen!

[@iancasey704]

Brilliant actor what a guy and what a good hobby to.

[@jmccallion2394]

Never knew that one !!!!

[@citronm1405]

Blood for the Blood God!