Hi, everyone...you've entered Monty's nostalgic corner. This page is, as its name says, a tribute. It's dedicated to some of Monty's favourite actors; to those who sadly, are not among us anymore. They've earned the right to be here for the countless and lovely hours I've got watching them on the movies; most of the times, watching those movies because they were on them, even if they had only and small role. They're also here because in almost all cases I honestly think they didn't get in life all the recognisement they deserved. So, this page is just to express my appreciation and gratitude for their fantastic work.



Peter Cushing . Rex Harrison . Vincent Price . James Mason . Basil Rathbone
Sir Cedric Hardwicke . Josheph Cotten . Montgomery Clift




Peter Cushing
(May 26, 1913 / August 11, 1994)
The man: born Peter Cushing in Kenley, Great Britain, in a family of wealthy bussinesmen. His father was always contrary to his love for acting, but he began to work in the theater very young, and will never leave it. After a succsfull years on the english scene, he left to the States to work on the film industry. After this, he will work on Broadway and and with intinerary companies who offered representations to the alliated soldiers. After the war, he came back to England and worked with Sir Laurence Olivier and the Old Vic Company, in the BBC radio programmes. After 1956, his career will be linked to the new-born Hammer Films. Giving superlative titles to actors is always a dangerous game, not only because there are as many opinions as people, but also because there are always others who may aspire to the title without deserving less. But, this obvious intrduction made, if I had to choose the most elegant man who has made his way through the silver screen, I'd choose Peter Cushing without a single doubt.
The movies: The Iron Mask (James Whale, 1939), was his first work on a film. After it came Hamlet (Laurence Olivier, 1948) and The end of the affair. But Cushing's career will be always linked to the fantastic genre, due to the vaste amount of roles he played on the Hammer gothic horror films made during the sixties and part of the seventies; and particularly to excellent english director Terence Fisher, who gave him some of his better roles. Besides, his pairing with another major horror star, Christopher Lee, gave to the genre some of his most memorable and today classic moments. Playing the villain, or playing the good guy, Cushing's interpretations were of a cold and magnetising intensity, which usually remarked the fact that being the hero of the history isn't any garanty of real goodness of the soul; just as being the villain doesn't assure a deeper corruption that the one which hides in any human heart. On the light side he was Doctor Van Helsing in Horror of Dracula (Terence Fisher, 1958, right image) and in its sequel The Brides of Dracula (Terence Fisher, 1961), doctor John Banning in the new version of The Mummy (Terence Fisher, 1959) and Sherlock Holmes himself, in The hound of the Baskervilles (Terence Fisher, 1958). Walking on the wild side, he played Death in Doctor Terror's house of terrors (Freddie Francis, 1971), he ruled the Death Star as Grand Moff Tarkin on Star Wars (George Lucas, 1977) and was the image of Baron Victor Frankenstein in no less that five Terence Fisher movies from 1956 to 1973, begining with the classic The curse of Frankenstein (left image) to the misunderstood Frankenstein and the monster from hell.
The role: Victor Frankenstein, surely. Thanks to having played the obsessed baron in a long serie of movies, Cushing created such a solid role who evolutioned from one movie to another with an surprising consistency. The portrait of a man who solds his soul and life to the devil in the name of science; but his punishment is on his perpetual failure. Frankenstein destiny is being imprisioned by his own desire: create, wait and always fail. Anyway, when you face such a good actor, this is a hard choice to make.
More on Peter Cushing:

Peter Cushing on the Internet Movie Database.
Peter Cushing on the Yahoo Actors listing.
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Rex Harrison
(March 5, 1908 / June 2, 1990)
The man: born Reginald Carey Harrison in Huyton, Great Britain, in a middle class family. His acting career begun at 16 years of age in the Liverpool Repertory Theater, and in 1930 he was already acting in London, where he was confirmed as one of the idols of the West End. After serving as a RAF pilot during the Second World War, he answered the call of Hollywood. As an actor, he concealed his proletary origins and brought out his natural class and probervial elegance. His interpretations never allowed vulgar manners, stridencies planned to steal scenes or histrionics of any kind. He also didn't permit a bad script or an academic director hide his talent, his sobriety and his sharp sense of irony. he's one of the few actors in this page who got the proper recognisement; a Tony and and oscar for his interpretation of the lovely Professor Higgins in the musical My Fair Lady, and another oscar nomination for his Jules Cesar in Cleopatra. Six marriages and one scandal (the suicide of former lover actress Carole Landis) marked the personal life of this volcanic gentleman nicknamed "Sexy Rexy" by his colleagues.
The movies: his hollywood debut was in Anna and the King of Siam (-------,1946) a big success of that year, and today forgotten movie. After came the jealous orchestral director of the comedy Unfaithfully yours (Preston Sturges, 1948). Some of his most memorable roles are linked to director Joseph L. Mankiewicz, with whom he shared lot of afinities. He worked with him in four ocasions, playing the cranky spirit in The ghost and Mrs. Muir, professor Higgins in the film version of My Fair Lady (J.L. Mankiewicz, 1964), and Jules Cesar in the mastodontic Cleopatra (J.L. Mankiewicz, 1963, right image with Elisabeth Taylor). of his late roles stands off his role in the sophisticated The Honey Pot(-------, 1967), where he offered a lesson of cinism, perversion and merciless knowing of the moral misery of humankind.
The role: the most obvious option is proffesor Higgins of My Fair Lady not in vain he played him for three years in Broadway and in London, before doing the movie. But the truth is that my favorite Harrison role is Jules Cesar. When I think of him, I always see him a Cesar, standing silent in front of the grave of Alexander the Great. Besides, ever thought why the second half of the movie lacks interest? It's because he's not in it.
More on Rex Harrison:

Rex Harrison on the Internet Movie Database.
Rex Harrison on the Yahoo Actors listing.
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