The Gentleman Of Horror (Happy Birthday Peter Cushing!)

As a lifelong Star Wars fan, I knew the great Peter Cushing as Grand Moff Tarkin. His icy cool demeanor was noticeable as a kid, though every youngster tends to gravitate towards the evil Sith Lord Darth Vader.
It wasn't until my teen years that I realized the true greatness of Mr. Cushing.
Boris Karloff's legendary turn as "Frankenstein" was immortal, and even at a very young age I understood the greatness of that film. So seeing a remake of it was something I was interested in but thought it would never achieve the classic heights of that Universal Studios masterpiece.
I was wrong.
To this day, I don't shun remakes simply on the strength of "The Curse Of Frankenstein." It didn't copy that original film. In fact, it's a whole new thing. A true horror classic in its own right. And the strength of that film fell on the performance of Victor Frankenstein. Mr. Cushing was truly brilliant in the film.
So it was on to "Horror Of Dracula" and his Doctor Van Helsing was among the finest portrayals of the character, as was Christopher Lee's legendary performance as Dracula. This film not only measured up to Bela Lugosi's legendary original, but I make the case that it's the definitive version of the Bram Stoker classic. But there are a many great Dracula films, so that's up to you.
His film career and participation with Hammer Studios spans over six decades with a handful of true horror classics. His pairing with the great Sir Christopher Lee was a match made in Heaven. I can see them playing chess and having a good laugh in the hereafter.
Mr. Cushing for me is a figure I grew up with, but later on realized his true legend as I got older. He is one of the greatest horror icons that starred on the big screen.
But what I love about him to this day was that he was a gentleman through and through. It's an era of horror that a handful of modern day icons carry on but not in the same way the old school icons did.
Truly a figure to celebrate year after year. Your legend lives on Mr. Cushing. Thank you for your contribution of the art of film and acting.