Where To Watch
This acting legend almost starred alongside Vincent Price in ''The Abominable Dr. Phibes''
Hint: He's a Hammer star!
If there's one thing that's almost as fun as the sci-fi/horror movies of yesteryear, it's the behind-the-scenes stories about how they were made. Nothing's better than digging into an old favorite and uncovering some secrets from its production process. While research isn't always rewarding, the promise of some undiscovered gem is always worth the time and effort.
Few volumes compile as many interesting facts as Comedy-Horror Films: A Chronological History by Bruce G. Hallenback. In this compendium, Hallenback takes an exhaustive look at scary movies that also make us chuckle. More importantly, he shares some great little-known bits of trivia about each film he discusses.
One of the most interesting discoveries is in the book's section about the 1971 cult classic, The Abominable Dr. Phibes. Specifically, Hallenback reveals that the movie's star, Vincent Price, was almost joined by another horror legend on the big screen.
"The Abominable Dr. Phibes also benefits from an extremely fine supporting cast, including Joseph Cotten as one of the doctors," Hallenbach writes.
But here's where things get interesting: "Originally, the venerable Peter Cushing had been slated for the role, but he had to bow out due to the illness of his wife, who died later that year."
Cushing is perhaps best known to horror fans as Dr. Baron von Frankenstein in the Hammer Horror Frankenstein series. where he starred in six of the franchise's seven films. Rivaling that role are his appearances as Doctor Van Helsing in five of Hammer's Dracula movies. In addition, Cushing is remembered for his work as Grand Moff Tarkin in Star Wars.
While the horror world didn't get the dream pairing in 1971, Cushing and Price would later star together in Madhouse, aka The Revenge of Dr. Death, an Amicus Productions picture released just three years later.
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