A long time ago in a galaxy far, far away . . . Darth Vader is lording it over the galaxy and wreaking havoc on the Rebel Alliance. The Galactic Empire’s reign of terror is symbolised by the mighty Death Star, destroyer of planets. At its helm is Grand Moff Tarkin, merciless in his treatment of anyone who opposes him. He tells Princess Leia after her capture: ‘Before your execution, I would like you to be my guest at a ceremony that will make this battle station operational. No star system will dare oppose the Emperor now.’ The result is the destruction of Leia’s home planet of Alderaan.
But even Imperial officers need some down time. And Grand Moff Tarkin, in the guise of actor Peter Cushing, chose to put his feet up in Brown’s Hotel in London’s Mayfair. It was an admirable choice.
Brown’s is an eponymous hotel, typical of its time, which began life in 1832 based in a single townhouse at 23 Dover Street. It was set up by James Brown, a former domestic servant, and his wife, Sarah. Over the decades it grew in size and stature. It welcomed a wonderful array of rulers, politicians, writers, explorers and actors.
Dr Frankenstein’s bed
Cushing, who starred in 92 films during a career that spanned six decades, was fastidious in his appearance and exacting in his standards. He expected the best and for him the best was Brown’s. The man famous for playing Baron Frankenstein in the Hammer Films called it ‘my favourite hotel in London.’
From the late 1950s Cushing lived outside London on the Kent coast. When he was filming at studios in and around London, he would stay at Brown’s Hotel. A man of habit, so integral was Brown’s to his routine that he had the hotel written into his contracts. His one with Hammer Film Productions for Frankenstein and the Monster from Hell in 1973, for example, included the following clause: ‘The company will pay for the artist’s accommodation at Brown’s Hotel during the shooting period and any extension thereof, and will also pay £25 per week [£490 today] towards the cost of his driver during this period.’
Cushing’s copy of the film script was covered in his jottings. They included reminders to himself: ‘Always throw coat tails up when sit’, ‘careful not to do mannerisms with mouth’ and ‘Cliff: No make up under chin because of collar getting marked.’
He also used it to note train times and the phone number of his beloved Brown’s Hotel – 01-493-6020. Cushing was a perfectionist and punctilious in his demands – from his attire to his insistence on granulated sugar instead of cubes. He would never have stayed at Brown’s if the hotel did not pass muster. It clearly did so with flying colours.
Death star
Peter Cushing was crushed by the death of his wife in 1971. He lost weight, stopped going out and often had suicidal thoughts. His acting thinned out as a result and he might have slipped into obscurity had it not been for his role as Grand Moff Tarkin, the commander of the Death Star, in Star Wars. He arrived on set to find that the boots provided with his costume were far too small for his oversized feet. He solved the problem with good grace. His feet were kept out of shot during most of his scenes, allowing him to wear his bedroom slippers while lording it over the galaxy. I wonder what Darth Vader wore on his duvet days?
Hotel History Expert 