The Man in the Iron Mask

Peter Cushing did double duty on this film. In additional to his own role, he would feed Louis Hayward the lines for the split screen shots. Director James Whale initially cast him only to play opposite Hayward in the sequences where both twins appear together, but was impressed enough with the newcomer that he offered Cushing a small part on horseback. This was Peter Cushing's film debut, and he had the unique opportunity to view the rushes and improve his own performance, especially since none of it would be used in the finished feature. As 'Second Officer,' he can be seen 17 minutes in, with two lines of dialogue: "How could I mistake it. I've been here before".

In one chase scene, a character fires a pistol three times in quick succession. 17th century firearms had to be reloaded after each shot.

The credits are printed into a old book. An unseen male hand pages through it.

Featured in Peter Cushing: A One-Way Ticket to Hollywood (1989)