Slippers worn by Peter Cushing during ‘Star Wars’ up for auction

By Gerry Warren via SWNS

Slippers worn by Star Wars actor Peter Cushing on set because his leather boots were too tight are on sale.

The shoes form part of "Sherlock Holmes" and "Dr. Who" star Cushing's memorabilia which will be auctioned.

Among the lots are slippers he wore during Star Wars where played evil Death Star commander Grand Moff Tarkin.

The high leather boots the actor wore in the film pinched his size 12 feet.

He asked director George Lucas if he could wear slippers instead and be filmed from the thighs up - which the moviemaker agreed to.

For a joke, the film crew made a tiny pair for a 12-inch model of Cushing’s character.

Now both his slippers and the model are coming up for auction, with an estimate of £15,000 to £20,000 ($18,879 - $25,173).

The auction includes artifacts from his 60-year career on the silver screen and famous roles in the "Hammer House of Horror" films.

Around 400 lots are due to be sold at the Canterbury Auction Galleries on October 1.

Items up for grabs also include a rare letter dated December 1977 from producer Gary Kurtz informing Cushing of his $6,000 bonus following the first film's success.

The letter, which carries a very early Star Wars logo with a figure wielding a light saber, carries an auction estimate of £5,000 ($6,293).

Another gem for film buffs is a collection of fascinating production notes from 20th Century Fox about the upcoming 1977 film.

It explains what is required “for true credibility” and explaining its reasons for choosing Tunisia as a location.

Included is a photocopy of a map of Tunisia with three locations highlighted. The lot is estimated at £200 to £300 ($251-$377).

Cushing lived with his beloved wife Helen in Whitstable, Kent, England, while making many of the 91 films in which he starred.

The lots include many letters and signed photos from this period of his career, including his contract for the 1969 film "Frankenstein Must Be Destroyed."

Some of Cushing's artwork is also now being sold including a watercolor titled "View of the Golf Links, Whitstable, from my studio window (before housing development hid it)."

The piece is estimated to sell at £400-£600 ($503- $755).

Devastated by his wife’s death in 1971, he went to live with his great friend and assistant of 35 years, Joyce Broughton, and her family.

He died in 1994, at 81, from prostate cancer.

After Joyce’s death, the family has now decided to release much of the memorabilia for others to appreciate Cushing’s many talents.

Joyce’s daughter, Alex, said: “Our ‘Uncle’ Peter was a significant figure in all our lives. My late mother’s estate contained a large collection of Peter’s paintings and film memorabilia and correspondence – some of which we did not know existed.

“We think this is a great and rare opportunity for Peter’s large domestic and international fan base to gain some unique insight into his wider career and personal life.”

For more information on the auction, visit here.