When was alec guinness knighted

Subsequently, one may also ask, when was Alec Guinness knighted? Where is Sir Alec Guinness buried? Petersfield Cemetery, Cambridge, United Kingdom. Did Alec Guinness wear a toupee? Alec Guinness said how he make his way along public streets and not easily be recognized. This was likely due to the fact that the actor never wore a hairpiece in his personal life, along with no actors make up.

For a time during his childhood, he was known as Alec Stiven - a surname he liked. Why was Alec Guinness knighted? In , Alec Guinness was voted as the best British actor. He won an Oscar for his role in The Bridge on the River Kwai in , and two years later, he was knighted by Elizabeth II for his exceptional contribution in the field of arts. How much money did Alec Guinness make on Star Wars? Guinness often recounted - when inevitably asked about making "Star Wars" - how he almost ignored the offered script when he saw it was a science-fiction story.

But as he read, noting the terrible dialogue, he found he kept turning pages, interested to see what would happen. He had seen Lucas' "American Graffiti" and was impressed and met with the young filmmaker.

Lucas offered him, in addition to salary, 2 percent of the profits. It would soon make Guinness independently wealthy, though at the time few people believed the movie would make money. Right after the film's gigantic success, Guinness often spoke of enjoying it and Lucas, though he always mentioned the "rubbish" dialogue. Eventually the shy and ever polite Guinness became so dismayed by the overwhelming clamor for his attention and loss of privacy that he began tossing out the piles of fan mail unread.

He often told of requesting of one young fan that he promise never to watch "Star Wars" again. Guinness continued doing theater and films, but also found new success and praise on television playing spymaster George Smiley in adaptions of LeCarre's "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy" and "Smiley's People.

Guinness died in at age 86, but his legacy has lived on, in large part because of that role he became tired of discussing. But there are other movies in his canon film buffs should view. Such as the ones screening at the MFAH.

The four comedies are all considered among the best of British film humor, although they are very much of their place and period. They all have some slapstick elements, particularly "The Man in the White Suit", but these are nothing like Benny Hill or Hollywood comedies.

They do have a distinct parody-kinship to Monty Python, but with far less anarchy. Any list of the greatest English films would likely include three of the four dramas in this MFAH series, and not just because they were directed by Lean.

Here's a look at the set, and reminders why "Star Wars" isn't the only Guinness film worth watching. Each profoundly affects his adult destiny. John Mills plays adult Pip. In a relatively small role, Guinness, 32 but looking cherubically 22, plays Pip's friend Herbert Pocket. Guinness fought for the part of the physically-imposing villain Fagin; Lean reluctantly let him audition, and was won over. As Fagin, Guinness is unrecognizable in the tattered clothes and amazing makeup. The film has wonderful atmosphere, cinematography, sets and feel of early-Victorian London.

We don't quite see the story's infamous murder, but it is made terrifying by the reaction of a canine actor. Full of explosions and chases, this is sillier and more frenetic than the other comedies in the series. By , Guinness was a film star in Britain, the most popular of that year in fact. At age 37 in this movie, he still looks like a sweet juvenile. Dennis Price stars as Louis, whose mother was disowned by the family for marrying an Italian opera singer. Confessed to having no ambition toward achieving "film star" status.

Not long before he passed away, Sir Alec Guinness gave clear instructions for his diaries to be destroyed. During a time when he was in hospital, Guinness was visited by fellow actor Sir Ralph Richardson.

Being typically eccentric, Richardson was described as entering Guinness' room on his knees and pushing along a book cart. This was mentioned in the volume "Blessings in Disguise". Claimed that as a child, he and his mother moved around England over a dozen times.

Maintained contact with another acting tutor, Martita Hunt. The last time they met up was in , not long before the actress passed away. Is one of the biggest idols of fellow actor Mark Hamill. Until the late s, his appearances on television had been limited. As an actor, Alec Guinness didn't believe in the idea of making sequels.

Describing himself as "a social thief", Guinness was referring to his days as a young man when he began to adapt himself into someone resembling that of the so-called upper classes. Once, when asked what his best performance was, he said it had been during his service with the Royal Navy, "pretending to be an officer and a gentleman". From their home in the deep countryside, Alec and Merula Guinness used to enjoy hearing the chiming of the nearby village church bells. Never forgot the first time he went to the theatre as a child the actor long forgot the name of the production.

Young Guinness was fascinated by what he saw and eventually was able to talk with members of the cast afterwards. According to official biographer Piers Paul Read , after the passing of Guinness' mother at a nursing home, the actor celebrated by opening a bottle of champagne.

After making their one and only film together, Sir Alec Guinness stayed in touch with Grace Kelly until her death on September 14, However when that time came, Alec Guinness admitted to feeling disappointed and ended up disliking Davis. Was always remarked upon for his sheer professionalism and preparation. For the first several years of his life, Alec Guinness claimed that he had no idea what his real name was. On the occasions when he would stay at the Connaught hotel in London, the actor requested that no member of staff including the hotel manager refer to him by his name.

This was done to protect his privacy. Sir Alec Guinness said how he make his way along public streets and not easily be recognized. This was likely due to the fact that the actor never wore a hairpiece in his personal life, along with no actors make up. For a time during his childhood, he was known as Alec Stiven - a surname he liked. An actor whom Guinness greatly admired was Charles Laughton. Andrew Geddes - the man introduced as Guinness' uncle - left the young Alec and his mother a monthly allowance.

This lasted until Guinness reached early stages of adulthood. When Guinness served in the Royal Navy as a captain during the second world war, he admitted many years later to harboring strong feelings of affection toward his own sailors. Initially, the Salaman family objected to their daughter Merula getting married to Alec Guinness. However, when they heard that Guinness was more or less a "Billy Chappell", the family relented slightly.

Guinness was destitute when he arrived London during the early s. According to his volume "Blessings in Disguise", he managed to sustain himself by consuming buns and tea.

Admitted to feeling somewhat surprised when approached to reprise his role of Herbert Pocket for the film version of Great Expectations after having performed in the theatre adaptation. His great-grandson is the professional footballer Nesta Guinness-Walker.

His son had polio as a boy but fully recovered from the condition. It was rare for the actor to discuss any of his films, once they had been made. Before he converted to Catholicism, the actor spent some time in a monastery so as to experience the typical routines of practicing Catholics.

Described Tyrone Guthrie 's approach to teaching drama students as being the opposite of John Gielgud. Alec Guinness thought Guthrie was a natural at communicating with the younger generation and in allowing a certain amount of flexibility.

Recorded three volumes of readings from his different sets of memoirs. Disliked being approached for his autograph, as he felt his privacy was intruded upon. It has been suggested that the character of master-spy George Smiley is the one which resembles Alec Guinness the most. Even among his circle of close companions, the actor wasn't one for displaying much in the way of intimacy. Those who claimed to have known Alec Guinness the most, would say that he had an inner core within himself which was impenetrable.

During his time at boarding school, the future actor would keep his fellow classmates entertained with stories that were acted out by him. The root of the actor's unhappiness, was said to have been caused by not knowing who his real father was. First developed an interest in acting as a child, after being taken to a few pantomime shows. During the brief period he worked as an office clerk, Guinness was greeted with ridicule when he mentioned his ambition to become an actor.

Playing the role of Fagin in Oliver Twist was probably the most arduous in the actor's career. Guinness usually arrived for work at about a. His acting career began when he signed on with Fay Compton in During his honeymoon, he and his wife Merula were invited to stay at John Gielgud 's cottage in Essex.

This partly compensated for the disastrous time they had in Ireland. Was the inspiration for Sir John Hurt to take up acting. As an actor, he usually felt most satisfied during rehearsals for a play. Sought inspiration for his performances by observing the general public, via their body language, mannerisms etc. During his time at school, Alec Guinness used to put on different voices in front of his classmates in the dormitories.

In his volume "Blessings in Disguise", Guinness recalled many of his early acting experiences and of the people he encountered. Reacted with anger when Garry O'Connor 's biography of him "Master of Disguise" was published in Guinness apparently destroyed the copy given to him.

Along with his wife Merula, the actor was thought to have liberal-minded views and ideals. He worked at an advertising copy writer before becoming a drama student during which time he was a walk on in Libel at the Old Kings Theatre, Hammersmith then promoted to an understudy when it transferred to the Playhouse. He was a great admirer of the comedian Stan Laurel.

His wife of 62 years, Merula Salaman, passed away just two and a half months after he did. They were both What I didn't tell him was that I just couldn't go on speaking those bloody awful, banal lines. I'd had enough of the mumbo jumbo. We live in an age of apologies. Apologies, false or true, are expected from the descendants of empire builders, slave owners, persecutors of heretics and from men who, in our eyes, just got it all wrong.

So with the age of 85 coming up shortly, I want to make an apology. It appears I must apologize for being male, white and European.

And I can see myself drifting off into eternity, or nothing, or whatever it may be, with all sorts of bits of loose string hanging out of my pocket. Why didn't I say this or do that, or why didn't I reconcile myself with someone?

Or make sure that someone whom I like was all right in every way, either financially or, I don't know I gave my best performances during the war, trying to be an officer and a gentleman. I prefer full-length camera shots because the body can act better than the face. Getting to the theater on the early side, usually about seven o'clock, changing into a dressing-gown, applying make-up, having a chat for a few minutes with other actors and then, quite unconsciously, beginning to assume another personality which would stay with me but mostly tucked inside until curtain down, was all I required of life.

I thought it bliss. An actor is an interpreter of other men's words, often a soul which wishes to reveal itself to the world but dare not, a craftsman, a bag of tricks, a vanity bag, a cool observer of mankind, a child and at his best a kind of unfrocked priest who, for an hour or two, can call on heaven and hell to mesmerize a group of innocents. If at all. I have a nice mantel where I'm going to display it. I like them well enough, but it's not an acting job, the dialogue - which is lamentable - keeps being changed and only slightly improved, and I find myself old and out of touch with the young.

Where do they get such nonsense? Not that any of the cast can stand up to the mechanical things around them. Fairytale rubbish, but could be interesting. The conversation was divided culturally by 8, miles and 30 years; but I think we might understand each other if I can get past his intensity.

The stage was my prime interest.