'Obi-Wan Kenobi' - Catholic

[Dandelion_Wine]

I did not know this.

catholicnewsagency.com/news/the-miracle-that-led-obi-wan-kenobi-to-convert-to-catholicism-61901/

The miracle that led ‘Obi-Wan Kenobi’ to convert to Catholicism

Los Angeles, Calif., Dec 6, 2015 / 08:12 am (Church Pop).- Sir Alec Guinness is one of the most recognizable actors of the 20th century. While he appeared in lots of films over the years and won many awards, he is best known as having played Obi-Wan Kenobi in Star Wars.

What many people don’t know about him, though, is that at the age of 42 he converted to Catholicism – in part because of a miracle.

 

[Erich]

So… the Force really was with him

 

[7_Sorrows]

I thought there was already a thread on this.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

I first learned this when reading his published diary, where he mentions going to the Mass every Sunday and often other days. It was very obvious from what he wrote that receiving the Eucharist was essential in his life.

He did one of the better film adaptations of G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown in The Detective. It’s in the public domain, and you can view the full length film on YouTube.

youtube.com/watch?v=4gqwXeHI85A

 

[7_Sorrows]

I first learned this when reading his published diary, where he mentions going to the Mass every Sunday and often other days. It was very obvious from what he wrote that receiving the Eucharist was essential in his life.

He did one of the better film adaptations of G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown in The Detective. It’s in the public domain, and you can view the full length film on YouTube.

youtube.com/watch?v=4gqwXeHI85A

thanks for the link.

 

[dividus]

I first learned this when reading his published diary, where he mentions going to the Mass every Sunday and often other days. It was very obvious from what he wrote that receiving the Eucharist was essential in his life.

He did one of the better film adaptations of G.K. Chesterton’s Father Brown in The Detective. It’s in the public domain, and you can view the full length film on YouTube.

youtube.com/watch?v=4gqwXeHI85A

Thanks for the link.I remember reading an interview with him towards the end of his life in which he expressed slight irritation that he was mainly remembered for his role in the Star Wars films. My own favorite is his portrayal of George Smiley in the television versions John Le Carre’s books (Tinker,Tailor,Soldier,Spy and Smiley’s People).

 

[Arizona_Mike]

Yeah, I love the Smiley series. Guinness was a master at underplaying a role so that the smallest gesture or expression becomes powerful.

So many other great films he was in, too - the Ealing comedies (he was really funny in “The Ladykillers” and “The Man in the White Suit”), Dr. Zhivago (where he never says a word on camera, only voice over, yet does so much with expression in what is essentially a silent role), or Bridge Over the River Kwai. He was an amazing actor.

Also a WWII vet. He took a break from his career on stage to serve in the Royal Navy Volunteer Reserve in World War II. He served first as a seaman in 1941 and was commissioned in 1942. He commanded a landing craft taking part in the invasion of Sicily and Elba and later ferried supplies and agents to the Yugoslav partisans for the SOE.

 

[colliric]

Thanks for the link.I remember reading an interview with him towards the end of his life in which he expressed slight irritation that he was mainly remembered for his role in the Star Wars films. My own favorite is his portrayal of George Smiley in the television versions John Le Carre’s books (Tinker,Tailor,Soldier,Spy and Smiley’s People).

When Sir Alec was cast as Obi-Wan he had to be convinced the film was going to be worthwhile. George had done extensive casting for the other main roles, but he only wanted two known actors for Obi-Wan and Darth Vader and he had to pursue those actors. He wrote Obi-Wan with Alec in mind and wanted James Earl Jones as Darth Vader’s booming voice. I think the third handpicked experienced actor was Peter Cushing from memory.

Most accounts say Sir Alec was surprised at the gigantic success of Star Wars and was worried it would overshadow his earlier work… Which in a way it has. Although he apparently didn’t enjoy shooting Star Wars especially on location Tunisia, it was “below him” to turn in anything but his absolute best acting.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

When Sir Alec was cast as Obi-Wan he had to be convinced the film was going to be worthwhile. George had done extensive casting for the other main roles, but he only wanted two known actors for Obi-Wan and Darth Vader and he had to pursue those actors. He wrote Obi-Wan with Alec in mind and wanted James Earl Jones as Darth Vader’s booming voice. I think the third handpicked experienced actor was Peter Cushing from memory.

Most accounts say Sir Alec was surprised at the gigantic success of Star Wars and was worried it would overshadow his earlier work… Which in a way it has. Although he apparently didn’t enjoy shooting Star Wars especially on location Tunisia, it was “below him” to turn in anything but his absolute best acting.

He did pretty well by the role financially, however - he made the decision to be paid in profot percentage points of the films, rather than a straight salary, at a time when its financial success was anything but certain - many thought it would be an expensive flop. Sir Alec’s gamble earned him about $6 million in profits from his percentage points for the 3 films, which was a bigger payout than he had for any other film, and which helped secure his financial stability for the rest of his life. (He remained a huge fan of the lottery as a hobby, though - his memoirs show that he bought a lot of British lottery tickets and followed the payouts with keen interest!)

Peter Cushing was also given a percentage of profit points by Lucas, a longtime horror film fan, as a gratis payment, which also helped Cushing as he got older and found it harder to work.

 

[7_Sorrows]

He did pretty well by the role financially, however - he made the decision to be paid in profot percentage points of the films, rather than a straight salary, at a time when its financial success was anything but certain - many thought it would be an expensive flop. Sir Alec’s gamble earned him about $6 million in profits from his percentage points for the 3 films, which was a bigger payout than he had for any other film, and which helped secure his financial stability for the rest of his life. (He remained a huge fan of the lottery as a hobby, though - his memoirs show that he bought a lot of British lottery tickets and followed the payouts with keen interest!)

Peter Cushing was also given a percentage of profit points by Lucas, a longtime horror film fan, as a gratis payment, which also helped Cushing as he got older and found it harder to work.

$6 million doesn’t seem like very much money considering how much money Star Wars has made.

 

[Arizona_Mike]

$6 million doesn’t seem like very much money considering how much money Star Wars has made.

Maybe, but I wouldn’t turn it down.

It also went farther back in 1977.

 

[7_Sorrows]

Maybe, but I wouldn’t turn it down.

It also went farther back in 1977.

no I definitely would not turn it down either! did he forfeit the money from when it is shown on tv and dvd sales, etc? I would have thought he would have made more like $20million.

 

[colliric]

no I definitely would not turn it down either! did he forfeit the money from when it is shown on tv and dvd sales, etc? I would have thought he would have made more like $20million.

Personally I’d find it more interesting if his percentage deal included any theatrical rereleases as the Star Wars Trilogy netted a gigantic box office return during the 1997 rerelease. I wonder if his deal included reruns and if that went to his estate?

Also I’m not even sure any film contract considered “home video” back then?

 

[tomarin]

I named my son Alec, partly because I liked Guiness’s conversion story so much.

I’ve never understood how he could be better known for Star Wars than the earlier part of his career, since he was a Big Name in movies for so many years - not just Smiley’s People, but Dr. Zhivago, A Bridge Over the River Kwai, Lawrence of Arabia, and then also those Ealing Studios comedies such as The Man in the White Suit, Kind Hearts and Coronets, etc. I guess people have a short memory.

I’m also constantly surprised upon being told that no one in America knows who Peter Sellars is, because the Pink Panther series wasn’t a big hit over here. Wha? It inspired a Saturday morning kids’ cartoon, for crying out loud.