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From: Rhino <no_offline_contact@example.com>
Newsgroups: rec.arts.tv
Subject: Re: Alec Guiness's Thoughts on Appearing in STAR WARS
Date: Wed, 19 Mar 2025 21:51:29 -0400
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On 2025-03-19 8:39 PM, shawn wrote:
> On Wed, 19 Mar 2025 20:34:19 -0400, Rhino
> <no_offline_contact@example.com> wrote:
> 
>> On 2025-03-19 8:20 PM, Your Name wrote:
>>> On 2025-03-19 22:59:10 +0000, Blueshirt said:
>>>> BTR1701 wrote:
>>>>>
>>>>> Prior to accepting the role of Obi-wan (Ben) Kenobi, Sir Alec
>>>>> Guinness wrote the following to a friend:
>>>>>
>>>>> [Snip]
>>>>>
>>>>> "I shrivel up every time someone mentions
>>>>> STAR WARS to me."
>>>>
>>>> I kind of do that whenever I hear they are going to make a new
>>>> "Star Wars" movie...
>>>
>>> That quote was made by Sir Alec Guinness *after* he had played the role
>>> in the original "Star Wars" movie. Obi-Wan was meant to in the following
>>> movies to train Luke, but Guinness hated the role and didn't want to do
>>> any more, so they killed off the character (he only briefly appeared as
>>> a Jedi ghost) and added Yoda instead. It was only in later years that he
>>> mellowed, a little, towards what has arguably become his most famous role.
>>>
>> I certainly think HE would argue that it was far from his *best* role,
>> although he might admit more people saw him in Star Wars than in
>> anything else.
>>
>> Mind you, Bridge on the River Kwai got seen by a lot of people in its
>> day and is *still* appreciated as a quality film whereas Star Wars
>> probably only merits being called a *popular* film.
> 
> All true, but at least with STAR WARS you have a film that is popular
> with people of all ages. I don't think the same is true with BRIDGE
> OVER THE RIVER KWAI.

I submit that a young audience would find Star Wars very appealing but 
that seniors would be far less interested. The audience essentially 
reverses for Bridge Over the River Kwai and is going to primary be older 
people who remembered WWII and lived through it, plus some younger 
history buffs since it was essentially a true story, although the film 
certainly took some liberties with historical accuracy.

Of course I'm speaking primarily about the years when each film was 
released; nowadays, people who saw Star Wars when it came out may well 
be grandparents who want their grandkids to enjoy the film, just as they 
did themselves back in the day. There simply aren't that many people 
left who lived through WWII so the audience is probably down to history 
buffs, people who lost relatives at the hands of the Japanese, and film 
students.

Guinness apparently valued Star Wars almost solely for the paycheque and 
what it let him do with other projects that were far dearer to his 
heart. I'd be surprised if his reviews for Obi Wan Kenobi were nearly as 
glowing as for other roles; it just wasn't that big a part.

-- 
Rhino