Of all Britain's theatrical knights, it was Guinness who adapted most
fruitfully to cinema, displaying throughout his long career a dreamy
humour and quiet flair far more satisfying than the Shakespearean
mannerisms of Olivier or Ralph Richardson. Nevertheless, his stage
background was apparent in his penchant for artful disguise, which
reached its zenith in his masterly impersonation of the eight doomed
members of the D'Ascoyne family in Ealing's blackest comedy, Kind
Hearts And Coronets. His work for Ealing alone would ensure his stature
as one of England's leading actors, but to a younger generation his fame
rests - much to his own annoyance - on his appearance as Obi-Wan Kenobi in
Star Wars.
