Rare Star Wars 1977 Alec Guinness Interview on Parkinson Talk Show

now let's talk about the latest aspect of your career which is I mean quite extraordinary in all these years in movies now all of a sudden you hit the jackpot with a thing called Star Wars which I saw last week I think just look very super at least mom's escapism and Felina but I mean how did you come to to be involved with a piece of science fiction like that well it arrived as a script I was just finishing a picture in Hollywood another day to go and a script arrived on my dressing table and I heard that had been delivered by George Lucas and I thought well that's rather impressive because he's an up-and-coming and very respect where the young directors so and then when I opened it and found it was science fiction I love films and I was is simply not for me and then I started reading it seems to me the dialogue was pretty ropey but I had to go on turning the page and I mean that's an essential in any script you have got to know what happens next or what's gonna be said next and I I went on reading I thought no I like this if only we can get some of the dialogue altered and then I met him we got on very well and I found myself doing it that's all and it's made more money than any other movie ever made it's I'm tall and you've got yourself some thought of the action ah well two and a half percent isn't it no no no no not quite that what is it it's around a common well as you want that story are you trying to keep this dark I don't know where this all sprang from I think was the Evening Standard of blame for this I had a contract I'm my agents that I've asked for 2% of whatever because we didn't think would making it you know I've never had I've had a percentage on a film before and they lose money like man if I have a percentage and I sell fine or I took percent and the day before the film opened in San Francisco George Lucas phone and said he's very very again he's like Annabelle he's very difficult and very shy and quiet and he has a funny little boys and he said I think the movie is kind of going to be all right I said I'm bad Jordan he said yeah how the press quite liked it that's a good is that we're pleased with them you know very grateful the little alterations you suggested and so we'd like to offer you another half percent by making you two and a half I so it's you know that's marvelous thank you very much but a matter of a few weeks later in fact the day I saw the film had just seen it the ones the producer who again as a charming delightful chap I said about this little extra something you were kindly offering I wonder if I could have something in writing just so that you know my agent and so on believes this and he said old you about the quarter percent yes no forward so it's two and a quarter percent yeah right yes sadly what's the fascination of it to you do you think I think a marvelous healthy innocence yes great taste wonderful to look at full of guts nothing unpleasant I mean people go bang bang and people fall over and are dead but you know no horrors no sleazy sex in fact actually no sex at all becomes there and a sort of wonderful freshness about it a kind of like a wonderful fresh air mmm when I came out of the cinema into Tottenham Court Road I thought oh Lord land is awfully sort of gritty and dirty and full of rubbish isn't it cuz this had all been so um I think there's a bigger rating absolutely right actually one of the few moves I've come out of recently where I really felt happy not with the ring him I'd enjoyed myself that's all a big people are gonna read too much into it it's a simple simple stuff for all ages are they doing this girl with you because they're kind of you know Seville are reading more into it this of a guru figure that you always are getting some pretty strange letters are you mind telling it I can imagine actually oh no surely yes my wife and I've got problems would you come over and live with us for a few months yes you could have yourself a fine time and

Channel: sarlaccpitpodcast

Views: 1,681,611

Rating: 4.9584098 out of 5

Keywords: star wars, release, Alec Guinness (Film Actor), Talk Show (TV Genre)

Id: 3IxN0N35skE

Length: 4min 40sec (280 seconds)

Published: Fri Sep 05 2014

Reddit Comments

[u/M3n747]

Such a classy gentleman.

[u/Pylonius]

Interesting bit at the end where they talk about how pleasantly simple the movie was to watch and how people could read too much into it. Jar-Jar is a sith lord.

[u/L_B_Jeffries]

I just love how much foreshadowing is going on in the interview. You have the critical hints at Lucas not being able to write good dialog (hello prequels) and then there is the comment about people reading too much into it.

Very wise and absolutely sympathetic man.

[u/tksopinion]

Class act.

[u/Boomshockalocka007]

*2 and a quarter percent you mean. :)