Alec Guinness, England, 1952 by Cornell Capa
A Shakespearean actor who was better known for his ability to be entirely absorbed into characters he was playing on stage, Alec Guinness entered movies through the Ealing comedies. The year 1952 was a breakthrough year for him; director Ronald Neame cast Guinness in his first romantic lead role in The Card. The story was about a charming and ambitious young man who raises himself through the ranks in business and social standing by both honest and dishonest means.
“Versatile and self-effacing actor who turned anonymity into an art form and himself into an international star,” wrote the Times in Guinness obituary. If there was one image that defined Guinness’s acting, this Capa image would be that one.
Iconic Photos 