The British actor Sir Alec Guinness (1914-2000) was noted for his versatility and disguise. In his career, which spanned more than half a century, he performed in a wide range of roles on stage, in films, and for television. The birth certificate...

Alec Guinness: The Authorized Biography, by Piers Paul Read. Simon & Schuster, 632 pages, $35. Most actors ramp up an exhibitionistic façade as a means of compensating for displeasure with their own core personality, but Alec Guinness was one of those rare actors...

Alec Guinness: The Authorized Biography, by Piers Paul Read. Simon & Schuster, 632 pages, $35.Most actors ramp up an exhibitionistic façade as a means of compensating for displeasure with their own core personality, but Alec Guinness was one of those rare actors who seemed not...

The brown hooded cloak worn by Obi-Wan Kenobi in the "Star Wars" films _ and then forgotten for years in a warehouse _ sold for $104,000 to an anonymous telephone bidder Tuesday at an auction of movie and TV memorabilia.Audience members raised their paddles in...

Today is Sunday, Aug. 5, the 217th day of 2007. There are 148 days left in the year.Today's Highlight in History:Fifty years ago, on Aug. 5, 1957, the teenage dance show "American Bandstand," hosted by Dick Clark, made its network debut on ABC-TV.On this date:In...