Alex McCrindle (3 August 1911 – 20 April 1990) was a Scottish actor. He was best known for his role as General Jan Dodonna in ''

Star Wars ''Star Wars'' is an American epic film, epic space opera media franchise created by George Lucas, which began with the Star Wars (film), eponymous 1977 film and Cultural impact of Star Wars, quickly became a worldwide popular culture, pop cu ...

''.

Biography

McCrindle was born in

Glasgow Glasgow is the Cities of Scotland, most populous city in Scotland, located on the banks of the River Clyde in Strathclyde, west central Scotland. It is the List of cities in the United Kingdom, third-most-populous city in the United Kingdom ...

. He began his acting career in 1937 starring in minor roles in UK Television. From 1946 to 1951 he played the role of Jock Anderson in '' Dick Barton – Special Agent''. In 1951 he starred in his first film in the USA, ''

The House in the Square ''The House in the Square'' (also titled ''I'll Never Forget You'' in the United States and ''Man of Two Worlds'') is a 1951 science fiction fantasy film starring Tyrone Power and Ann Blyth. It was an early film for director Roy Ward Baker. Pow ...

''. From there his acting career took off. He then did five more films: '' I Believe in You'' (1952), ''

The Kidnappers ''The Kidnappers'' (US: ''The Little Kidnappers'') is a 1953 British film, directed by Philip Leacock and written by Neil Paterson. The movie was financed by the Rank Organisation. According to producer Frank Godwin, J. Arthur Rank, chair ...

'' (1953), ''

Trouble in the Glen ''Trouble in the Glen'' is a 1954 British comedy film directed by Herbert Wilcox and starring Margaret Lockwood, Orson Welles, Forrest Tucker and Victor McLaglen. It is loosely based on Maurice Walsh's 1950 novel of the same name. It was film ...

'' (1954), ''

Geordie Geordie ( ), sometimes known in linguistics as Tyneside English or Newcastle English, is an English dialect and accent spoken in the Tyneside area of North East England. It developed as a variety of the old Northumbrian dialect and became espe ...

'' (1955) and ''Depth Charge'' (1960). From 1962 to 1974 he went to television acting. In 1976 he was cast in the first ''

'' film as General Jan Dodonna, the first character to use the phrase "May the Force be with you", in any

media. He went back to minor roles on TV, including the role of the eccentric veterinarian Ewan Ross on '' All Creatures Great and Small''. McCrindle was a founding member of the actors' trade union Scottish Equity.

Personal life

McCrindle's second wife was the children's novelist and political activis
Honor Arundel
(1919–1973). He was survived by his three children: Catherine, Jessica, and

Jean Jean may refer to: People * Jean (female given name) * Jean (male given name) * Jean (surname) Fictional characters * Jean Grey, a Marvel Comics character * Jean Valjean, fictional character in novel ''Les Misérables'' and its adaptations * J ...

. According to

Doris Lessing Doris May Lessing ( Tayler; 22 October 1919 – 17 November 2013) was a British novelist. She was born to British parents in Qajar Iran, Persia, where she lived until 1925. Her family then moved to Southern Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe), where ...

, McCrindle and Arundel's home in the 1950s was a hub of Communist Party activity and organisation.

Filmography

Film

Television

References

External links

* 1911 births 1990 deaths British communists Scottish male film actors 20th-century Scottish male actors Male actors from Edinburgh Male actors from Glasgow {{UK-screen-actor-stub