Finlay Currie – Contrasting Roles in Ben-Hur (1959) and Great Expectations (1946)

It takes a master director to effectively adapt a great novel. Two of my favorites are Great Expectations (1946) by Charles Dickens directed by David Lean and Ben-Hur (1959) by Lew Wallace directed by William Wyler. Catch the veteran British actor Finlay Currie in both classic films- playing the key role of Magwitch, the escaped criminal in Great Expectation and the extremely contrasting role of the narrator/Christian prophet Balthasar in Ben-Hur.