The Horse's Mouth (1958)

93% of critics liked it
(14 reviews)
76% of users liked it
(1,087 ratings)

The Horse's Mouth is an acting and a writing tour de force for Alec Guinness, who authored the screenplay in addition to starring in the film. Gulley Jimson (Alec Guinness) is an aging artist with a reputation as a genius, though he lives an impoverished life. Jimson has reached the point in his… More The Horse's Mouth is an acting and a writing tour de force for Alec Guinness, who authored the screenplay in addition to starring in the film. Gulley Jimson (Alec Guinness) is an aging artist with a reputation as a genius, though he lives an impoverished life. Jimson has reached the point in his life where he no longer feels any need to moderate his irascible persona -- he has a taste for alcohol and a tendency toward boisterous spirits where the ladies are concerned -- in search of canvasses to paint and commissions that will allow him to live comfortably, and Guinness lives the role to the hilt. Released from jail for some indiscretion, he immediately begins harassing his wealthiest patron, Hickson (Ernest Thesiger), for money. When that fails, he insinuates himself into the home of a would-be patron, Sir William and Lady Beeder (Robert Coote, Veronica Turleigh), and manages to destroy their home and that of their downstairs neighbor with a huge block of stone and some help from a sculptor friend (Michael Gough). Courted by a potential buyer, he is desperate to retrieve one of his early works from his former wife, but even that prospect is closed off to him. Finally, with help from his young admirer, Nosey (Mike Morgan), his friend, Coker (Kay Walsh), and some art students eager to work with the legendary Gulley Jimson, he begins painting his largest canvas of all. The painting is completed and promptly destroyed. Jimson finally takes off in his wreck of a houseboat for the open sea, eyeing the huge hulls of the passing ships as potential canvasses to paint. As he disappears up the river, Coker looks on in panic and Nosey calls after him, declaring his admiration for Jimson and who he is and what his work means -- knowing for certain that he can't be heard. ~ Bruce Eder, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 33 min.
Directed By: Ronald Neame
Written By: Alec Guinness
Genres: Classics, Comedy

In Theaters: Nov 1, 1958 Wide
On DVD: Jun 4, 2002
Studio: United Artists

Critic Reviews

Dennis Schwartz, Ozus' World Movie Reviews
It smacks more of an Ealing low-brow whimsical comedy than anything more artistic.
Jake Euker, F5 (Wichita, KS)
Guinness creates a unique, full-bodied porttrait of the artist as an always-young man.
Pablo Villaca, Cinema em Cena
Ao mesmo tempo comovente e hilário, o filme traz Guinness em uma de suas melhores performances - e a luta do pintor Gulley Jimson para realizar sua visão é inesquecível.
Ken Hanke, Mountain Xpress (Asheville, NC)
Quite probably the best film ever made about a painter.
Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice
A wonderfully colorful screen rendition of Joyce Cary's 1944 novel about an eccentric artist
Scott Weinberg, Apollo Guide
Imagine The Three Stooges by way of 'The New Yorker' magazine, and you're getting close.
James Kendrick, Q Network Film Desk
testament to both Guinness' acting prowess and his writing ability

Read all 7 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Stephen M

This bittersweet comedy, scripted by and starring Alec Guinness, came very warmly recommended, and it didn't disappoint. I suppose it could be described as one of the best films Ealing never made. Guinness is brilliant as Gulley Jimson, an eccentric, uncompromising artist in… More
This bittersweet comedy, scripted by and starring Alec Guinness, came very warmly recommended, and it didn't disappoint. I suppose it could be described as one of the best films Ealing never made. Guinness is brilliant as Gulley Jimson, an eccentric, uncompromising artist in search of the perfect 'canvas' to do justice to his vision, and Guinness' own literate screenplay is good enough to make me wish he'd written a few more. The film is generally excellent, but I did occasionally catch myself wondering whether Alexander Mackendrick (Whisky Galore!, The Man in the White Suit, The Ladykillers) might have made something even more special out of it, had he directed instead of Ronald Neame. One of the things I most enjoyed about The Horse's Mouth was the look of the film, especially the location photography: the duffel-coats, the double-deckers, the drabness of suburbia; as an incidental snapshot of a time and place, for some reason it reminded me of Michael Powell's Peeping Tom. There are some very enjoyable character performances, particularly Renee Houston as Jimson's sweetly devious ex-wife and Kay Walsh as his abrasive but kindhearted female friend. Mike Morgan, who plays Gulley's devoted follower, Nosey, died of meningitis before the film was completed!
Stella D

gully jimson, mad artist, is my favorite alec guiness character. it's a shame so few people have seen or heard of this film. 4 for the film, 5 for guiness :)