The Horse's Mouth (film)

The Horse's Mouth
The Horse's Mouth US Theatrical Poster
Directed by	Ronald Neame
Produced by	John Bryan Ronald Neame
Written by	Alec Guinness Joyce Cary (novel)
Starring	Alec Guinness Kay Walsh Renée Houston Mike Morgan Robert Coote
Music by	Adapted from Sergei Prokofiev's "Lieutenant Kijé"
Cinematography	Arthur Ibbetson
Edited by	Anne V. Coates
Distributed by	General Film Distributors
Release date	11 November 1958
Running time	97 minutes
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English
Box office	$1 million (est. US/Canada rentals)

The Horse's Mouth is a 1958 film directed by Ronald Neame and filmed in Technicolor. Alec Guinness wrote the screenplay from the 1944 novel The Horse's Mouth by Joyce Cary, and also played the lead role of Gulley Jimson, a London artist.

Eccentric painter Gulley Jimson (Alec Guinness) is released from a one-month jail sentence for telephone harassment of his sponsor, Mr Hickson (Ernest Thesiger). Nosey Barbon (Mike Morgan), who wants to be Jimson's protégé, greets Jimson at Wormwood Scrubs, but Jimson tries to discourage Nosey from pursuing painting for a living. Jimson steals Nosey's bike to make his way back to his houseboat, which his older lady friend Coker (Kay Walsh) has been maintaining in Jimson's absence.

Jimson tries to borrow money from Hickson and Coker, but Hickson sets the police to trace the phone call. Jimson and Coker later visit Hickson to try to secure advance payment for the early Jimson works. Jimson tries to steal works from Hickson's place but Coker stops him. Hickson and his secretary call the police to have them ejected. Jimson breaks a window, and he and Coker escape via the servant's entrance.

Jimson responds to a note from A. W. Alabaster (Arthur Macrae), secretary to Sir William (Robert Coote) and Lady Beeder (Veronica Turleigh), who are interested in acquiring early Jimson works. One of the early works is in the possession of Jimson's ex-wife, Sara Monday (Renée Houston). Jimson and Coker try to secure an agreement with Sara Monday to obtain that early painting, but are unsuccessful.

When Jimson visits the Beeders, he sees a blank wall in their residence and is immediately inspired to paint "The Raising of Lazarus". He learns that the Beeders are leaving for six weeks, and takes advantage of their absence to execute the painting. An old artistic rival, Abel (Michael Gough), intrudes on Jimson to bring in a large block of marble to fulfil a sculpture commission for British Rail. Jimson pawns the Beeders' valuables, and Abel and Jimson inadvertently destroy part of the Beeders' floor when the marble is accidentally dropped. After Jimson has completed the painting, the Beeders return. Shocked by the painting, they inadvertently fall through the hole in the floor.