The Horse's Mouth

The Horse's Mouth, book

The Horse's Mouth is Joyce Cary's novel about an eccentric artist named Gully Jimson. First published in 1944, it is the third in a trilogy of novels by Cary. The Horse's Mouth follows the adventures of Gully Jimson, an artist that will exploit his friends and acquaintances to earn a quid. Cary's novel also uses Gully's unique perspective to comment on the social and political events of the time.

The Horse's Mouth, film

The Horse's Mouth film's screenplay was adapted from Joyce Cary's novel by actor Alec Guinness. Guinness received an Academy Award nomination for best screenplay in 1958 for this film. The film follows the story laid-out in the book, but focuses on the Jimson character and what it means to be an artist rather than the social and political themes so prevalent in the book. The film was directed by Ronald Neame, and starred Alec Guinness, Kay Walsh, Renee Houston, Mike Morgan, and Robert Coote.