Alec Guinness is sublimely hilarious in ‘The Horse’s Mouth’

Alec Guinness, best remembered for his dramatic roles, turns in a powerhouse comedic performance in Ronald Neame’s The Horse’s Mouth, a 1958 film available from the Criterion Collection. Guinness plays Gulley Jimson, a rowdy painter with a penchant for disrupting the lives of everyone he encounters. He’s masterful at his craft, but his company grows tired of his crazed antics. Guinness, who also wrote the screenplay, has a lot of fun with the role, making Jimson a cross between a man drunk on life and an expert unparalleled in his field.

There’s not much of a plot. Jimson has been recently released from jail, sent there for yet another shenanigan. Once back in the old neighborhood, he heads over to his studio, which is a disheveled house boat. His alienated friends and ex-wife would rather stay away from his bumbling ways, but he has a plan to win them back, even while simultaneously hurting their feelings.

This misunderstood artist paints exquisitely detailed canvases where color meets effusive energy in large brush strokes. He knows that some of the creations are worth a lot of money and may pay off some debts one day, so he’s particularly keen on retrieving his old paintings from his ex-wife.

The funniest moments come when Jimson meets Sir William Beeder (Robert Coote) and Lady Beeder (Veronica Turleigh), a rich couple who once had respect for the painter’s output. Lady Beeder is an aspiring artist herself, yet Jimson has no use for her amateur ways. After Guinness’s character fails to secure a commission from the Beeders, he decides to paint a mural in their home while they are away on holiday. The scenes depicting this furious creation — both violent and careful — is where Guinness finely displays his comedic chops. The character he creates is not a fourth stooge, although he is prone to pratfalls and exaggerated responses. Instead, Guinness is able to find the inner-hurt in Jimson, and by the movie’s end, we are laughing and feeling sorry for this broken man. He has built a career out of expression, yet his expressions have fallen out of style.

The Horse’s Mouth is a British comedy classic, a rare movie where Guinness, one of the best in the business at the time, shows off his talents in unexpected ways. The ending of the movie, which feels a little too convenient and positive for the Jimson character, serves as an adequate capstone to a riotous affair. This physical comedy at its most basic (I wouldn’t have been surprised to see a banana peel) coupled with a characterization that is robustly epic.

By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com

• The Horse’s Mouth

• 1958

• Directed by Ronald Neame

• Written by Alec Guinness

• Starring Guinnness, Kay Walsh, Veronic Turleigh and Robert Coote

• Running time: 97 minutes

• Rating: