The Horse's Mouth

"Smart Alec ... Sheer madness and all Guinness! The man's a genius ..."

1958 1h 35m EN

👍

6.7

SOLID

🍅

89%

FRESH

⭐

6.9

IMDB

★6.7TMDB · 51🍅89%Rotten Tomatoes★6.9IMDB · 4,189

Comedy

Synopsis

Spoiler shield

Gulley Jimson is a boorish aging artist recently released from prison. A swindler in search of his next art project, he hunkers down in the penthouse of would-be patrons the Beeders while they go on an extended vacation; he paints a mural on their wall, pawns their valuables and, along with the sculptor Abel, inadvertently smashes a large hole in their floor. Jimson's next project is an even larger wall in an abandoned church.

“Smart Alec ... Sheer madness and all Guinness! The man's a genius ...”

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Where to watch · US

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Cast

Alec Guinness
Gulley Jimson
Kay Walsh
Dee Coker
Renée Houston
Sara Monday
Mike Morgan
Nosey
Robert Coote
Sir William Beeder
Michael Gough
Abel
Veronica Turleigh
Lday Beeder
Reginald Beckwith
Capt. Jones

Credits

Behind the camera

Director: Ronald Neame
Writers: Alec Guinness
Languages: English
Countries: United Kingdom

Want more? Switch to Cinephile mode in the header for DP, composer, budget, box office, production companies, keywords, and release history.

Did you know?

Fun facts 🍿

1 / 8

ERA

Did you know

68 years old — a genuine piece of film history.

MoodPlayr · trivia#01

2 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Directed by Ronald Neame, shot by Arthur Ibbetson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.

MoodPlayr · trivia#02

3 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Original score by Kenneth V. Jones. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.

MoodPlayr · trivia#03

4 / 8

DIRECTOR

Did you know

Editor Anne V. Coates shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.

MoodPlayr · trivia#04

5 / 8

CAST

Did you know

Alec Guinness and Kay Walsh and Renée Houston carry the top of the cast.

MoodPlayr · trivia#05

6 / 8

FACT

Did you know

Marketing tagline: "Smart Alec ... Sheer madness and all Guinness! The man's a genius ...".

MoodPlayr · trivia#06

7 / 8

WILD

Did you know

IMDB entry: tt0051739 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.

MoodPlayr · trivia#07

8 / 8

WILD

Did you know

Only 51 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.

MoodPlayr · trivia#08

Cinephile deep dive

The take

Ronald Neame directs. Arthur Ibbetson behind the camera. Kenneth V. Jones scores. Anne V. Coates cuts. Runs lean at under 100 minutes. Produced in United Kingdom. Dialogue in English.

Trivia

Things worth knowing

168 years old — a genuine piece of film history.
2Directed by Ronald Neame, shot by Arthur Ibbetson. Note their partnership — DPs and directors often return to each other across a career.
3Original score by Kenneth V. Jones. Worth a dedicated listen after — most great films lose half their impact without the score.
4Editor Anne V. Coates shaped the rhythm. On an edit-heavy film, the editor does more to control your pulse than the director.
5Alec Guinness and Kay Walsh and Renée Houston carry the top of the cast.
6Marketing tagline: "Smart Alec ... Sheer madness and all Guinness! The man's a genius ...".
7IMDB entry: tt0051739 — still the authoritative cross-reference for credits and trivia.
8Only 51 TMDB ratings — you're getting ahead of the curve on this one.