The Horse’s Mouth (1958) with Roymieco Carter

Before Sir Alec Guinness was Obi-Wan Kenobi, he adapted Joyce Cary’s book The Horse’s Mouth into the 1958 movie. In addition to writing the screenplay, Guinness starred as Gulley Jimson, an artist who is dedicated but snide, talented but demanding, endearing but dishonest. Jimson charms and delights, and nothing will get in the way of his vision. Even worse, he leaves havoc in his wake. Roymieco Carter, who’s Associate Professor and Director of the Visual Arts Program at North Carolina A&T State University, discovered the movie when he was a student at Virginia Commonwealth University, and it made a big impact. Carter explains why The Horse’s Mouth impacted him at such an early age, and why asking for permission to be an artist or designer isn’t necessary, if you want to be something, be it.