A somewhat vulgar but dedicated painter searches for the perfect realization of his artistic vision, much to the chagrin of others. Playing Gulley Jimson, a deceptively scruffy bum, Alec Guinness captures the essence of an artist possessed by the need to create. Guinness' performance and his Oscar -nominated screenplay create both stirring drama and hilarious tomfoolery as the vagrant Jimson races from bar to pawnshop to wealthy art patron to fulfill his artistic quest. Kay Walsh is brilliant as the cantankerous barmaid doomed to help Jimson on his wildest mission yet.