The Walter Reade, Jr. – Joseph Strick Production of James Joyce’s “Ulysses.” Screenplay by Joseph Strick & Fred Haines. New York: Studio Duplicating Service, (1966). Pp 145. Foolscap, text printed on one side only. Original limp red leather covers, title in gilt to upper cover. A very good copy.

The first and so far only attempt to present Joyce’s Ulysses “The most important novel of the 20th century ..with all its frank, bold, searing insight into the heart and mind of man” on the big screen.  Although the novel is set in 1904, the film portrays the city as it was in the 1960s.

Joseph Strick obtained a BAFTA and Golden Globe nomination on foot of the film as well as an Oscar nomination for Best Adapted Screenplay. The film came under heavy threat of censorship due to profane (for the time) language, and was given an X rating in the UK after director Joseph Strick refused to edit out any of the dialogue. The film’s frank depiction of Joyce’s often ribald novel had it banned in Ireland until the 2000s, whilst the film also had an interesting life at Cannes, where it was entered in 1967 only to be withdrawn by Strick when he noticed subtitles for some of the more provocative scenes had been deleted without his permission.

Among the cast were many well-known Irish actors of the period including Milo O’Shea (Leopold Bloom), T.P. McKenna (Buck Mulligan), David Kelly, Fionnula Flanaghan and Joe Lynch.