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654 / A M E S [ 1932-1935 ]Another possibility was to turn Ulysses into a film. Warner Brotherswrote to Joyce about the movie rights. Officially he discountenanced theidea (though he had once endorsed it), on the ground that the book couldnot be made into a filmwith artistic propriety. But he allowed Paul Leonto keep the matter going, talked with Eisenstein about it,* and did notdiscourage Stuart Gilbert from trying his hand at scenarios for Ulyssesand Anna Livia Plurabelle. t Someone suggested Charles Laughton forBloom, but Joyce thought him "too Aryan' and preferred George Arliss,who had played Disraeli. 42The translation of Ulysses into foreign languages was more certainly tohis taste, but in February 1932, he received word that the Japanese hadtranslated the book and published a pirated edition. He had the indefatigableLeon write the British consul in Tokyo to ask for a lawyer to takethe case, but again Joyce was thwarted in his desire to litigate when itwas discovered that European copyright was applicable in Japan for onlyten years, and had therefore expired in February. A small sum was eventuallypaid over to Joyce, who however promptly returned it with continuingindignation.Joyce made merry of most of these events in a poem which he wroteduring this year:A Portrait of the Artist as an AncientMariner1) I met with an ancient scribelleerAs I scoured the pirates' seaHis sailes were alullt at nought comma nullNot raise the wind could he.2) The bann of Bull, the sign of SamtBurned crimson on his brow.And I rocked at the rig of his bricabrac brigWith K.0.11 on his prow.§3 Shakefears & Coy danced poor old joyAnd some of their steps were corkersAs they shook the last shekels like phantom freckelsHis pearls that had poisoned porkers.4) The gnome Norbert read rich bills of fareThe ghosts of his deep debauchesBut there was no bibber to slip that scribberThe price of a box of matches* Eisenstein described a visit to Joyce as 'a ghost experience,' because the room in whichthey met was so dark that both seemed shadows. They stood and talked about Ulysses,and afterwards Eisenstein remarked to a friend, 'A great man! This fellow really does whatall of you wanted to do, because you feel it but he knows it.' 40t Louis Zukofsky also attempted a scenario of Ulysses. 41I That is, John Bull and Uncle Sam.S Knockout in the eleventh round, that is, the eleventh year since Ulysses was published.