The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

Director:

Albert Lewin

Writers:

Oscar Wilde (novel)
Albert Lewin (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 March 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Romance

Tagline:

His life was a muddy morass into which he dragged all who knew him! Such was Dorian Gray, the man who wanted eternal youth, and bartered his soul to get it!

Plot:

A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all.

Plot Keywords:

Portrait | Suicide | Attic | Painting | Portrait Painting

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

George Sanders	...	Lord Henry Wotton
Hurd Hatfield	...	Dorian Gray
Donna Reed	...	Gladys Hallward
Angela Lansbury	...	Sibyl Vane
Peter Lawford	...	David Stone
Lowell Gilmore	...	Basil Hallward
Richard Fraser	...	James Vane
Douglas Walton	...	Allen Campbell
Morton Lowry	...	Adrian Singleton
Miles Mander	...	Sir Robert Bentley
Lydia Bilbrook	...	Mrs. Vane
Mary Forbes	...	Lady Agatha
Robert Greig	...	Sir Thomas
Moyna MacGill	...	Duchess
Billy Bevan	...	Malvolio Jones (chairman)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White | Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Germany:6 (2006, DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Ivan Le Lorraine Albright's famous painting of the decayed Dorian Gray - which took approximately one year to complete - is now owned by the Art Institute of Chicago. Albright's twin brother Malvin, better known as a sculptor, was also commissioned to create paintings for the film, although his work went unused.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Dorian is riding the train early on, the scenery of the rear projection outside the train window changes from passing trees to open fields.

Quotes:

Lord Henry Wotton: "If I could get back my youth, I'd do anything in the world except get up early, take exercise or be respectable."

Movie Connections:

Spoofed in "Get Smart: Age Before Duty (#5.11)" (1969)

Soundtrack:

Youth

Look at it from the Producer's viewpoint

With two English speaking nations, there is always a dilemma from a Hollywood producer's point of view on how to maximise the most important worldwide gross (which comes from the U.S.) when filming classic works of English and European literature, whilst attempting to stay true to the spirit of the original book.Inevitably a compromise is reached and American actors known to the U.S. public are hired in central roles to lure the punters into the movie houses, e.g. Charlton Heston in "El Cid" and "Khartoum", while the resident Hollywood British acting fraternity are hired to lend authenticity to certain key roles.We film purists must accept the facts of Hollywood life and look for our art in more parochial productions with a cast of indigenous actors produced from our own home tv networks.On the other hand in the long run does it really matter what nationality the actor is so long as their performance is credible and you enjoyed the production?In modern times we have had "Coals to Newcastle" in the shape of Gwynneth Paltrow in "Emma" and Jennifer Ehle in Pride & Prejudice.Both American ladies playing utterly convincing roles of English ladies on films produced in England!

I just had to comment on this the most popular of the filmed versions of Wilde's masterpiece which was published in 1890 and has attracted at least 14 versions alone listed on Imdb from 1910-1977.Said to be an analogy of Wilde's life, this version from 1945 espouses most of his sparkling epigrams via the rather rushed mouthpiece of Lord Henry Wooton (George Sanders).Dorian Gray (Hurd Hatfield) portrays the unemotional, narcissistic central character who enters into the sub Faustian pact of eternal youth for his soul.In this role there seems some contraversy by the reviewers below on how effective he was but the fact is it remains his most notable role.Sir Cedric Hardwicke narrates the fill-in literary details quoted from the book and Albert Lewin gives a suitably creepy direction.As quoted in some of my other reviews I always like to spot bit part actors in some of the minor character roles and once again I espied Billy Bevan (c.f. "Cluny Brown" 1946) as Sybil Vain's father playing the m.c. at the East End music hall.

I especially liked the colour painting of the decayed Dorian Gray by Ivan Allbright.Imdb trivia informs us that this painting took one year to complete.Angela Lansbury spent a lot of her formative Hollywood years playing her native British role - (see also "Gaslight" 1944 and "Kind Lady" 1951) but as one reviewer remarked, she seems a bit too demure for someone reared in the East End of 1886.I must add a word of congratulation on the excellent indoor set of Dorian's grand Mayfair town house, although the rather quaint Hollywood idea of late 19th century East End comes over as artificial, would that David Lean had been consulted!

Wilde's great literary style shine's through nevertheless and this is an eminently watchable production.I rated it 7/10