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)
Renee Carson	...	Young French woman (as Renie Carson)
Lilian Bond	...	Kate (as Lillian Bond)
Devi Dja	...	Balinese dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Adams	...	Butler (uncredited)
Fred Aldrich	...	Hunter (uncredited)
Harry Allen	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Jimmy Aubrey	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Monica Bannister	...	Guest at Mayfair tea (uncredited)
Guy Bellis	...	Lackey (uncredited)
Helena Benda	...	Queen (uncredited)
Wilson Benge	...	Footman (uncredited)
Mary Benoit	...	Guest at Mayfair tea (uncredited)
Joseph E. Bernard	...	Violinist (uncredited)
Art Berry Sr.	...	Footman (uncredited)
Volta Boyer	...	Guest at Mayfair tea (uncredited)
George Broughton	...	Patron (uncredited)
Elyse Brown	...	Guest at Mayfair tea (uncredited)
Ralph Bucko	...	Beater (uncredited)
Colin Campbell	...	Shopkeeper (uncredited)
Lisa Carpenter	...	Lady Henry Wotton (uncredited)
Bruce Carruthers	...	Patron (uncredited)
Charles Coleman	...	Hallward's butler (uncredited)
Jimmy Conlin	...	Pub pianist (uncredited)
Edward Cooper	...	Ernest Harrowden (uncredited)
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Blue Gate Fields pianist (uncredited)
Robert Cory	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Tom Costello	...	Footman (uncredited)
Oliver Cross	...	London Club member (uncredited)
Anne Curson	...	Lady Gwendolyn Rugby (uncredited)
Frank Dawson	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Wally Dean	...	Hunter (uncredited)
Harold De Becker	...	(uncredited)
Paul De Corday	...	Dorian's friend (uncredited)
Natalie Draper	...	Mrs. Vandelaer (uncredited)
Dick Earle	...	Club member (uncredited)
William Eddritt	...	Patron (uncredited)
Alan Edmiston	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Club member (uncredited)
Rex Evans	...	Lord Gerald Goodbody (uncredited)
Betty Fairfax	...	Housekeeper (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	Patron (uncredited)
Ray Flynn	...	Footman (uncredited)
Dorothy Ford	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Lloyd Ford	...	(uncredited)
J.C. Fowler	...	Club member (uncredited)
Charles K. French	...	Club member (uncredited)
John George	...	Hunchback (uncredited)
John Good	...	Jewel merchant (uncredited)
Bernard Gorcey	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Gibson Gowland	...	Gibson (coachman) (uncredited)
Hugh Greenwood	...	Club member (uncredited)
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Narrator (uncredited)
Lumsden Hare	...	Thornton (uncredited)
Bud Harrison	...	Loader (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Club member (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Hunter (uncredited)
William Holmes	...	Club member (uncredited)
T. Arthur Hughes	...	Patron (uncredited)
Kenneth Hunter	...	Sir Geoffrey Clouston (uncredited)
Mike Jeffries	...	Loader (uncredited)
Olive Jones	...	Guest at Mayfair tea (uncredited)
Alice Keating	...	Maid (uncredited)
Crauford Kent	...	Friend (uncredited)
Carol Diane Keppler	...	Gladys, as a child (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Hunter (uncredited)
Skelton Knaggs	...	Blue Gate Fields waiter (uncredited)
Charles Knight	...	Footman (uncredited)
Sidney Lawford	...	Davenant (uncredited)
Ila Lee	...	Patron (uncredited)
Jack Lee	...	London Club member (uncredited)
Carl M. Leviness	...	Footman (uncredited)
Mitchell Lewis	...	Waiter (uncredited)
James Logan	...	Jewel merchant (uncredited)
Ann Lundeen	...	Beautiful young woman (uncredited)
Audrey Manners	...	Lady Alice Goodbody (uncredited)
Joseph Marievsky	...	Footman (uncredited)
Herbert Marshall	...	Narrator (uncredited)
Emily Massey	...	Parker (the nurse) (uncredited)
Eric Mayne	...	Club member (uncredited)
Frank McClure	...	Footman (uncredited)
Bob McLean	...	London Club member (uncredited)
Charles McNaughton	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Kay Medford	...	Girl (uncredited)
Leonard Mellin	...	Gentleman (uncredited)
Lorraine Miller	...	(uncredited)
Leo Mostovoy	...	Sandwich man (uncredited)
Arthur Mulliner	...	Duke of Berwick (uncredited)
Toby Noolan	...	Club member (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Footman (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Selby Estate butler (uncredited)
Helen O'Hara	...	Beautiful young woman (uncredited)
Will Patton	...	Loader (uncredited)
Pascale Perry	...	Beater (uncredited)
Frank Pharr	...	Loader (uncredited)
Tom Pilkington	...	Ant man (uncredited)
Alexander Pollard	...	Footman (uncredited)
Guy Bates Post	...	Victor (butler) (uncredited)
Pedro Regas	...	Barkeep (uncredited)
Renie Riano	...	Lady Ruxton (uncredited)
Walter Rode	...	Footman (uncredited)
Allen Schute	...	(uncredited)
Scott Seaton	...	Club member (uncredited)
Anita Sharp-Bolster	...	Lady Harborough (uncredited)
Arthur Shields	...	Street preacher (uncredited)
Sam Simone	...	Footman (uncredited)
Reginald Simpson	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Leslie Sketchley	...	Footman (uncredited)
William Stack	...	Mr. Erskine (uncredited)
Jerry St. John	...	Persian Prince (uncredited)
Doris Stone	...	Patron (uncredited)
Lillian Talbot	...	Mayfair hostess (uncredited)
Tom Tamarez	...	King (uncredited)
Evan Thomas	...	Club member (uncredited)
Lotus Thompson	...	Maid (uncredited)
John Valentine	...	Butler (uncredited)
Kerry Vaughn	...	Guest at Mayfair tea (uncredited)
Frank Whitbeck	...	Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Herberta Williams	...	Patron (uncredited)
Larry Williams	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Barbara Woodell	...	(uncredited)
Frederick Worlock	...	Francis (uncredited)
Joe Yule	...	Stage manager (uncredited)

Directed by
Albert Lewin

Writing credits
Oscar Wilde		(novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray")
Albert Lewin		(screenplay)

Produced by
Pandro S. Berman	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.		(as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
Ferris Webster

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Hans Peters

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Valles		(costumes: men)

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Earl McEvoy	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ivan Le Lorraine Albright	....	paintings: "Dorian Gray"
John Bonar	....	associate set decorator
Hugh Hunt	....	associate set decorator
Henrique Medina	....	paintings: "Dorian Gray, as a Young Man"

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
William Edmondson	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Sam Leavitt	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	costume supervisor
Marion Herwood Keyes	....	associate costume supervisor

Music Department
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Murray Cutter	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Ted Duncan	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Gordon Wiles	....	special assistant: Mr. Levin

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1945) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

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:

Continuity: Adrian's chalk sketch of Dorian Gray on the table changes from shot to shot.

Quotes:

Lord Henry Wotton: What is it that has really happened? Someone has killed herself who loved you. I wish I had had such an experience. The women who have admired me, and there have been some, have always insisted on living long after I've ceased to care for them or them for me.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Family Guy: When You Wish Upon a Weinstein (#3.22)" (2003)

Soundtrack:

Good-Bye, Little Yellow Bird

Elegance and Atmosphere

Elegant, atmospheric and measured. I suppose anyone brought up on fin de siecle Hollywood would interpret that as `slow and boring'. But this was Hollywood tackling an intellectual piece with, well, intellect. I must confess that the thought of a 1945 Hollywood attempt at Oscar Wilde did not appeal. Memories of one or two previous efforts at English literary classics set alarm bells ringing. But this was in a class of its own. Beautifully photographed in black and white, apart from a couple shots of the painting itself, the aesthetics shimmer.

I wasn't that convinced about some of the London scenes, especially the low-life portrayal of the East End. The opium den and the `Two Turtles', where Gray first meets Sibyl Vane, look rather too genteel. Compare this view of such places with those created by David Lean, just a couple of years later, in `Oliver Twist'. And this, in a sense, detracts from the depths to which Gray descends in order to be forever youthful and live life with scant regard for others. And in many years of watching BBC Victorian costume dramas I don't recall seeing such outfits on the backs of London's society ladies! However some of the other detail is first class. In particular Sir Thomas's decision to remain at table (`never could resist Aunt Agatha's quails') in spite of Lord Henry's outrageous comments rings true through to today. As the script had it `think like a Liberal, eat like a Tory'.

The acting is excellent with Hurd Hatfield's portrayal quite remarkable in that he wears the same expression virtually throughout, in order, no doubt, to conceal his true emotions. George Sanders, as Lord Henry, steals every scene he's in thanks to a rapid delivery of Wilde's witticisms that would have Groucho Marx and Woody Allen in awe. Angela Lansbury is, perhaps, a little too demure for a theatrical singer from the East End but, no doubt, this was a result of director's orders.

Essential viewing for anyone interested in the history of film.