Golden Showcase (TV Series) The Picture of Dorian Gray (1961) User Reviews

An interesting and intelligent one hour version of DORIAN

[marquisdeposa · 7/10 · 17 November 2016]

Saw this on Youtube recently. Good adaptation. They double the part of Sybil Vane to also portray the girl in the country. There is one part of the novel that they leave out but I'll let you see it and pick it out ! It doesn't really mar the story at all. Unfortunately the Youtube print is very bad. The audio is fine but the picture is extremely poor. But it is an interesting and intelligent addition to the DORIAN canon.

George C. Scott is terrific as Lord Henry.

I gave it a 7 because of the poor picture quality. And I believe the visuals of the portrait are important in this version because there seems to be close-ups at times. Unfortunately this is when the picture quality is at its worst.

Sometimes a live show is fun

[HotToastyRag · 6/10 · 4 December 2022]

In a classic case of typecasting, John Fraser starred in the live televised play of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1961, immediately following his role in The Trials of Oscar Wilde. In both, he plays a self-centered, immoral young man without a conscience who's beautiful on the outside but a monster on the inside. It's no wonder his career was short-lived after those two movies.

If you like live tv productions, you might consider renting this one. It has a short running time and it features a young, pre-famous George C. Scott acting exactly like the Ebenezer Scrooge he would play twenty-five years later. The costumes are very pretty, the scene transitions (so the actors have time for costume changes) are interesting, and the titular portrait is sufficiently gruesome. There are a few liberties taken with the story, but since there's a time limitation, I hardly blame the writers. While it doesn't compare to a motion picture, some folks find charm in a live production, as you're treated to a different side to big Hollywood actors.

correct

[Kirpianuscus · 18 March 2023]

The only problem of this adaptation can be John Fraser as Dorian Gray. The innocence behind the encounter with Harry seems absent and the transformation becomes irrelevant. But, sure, I am more than subjective.

A good point, no doubts, is Harry proposed by young George C. Scott.

In rest, being only an episode , the expectations are not very high, appreciating the inspired to wise manner to organize the universe of novel.

In short, just a correct adaptation, with virtue of resumee, interesting in good measure and perfect for an hour of nostalgia about old fashion TV programs. And , sure, nice invitation to read, again, the masterpiece of master Oscar Wilde.