Oscar Wilde Movies

Anthony Asquith's adaptation of Oscar Wilde's witty play of mistaken identities stars Michael Redgrave as rich bachelor Jack Worthing. Jack's friend is Algernon Moncrieft (Michael Denison), a poor bloke living on credit. Jack refers mysteriously to Algernon about his country retreat, which drives Algernon to distraction, trying to figure out where Jack goes on the weekends. Jack is also in love with Algernon's attractive cousin Gwendolen (Joan Greenwood). He also has a ward, Cecily Cardew (Dorothy Tutin), who lives at the country estate and studies with local spinster Miss Prism (Margaret Rutherford). When Algernon learns of Cecily, he arrives at the country home claiming to be Jack's brother Earnest, knowing Jack had previously regaled Cecily with tales of having to bail the fictitious Earnest out of scrapes so he could sneak out to the city. Having set her eyes on "Earnest" in the flesh after having heard countless tales of his intrigues, Cecily immediately falls in love with Earnest. Meanwhile, Jack comes back to the country dressed in black, determined to announce to the group the demise of the fictional Earnest. As a result, Jack is stupefied when he sees Earnest standing in front of him. Meanwhile, Algernon's aunt, Lady Bracknell (Edith Evans) refuses to grant permission for Jack and Gwendolen's engagement. However, when Lady Bracknell finds out that Algernon is in love with Cecily, she asks Jack for his blessing on their marriage. Of course, Jack won't give his blessing until Lady Bracknell gives her blessing to his proposed marriage to Gwendolen. All is at a standstill until Lady Bracknell recognizes Miss Prism as a governess from the past who holds secrets concerning both Jack and Algernon. ~ Paul Brenner, All Movie Guide

Oscar Wilde might have been amused to learn that his epigrammatic stage comedy-drama Lady Windemere's Fan was filmed in Argentina in 1947 under a title which translates as The Story of a Bad Women. Agelessly beautiful Dolores Del Rio stars as the bewitching Miss Erlyne, a woman "with a history", as they used to say. Without ever revealing her true identity, Miss Erlyne manages to save the virtue and good name of her daughter (Maria Duval), who has grown up to become Lady Windemere. In so doing, Miss Erlyne sacrifices her own opportunity for happiness in the arms of Lord Arthur (Francisco de Paula), but she manages to make her exit with head held high and a smile on her lips. Lady Windemere's Fan was previously filmed under its own title by Ernst Lubitsch in 1925; it would be remade as The Fan by Otto Preminger in 1949. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The Picture of Dorian Gray was writer/director Albert E. Lewin's fascinating follow-up to his expressive-esoterica masterpiece The Moon and Sixpence. Hurd Hatfield essays the title character, a London aristocrat who would sell his soul to remain handsome and young--and, in a manner of speaking, he does just that. Under the influence of his decadent (albeit witty) friend Lord Henry Wotton (George Sanders), Dorian Gray becomes the embodiment of virtually every sin known to man. The greatest of his sins is vanity: Gray commissions artist Basil Hallward (Lowell Gilmore) to paint his portrait. Admiring his own painted countenance, Gray silently makes a demonic pact. The years pass: everyone grows older but Gray, who seemingly gets younger and more good-looking every day. Hallward eventually stumbles upon the secret of Dorian's eternal youth: he finds his painting hidden in the attic, the portrait's face grown grotesquely aged and disfigured. Gray kills Hallward so that his secret will remain safe. Later on, Gray falls in love with Hallward's niece Gladys (Donna Reed). Certain that Gray is responsible for Hallward's death, Gladys' ex-boyfriend David Stone (Peter Lawford) sets out to prove it. He is joined in this mission by the brother of dance hall performer Sybil Vane (Angela Lansbury), who killed herself after Gray betrayed her. Essentially a black and white film, Picture of Dorian Gray bursts into Technicolor whenever the picture is shown in close-up. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The whimsical Oscar Wilde fantasy yarn The Canterville Ghost is updated to WW2 in this economical but attractively produced MGM filmization. Charles Laughton plays Sir Simon de Canterville, a feckless 17th century British aristocrat who, after proving himself a coward on the field of honor, is walled up alive in his own castle by his unforgiving father (Reginald Owen). Sir Simon's ghost is doomed to haunt the corridors of Canterville Hall until one of his descendants performs a conspicuous act of bravery. 300 years later, the castle is billetted by a platoon of American soldiers-one of whom, Cuffy Williams (Robert Young), is of course a distant relation to Sir Simon. The ghost of Canterville Hall does his best to frighten away the American "intruders", but he's a fairly incompetent spirit, incapable of frightening even the young mistress of the castle, 8-year-old Lady Jessica (Margaret O'Brien). Upon learning of his family legacy, Cuffy begins worrying that he, too, will prove to be a coward when the chips are down, but with the help of the Ghost and the stalwart Lady Jessica, Cuffy is able to summon up his innate courage. Sharp-eyed viewers will spot Peter Lawford in a tiny role as Sir Simon's ill-fated brother, and cult figure Tor Johnson as Simon's fearsome jousting opponent. Though never remade theatrically, The Canterville Ghost resurfaced in TV-movie form 1986 and 1996. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Though the witty, epigrammatic style of Oscar Wilde would seem best suited to the rhythms of the English language, a surprising number of Wilde's plays and short stories were filmed in Europe. The German Ein Idealer Gatte is a fairly faithful adaptation of Wilde's 1895 play An Ideal Husband. The title character is Lord Chiltern (Carl Ludwig Diehl), a prosperous steel magnate. Blackmailed by an old flame, Gloria Chevney (Sybille Schmitz), Lord C. is at last rescued by the real brains of the Chiltern family, his loyal, supportive and eminently courageous wife (Brigitte Helm). Film buffs take note: Ein Ideal Gatte affords a rare opportunity to see Metropolis star Brigitte Helm and Vampyr star Sybille Schmitz in the same picture. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Unable to rely upon Oscar Wilde's epigrammatic dialogue to carry the day (this was, after all, the silent-film era), director Ernst Lubitsch substitutes verbal wit for the visual variety in his 1925 filmization of Lady Windermere's Fan. Ronald Colman has one of his first important screen roles as the slightly caddish Lord Darlington, who is in love with the very pretty--and very married--Lady Windermere (May McAvoy). The lady is rescued from disgrace at the hands of Darlington by the notorious Mrs. Erlynne (Irene Rich), who unbeknownst to everyone is Lady Windemere's long-lost mother. Filmed at the still young-and-hungry Warner Bros. studio, Lady Windermere's Fan was an enormous hit, and an instant candidate for the many "Ten Best" lists tabulated by the fan magazines of the era. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

The first British screen version of Oscar Wilde's classic novel of the libertine who remains perpetually young while his portrait registers the ravages of a dissolute life, this six-reel production from director Fred W. Durrant was dismissed as rather stodgy. The British-born, German-raised Henry Victor, later to be immortalized as the villain in Tod Browning's Freaks (1932), played the title role, with British actress Pat O'Malley in the role played so memorably by Angela Lansbury in the 1944 Hollywood version. The Picture of Dorian Gray was filmed earlier in Denmark, Russia, and, twice in the United States. ~ Hans J. Wollstein, All Movie Guide