Oscariana: The Picture of Dorian Gray

CLUB 18+110 min

Lavishly budgeted at $2m and presented with the kind of glossy sheen that only MGM in its heyday could produce, Albert Lewin’s adaptation of Oscar Wilde’s classic morality tale remains arguably the most iconic, if not the most faithful, screen version of the story. Hurd Hatfield, in a performance that would define his career, plays the eponymous Gray, a young man who makes a wish that his portrait would age instead of him. Gray’s wish comes true, and after breaking his engagement to a singer, Sybil Vane, he discovers that not only does the painting age in his stead, it also absorbs his sins, leading him into a life dedicated to debauchery. Gray eventually repents, with disastrous consequences. Made under the Hollywood Production Code, the film downplays the details of Gray’s excesses. While this robs Wilde’s story of some of its nuance and satirical edge, the film version nevertheless retains its power to shock, never more so than in Gray’s treatment of Vane, beautifully played by Angela Lansbury in a star-making performance that earned her a Golden Globe Award and an Oscar nomination. One of only a handful of films directed by Lewin, The Picture of Dorian Gray has a powerhouse central performance by Hatfield, handsome production values, crisp black and white cinematography and a starry supporting cast which includes George Sanders, Donna Reed and Peter Lawford. It also has a magnificent surprise up its sleeve.