| The Picture of Dorian Gray | |
|---|---|
 Promotional poster | |
| Directed by | Albert Lewin |
| Screenplay by | Albert Lewin |
| Based on | The Picture of Dorian Gray 1890 novel byOscar Wilde |
| Produced by | Pandro S. Berman |
| Starring | George Sanders Hurd Hatfield Donna Reed Angela Lansbury Peter Lawford Lowell Gilmore |
| Narrated by | Cedric Hardwicke |
| Cinematography | Harry Stradling |
| Edited by | Ferris Webster |
| Music by | Herbert Stothart |
| Color process | Technicolor |
Production company | |
| Distributed by | Loew's Inc. |
Release date |
|
Running time | 110 minutes[2] |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Budget | $1,918,000[3] |
| Box office | $2,975,000[3][4] |
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a 1945 Americansupernaturalhorror-drama film based onOscar Wilde's 1890 novelThe Picture of Dorian Gray. Released in March 1945 byMetro-Goldwyn-Mayer, the film was written and directed byAlbert Lewin and produced byPandro S. Berman. It starsGeorge Sanders as Lord Henry Wotton andHurd Hatfield as Dorian Gray, alongsideDonna Reed,Angela Lansbury,Peter Lawford, andLowell Gilmore.Cedric Hardwicke narrates.
The film is shot primarily inblack-and-white, except four inserts in three-stripTechnicolor of Dorian's portrait ranging from the youthful painting by Henrique Medina and the final, degenerate portrait byIvan Le Lorraine Albright. The film was a critical success, winning theAcademy Award for Best Cinematography forHarry Stradling. Angela Lansbury won theGolden Globe Award for Best Supporting Actress and received anAcademy Award nomination for her role as Sibyl Vane.
While posing for a painting by his friend Basil Hallward, handsome young aristocrat Dorian Gray meets Hallward's friend Lord Henry Wotton. Wotton persuades Gray the only worthwhile life is dedicated to pleasure, because "what the gods give they quickly take away." Contemplating this, Gray wishes his portrait could age instead of him. He makes this wish in the presence of anEgyptian cat statue with supposed magical powers.
After callously breaking off his engagement totavern singer Sibyl Vane, Gray finds the portrait has begun to change and wonders if his wish may have come true. He has the portrait locked away in his old schoolroom and disguises its location by firing servants who moved the painting, while Gray, after Sibyl's suicide, becomes more dedicated to a sinful and heartless life.
Years later, Dorian is 40 but still looks 22. London society is awestruck at his unchanging appearance. The portrait has remained locked away, with Gray holding the only key. Over the years, the portrait of the young, handsome, Dorian Gray has warped into a hideous, demon-like creature reflecting his many sins. When Hallward sees his painting, Gray murders his friend and seals his body in the school room next to the portrait, then blackmails his friend, Allen Campbell, to dispose of Hallward's body. Campbell, distraught at his role in destroying Hallward's corpse, commits suicide.
Gray starts a romance with Hallward's niece, Gladys. James Vane, Sibyl's brother, follows Gray to his country estate to achieve revenge for Sibyl's death and is shot by accident during a hunting party.
Gray despairs at his impact on others and realises he can spare Gladys from misfortune by leaving her. After sending Gladys a letter breaking their engagement, Gray confronts his portrait and sees a subtle improvement. He stabs the portrait in the heart, seeking to end the spell, but cries out as if he has also been stabbed. His friends, realizing what has happened, burst into the schoolroom to discover Gray dead next to the portrait, his deformed body now reflecting his sins in physical form. The portrait, by contrast, once more shows Dorian Gray as a young, innocent man.
Uncredited Cast
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Changes to the original include the romance between Gladys and David and "some censorship restrictions that kept Dorian's unspeakable acts offscreen". In the book, the picture alters in response to Dorian's "good deed", but the alteration is ugly, reflecting his cynicism and self-serving motivation. He stabs the painting to destroy his conscience and eliminate the evidence. In the film, he reads a faint change in the painting as a sign of hope, yet stabs the painting as if he can undo his past. As he is transformed off-screen, he prays for forgiveness.[5] Shortly after the discovery of Dorian's body, Lord Henry begs Heaven for his own forgiveness for leading the young man down the path of evil.
| External audio | |
|---|---|
 Multimedia, Audio stop 728.mp3,Art Institute of Chicago |
Two paintings of the character Dorian Gray were used in the film. The painting titledPicture of Dorian Gray used at the end of the film was painted on commission during the making of the film in 1943–1944 byIvan Le Lorraine Albright, an American artist who was well known as a painter of the macabre. Created specifically for use in the film, it is now part of the collection of theArt Institute of Chicago.[6] Albright painted and altered the picture while the movie was being made to allow it to represent the development of Dorian's character.[citation needed]
The portrait of Dorian Gray seen in the beginning of the film was painted byHenrique Medina, and is titledPortrait of Hurd Hatfield as Dorian Gray. It was originally sold at an MGM auction in 1970 when the contents of the studio were sold at a series of auctions lasting several months. It was then sold in a Butterfield and Butterfield Entertainment Memorabilia auction in 1997 for $17,250,[7] and in 2015 it sold atChristie's, New York, for $149,000 and is believed to be in a private collection.[8][9]
The first piano piece played by Dorian to Sibyl isFrédéric Chopin's"Prelude No 24 in D minor". Played later in the Blue Gate Field house isLudwig van Beethoven's "Moonlight Sonata".
Since its release,The Picture of Dorian Gray has received positive reviews, with review aggregate siteRotten Tomatoes giving a 94% rating based on 16 reviews.[10]
Leslie Halliwell gave it three of four stars: "Elegant variation onDr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, presented in portentous style which suits the subject admirably."[11][page needed]Leonard Maltin gave the film three and a half out of four stars in hisMovie Guide: "Haunting Oscar Wilde story...Young Lansbury is poignant...Sanders leaves indelible impression as elegant heavy."[12] TheBBC in 2000 declared it, "Among the many film adaptations of Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray", this 1945 MGM version is without a doubt the best. With a reputed budget of $2m, this is a film of handsome veneer under which lurks a macabre tale of greed and destruction." awarding it four out of five stars.[13]
Film critic and authorJames Agee reviewed it inThe Nation in 1945, "A good movie might have been made fromThe Picture of Dorian Gray. Albert Lewin's version is respectful, earnest, and I am afraid, dead."[14] LikewisePauline Kael gave it a mixed appraisal: "It has its ludicrous side ... But the Oscar Wilde story has its compelling gimmick and its cheap thrills, and despite the failing of Albert Lewin as writer and director, he has an appetite for decadence and plushy decor. Neither Hatfield, who tries scrupulously hard, nor George Sanders ... rises above Lewin's chic gothic conception ... But as Dorian's victim, gullible Sibyl Vane, the young Angela Lansbury gives her scenes true depth of feeling."[15]
According to MGM records, the film earned $1,399,000 in the U.S. andCanada and $1,576,000 elsewhere, resulting in a loss of $26,000.[3]
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| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Academy Award | Nominated | Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White | John Bonar,Cedric Gibbons,Hugh Hunt,Hans Peters andEdwin B. Willis |
| Nominated | Best Supporting Actress | Angela Lansbury | ||
| Won | Best Cinematography, Black-and-White | Harry Stradling[a] | ||
| Golden Globe Award | Won | Best Supporting Actress | Angela Lansbury | |
| 1996 | Hugo Award | Won | Best Dramatic Presentation | Albert Lewin,Oscar Wilde |
| 2009 | Saturn Award | Won | Best DVD Classic Film Release | The Picture of Dorian Gray[citation needed] |
