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The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945 film)
Encyclopedia
The Picture of Dorian Gray is an American
horror
-drama film
based on Oscar Wilde
's 1891 novel of the same name
. Released in March 1945 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
, the film is directed by Albert Lewin
and stars George Sanders
as Lord Henry Wotton and Hurd Hatfield
as Dorian Gray. Shot primarily in black-and-white
, the film features two inserts in 3-strip Technicolor
of Dorian's portrait as a special effect (one of his portrait's original state, and the second after a major period of degeneracy).
While posing for a painting by his friend Basil, Dorian meets Basil's friend Lord Henry Wotton. Wotton is cynical and witty, and tells Dorian that the only life worth living is one dedicated entirely to pleasure. After Wotton convinces Dorian that youth and beauty will bring him everything he desires, Dorian openly wishes that his portrait could age instead of him. He makes this statement in the presence of a certain Egyptian statue, which supposedly has the power to grant wishes.
Dorian visits a tavern, where he falls in love with a beautiful singer named Sibyl Vane. He eventually enters a romance with her (much to the disapproval of Sibyl's brother), and within weeks they are engaged. Though initially overjoyed, Dorian is again persuaded by Lord Henry to pursue a more hedonistic lifestyle. Dorian sends Sibyl a hurtful letter, breaking off their relationship, and "compensating" her with a large sum of money.
The next morning, Lord Henry informs Dorian that a heartbroken Sibyl Vane had killed herself the night before. Dorian is at first shocked and guilt-ridden, but then adopts Lord Henry's indifferent manner. He surprises Basil by going to the opera immediately after hearing of Sibyl's death. Returning home that night, Dorian notices a change in the portrait Basil had painted, which now hangs in his living room. The portrait now looks harsher, and a shaken Dorian has it locked away in his old school room. He becomes even more dedicated to living a sinful and heartless life.
Years later, Dorian is nearing his fortieth birthday, but he looks the same as he did when he was twenty two. The townspeople are awestruck at his unchanging appearance. Over eighteen years of pointless debauchery, the portrait remained locked away, with Dorian holding the only key. Dorian had grown more and more paranoid about the picture being seen by others, and would even fire the servants that he thought might suspect something. Over the years, the painting of the young Dorian had warped into that of a hideous, demon-like creature, to reflect Dorian's sins. Basil eventually catches a glimpse of the portrait and attempts to talk Dorian into reforming his life. However, Dorian panics and murders his friend, leaving the body locked in the school room with the painting.
Dorian blackmails an old friend into disposing of Basil's body secretly. He then enters into a romance with Basil's niece, Gladys, who was a young child when the portrait was painted. Though Gladys had always loved Dorian (and is overjoyed when he proposes marriage), those who were once close to him begin to find him suspicious.
Dorian begins to realize the harm his life is doing to himself and to others. He is assaulted by James Vane, Sibyl's brother, who had sworn revenge for his sister's death. Dorian calmly tells James that he is too young to be the same man from eighteen years before. However, James soon learns the truth, but is shot during a hunting party at Dorian's estate while hiding in the bushes. Dorian knows he is guilty for yet another death, and realizes that he can still spare Gladys from the misfortune he would certainly cause her. After leaving her a letter explaining himself, he returns to his old school room to face the painting. After stabbing his portrait in the heart to be free of its evil spell, Dorian collapses and dies.
Dorian's body is found, but it is now the monstrous creature from the painting. The portrait once again depicts Dorian as a young, innocent man.
In Wilde's original, Sibyl Vane is a Shakespearean actress whom Dorian observes playing Juliet, rather than the gifted dance-hall singer seen in this film. This necessitates altering Dorian's motive for breaking up with her. In the novel, her acting has become shallow as a result of really falling in love with Dorian, and his sense of illusion has been dissipated. In the film, she fails a virtue test which Dorian has been talked into by Lord Henry.
In the context of those confessions to Sibyl, the film has Dorian reading her a poem about cats and sensual temptation which he tells her is "by an Irishman named Oscar Wilde." It is, in fact, a very short excerpt from Oscar Wilde's 1894 poem "The Sphinx." Similarly, the use of Omar Khayam
's poetry is distinctive to this film.
In the film, Sybil calls Dorian "Sir Tristan", in the novel "Prince Charming".
Dorian's final marriage
Miscellaneous
The painting entitled Picture of Dorian Gray used in the film was painted on commission during the making of the film in 1943-1944 by Ivan 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 art collection of The Art Institute of Chicago. Albright had to paint the picture while the movie was being made in order to show Dorian Gray's physical transformation as his evil actions changed him into a horrid image in the painting, while his actual physical appearance remained that of a young man. At the film's climax, Gray "killed" the painting by piercing it through its heart with a knife, thus killing himself when his physical appearance changed to that of the painting.
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
horror
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
-drama film
Drama film
A drama film is a film genre that depends mostly on in-depth development of realistic characters dealing with emotional themes. Dramatic themes such as alcoholism, drug addiction, infidelity, moral dilemmas, racial prejudice, religious intolerance, poverty, class divisions, violence against women...
based on Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish writer and poet. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s...
's 1891 novel of the same name
The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde, appearing as the lead story in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine on 20 June 1890, printed as the July 1890 issue of this magazine...
. Released in March 1945 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
, the film is directed by Albert Lewin
Albert Lewin
Albert Lewin was an American film director, producer, and screenwriter.He was born in Brooklyn, New York on September 23, 1894 and raised in Newark, New Jersey. He earned a Master's degree at Harvard and taught English at the University of Missouri...
and stars George Sanders
George Sanders
George Sanders was a British actor.George Sanders may also refer to:*George Sanders , Victoria Cross recipient in World War I...
as Lord Henry Wotton and Hurd Hatfield
Hurd Hatfield
William Rukard Hurd Hatfield was an American actor.-Biography:The son of William Henry Hatfield , an attorney who served as deputy attorney general for New York, and his wife, the former Adele Steele, Hatfield was born in New York City, and was educated at Columbia University before travelling to...
as Dorian Gray. Shot primarily in black-and-white
Black-and-white
Black-and-white, often abbreviated B/W or B&W, is a term referring to a number of monochrome forms in visual arts.Black-and-white as a description is also something of a misnomer, for in addition to black and white, most of these media included varying shades of gray...
, the film features two inserts in 3-strip Technicolor
Technicolor
Technicolor is a color motion picture process invented in 1916 and improved over several decades.It was the second major process, after Britain's Kinemacolor, and the most widely used color process in Hollywood from 1922 to 1952...
of Dorian's portrait as a special effect (one of his portrait's original state, and the second after a major period of degeneracy).
Plot
Dorian Gray is a handsome, wealthy young man living in 19th century London. While generally intelligent, he is naive and easily manipulated. These faults lead to his spiral into sin and, ultimately, misery.While posing for a painting by his friend Basil, Dorian meets Basil's friend Lord Henry Wotton. Wotton is cynical and witty, and tells Dorian that the only life worth living is one dedicated entirely to pleasure. After Wotton convinces Dorian that youth and beauty will bring him everything he desires, Dorian openly wishes that his portrait could age instead of him. He makes this statement in the presence of a certain Egyptian statue, which supposedly has the power to grant wishes.
Dorian visits a tavern, where he falls in love with a beautiful singer named Sibyl Vane. He eventually enters a romance with her (much to the disapproval of Sibyl's brother), and within weeks they are engaged. Though initially overjoyed, Dorian is again persuaded by Lord Henry to pursue a more hedonistic lifestyle. Dorian sends Sibyl a hurtful letter, breaking off their relationship, and "compensating" her with a large sum of money.
The next morning, Lord Henry informs Dorian that a heartbroken Sibyl Vane had killed herself the night before. Dorian is at first shocked and guilt-ridden, but then adopts Lord Henry's indifferent manner. He surprises Basil by going to the opera immediately after hearing of Sibyl's death. Returning home that night, Dorian notices a change in the portrait Basil had painted, which now hangs in his living room. The portrait now looks harsher, and a shaken Dorian has it locked away in his old school room. He becomes even more dedicated to living a sinful and heartless life.
Years later, Dorian is nearing his fortieth birthday, but he looks the same as he did when he was twenty two. The townspeople are awestruck at his unchanging appearance. Over eighteen years of pointless debauchery, the portrait remained locked away, with Dorian holding the only key. Dorian had grown more and more paranoid about the picture being seen by others, and would even fire the servants that he thought might suspect something. Over the years, the painting of the young Dorian had warped into that of a hideous, demon-like creature, to reflect Dorian's sins. Basil eventually catches a glimpse of the portrait and attempts to talk Dorian into reforming his life. However, Dorian panics and murders his friend, leaving the body locked in the school room with the painting.
Dorian blackmails an old friend into disposing of Basil's body secretly. He then enters into a romance with Basil's niece, Gladys, who was a young child when the portrait was painted. Though Gladys had always loved Dorian (and is overjoyed when he proposes marriage), those who were once close to him begin to find him suspicious.
Dorian begins to realize the harm his life is doing to himself and to others. He is assaulted by James Vane, Sibyl's brother, who had sworn revenge for his sister's death. Dorian calmly tells James that he is too young to be the same man from eighteen years before. However, James soon learns the truth, but is shot during a hunting party at Dorian's estate while hiding in the bushes. Dorian knows he is guilty for yet another death, and realizes that he can still spare Gladys from the misfortune he would certainly cause her. After leaving her a letter explaining himself, he returns to his old school room to face the painting. After stabbing his portrait in the heart to be free of its evil spell, Dorian collapses and dies.
Dorian's body is found, but it is now the monstrous creature from the painting. The portrait once again depicts Dorian as a young, innocent man.
Cast
- George SandersGeorge SandersGeorge Sanders was a British actor.George Sanders may also refer to:*George Sanders , Victoria Cross recipient in World War I...
as Lord Henry Wotton - Hurd HatfieldHurd HatfieldWilliam Rukard Hurd Hatfield was an American actor.-Biography:The son of William Henry Hatfield , an attorney who served as deputy attorney general for New York, and his wife, the former Adele Steele, Hatfield was born in New York City, and was educated at Columbia University before travelling to...
as Dorian Gray - Donna ReedDonna ReedDonna Reed was an American film and television actress.With appearances in over 40 films, Reed received the 1953 Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress for her performance as the tramp Lorene in the war drama From Here to Eternity. She is also noted for her role in the perennial Christmas...
as Gladys Hallward - Angela LansburyAngela LansburyAngela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins...
as Sibyl Vane - Peter LawfordPeter LawfordPeter Sydney Ernest Aylen , better known as Peter Lawford, was an English-American actor.He was a member of the "Rat Pack", and brother-in-law to US President John F. Kennedy, perhaps more noted in later years for his off-screen activities as a celebrity than for his acting...
as David Stone - Lowell Gilmore as Basil Hallward
- Richard FraserRichard Fraser (actor)-Early life:After attending Cambridge University, Richard Fraser studied acting at the Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts. Spending time as a London stage actor, Richard came to Hollywood before WWII, where he signed a contract with 20th Century Fox and appeared in several films.-Career:His American...
as James Vane - Douglas Walton as Alan Campbell
- Morton Lowry as Adrian Singleton
- Miles ManderMiles ManderMiles Mander , born Lionel Henry Mander , was a well-known and versatile English character actor of the early Hollywood cinema, also a film director and producer, and a playwright and novelist.-Early life:Miles Mander was the second son of Theodore Mander, builder of Wightwick Manor, of the prominent...
as Sir Robert Bentley - Lydia BilbrookLydia BilbrookLydia Bilbrook was an English actress whose stage and film career spanned four decades. It is claimed that she was an illegitimate daughter of the actor Herbert Beerbohm Tree...
as Mrs. Vane - Mary ForbesMary ForbesMary Forbes was an English film actress. She appeared in over 130 films between 1919 and 1958....
as Lady Agatha - Robert Greig as Sir Thomas
- Moyna MacgillMoyna MacGillMoyna Macgill was an Irish stage and film actress and the mother of actress Angela Lansbury and producers Edgar Lansbury and Bruce Lansbury.-Life and career:...
as Duchess - Billy Bevanv as Malvolio Jones (chairman)
- Cedric HardwickeCedric HardwickeSir Cedric Webster Hardwicke was a noted English stage and film actor whose career spanned nearly fifty years...
as Narrator
Differences from the novel
Relationship to Sybil VaneIn Wilde's original, Sibyl Vane is a Shakespearean actress whom Dorian observes playing Juliet, rather than the gifted dance-hall singer seen in this film. This necessitates altering Dorian's motive for breaking up with her. In the novel, her acting has become shallow as a result of really falling in love with Dorian, and his sense of illusion has been dissipated. In the film, she fails a virtue test which Dorian has been talked into by Lord Henry.
In the context of those confessions to Sibyl, the film has Dorian reading her a poem about cats and sensual temptation which he tells her is "by an Irishman named Oscar Wilde." It is, in fact, a very short excerpt from Oscar Wilde's 1894 poem "The Sphinx." Similarly, the use of Omar Khayam
Omar Khayam
Omar Khayam is a British Muslim and convicted drug dealer who achieved a considerable degree of notoriety following a protest in which he dressed like a suicide bomber...
's poetry is distinctive to this film.
In the film, Sybil calls Dorian "Sir Tristan", in the novel "Prince Charming".
Dorian's final marriage
- In the novel, Dorian's final flirtation before his death is with a village girl; In the film, it is to Gladys. In the film, Gladys is Basil Hallward's niece, who had a childhood crush on Dorian, whereas in the novel Gladys is the Duchess of Monmouth, married to a sixty year old man, and the sister of Geoffrey Clouston (whose day of shooting is ruined when he kills James Vane).
- In the novel, Dorian's 'good deed' that he hoped would finally change the portrait was to break up with Hetty Merton, the village girl, rather than to break up with Gladys.
- Dorian's body is found by Dorian's servants at the end of the novel, but by Gladys, Lord Henry, and Gladys' former suitor at the end of the film.
Miscellaneous
- Unlike the film, the novel has no reference to Dorian being painted with an Egyptian cat-shaped goddess who could grant his wish.
- Henry's final speech to Dorian Gray in the novel about the soul being 'non-material but corruptible' is one he claims to have heard from a street-preacherOpen-air preachingOpen-air preaching, street preaching or public preaching is the act of publicly proclaiming a religious message to crowds of people in open places...
. In the film, Dorian hears these words himself from a street-preacher.
The painting of Dorian Gray
Ivan Albright
Ivan Le Lorraine Albright was an American magic realist painter and artist, most renowned for his self-portraits, character studies, and still lifes.-Youth:...
, 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 art collection of The Art Institute of Chicago. Albright had to paint the picture while the movie was being made in order to show Dorian Gray's physical transformation as his evil actions changed him into a horrid image in the painting, while his actual physical appearance remained that of a young man. At the film's climax, Gray "killed" the painting by piercing it through its heart with a knife, thus killing himself when his physical appearance changed to that of the painting.
Awards and nominations
| Year | Award | Result | Category | Recipient |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1946 | Academy Award | Nominated | Best Art Direction-Interior Decoration, Black-and-White Academy Award for Best Art Direction The Academy Awards are the oldest awards ceremony for achievements in motion pictures. The Academy Award for Best Art Direction recognizes achievement in art direction on a film. The films below are listed with their production year, so the Oscar 2000 for best art direction went to a film from 1999... |
John Bonar John Bonar John Bonar was an American set decorator. He was nominated for an Academy Award in the category Best Art Direction for the film The Picture of Dorian Gray.-Selected filmography:* The Picture of Dorian Gray -External links:... , Cedric Gibbons Cedric Gibbons Austin Cedric Gibbons was an Irish American art director who was one of the most important and influential in the field in the history of American film. He also made a great impact on motion picture theater architecture through the 1930s to 1950s, the period considered the golden-era of theater... , Hugh Hunt Hugh Hunt Hugh Hunt was an American set decorator. He won two Academy Awards and was nominated for eleven more in the category Best Art Direction.-Selected filmography:... , Hans Peters Hans Peters (art director) Hans Peters was an English art director. He was nominated for five Academy Awards in the category Best Art Direction.-Selected filmography:Peters was nominated for five Academy Awards for Best Art Direction:... , and Edwin B. Willis |
| Best Actress in a Supporting Role Academy Award for Best Supporting Actress Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role is one of the Academy Awards of Merit presented annually by the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences to recognize an actress who has delivered an outstanding performance while working within the film industry. Since its inception, however, the... |
Angela Lansbury Angela Lansbury Angela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins... |
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| Won | Best Cinematography, Black-and-White Academy Award for Best Cinematography The Academy Award for Best Cinematography is an Academy Award awarded each year to a cinematographer for work in one particular motion picture.-History:... |
Harry Stradling, Sr. Harry Stradling Harry Stradling Sr., A.S.C. was an American cinematographer with over 130 films to his credit.His uncle Walter Stradling and son Harry Stradling Jr. were also cinematographers.-Early career:... |
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| Golden Globe Award Golden Globe Award The Golden Globe Award is an accolade bestowed by the 93 members of the Hollywood Foreign Press Association recognizing excellence in film and television, both domestic and foreign... |
Won | Best Supporting Actress | Angela Lansbury Angela Lansbury Angela Brigid Lansbury CBE is an English actress and singer in theatre, television and motion pictures, whose career has spanned eight decades and earned her more performance Tony Awards than any other individual , with five wins... |
|
| Hugo Award Hugo Award The Hugo Awards are given annually for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was officially named the Science Fiction Achievement Awards... |
Won | Best Dramatic Presentation Hugo Award for Best Dramatic Presentation The Hugo Awards are given every year by the World Science Fiction Society for the best science fiction or fantasy works and achievements of the previous year. The award is named after Hugo Gernsback, the founder of the pioneering science fiction magazine Amazing Stories, and was once officially... |
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