A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all.A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all.A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all.
- Won 1 Oscar
- 3 wins & 4 nominations total
Renee Carson
- Young French Woman
- (as Renie Carson)
Lilian Bond
- Kate
- (as Lillian Bond)
Devi Dja
- Lead Dancer
- (as Devi Dja and Her Balinese Dancers)
- Director
- Writers
- All cast & crew
- Production, box office & more at IMDbPro
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaIvan Le Lorraine Albright's famous painting of the decayed Dorian Gray, which took approximately one year to complete, is now owned by the Art Institute of Chicago, where it has been on display for many years. Albright's twin brother Malvin, better known as a sculptor, was also commissioned to create a painting of the young Dorian for this movie, although his work went unused. The March 27, 1944, issue of Life Magazine included a story and photos of the brothers working on their paintings for this movie. Henrique Medina created the initial portrait of young Dorian that sets the story in motion.
- GoofsToward the end of the movie Dorian and Henry arrive at Selby Station, Yorkshire, England. The train pulls into the "stationhouse" platform which is to the most right-hand side coming UP from London. It is clearly an American station. British trains run on the left-hand side.
- Quotes
Lord Henry Wotton: "If I could get back my youth, I'd do anything in the world except get up early, take exercise or be respectable."
- Alternate versionsSome prints are slightly edited, omitting Dorian's prayer and Lord Henry's line, "Heaven forgive me" in the final scene.
- ConnectionsFeatured in The Cinematographer (1951)
- SoundtracksGood-Bye, Little Yellow Bird
(uncredited)
Lyrics and Music by C.W. Murphy and William Hargreaves
Performed by Angela Lansbury
Featured review
It's better to look good than to feel good
Hurd Hatfield sells his soul so that his portrait ages and reflects his evil while he stays young in "The Picture of Dorian Gray," based on the classic novel by Oscar Wilde. The film also stars George Sanders, Angela Lansbury, Donna Reed, and Peter Lawford. After wishing to stay young forever and falling prey to the words of a cynical friend, Gray goes against what might have been a decent nature and embarks on a vicious life that brings cruelty, sadness, and even death to those with whom he interacts.
The film is striking for several reasons: There is very little of what one would call action; many scenes are quite short; the film relies heavily on narration; the leading man's face remains impassive throughout. This could have been a recipe for disaster, but instead, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is an extremely compelling film. This sumptuous production is meticulously photographed, with wonderful use of shadows which help create a dark atmosphere. The performances are excellent, particularly those of a very young Angela Lansbury and George Sanders. Peter Lawford and Donna Reed are the beautiful young things who don't have to depend on a portrait for youth.
Hurd Hatfield surely had one of the strangest faces in film - he certainly looked the part of a young, almost pretty Englishman, with his unlined face, high cheekbones, and full lips. As the role dictates, he was appropriately detached and lacking emotion. Six or seven years earlier, this role would have been perfect for Tyrone Power, who would have imbued it with more charm - making the evil inside Dorian all the more difficult to accept among his friends, and thus, his true personality would have seemed more treacherous. Given the way Hatfield played it, I had no problem believing he was capable of anything, and wondered why his friends didn't buy the nasty rumors.
As for the portrait - what a concept. Would that we all had one in our closets. It would put plastic surgeons out of business.
The film is striking for several reasons: There is very little of what one would call action; many scenes are quite short; the film relies heavily on narration; the leading man's face remains impassive throughout. This could have been a recipe for disaster, but instead, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is an extremely compelling film. This sumptuous production is meticulously photographed, with wonderful use of shadows which help create a dark atmosphere. The performances are excellent, particularly those of a very young Angela Lansbury and George Sanders. Peter Lawford and Donna Reed are the beautiful young things who don't have to depend on a portrait for youth.
Hurd Hatfield surely had one of the strangest faces in film - he certainly looked the part of a young, almost pretty Englishman, with his unlined face, high cheekbones, and full lips. As the role dictates, he was appropriately detached and lacking emotion. Six or seven years earlier, this role would have been perfect for Tyrone Power, who would have imbued it with more charm - making the evil inside Dorian all the more difficult to accept among his friends, and thus, his true personality would have seemed more treacherous. Given the way Hatfield played it, I had no problem believing he was capable of anything, and wondered why his friends didn't buy the nasty rumors.
As for the portrait - what a concept. Would that we all had one in our closets. It would put plastic surgeons out of business.
helpful•201
- blanche-2
- Jan 31, 2006
Details
- Release date
- Country of origin
- Official site
- Language
- Also known as
- Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray
- Filming locations
- Production company
- See more company credits at IMDbPro
Box office
- Budget
- $3,500,000 (estimated)
- Runtime1 hour 50 minutes
- Color
- Aspect ratio
- 1.37 : 1
Contribute to this page
Suggest an edit or add missing content
Top Gap
By what name was The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945) officially released in India in English?
Answer