The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

Director:

Albert Lewin

Writers:

Oscar Wilde (novel)
Albert Lewin (screenplay)

Release Date:

3 March 1945 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Fantasy | Horror | Romance

Tagline:

His life was a muddy morass into which he dragged all who knew him! Such was Dorian Gray, the man who wanted eternal youth, and bartered his soul to get it!

Plot:

A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all.

Plot Keywords:

Portrait | Suicide | Attic | Painting | Portrait Painting

Awards:

Won Oscar. Another 2 wins & 2 nominations

Cast

George Sanders	...	Lord Henry Wotton
Hurd Hatfield	...	Dorian Gray
Donna Reed	...	Gladys Hallward
Angela Lansbury	...	Sibyl Vane
Peter Lawford	...	David Stone
Lowell Gilmore	...	Basil Hallward
Richard Fraser	...	James Vane
Douglas Walton	...	Allen Campbell
Morton Lowry	...	Adrian Singleton
Miles Mander	...	Sir Robert Bentley
Lydia Bilbrook	...	Mrs. Vane
Mary Forbes	...	Lady Agatha
Robert Greig	...	Sir Thomas
Moyna MacGill	...	Duchess
Billy Bevan	...	Malvolio Jones (chairman)
Renee Carson	...	Young French woman (as Renie Carson)
Lilian Bond	...	Kate (as Lillian Bond)
Devi Dja	...	Balinese dancer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Harry Adams	...	Butler (uncredited)
Fred Aldrich	...	Hunter (uncredited)
Harry Allen	...	Farmer (uncredited)
Jimmy Aubrey	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Monica Bannister	...	Guest at Mayfair tea (uncredited)
Guy Bellis	...	Lackey (uncredited)
Helena Benda	...	Queen (uncredited)
Wilson Benge	...	Footman (uncredited)
Mary Benoit	...	Guest at Mayfair tea (uncredited)
Joseph E. Bernard	...	Violinist (uncredited)
Art Berry Sr.	...	Footman (uncredited)
Volta Boyer	...	Guest at Mayfair tea (uncredited)
George Broughton	...	Patron (uncredited)
Elyse Brown	...	Guest at Mayfair tea (uncredited)
Ralph Bucko	...	Beater (uncredited)
Colin Campbell	...	Shopkeeper (uncredited)
Lisa Carpenter	...	Lady Henry Wotton (uncredited)
Bruce Carruthers	...	Patron (uncredited)
Charles Coleman	...	Hallward's butler (uncredited)
Jimmy Conlin	...	Pub pianist (uncredited)
Edward Cooper	...	Ernest Harrowden (uncredited)
Pedro de Cordoba	...	Blue Gate Fields pianist (uncredited)
Robert Cory	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Tom Costello	...	Footman (uncredited)
Oliver Cross	...	London Club member (uncredited)
Anne Curson	...	Lady Gwendolyn Rugby (uncredited)
Frank Dawson	...	Waiter (uncredited)
Wally Dean	...	Hunter (uncredited)
Harold De Becker	...	(uncredited)
Paul De Corday	...	Dorian's friend (uncredited)
Natalie Draper	...	Mrs. Vandelaer (uncredited)
Dick Earle	...	Club member (uncredited)
William Eddritt	...	Patron (uncredited)
Alan Edmiston	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Herbert Evans	...	Club member (uncredited)
Rex Evans	...	Lord Gerald Goodbody (uncredited)
Betty Fairfax	...	Housekeeper (uncredited)
Al Ferguson	...	Patron (uncredited)
Ray Flynn	...	Footman (uncredited)
Dorothy Ford	...	Bit part (uncredited)
Lloyd Ford	...	(uncredited)
J.C. Fowler	...	Club member (uncredited)
Charles K. French	...	Club member (uncredited)
John George	...	Hunchback (uncredited)
John Good	...	Jewel merchant (uncredited)
Bernard Gorcey	...	Stagehand (uncredited)
Gibson Gowland	...	Gibson (coachman) (uncredited)
Hugh Greenwood	...	Club member (uncredited)
Cedric Hardwicke	...	Narrator (uncredited)
Lumsden Hare	...	Thornton (uncredited)
Bud Harrison	...	Loader (uncredited)
Sam Harris	...	Club member (uncredited)
Stuart Holmes	...	Hunter (uncredited)
William Holmes	...	Club member (uncredited)
T. Arthur Hughes	...	Patron (uncredited)
Kenneth Hunter	...	Sir Geoffrey Clouston (uncredited)
Mike Jeffries	...	Loader (uncredited)
Olive Jones	...	Guest at Mayfair tea (uncredited)
Alice Keating	...	Maid (uncredited)
Crauford Kent	...	Friend (uncredited)
Carol Diane Keppler	...	Gladys, as a child (uncredited)
Donald Kerr	...	Hunter (uncredited)
Skelton Knaggs	...	Blue Gate Fields waiter (uncredited)
Charles Knight	...	Footman (uncredited)
Sidney Lawford	...	Davenant (uncredited)
Ila Lee	...	Patron (uncredited)
Jack Lee	...	London Club member (uncredited)
Carl M. Leviness	...	Footman (uncredited)
Mitchell Lewis	...	Waiter (uncredited)
James Logan	...	Jewel merchant (uncredited)
Ann Lundeen	...	Beautiful young woman (uncredited)
Audrey Manners	...	Lady Alice Goodbody (uncredited)
Joseph Marievsky	...	Footman (uncredited)
Herbert Marshall	...	Narrator (uncredited)
Emily Massey	...	Parker (the nurse) (uncredited)
Eric Mayne	...	Club member (uncredited)
Frank McClure	...	Footman (uncredited)
Bob McLean	...	London Club member (uncredited)
Charles McNaughton	...	Cabby (uncredited)
Kay Medford	...	Girl (uncredited)
Leonard Mellin	...	Gentleman (uncredited)
Lorraine Miller	...	(uncredited)
Leo Mostovoy	...	Sandwich man (uncredited)
Arthur Mulliner	...	Duke of Berwick (uncredited)
Toby Noolan	...	Club member (uncredited)
William H. O'Brien	...	Footman (uncredited)
Frank O'Connor	...	Selby Estate butler (uncredited)
Helen O'Hara	...	Beautiful young woman (uncredited)
Will Patton	...	Loader (uncredited)
Pascale Perry	...	Beater (uncredited)
Frank Pharr	...	Loader (uncredited)
Tom Pilkington	...	Ant man (uncredited)
Alexander Pollard	...	Footman (uncredited)
Guy Bates Post	...	Victor (butler) (uncredited)
Pedro Regas	...	Barkeep (uncredited)
Renie Riano	...	Lady Ruxton (uncredited)
Walter Rode	...	Footman (uncredited)
Allen Schute	...	(uncredited)
Scott Seaton	...	Club member (uncredited)
Anita Sharp-Bolster	...	Lady Harborough (uncredited)
Arthur Shields	...	Street preacher (uncredited)
Sam Simone	...	Footman (uncredited)
Reginald Simpson	...	Doorman (uncredited)
Leslie Sketchley	...	Footman (uncredited)
William Stack	...	Mr. Erskine (uncredited)
Jerry St. John	...	Persian Prince (uncredited)
Doris Stone	...	Patron (uncredited)
Lillian Talbot	...	Mayfair hostess (uncredited)
Tom Tamarez	...	King (uncredited)
Evan Thomas	...	Club member (uncredited)
Lotus Thompson	...	Maid (uncredited)
John Valentine	...	Butler (uncredited)
Kerry Vaughn	...	Guest at Mayfair tea (uncredited)
Frank Whitbeck	...	Trailer Narrator (voice) (uncredited)
Herberta Williams	...	Patron (uncredited)
Larry Williams	...	Policeman (uncredited)
Barbara Woodell	...	(uncredited)
Frederick Worlock	...	Francis (uncredited)
Joe Yule	...	Stage manager (uncredited)

Directed by
Albert Lewin

Writing credits
Oscar Wilde		(novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray")
Albert Lewin		(screenplay)

Produced by
Pandro S. Berman	....	producer

Original Music by
Herbert Stothart

Cinematography by
Harry Stradling Sr.		(as Harry Stradling)

Film Editing by
Ferris Webster

Art Direction by
Cedric Gibbons
Hans Peters

Set Decoration by
Edwin B. Willis

Costume Design by
Valles		(costumes: men)

Makeup Department
Jack Dawn	....	makeup designer

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Earl McEvoy	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Ivan Le Lorraine Albright	....	paintings: "Dorian Gray"
John Bonar	....	associate set decorator
Hugh Hunt	....	associate set decorator
Henrique Medina	....	paintings: "Dorian Gray, as a Young Man"

Sound Department
Douglas Shearer	....	recording director
William Edmondson	....	sound (uncredited)

Camera and Electrical Department
Sam Leavitt	....	camera operator (uncredited)

Costume and Wardrobe Department
Irene	....	costume supervisor
Marion Herwood Keyes	....	associate costume supervisor

Music Department
Mario Castelnuovo-Tedesco	....	composer: additional music (uncredited)
Murray Cutter	....	orchestrator (uncredited)
Ted Duncan	....	orchestrator (uncredited)

Other crew
Gordon Wiles	....	special assistant: Mr. Levin

Production Companies

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Loew's

Distributors

• Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) (1945) (USA) (theatrical) (controlled by Loew's Incorporated)
• Chapel Distribution (1997) (Australia) (theatrical) (35mm print)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• MGM/UA Home Entertainment (2001) (USA) (VHS)
• Warner Home Video (2006) (Germany) (DVD)
• Warner Home Video (2008) (USA) (DVD)

Runtime:

110 min

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Colour:

Black and White | Colour (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Germany:6 (2006, DVD rating) | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Unrated

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

Angela Lansbury's portrayal of innocent Sibyl Vane lost the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress to Anne Revere, who played Miss Lansbury's stalwart mother in the cherished family adventure, National Velvet (1944), a film in which Miss Lansbury was assigned what she long considered a secondary role.

Goofs:

Continuity: When Dorian confronts Allen Campbell with the blackmail letter in his drawing room, Allen sits at the round table, which has only the cat statue and the letter on it. In the next shot there is a writing implement on the table as well.

Quotes:

Lord Henry Wotton: There's only one way to get rid of temptation, and that's to yield to it.

Movie Connections:

Referenced in Daymaker (2007)

Soundtrack:

Prelude for Piano, Op. 28, No. 24 in D Minor (The Storm)

Genuine horror

This wonderfully atmospheric retelling of Oscar Wilde's chilling novel is one of the best horror films ever made. It outdoes DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN because it is about a man -- not a monster. Yet the monster IS the man -- and hides within all of us. The story works even more effectively than the similar plot in Robert Louis Stevenson's STRANGE CASE OF DR. JEKYLL AND MR HYDE because here we have the dual sides of a man portrayed not as two separate characters but as two reflecting images -- like two mirrors facing each other, sending the images out to infinity. The painting itself is one of the most horrifing images ever created in films -- a surreal reflection of what each of us can become if we lose our humanity and replace it with careless egotism.