Year of Release: 1945Country of Origin: USA
Director: Albert Lewin
Cast: George Sanders, Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed, Angela Lansbury
Plot outline: A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all (IMDb).
Based on the 1891 novel of the same name by Oscar Wilde, the story is a thin piece of philosophic writing and a literate bit of symbolism without too much profundity. The elaborately mystical treatment which the filmmaker has given the story is matched in egregious absurdity by the visual affectations of the movie. And the whole thing makes little or no intelligible sense. Albert Lewin was attempting to suggest a diabolic enchantment by pacing it slowly and using light and shade, not to mention monotonous voice and music, to work a hypnotic spell. Nevertheless, George Sanders as Lord Henry, the cynic who corrupted Dorian's mind, gives commendable performance. He is brittle and dandified, at least, and drops the smooth and catty little bon-mots of Mr. Wilde with amusing aplomb. But Hurd Hatfield as Dorian Gray is incredibly stiff, and walks through the movie with a vapid and masklike expression on his face (apparently somebody figured that was the only way to show it doesn't change). Angela Lansbury as a music-hall-singing Sibyl Vane wears a ridiculous pose of purity which provokes Dorian's bestiality. Donna Reed as Basil Hallward's niece is presented in the flat role, and Lowell Gilmore plays that very pompous artist with an excess of pomposity. Throughout, an unidentified narrator gives a play-by-play description of what transpires. It sounds like Sir Cedric Hardwicke sitting sternly in an invisible cloud. (NYT)
My judgement: **1/2 out of 4 stars
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