The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

My Review

“The Picture of Dorian Gray” is a horror film telling the story of a young man who wishes his sins and aging process on to his portrait while he remains forever young and flawless. Director-screenwriter Albert Lewin tightly managed this classic horror movie with outstanding production values and amazing performances. It was adapted from the 1890 novel of the same name by Oscar Wilde.

The cast includes Hurd Hatfield in the title role, George Sanders, Donna Reed, Angela Lansbury, Peter Lawford, Mary Forbes, Reginald Owen, and Cedric Hardwicke as the Narrator. “The Picture of Dorian Gray” was a box office failure for producer Pandro S. Berman and Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.

It was nominated for three Oscars, winning one for Best Cinematography/Black-and-White (Harry Stradling). The film was shot primarily in black-and-white, except for four scenes inserted featuring Dorian’s portraits in Technicolor. The non-winners were Best Supporting Actress (Lansbury) and Best Art Direction.