Hurd Hatfield was underrated as an actor. He was so completely identified with this role, and so pretty as a young man, that afterwards it was difficult for him to find the kind of work he deserved. I knew him slightly in the early '60s, when he came to work in a theater where I was working. He was elegant, and a bit removed from the everyday world most of us occupy, but he was was very kind and modest and ran no ego on his fellow actors who didn't have his star status.
What about Tim Holt? Great job in Magnificent Ambersons. He fit the book's characterization of George Minafer to a T. Got another great role in Treasure of Sierre Madre. But beside those roles, he had to do B grade Westerns his whole career.
From what I learned from the blu ray extras of this movie the actor who plays Dorian was frustrated that he could not show emotion. The director insisted that he remain stone faced. I read many comments about his lack of emotional range but that is by design and not any lack of acting skill.
Keeping with director Albert Lewin's highly stylized approach to Wilde's novel, he (Lewin) reportedly wanted Hatfield's portrayal to be "portrait"-like--impassive, aloof, unchanging. In effect, Gray has become the portrait as originally painted by Basil Hallward. The "real" Dorian resides in the locked schoolroom at the top of his Mayfair residence, festering and becoming more foul with every accumulated sin and crime. Hatfield certainly fulfilled the director's request, though many have misunderstood his performance as evincing a deficiency in his capabilities as an actor. Ever since I first saw this film as child on late night television, I've admired Lewin's concept and Hatfield's performance. Taken on its own terms as a conceptualization, it works quite well. Some of it may have been (and may still be) too subtle for some who are looking for a more conventional Hollywood (i.e., melodramatic) approach.
wtf, Basil should be screaming in this scene! The love of his life and his apex of art are destroyed right in front of him, and all he can say is, "Yo, Dorian, we should pray for your salvation cus you're goin to hell." and Dorian's like, "No thnx" Basil, "Mmkay, well, I'm going to." Dorian, "Hey, looks like it'd be fun to stab you, so I will." *ANGER!!!*
My reaction precisely! 🏆 Additionally, (and in an unfortunate consequence) a representative of the perfectly self-disciplined 19th century upperclass English gentleman... whose perfect heroic obediance (when applied to military life ...) regretfully also empowered the notorious Central Bankers of the City of London (through their hidden control of the British Throne)🇬🇧 to dominate most of the world....
Too bad the clip isn't extended to include the outstanding lighting effects with the swinging lamp in the immediate aftermath of the murder, a highlight of Harry Stradling's oscar-winning cinematography.
Am I the only one who read Dorian Gray and thought Dorian was supposed to be a blonde, boy-like, flamboyant, emotional, and homosexual man that didn't have a stone for a face? I mean, I didn't see the new one, so I don't know how much they changed with how the characters act, but still.
Very disappointing that this entry didn't include the two Technicolor inserts of Dorian Gray's portrait which was painted by Ivan Albright and is currently on display at the Art Institute of Chicago. Since learning about him in a Zippy the Pinhead comic strip, I have always thought of Albright's works as very intriguing.
I think there were 4 color inserts in all. "Young" Dorian was painted by Henrique Medina and is now in a private collection (it sold in an auction recently for $149,000.00.)
I have seen many versions of this film. All others have lacked one supreme performance , George Sanders . Other Wooten;s were snarling, scowling, straining et all Sanders great voice delivered all the macabre goods..nothing else was required , as such a role for the ages. Sanders library of characters can never be matched from " Rebecca" to "All About Eve" 1950 and beyond he cornered the market and in life he predicted? His demise in leaving his world..and ours
I agree. George Sanders was perfect in this role. I read the novel before ever seeing the movie. Now when I read the novel again, I hear George Sander’s voice whenever I read Lord Henry’s lines.
@roselandalvin Yes, his appearance might suit the film, however, it does not fit the character of Basil, at least not the one I know from the novel. He seemed to be emotional, affectionate. I don't believe the acting needs to be overly expressive, but his face should reveal horror or despair for me, I wouldn't mind it being subtle, but here I can hardly see any emotion at all, and he speaks in such a calm voice as well.
Ivan Albright Ivan Albright painted this lurid portrait for the Oscar-winning movie adaptation of Oscar Wilde's 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. In Wilde's tale, Dorian Gray commissions a portrait of himself as an attractive young man and later trades his soul for an ever-youthful appearance.
The man had become the portrait...without emotion, indeed . Whereas the portrait took on the soul of the man: demonically possessed....until the final moment. It is hoped that the evil spell was broken when the Satanic deal was rejected through the destruction of the portrait....May God have mercy on all who wish to reject evil -
I think the person was referring to the acting skills of Lowell Gilmore (who plays Basil), not Dorian. But I still think that's more because of the direction, not the actor himself.
Prim and proper MGM was the wrong studio to do this lurid novel--they took much of the guts out of it--the homosexual angle, for instance. In fairness, no other studio at the time could have done much better--
I know you can't compare two movies if you have seen the whole of one and only one scene of the other but the new Dorian gray movie seems so much better for example the actings better, the script is better, where as in this scene both actors voices seem as flat as there facial expressions. There is bearly any emotion in this scene.
dorian gray is a sociopath, of course he shouldn't show any emotion (and basil is at the verge of pure despair, like heck) i love both but comparing one another is like comparing oranges and apples
Hurd Hatfield was underrated as an actor. He was so completely identified with this role, and so pretty as a young man, that afterwards it was difficult for him to find the kind of work he deserved. I knew him slightly in the early '60s, when he came to work in a theater where I was working. He was elegant, and a bit removed from the everyday world most of us occupy, but he was was very kind and modest and ran no ego on his fellow actors who didn't have his star status.
What about Tim Holt? Great job in Magnificent Ambersons. He fit the book's characterization of George Minafer to a T. Got another great role in Treasure of Sierre Madre. But beside those roles, he had to do B grade Westerns his whole career.
From what I learned from the blu ray extras of this movie the actor who plays Dorian was frustrated that he could not show emotion. The director insisted that he remain stone faced. I read many comments about his lack of emotional range but that is by design and not any lack of acting skill.
+jamesbobo OMG I know right? Hurd Hatfield was in actuality a very expressive and impressive actor!
Keeping with director Albert Lewin's highly stylized approach to Wilde's novel, he (Lewin) reportedly wanted Hatfield's portrayal to be "portrait"-like--impassive, aloof, unchanging. In effect, Gray has become the portrait as originally painted by Basil Hallward. The "real" Dorian resides in the locked schoolroom at the top of his Mayfair residence, festering and becoming more foul with every accumulated sin and crime. Hatfield certainly fulfilled the director's request, though many have misunderstood his performance as evincing a deficiency in his capabilities as an actor. Ever since I first saw this film as child on late night television, I've admired Lewin's concept and Hatfield's performance. Taken on its own terms as a conceptualization, it works quite well. Some of it may have been (and may still be) too subtle for some who are looking for a more conventional Hollywood (i.e., melodramatic) approach.
Precisely, Dorian is meant to be a 2D character, a character meant to be as expressionless as a painting as it is a painting that defines him.
Do you not think, that Basil sounds a bit too calm in this scene, I'd imagine he should look more shaken.
wtf, Basil should be screaming in this scene! The love of his life and his apex of art are destroyed right in front of him, and all he can say is, "Yo, Dorian, we should pray for your salvation cus you're goin to hell."
and Dorian's like, "No thnx"
Basil, "Mmkay, well, I'm going to."
Dorian, "Hey, looks like it'd be fun to stab you, so I will."
*ANGER!!!*
He is upper class English with with a stiff upper lip and decorum.
My reaction precisely! 🏆
Additionally, (and in an unfortunate consequence)
a representative of the perfectly self-disciplined 19th century upperclass English gentleman...
whose
perfect heroic obediance (when applied to military life ...) regretfully also empowered
the notorious Central Bankers of the City of London
(through their hidden control of the British Throne)🇬🇧
to dominate most of the world....
@plumeria
how amusing to see some people actually believing the remakes are better than this classic.
If they had not seen this gold, then mere glitter will impress them....
If they had not seen this gold, then mere glitter will impress them....
Too bad the clip isn't extended to include the outstanding lighting effects with the swinging lamp in the immediate aftermath of the murder, a highlight of Harry Stradling's oscar-winning cinematography.
Reminds me of the reveal scene in "Psycho."
Am I the only one who read Dorian Gray and thought Dorian was supposed to be a blonde, boy-like, flamboyant, emotional, and homosexual man that didn't have a stone for a face?
I mean, I didn't see the new one, so I don't know how much they changed with how the characters act, but still.
Yes, I always pictured curly blonde hair and blue eyes. A very pretty thing.
yeah he's so naive and boyish in the book that he is easily influenced
Yeah he was supposed to be blond blue eyed man but because of the times (ww2/nazi germans) I guess they thought it better to make him a brunette
Actually, I imagined him rather like this actor. Tho I agree, BASIL should have been more emotional.
Not homosexuell but maybe bi
Very disappointing that this entry didn't include the two Technicolor inserts of Dorian Gray's portrait which was painted by Ivan Albright and is currently on display at the Art Institute of Chicago. Since learning about him in a Zippy the Pinhead comic strip, I have always thought of Albright's works as very intriguing.
I think there were 4 color inserts in all. "Young" Dorian was painted by Henrique Medina and is now in a private collection (it sold in an auction recently for $149,000.00.)
I have seen many versions of this film. All others have lacked one supreme performance
, George Sanders . Other Wooten;s were snarling, scowling, straining et all
Sanders great voice delivered all the macabre goods..nothing else was required , as such a role for the ages. Sanders library of characters can never be matched from " Rebecca" to
"All About Eve" 1950 and beyond he cornered the market and in life he predicted? His demise in leaving his world..and ours
I agree. George Sanders was perfect in this role. I read the novel before ever seeing the movie. Now when I read the novel again, I hear George Sander’s voice whenever I read Lord Henry’s lines.
I wish I could get this entire movie on utube but it's not public domain. I'm not interested in watching any later version of it. :(
@roselandalvin Yes, his appearance might suit the film, however, it does not fit the character of Basil, at least not the one I know from the novel. He seemed to be emotional, affectionate. I don't believe the acting needs to be overly expressive, but his face should reveal horror or despair for me, I wouldn't mind it being subtle, but here I can hardly see any emotion at all, and he speaks in such a calm voice as well.
Ivan Albright
Ivan Albright painted this lurid portrait for the Oscar-winning movie adaptation of Oscar Wilde's 1891 novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. In Wilde's tale, Dorian Gray commissions a portrait of himself as an attractive young man and later trades his soul for an ever-youthful appearance.
i read the book and saw the new dorian grey and they got the character right. but i still love this version.
"This monstrous, beyond nature, beyond reason"
Are you talking about your acting skills man? Why are you so calm, wtf.
The man had become the portrait...without emotion, indeed
.
Whereas the portrait took on the soul of the man: demonically possessed....until the final moment.
It is hoped that the evil spell was broken when the Satanic deal was rejected through the destruction of the portrait....May God have mercy on all who wish to reject evil -
I think the person was referring to the acting skills of Lowell Gilmore (who plays Basil), not Dorian. But I still think that's more because of the direction, not the actor himself.
Looking forward to the 2020 film The Picture of Maxine Waters.
Um dos melhores filmes de todos os tempos! Hurd Haltfield foi único!!!
I. Freking. Love. It.
@PyramidHead2000 Classic's are always better then the remakes
Trop kiffant
@ThereWillBeSpaghetti yup i agree with you
Prim and proper MGM was the wrong studio to do this lurid novel--they took much of the guts out of it--the homosexual angle, for instance. In fairness, no other studio at the time could have done much better--
Et ne nos inducas in tentationem sed libera nos a malo
Go, Dorian!
omg not cool Dorian!
I know you can't compare two movies if you have seen the whole of one and only one scene of the other but the new Dorian gray movie seems so much better for example the actings better, the script is better, where as in this scene both actors voices seem as flat as there facial expressions. There is bearly any emotion in this scene.
dorian gray is a sociopath, of course he shouldn't show any emotion (and basil is at the verge of pure despair, like heck) i love both but comparing one another is like comparing oranges and apples
haha pri