The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945)

Me and Rich Yap had watched the film and started talking about interesting topics for the class facilliation. The film was based on Oscar Wilde's novel "The Picture of Dorian Gray" in 1891, the director was Albert Lewin and here is the list of the primary cast/production crew.

George Sanders as Lord Henry
Hurd Hatfield as Dorian Gray
Donna Reed as Gladus Hallward
Angela Lansbury as Sibyl Vane
Peter Lawford as David Stone
Lowell Gilmore as Basil Hallward.

Producer: Pandro S. Berman
screenplay/directed by: Albert Lewin
Musical Score: Herbert Stothart
Director of Photography: Harry Stradling
Painting of Dorian gray by Ivan Le Lorraine Albright
Painting of young Dorian Gray by Henrique Medina and Gordon Wiles
Recording director: Douglas Shearer
Art Direction: Cedric Gibbons, Hans Peters
Set Decorations: Edwin B. Willis
Associates: Hugh Hunt, John Bonar
make up: Jack Dawn
Film Editor: Ferris Webster

The release date was on the 3rd of March 1945 in the United States and the film won the best black and White Cinematography, and a Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress for Angela Lansbury.

with that information aside, we can discuss possible homosexual reading in the film.
The intense homosocial environment of Lord Henry, Basil and Dorian blurred the lines between the homosocial and homosexual relations. At times, Basil and Lord Henry would fight over Dorian where Henry wanted to meet Dorian but basil refused. Both men seemed to be infactuated with Dorian like a high school girl crush. Lord Henry wanted to be Dorian's friend based on his looks which also poses possible homosexual attraction. Lord Henry flirts with Dorian numerous times saying things like "time is jealous of you Mr. Gray," which are things a heterosexual man would say to women, never to another man. Dorian also seemed to be very influenced by lord Henry where Dorian played games with sybil and hurted her feelings just because Henry said so. The men are also off an aristocratic class where they seem effeminate in their attire and mannerisms.

The men also seemed disinterested in women. Lord Henry said "Faithfulness is laziness" and "a life of deception is necessary is both parties when it comes to marriage." Lord Henry is also incredibly sexist and seemed dislike women. He loves spending time with Dorian but rarely with his wife which she often complained, he seemed to have his own secret life in which women is not included. Dorian seemed to love himself more than any women and treated sybil like a toy, she was just like that canary trapped in a cage. Dorian would make her sing, kiss her then throw her away only to ask her back to marry him, in the end he destroyed her psychologically leading to her tragic suicide. Dorian seemes unaffected by her death as well which makes us question whether he really loved her. Dorian's second lover was gladys who actually proposed to him which he first declined, not a convention marriage where the man is the one who was supposed to propose. Both women, Sybil and Gladys gets a sad ending by being involved with Dorian.

The painting of Dorian may act as a metaphor for a gay man's closet. The painting contained who he really is, his soul which he refused to share with anyone. It is his secret which he is hiding like one's sexuality. He bring in new servants so that no one will know his secret and those who are close to him like Basil is killed for it. Dorian's love of his image and looks is also central to the body culture and youth-obsessed lifestyles of gay men, even though this may be a generalistion, his concern with his appearance is a possibly homo-sexual reading which is still central to modern gay culture today.

Also another interesting fact was that Oscar Wilde was a renowned homosexual who himself had many sexual encounters with working class males known as rent boys so we must ask whether the Wilde projected his experiences through Dorian. Wilde was born into a very rich social setting and Dorian's character is of nobillity but still likes hanging around dark corners, "rough spots" at pubs at night, possibly cruising? The places Dorian goes to is a shady place full of dark corners.

Another interesting fact was that Angela Lansbury was a gay icon herself whom her first husband was bisexual.

The first half of the film was more homo-sexually charged where the men's intense relationship created many eye brow-raising moments but the film had to pass the code so it seemed that they threw in the women to keep this film from being a gay one. I thought the film could have been the same without any women in the story. The second half of the film was boring and fizzled into a hetrosexual ending.

anyway, see everyone at class on monday!