The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) User Reviews

The Importance of Being Edith Evans

[wes-connors · 8/10 · 3 January 2010]

Delightful film adaptation of Oscar Wilde's superb play about Victorian-era English manners and mix-ups. The play and performances are so close to Mr. Wilde's original words, you really can't go wrong; although, on close inspection, there are clearly some logistical problems. For example, it is shot beautifully, but without a flourish or imagination worthy of Wilde. And, cameras emphasize things that wouldn't have mattered with the otherwise marvelous cast on stage. To be fair, the film acknowledges this in its execution.

Everyone is exemplary, but elderly Aunt Edith Evans really demands to be seen. She possess the role of "Lady Augusta Bracknell" for all eternity, and would be famous for merely uttering the two words "A handbag?" but, every word and phoneme slips sardonically from the mind of Oscar Wilde to dame Edith's tongue. Ms. Evans should have received some "Best Supporting Actress" notice, but this was released in 1952, not 1948, and American voters were favoring homegrown material.

Pity.

******** The Importance of Being Earnest (6/2/52) Anthony Asquith ~ Michael Redgrave, Michael Denison, Edith Evans, Joan Greenwood

Excellent adaptation!

[perfectbond · 7/10 · 18 December 2004]

I watched this film adaptation (and Oliver Parker's 2002 version as well) of Oscar Wilde's classic play The Importance of Being Earnest to complement my study of it for a 19th century English drama course. First I want to say, no matter what version(s) you choose to see, I strongly suggest you read the play first (its not that long). In some cases, the casting in the later film (specifically Reese Witherspoon as Cecily and Rupert Everett as Algy), made fifty(!) years later to be exact, seemed more appropriate but in my opinion Asquith's version captured the spirit of the text more succinctly. I must also say as well, however that since Asquith's version is essentially a staged play, there is little in the form of visual dynamism from the camera; in other words the film rests almost entirely on the strength of the performances. Happily, they do not disappoint.

He who laughs at his own foibles, laughs longest

[khatcher-2 · 8/10 · 7 September 2003]

Irish-born Oscar Wilde, who managed to die in Paris at only 46 years of age, formed part of that school of renegé novelists and poets from the Emerald Isle which included James Joyce. Indeed, these and other Irish writers were banned from publication in England and I seem to remember that James Joyce's earlier works were actually published in French before being allowed into print in English in the U.K.

Tut, tut, such piquant and avant-garde ideas would be too much for the genteel Victorian aristocracy living safely tucked up in hypocracy-ladened gallantry. Fortunately, for the colony-enriched classes, the `plebianism' of Charles Dickens was too long ago for their short memories, or never made it onto their bookshelves. Notwithstanding, from such gentlemanly proceedings such wit is born and which was soon to become one of the outstanding achievements of finest British humour: the ability to laugh at one's own foibles.

To this effect we must be, in great part, indebted to Mr. Wilde in general, and to `The Importance of Being Earnest' in particular. No other play of this genre has been so enacted and so many times converted into film and in so many languages as this classic of upper-crust comportment. Among the numerous versions available on film, this one by the irreplaceable Dame Edith Evans goes down as being the model from which any other readings must inevitably be taken. Dame Edith Evans IS Lady Bracknell; even Judy Dench is only playing the rôle in comparison.

The rising and setting of the curtain at the beginning and end of the film makes it totally clear that the play is to be seen on film but as if we – the spectators – were in the theatre. And so it should be: any free hand at getting away from such concept might well be unstomacheable, as well as irritating to admirers of the classics or simply people like myself who try not to be too pedantic. There are plenty of modern examples of William Shakespeare's plays on film which faithfully adhere to the original concepts and which do not lose anything in the telling. In this respect we can say that this version of the play is on target: what might seem exaggerated portrayals of the characters – especially Dame Edith Evan's reading of Lady Bracknell – indeed to my mind fulfills precisely what Oscar Wilde intended. Nobody else can ejaculate `F….o….u….n….d?' in five syllables as Dame Edith Evans does.

Fifty years on, this is still the version from which any other attempts will be judged. I hope I am not being earnest in excess…….

The importance of being Oscar

[jotix100 · 10/10 · 20 April 2006]

Oscar Wilde's language is exquisitely spoken by the English cast that made, what should be considered, the definitive version of the play. The most important thing is the poetry all these actors were able to bring to the film, which reflects a bygone era; it is music to one's ears.

Anthony Asquith directed and adapted the play in ways that it never feels it's filmed theater. The director achieves a coup in casting Dame Edith Evans as Lady Bracknell, in one of her best appearances on the screen. Her Augusta is just what one expects a Victorian English lady to be like. Although Ms. Evans is not on screen all the time, she completely dominates the action. Even if one knows Ms. Evans is giving an exaggerated portrait of a society lady, she is delightful to watch as one stays riveted to her movements, facial expressions in making this woman come alive for us.

Michael Redgrave and Michael Denison, two dashing young actors, at the time, are a joy to see. The fastidious Jack, and his friend, Algenon, have excellent opportunities in which to shine. The same goes for the two female leads, Joan Greenwood and Dorothy Tutin, are perfectly cast as Gwendoline and Cecily, the love interests of Jack and Algenon. The redoubtable Margaret Rutherford is seen as Miss Prism, who is the key to solving the mystery in the plot.

"The Importance of Being Earnest" is a classic that was made at the legendary Pinewood studios and it shows the British cinema at its best.

Wildely Funny

[rsose · 9/10 · 11 February 2005]

This is a tremendous movie based on a tremendous play. Oscar Wilde, despite his personal quirks, or maybe because of them, was a master of wit and language. When he wished to be serious, his works are also well written.

This movie, and others based upon his works (The Picture of Dorian Gray, etc.) are all masterpieces of art.

The Importance of being Earnest has been remade successfully, the dialog cannot be better. The situation, while complicated, is hysterical, and everything fits into place, especially at the end. In the 1952 version the play by Wilde was well adapted by writer/director Anthony Asquith. The portrayals of all the case, of Redgrave, as Redgrave as Jack, of Evans as Lady Bracknell, even that of Malleson as Canon Chasuble are sparkling, and the movie could not have been more enjoyable.

Recent remakes of Wilde's movies, including that of The Importance of Being Earnest, are well done. This original movie, however, should be seen by anyone appreciating comedy, and want to watch a great film.

a truly Wilde production

[didi-5 · 16 April 2004]

Oscar Wilde's most famous play is given an extremely stage-bound reading in this colour adaptation by Anthony Asquith. It evens starts and ends with the raising and lowering of a theatre curtain!

That aside this is probably the essential Wilde movie – not only do we get the main four role perfectly cast (Michael Redgrave as Jack, Michael Denison as Algy, Dorothy Tutin as Cecily, Joan Greenwood as Gwendolen), we also have two of the most delightfully eccentric portrayals in the history of cinema with Margaret Rutherford as Miss Prism, and, of course, Edith Evans as Lady Bracknell. Who could resist the way Dame Edith says ‘a handbag!'

A hugely enjoyable movie which makes sure none of the wit is lost in unnecessary padding or setting – something the makers of the recent remake could learn from.

"I intend to develop in many directions!"

[The_Secretive_Bus · 6/10 · 14 June 2007]

Long regarded as the definitive version of Oscar Wilde's classic play, Asquith's adaptation still suffers from the faults of the original despite being heavily edited (running at what ought to be a brisk 90 minutes).

"Earnest" is a social satire, a comedy of nonsensical manners and civilities, the like of which Wilde continually penned, and its plot - whilst relying heavily on co-incidence - is satisfyingly circular and consistent. The problem lies with the fact that very little actually happens, and what does happen occurs very, very slowly due to the sheer verbosity of the dialogue. Now, much of this is what gives the play its charm and it cannot be denied that the syntax and vocabulary has a beauty all of its own. However, one can admire a work of art whilst not necessarily liking it. An Oscar Wilde play is whimsical and not to be taken altogether seriously, which means that, though they are witty, they are ultimately quite superficial - this coupled with the sheer amount of dialogue often makes a Wilde play seem far longer than it actually is. I often think that Wilde's plays are far better when read than actually performed, as when performed they are often far too much to take in in one go. You feel pinned to the chair by the waves of dry wit.

"The Importance of Being Earnest" therefore has a delightful plot, and equally delightful characters, but remains just as slow as Wilde's other plays, especially when directed in such a languid fashion as this version. For a dialogue heavy comedy such as this to entirely work, a sense of energy much be cultivated (I was recently in a theatrical adaptation of The Picture of Dorian Gray which suffered from having very little energy at all and ultimately proved a chore for the audience to watch) which is all but lacking here as the characters go about everything quite calmly and stoically. Of course, this is arguably in keeping with the source material but makes the film difficult for modern viewers to sit through. A shame as the majority of the cast is first rate; in particular, Michael Denison is superb as Algernon, though it is difficult to single out anybody in particular (interesting, though, that Rutherford's Miss Prism is often used as the focus of relevant artwork for the film given that the role is really quite small, even more so in this adaptation - it is perhaps tantamount to Rutherford's performance that her Miss Prism is so well remembered). I must admit to not really enjoying Edith Evans' portrayal of Lady Bracknell, though that may be more due to the character as written; though Evans is very much the gorgon of which Jack Worthing speaks, the witticisms Wilde scribes for her are far better when delivered as casual rapid-fire lines, as opposed to the over-emphasised and long delivery that an actress feels compelled to give when playing Bracknell. Evans stretches out lines to breaking point so that when she has finished a sentence one quite forgets as to how it began.

The play itself deserves to remain a classic of its genre though perhaps is more likely to be admired than actively enjoyed, certainly in this incarnation.

The definitive cinematic production

[DennisLittrell · 10/10 · 20 February 2001]

Oscar Wilde's celebrated masterpiece is a comedy on three levels. First there is the denotative level, one might say, the level in which the bourgeois are entertained après dîner. It is on this level that Oscar Wilde follows the great theatrical tradition of comedy from the time of the Greeks through Shakespeare and French farce into the twentieth century to the musical comedy of the London and New York stage. His play on this level is a comedy of manners, pleasant, charming and very clever. The class conscious jokes about the lower orders and the servants are double-edged and add just a touch of squirm to the laughter of the not completely discerning audience. It is on the second level that The Importance of Being Earnest becomes one of the greatest plays ever written. On this level, the comedy is a full blown satire of Victorian society, and in particular of its audience. Wilde had the very great pleasure of flattering and making fun of the audience while being applauded for doing so. His subtitle for the play, "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People" is an allusion to these two levels. It is on this second level that Wilde speaks through the voice of Lady Bracknell (and sometimes Algernon), whose ironic and unself-conscious cynicism is so like his own. It is on this level that all the fun is made of the hypocrisy of marriage and its mercenary nature, at least as practiced by the petite bourgeoisie of London town, circa 1895. But there is a third level, a level known of course to the cognoscenti of the time and to modern audiences, but for the most part never dreamed of by the London theater-goers of the day. In this regard I have recently read that "Earnest" was a slang euphemism for being gay, and I suspect this is true. Indeed, I can imagine a whole world of witticism based on being "earnest" and being "Ernest," a world now (perhaps charitably) forgotten. Certainly this knowledge sheds some light on Jack's invention of his invalid friend "Bunbury," whom he finds he must visit to escape unwanted social engagements.

One of the best things about this great play is one can appreciate it on any one of the three levels and find delight on that level alone. One can see Worthy as John Worthy, or as Jack Worthy, or as Ernest Worthy, however one likes. This adaptation, starring the incomparable Dame Edith Evans as Lady Bracknell, and Michael Redgrave (father of Vanessa and Lynn Redgrave) as John Worthy is of course the justly celebrated, clearly definitive screen adaptation. It should be noted, however, that Lady Bracknell is the real star of the show, and when she enters a scene, she steals it. Edith Evans was brilliant and unforgettable and obviously having a wonderful time. Margaret Rutherford is a scream as Miss Prism and Miles Malleson as Chasuble is just, shall I say, darling. I should note that both the male leads were a touch too old for their parts. Redgrave was 42 and Michael Denison, who played Algernon, was 37 when the movie was released in 1952. Yet I think Oscar Wilde would have approved of the casting, probably finding it admirable and fitting that these two men about town would have avoided marriage for so many years. (I won't mention the ages of the actresses.) Joan Greenwood as Gwendolyn achieves just the right amount of flaky innocence and calculated whimsy, while Dorothy Tutin is the very definition of the spoiled, sweet and adorable, man-hunting Cecily Cardew. The direction by Anthony Asquith is unnecessarily directive in the sense that he moved some scenes around, but is essentially without harm.

The best way to appreciate this play, and to pick up all the nuances, and there are nuances aplenty--and jokes upon jokes, sharp social and political observations, and witticisms within prevarications, and lies that are truths and vice-versa--is to view the video, just appreciating it on one level, then read the script, and then view the video again. You're in for a treat.

(Note: Over 500 of my movie reviews are now available in my book "Cut to the Chaise Lounge or I Can't Believe I Swallowed the Remote!" Get it at Amazon!)

I enjoy the performances of all bar one

[r96sk · 7/10 · 6 June 2020]

Just like the 2002 production, 1952's 'The Importance of Being Earnest' is a fine film.

I, of course, knew what was coming when watching this having seen the aforementioned remake just a matter of weeks ago; they're practically, if not entirely, the same. Even so, I still had a fun enough time here. My feelings are, as you'd expect, very similar - even down to the casting.

I enjoy the performances of all bar one. Cecily is the weakest link from 2002, whereas Lady Bracknell annoys me most from 1952. Every time she spoke I was irritated, given her incredibly annoying voice which feels too forced; assuming that isn't Edith Evans' natural tongue. On the contrary, Michael Redgrave (John), Michael Denison (Algy), Joan Greenwood (Gwendolen) and Dorothy Tutin (Cecily) are enjoyable.

2002's remake is my preferred, but this original adaptation of Oscar Wilde's play is very much watchable.

Magnificent

[wjfickling · 10/10 · 26 September 2002]

An hour and a half of sheer delightful Wildean wit and word play. Lush Technicolor, brilliant acting. Edith Evans steals the show by going over the top by carrying her 19th century style of stage acting just as far as it can go, i.e., to the point of parody. I haven't yet seen the 2002 version, but i don't see how it can compare.

polished and exquisite

[killercharm · 7/10 · 24 August 2022]

This is an adaptation of a clever play by Oscar Wilde. It's chock full of silly sweet clevernesses deftly delivered by polished actors, every single one of them. In fin de siècle England are two men, each of whom makes up a fake person to hide behind. The one makes up a brother named Earnest who always needs his attention in town. The other pretends to actually BE Earnest when he realizes that might help him with a certain lady. There are all kinds of funny lines and deliveries, especially by Dame Edith Evans.

The greatest comedy in the English language

[MOscarbradley · 10/10 · 28 January 2007]

Anthony Asquith makes no attempt to 'open out' Oscar Wilde's great comedy of manners, (the best ever written in the English language), so essentially what we are seeing is about the best performance you could possibly have of a very great play due entirely to Asquith's understated direction and the consummate playing of his cast. Edith Evan's Lady Bracknell is already legendary, (a radical reinterpretation of the part is what is required if anyone else is to make an impression in the role), but so too are Michael Redgrave's Jack Worthing and Michael Denison's Algernon Moncrieff. (Redgrave is prissy and fey and very Wildean while Denison has a wonderfully easy-going loucheness about him). Nor can one fault Joan Greenwood as Gwendolen, (more tiger than kitten), or Dorothy Tutin as Cecily, (fresh faced innocence betraying a steely core), while Margaret Rutherford as Miss Prism wobbles that great chin of hers like a marshmallow on a low heat, (it may be her best and most undervalued performance). Hardly cinema in any traditional sense of the word, then, but it is to be treasured all the same.

so earnest!

[andrabem · 7/10 · 14 May 2007]

"The Importance of Being Earnest" is basically an adaptation of the Oscar Wilde's play for the screen, in other words, a stagy film. Nothing wrong with that, many films succeeded quite well this way, but here the caricatural acting spoils the overall effect. This is a theatrical film with performances that could work well on the stage, aided by the complicity and laughter of an audience. The acting could be even exaggerated if the film were made differently.

"The Importance of Being Earnest" should have used fully the possibilities allowed by the play - respectability, social conventions, cynicism, hypocrisy, joie de vivre .... all living together under the same roof. This could have been dynamite if it had been handled right.

Unfortunately, the actors are quick in using voices, smiles, eyebrows... to enhance every comic situation - this was not necessary! Oscar Wilde's play needs no underlining. In the "Importance of Being Earnest" there's a crescendo that should be considered. It starts as a light comedy, growing up slowly (innuendos and double entendres contend with respectability) ending finally in an explosion of laughter bursting out of a cathedral of joy. When I read the play as a teenager I liked it a lot - so much, in fact, that I read it again some years ago and I was hoping to repeat the fun with this film.

Well, this did not occur. The film is just slightly funny. The story should be treated with the daring and irreverence that were Oscar Wilde's qualities. What we see instead is a "classic" comedy more appropriate perhaps for a museum.

One of my favorite plays

[blanche-2 · 5/10 · 14 April 2008]

"The Importance of Being Earnest," one of my favorite plays, receives the heavy hand of Anthony Asquith in this film adaptation which stars Michael Redgrave, Michael Denison, Edith Evans, Joan Greenwood, Dorothy Tutin and Margaret Rutherford. Based on the Oscar Wilde play, it's the story of a man, Jack Cardew (Redgrave), who leads a double life of sorts - he leaves his country house for the city to take care of his sick cousin Ernest, who doesn't exist. Intrigued, his friend Algernon (Denison) pops down to the country house as Ernest and meets Jack's ward Cecily (Tutin). The two declare their love for one another and become engaged. When Jack's fiancée Gwendolen (Greenwood) who only knows him as Ernest arrives, Cecily cheerfully announces that she is engaged to Ernest. Chaos ensues.

Anyone who has seen "The Importance of Being Earnest" on stage knows that it is fast-moving and contains one big laugh after another. Despite the wonderful cast, this film manages to squeeze every bit of life out of the play so that it becomes very ponderous and nowhere near as funny as it should be. I was extremely disappointed, as this play even reads better than it is performed here.

The only part that should really get a big laugh in this film is Jack/ Ernest's statement that he was found in a handbag as a baby 28 years ago. Since Redgrave was in his forties when he made this film and looks every bit of it and more, this statement is absurd. Alas, what should have been a lightning-paced, charming movie is beautiful to look at and little else.

Best version of the play

[maf-11 · 3 November 2003]

The most recent version of The Importance of Being Ernest changed the script! Whoever thought that they could write better than Wilde was sorely mistaken. This version, however, is superb! Not only is the full text in tact, but Sir Michael Redgrave, known for his serious Shakespeare stage performances, shows how farce is best done when done "seriously". I love this version, and am ecstatic that it is now available on DVD. BRAVO!

Almost Perfect

[vox-sane · 10/10 · 2 June 2009]

This "Importance of Being Earnest" is a funny movie derived from Oscar Wilde's best play. There are no clunkers in the cast and hardly a wrong step is made, even when Wilde is altered.

Dame Edith Evans did not make her stage debut until fifteen years after "Earnest" first premiered, so Oscar Wilde could not have had her in mind when he created the role of Lady Bracknell; but she is so perfect it becomes difficult to imagine anyone else in the part, ever. She manages to squeeze every note of the music of human language into simple words like "found" and "handbag."

Margaret Rutherford and Miles Malleson, two famous and prolific actors of the "British dotty school" come very close to being ideal for their more minor parts of (respectfully) Miss Prism and Dr. Chasuble.

For the young lovers, the women are well chosen and make a fine contrast. Sultry-voiced Joan Greenwood has had a solid film career to this point (including the Alec Guiness classic "Man in a White Suit") and she knows how to deliver a comic line. Then new-comer Dorthy Tutin is so good with her lines, you'd think she was an old-hand, rather than a fresh-faced, twenty-two year old newcomer making her first major film appearance.

The "young men" are sometimes thought of as more problematic. Michael Redgrave (unfortunately known these days more for being the father of Vanessa and Lynn than for his great acting) was in his forties. Mainly stage-bound actor Michael Denison was in his thirties. Denison wonderfully limns the all-important character of Algernon Moncrieff. He's young-looking and exuberant and delivers his lines with great care and consideration (Algernon is an easy character to go hammy with and Denison avoids that trap).

For his part, Redgrave compensates for his age by an exquisitely-honed performance. Not only is his delivery spot-on, he practically gives a workshop on how to get a laugh with a slight twitch of a mustache or the roll of an eye. Redgrave and Denison seem to be having a high old time with their roles, while taking them seriously and never overacting.

Also, be on the look-out for long-time supporting actor Richard Wattis as "Seton." Blink, and you'll miss him, as he flits in to raise a supercilious eyebrow or two.

Some Wilde purists may object to the expurgation of lines. Many of the lines cut are the sort of thing that probably just struck Wilde as "a good idea at the time" and no one will miss them. Other lines may have been cut to keep this movie short, light and frothy. Wilde could be very funny, but he could also be unnecessarily cruel. I don't think he would have been a nice man to know, the way he could sling around hurtful lines to humorous effect. All his characters have been accused of "talking like Wilde" -- which is true to different degrees. A few of the missing lines were genuine, polished gems and it was a pity they weren't included. Also, the sub-plot of Grisby, which only appears in longer versions of the play, does not rear its ugly head in this short version (and good riddance). I, for one, am glad they kept the movie light and without a mean bone in its body.

The movie has also been changed subtly from the stage. The stage version has the action taking place on a minimum of sets. The movie remains bound to the sound-stage and never really ventures out of doors (even in the outdoors scenes) but it adds a few more sets and more mobility. For instance, it begins in Jack's flat rather than in Algernon's. For me, this works even better than the stage version and gives Jack a good reason to throw one of Algernon's lines back in his face.

So, you have a good play shorn of overmuch dialogue and a solid cast acting their hearts out. I don't know why I call it "Almost Perfect."

Oscar's Greatest Play

[theowinthrop · 10/10 · 13 March 2007]

In January 1895 two plays were produced in London's West End, and the reactions of the theater going public was marked in both cases. The first was GUY DOMVILLE, a historical drama that was written by Henry James. James had spent the better part of a year writing this play, and it was to establish him (he hoped) as a great dramatist. It has never been revived (as far as I know) but it's opening night was a disaster. Despite being put into the hands of a leading actor manager (George Alexander), the play was considered so static and feeble that the audience was laughing at the actors throughout the performance. James, a nervous man, did not show up until the curtain was closing. In a moment of anger and meanness, Alexander (who had gotten his share of jeers that night) signaled the audience to be quiet, and said that it was his pleasure to introduce the author of the play. Poor James walked over to Alexander, imagining he would receive kudos of applause for brilliant work. Instead the audience jeered and laughed at him - and he fled the theater (and London). He never wrote another commercial play.

A few weeks later Alexander regained his audience by appearing as Jack Worthing in the second play of that month: Oscar Wilde's THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. It was a hit comedy since that night, and though Wilde's personal disaster caused it to be closed prematurely it has remained (with LADY WINDEMERE'S FAN) permanently in world repertoire. But Wilde too, due to his legal disaster, never wrote another play for the British theater - he did write SALOME for foreign performances.

Due to the Wilde Scandal of 1895 his stories and plays were not performed on stage or in the movies in Britain for years. It was different in the U.S. THE CANTERVILLE GHOST (brought up to date) was a successful film with Charles Laughton, Robert Young, and Margaret O'Brien during the war. In the film FLESH AND FANTASY a version of LORD ARTHUR SAVILE'S CRIME was in one of the episodes with Edward G. Robinson, Sir C. Aubrey Smith, and Thomas Mitchell. And finally (in 1945) a film version of Oscar's sole novel, THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY, popped up with Hurd Hatfield, George Sanders, and Angela Lansbury.

Inevitably there was a softening of the censor rules for Wilde's comedies. And in 1952 Anthony Asquith did a lovely colored version of THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST. I think Asquith was copying the way he presented the film from Olivier's earlier HISTORY OF KING HENRY V (1944), where we see the production at the Globe Theater in the 1590s transformed into the actual locals in England and France (actually Ireland). Here we see a wealthy couple sitting in a theater box in London, and looking at the program, and the curtain rises. But the scene immediately is more like John Worthing's rooms at "the Albany" hotel in London, with his servants giving him a bath. Then the scene changes as we meet Worthing's friend Algy Moncrieff in the dining room.

Michael Redgrave is Jack, which is worth noting because Redgrave's film roles were usually dramatic parts, not comic ones. He is not the assured snob that John Gielgud played on stage (opposite Edith Evans), which one can still catch on recordings of his performance. But he is deft in his part, as the ultimate gentleman who is tragically bereft of normal parentage because he can only trace his ancestry to the handbag that he was abandoned in at Victoria Station.

Evans is the perfect Lady Bracknell (a "gorgon without a myth, which is quite sad", as Jack says). She is eminently supportive of the current status quo, willing to refuse Jack's desire to marry her daughter Gwendolyn (Joan Greenwood), while willing to accept his ward Cecily (Dorothy Tutin) for her relative Algy, as Cecily has a fortune of 130,000 pounds coming to her. Lady B is a snob, but a pragmatist. When asking Jack about his politics, he says he is a Liberal. She says that does not matter, at night she allows them to pretend they are Tories.

The two young woman are fine, especially in the scene where they think the other is trying to steal their boyfriend. Tutin's comments back at Greenwood are met with the approving gaze of the family butler (Aubrey Mather). But when both find their boyfriends are lying about their name, they suddenly reject both Jack and Algy, and call each other sister. Earlier Algernon had said that before women call each other sister they call each other by many other names - and he is shown to be right here.

One must also note the wonderful dual performance of Margaret Rutherford as Miss Prism and Miles Malleson as the diffident Canon Chausable. Both are past the age of real passion, but both are also attracted to each other - but their idea of a tryst is a walk in a garden, or Miss Prism going to the Vicarage. And Redgrave's final moments with Rutherford, when the mystery at the center of the play is almost solved, is a wonderful send-up of Victorian melodrama like EAST LYNNE about illegitimate children or shamed mothers.

An elegant, amusing trifle to this day - and a hint of what Wilde might have given us more of had he not been wrecked by the law and his lifestyle.

As the great Oscar Wilde said, "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People". A royal blockbuster earnest comedy with undying effects.

[SAMTHEBESTEST · 7/10 · 1 January 2023]

The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) : Brief Review -

As the great Oscar Wilde said, "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People". A royal blockbuster earnest comedy with undying effects. There are hardly a few comedies that live up to the test of time and give you some hilarious moments that you will remember for many years and enjoy even after many years. There are many rare comedies that have some extravagant dialogue with utterly organic humour. There are even rare comedies that are influential and make the errors look quite plausible and reliable. There are very few comedies that open a Pandora's box of royal vocabulary with silly characters and foolish dialogue and yet look highly intelligent. If you ever attempt to make lists of all those above-mentioned categories, then don't forget to add Anthony Asquith's Technicolor British comedy, "The Importance of Being Earnest." What a crazy royal ride it was! I mean, how can I be unaware of such a top-class comedy and call myself a movie buff? Somebody, please throw 'a handbag' at me. British cinema had something to crack such great comedies in the 50s. The entire 50s decade was full of British comedies, and most of them have been termed classics since then. Based on Oscar Wilde's British play of the same name, the film is about a fictional name, "Earnest". Apparently, the name becomes the most mandatory reason to be loved by a woman, but for two different guys. Hell no, you have heard of this, right? All those classic Indian comedies from the 70s and 80s were influenced by this. Good performances, an engaging screenplay, a well-written story, ornamental yet organically funny dialogue, intelligent humour, and almost-perfect direction-The Importance of Being Earnest has everything that you look for in a must-watch, evergreen comedy. Will you dare miss it? Let me leave you with my favourite line: "All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That's his."

RATING - 7.5/10*

By - #samthebestest.

Definitive Earnest

[TheLittleSongbird · 10/10 · 26 March 2017]

'The Importance of Being Earnest' is one of Oscar Wilde's most best known works for very good reason, and among the wittiest, thought-provoking and charming plays ever written.

Have yet to see a better filmed version of 'The Importance of Being Earnest' than this 1952 film. Not only that, but to me it is one of the essential filmed adaptations of any of Wilde's works. It may be theatrical and stagy to some, with the touch of the curtain at the start and end of the film and the unfussy (in no way a criticism) cinematography reminiscent of a filmed staged play. There are films based on plays that can suffer from this, but not 'The Important of Being Earnest', that it sticks to its theatrical roots is not only a large part of its charm but also one of the reasons why it works so well.

As an adaptation, 'The Importance of Being Earnest' couldn't be better. Almost all of the text is intact and in a way that's succinct and always cohesive rather than muddled or cramped. Even though there are alterations and omissions here and there, structurally Wilde's story and writing is very much recognisable and so is the spirit, instead of resorting to extraneous padding, additions or character distortions that don't belong.

While not exactly expansive and decidedly unfussy, in no way is this a criticism of 'The Importance of Being Earnest', the film is still beautifully shot in sumptuous Technicolor which does justice to the extravagantly opulent costumes and settings. Benjamin Frankel's music score is sometimes understated and elegant and also with an appropriate whimsy.

Despite a deliberately steady touch, Anthony Asquith's direction is still controlled and polished. Under such a touch, the classic comedic story of manners, morality and morals is gently deliberate but still with a lively energy, largely thanks to Wilde's writing and a splendid cast who give it everything they've got.

One cannot criticise the sparkling script, where Wilde's witticisms, wit, charm, whimsy, polished barbs and bons mots shine firmly to the fore. The cast are without fault, with not a weak link. Michael Redgrave is composed and suitably fastidious, while Michael Denison enjoys himself in the more colourful of caddish of the two. Joan Greenwood is charmingly whimsical and Dorothy Tutin delightfully coquettish, while one can count on Margaret Rutherford to steal scenes. Miles Malleson, Richard Wattis and Walter Hudd fare very well too. Upstaging (possibly) them all is Dame Edith Evans' battleaxe and hilarious Lady Bracknell, her quavering delivery of "a handbag" being a highlight of British cinema.

In summary, a wonderful film that sees Oscar Wilde in his glory. 10/10 Bethany Cox

Imitation cleverness

[returning · 6/10 · 5 January 2005]

Wilde is likely the least cinematic of the great playwrights. His humour is steeped in audience interaction and real-time, something difficult to replicate in the cinema. Here, there are certainly many capablefigures involved, and this is by no means a dull film, but for those of us who have seen a live presentation of this work, this remains but a copy of something worthwhile.

With "Pygmalion" Asquith was able to examine the re-definition of a character with the camera, as Eliza changed the camera's perception of her changed as well, both growing more refined. But here everything is too straightforward for any such experiments.

3 out of 5 - Some strong elements

Best version of this work

[bluecrab22 · 9/10 · 30 November 2009]

I have seen the 2002 remake of "Earnest" (very good), I have seen it performed on the stage (also very good), but this 1952 film version is now my favorite. I saw it for the first time only last night. Wonderful performances all around, with Edith Evans' presence being especially commanding. It doesn't hurt one bit that both Joan Greenwood and Dorothy Tutin look almost impossibly beautiful. There is not one word of wasted dialog. I don't know if the film was remastered or otherwise reprocessed, but the colors and picture were sharp (via cable TV). It looks like a DVD that cleaned up the the original was made in 2002 - I may have to have that! If you get a chance to see a stage production of this, do so.

Pretty good... but should be better

[margaret_chaffee · 7/10 · 26 January 2002]

The play "The Importance of Being Earnest" is brilliant and hysterically funny. I bought this tape because I adore the play. Unfortunately, the makers of this movie decided to delete quite a few (very funny) lines and made up a few others. I suppose they had time constraints, but it wasn't an improvement.

It is still enjoyable... but I much prefer the 1981 version. I have both on tape, and even though the '81 tape is old and deteriorating it is the version I will continue watch over and over again. I hope the 2002 version will be better than this!

Truly definitive

[grahamclarke · 10/10 · 14 August 2006]

This is one of those very rare cases in which the entire production has a stamp of the definitive about it. Any other production you are ever to see on stage or screen will very likely pale in comparison. An exceptional cast was assembled from the cream of the British theater of the time and under Anthony Asquith's direction, they one and all deliver superb and definitive performances of Wilde's wittiest play. Pity the actor in future productions who has to obliterate the memory of this bunch.

Michael Redgrave and Michael Dennison share a delightful chemistry and Joan Greenwood with her uniquely dulcet tones and Dorothy Tutin are the ideal Gwendolen and Cecily. Margaret Rutherford is, as always, a delight and of course there's Dame Edith Evans.

Evans so totally embodies Lady Bracknell that even the likes of Judi Dench and Joan Plowwright, (particularly weak), were distinctly lacking in tackling the role. Evans' haughtiness betrays an occasional self knowing humorous twinkle of the eye. It's an hilarious and masterly performance and a treasure to behold.

A production Wilde himself would no doubt have adored.

The General Was Essentially A Man Of Peace, Except In His Domestic Life

[ShootingShark · 7/10 · 27 December 2008]

Jack is in love with Gwendolen. His friend Algy is in love with Cecily. Both women want to marry a man named Ernest, so the men have both pretended to their fiancées that they are called Ernest. Such deception in matters of the heart is surely ill-advised …

There have been many adaptations of Oscar Wilde's classic comic play of high society manners, but this is the timeless definitive one. It probably works best because it doesn't really try to be a movie, it's just a staging of the play with crisp early colour photography and very little fuss. All of the principal cast are pretty much perfect in these roles; Redgrave's mannered, elegant, raised-eyebrow pomposity is irresistible. Dennison has a whale of a time as the caddish Algy. Tutin and Greenwood are as fine a pair of English stuffed prunes as ever took high tea, and the always reliable Rutherford is a scream as the guilt-strewn Miss Prism. Undoubtedly top of the heap though is Evans as the formidable Lady Augusta Bracknell. Evans had a whole career worth of stage experience behind her, and makes Wilde's much-celebrated battleaxe hilarious, terrifying, slightly sozzled and unforgettable. She has so many great lines it's folly to pick one, but I think my favourite is, "Ignorance is like a delicate exotic fruit; touch it, and the bloom is gone. The whole theory of modern education is radically unsound. Fortunately in England, at any rate, education produces no effect whatsoever.". The terrific cast and simple approach combine to deliver Wilde's sublime writing to the hilt. What I love so much about this play is that not a line or word is wasted; everything is funny, nuanced, part of the story, part of the comic absurdity. I generally enjoy plays, but many could do with a lot of pruning (try getting through Act IV of King Lear if you don't believe me). This on the other hand is as close to perfection as comic writing gets, as if Wilde had somehow worked out mathematically what constituted the most perfectly-formed funny stageplay. Okay it's maybe not for all tastes, but as a brilliantly observed little dig at love and aristocratic foibles it's an absolute gem. My favourite observation on Wilde is by Dorothy Parker, who said, "If with the literate I am / Impelled to try an epigram / I never seek to take the credit / We all assume that Oscar said it.". Draw the shades, make yourself a nice cuppa, and enjoy this comic delight.

Oh... those 19th c. gags!

[onepotato2 · 3/10 · 8 January 2009]

I saw this a billion years ago on TV with a friend. We both enjoyed it. I was happy to see it released on Criterion, but it really doesn't hold up.

It takes a very slight idea and converts it into polite fare. But one would have to value the dull, superficial, unexamined, boozhie lives these characters aspire to, to enjoy the movie. With characters willing to make lifelong commitments to someone they've known for less than a day, or reverse firmly-held convictions a few times in half an hour, Wilde is mocking every one of these conventional figures. I feel his contempt, and I find it legitimate. So it's hard to get worked up about plot resolution when I never valued A marrying B, or the like, even as a flimsy pretext to tease out a few jokes. The supposedly intricate plot barely reaches a mild muddle, before it's remedy is being engineered. You'll be taking mental note that we don't construct jokes like this anymore, as the characters spin their wheels to escape paper-thin conflicts.

The Dorian Gray movie is a mixed bag but the George Sanders role is the single best embodiment of Wilde's mischievous wit. And 'An Ideal Husband' is a different genre but is more enjoyable.