The Picture of Dorian Gray

This was originally broadcast in the early 1970s, by ABC Circle Films, I think, and it was a great drama for its time and it still holds up well today. Dan Curtis, who directed this also has a big collection of the Dark Shadows series and he has a good feel for the gothic aspects of the 19th century story. Nigel Davenport really steals the show as Dorian's older mentor/corrupting influence. Also, the homosexual aspects are handled extraordinarily well, by saying what they need to say, without saying anything, just a look, or a suggestion, nothing overt. Altho it follows the old MGM story, this one has a lot sharper edge to it and is more realistic, especially about Dorian's depravity. Davenport does really carry the show with his all-knowing, cynical observations that lead the way for Dorian's destruction and doom . . . but it is Dorian who makes the decisions, not Davenport.

This is a TV thriller based on Oscar Wilde's novel - a suspenseful plot from beginning to end about young English aristocrat Dorian Gray, whom after meeting the hedonistic Sir Harry Wotton, dives into a life of decadence and self-indulgence. The story gets even more thrilling when a self portrait of Dorian changes appearances, reflecting his sinful ways.

Great-pacing with decent acting and a good setting that captures the beauty but eeriness of the atmosphere. There is hardly any dull moment in the movie and the drama, though a little too theatrical in some ways, keeps you glued to the screen. Overall, a captivating thriller!

Grade A-

The ring on column remains the definitory image of film for me. Like the causes, more than explicit , of the transformation of picture.

A good point - the option for Shane Briant as Dorian Gray. Not impressive, not the memorable, only the credible one .

Another virtues - the atmosphere and the way to craft his Harry by Nigel Davenport, like the precision of the time period ( from the year 1891 - the apparition of novel- to 1911 ) . TV movie, it proposes not exactly revelations and the second part can not be the most tasted by the admirers of novel but it works in just reasonable manner.

An interesting part - the induced nostalgia , not only for the half of century from the birth of movie but for the theater solutions for solve some scenes.

In short, just a correct adaptation.

A painting of Dorian Gray seems to change as Dorian himself begins to change in personality. The producer of 60s cult series Dark Shadows takes us on another supernatural ride with The Picture of Dorian Gray.

After a bumpy start this film finally takes form when "the picture" becomes the main thing in the story. Producer Dan Curtis made other supernatural films in the 1970s (for example The Night Stalker TV movie) but in this one he seems reluctant to let go of his past...it even features music cues lifted from 60s Dark Shadows! Should I mention the use of video tape instead of film?

The Picture of Dorian Gray (1973) features a fine cast and complelling story. However, I went in totally comparing it to Dark Shadows. I am no expert on the book the film was based on or the other film versions of the story.

I first saw this one when it was first shown, so I'm not too objective about it. It really managed to scare me, partly because it was so late at night, but partly because of that whole feeling from a videotaped suspense story (the same thing that helped Dark Shadows itself). And the casting was so right. I hardly know Shane Briant from anything else, so it might not be so right to call HIM "well-cast," but to me, he IS Dorian Gray. And as far as the other male actors, the one who fit his part so well was Nigel Davenport (who's so good at "larger than life" characters) as Sir Henry. And John Karlen, a sort of Dan Curtis "repertory player" at the time, because of Dark Shadows. As one poster points out, this version manages to include the involvements with men, in a fairly subtle way. The scene where Dorian recites a list of men's names to John Karlen's character, as a way of blackmailing him, and the look on Karlen's face, were very well-done. (If that scene were done now, it would probably be done in a TOO OBVIOUS way, and be bad by comparison.) I saw it when "Dorian Gray" was barely a name to me, let alone more, so even more than the famous 1945 version (which is rightly famous), this is THE version to me.