The Picture of Dorian Gray

TV Movie
1973
TV-14
1h 51m

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

550

YOUR RATING

Shane Briant in The Picture of Dorian Gray (1973)

Drama Horror

In Victorian London, Dorian Gray is given a portrait of himself by an artist. Dorian treats actress Sybil Vane cruelly and sees that his portrait looks meaner. As years pass, he grows dissol... Read allIn Victorian London, Dorian Gray is given a portrait of himself by an artist. Dorian treats actress Sybil Vane cruelly and sees that his portrait looks meaner. As years pass, he grows dissolute and never ages but his picture grows ugly.In Victorian London, Dorian Gray is given a portrait of himself by an artist. Dorian treats actress Sybil Vane cruelly and sees that his portrait looks meaner. As years pass, he grows dissolute and never ages but his picture grows ugly.

See production info at IMDbPro

IMDb RATING

6.3/10

550

YOUR RATING

See production info at IMDbPro

Trivia
Throughout this film in various arrangements, composer Bob Cobert recycled his 1969 Top 40 and Grammy-nominated hit "Quentin's Theme" from his music for TV's "Dark Shadows".

Goofs
Shane Briant's hairstyles are strictly 1973 and not the least bit appropriate to Victorian England.

Quotes
Dorian Gray: [as he observes his portrait] How sad...
Lord Harry Wotton: What? What do you mean?
Dorian Gray: How sad it is... That I shall grow old, but this picture will remain always young. My hair will turn gray, my skin will wrinkle, and my teeth will rot. While my picture remains exactly as it is now. If only it were the other way...
Lord Harry Wotton: Dorian...
Dorian Gray: If it were I who would remain always young and the picture would grow old. For that, I would give everything...
Lord Harry Wotton: Dorian...
Dorian Gray: Yes, everything! For that... I would even give my soul.
Basil Hallward: [smirks and raises his glass] To long life.

Connections
Featured in Deadly Earnest's Nightmare Theatre: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1978)

Soundtracks
Quentin's Theme
by Robert Cobert

User reviews19

Review

Featured review

7/10

I'm betting Dorian Gray was a passing street twink

Young Shane Briant was the prettiest Dorian Gray ever on screen. In this version of The Picture Of Dorian Gray I got the distinct feeling that this is how Oscar Wilde probably saw his character in real life. His inspiration probably was some pretty twink he met in passing in the London underground gay scene.

Although Briant narrates this story of his life which dates from 1891 to 1911 which was after Wilde himself was gone, the story is seen from two pairs of eyes. One is that of Nigel Davenport the freewheeling hedonist who takes Gray under his wing. He's the witty Wilde and full of aphorisms which he tosses off to express his attitudes about life and love. The other is the artist Charles Aidman who paints that infamous portrait showing Gray in the full bloom of youth and attractiveness. This was Wilde the closeted gay man so hopelessly in love with the pretty Mr. Gray.

Of course Briant is taken with the portrait and wishes a strange wish that the opposite of life comes true, that he remain young and attractive and the portrait age like we humans do. But not all of us lead a life of total debauchery. It's that which the portrait shows as his pleasures age him rapidly on canvas. And his sins which includes the deaths of several people either by accident or very much design.

This is a nice television production of the Oscar Wilde classic, Briant is the quintessential Dorian Gray. If they do it again I could see Robert Pattinson playing the part.