Oscar Wilde's brilliant play of 1895 has not fared at all well at the hands of film makers. The German version of 1935 has had all the life drained out of it by Thea von Harbou's heavy-handed adaptation. Oliver Parker, who seems to have made it his mission to murder the works of Wilde, has planted the kiss of death on his film of 1999 and I cannot bring myself to watch a later version directed by someone named William P. Cartlidge. Has anyone seen the Russian version of 1980?!
Here we have Alexander Korda's opus of 1947. The tone of the film is set by a decidedly non-Wildean narration written by Hungarian Lajos Biro which accompanies an interminable scene in Hyde Park that resembles a dummy run for the 'Ascot opening day' of 'My Fair Lady'.
By taking the play out of the proscenium arch and giving it the 'Hollywood on Thames' treatment Korda has done Wilde no favours at all.
This whole enterprise is far too 'filmic' for its own good and although the sets
by Vincent Korda, costumes by Cecil Beaton and cinematography by Georges Perinal are stunning, the entire cast sinks under the sheer weight of the production values.
It is to be regretted that Vivien Leigh who was originally intended for the role of the scheming Mrs. Cheveley did not line up and Paulette Goddard has obviously been cast for the benefit of the American distributors. Her accent jars. Hugh Williams and Diana Wynyard are both immaculate but Michael Wilding is a disappointment. Lord Goring is one of Wilde's most interesting characters and Wilding's elegance cannot compensate for his awful delivery. Apparently Martita Hunt was drafted in to improve his diction but declared 'He's too common for the part'!
Glynis Johns is utterly enchanting as Mabel and C. Aubrey Smith as Lord Caversham is well, C. Aubrey Smith!
This film reminds us that 'big' is not necessarily better and one is hardly surprised that Korda suffered from perennial 'accounting' problems.
It is left to Anthony Asquith to achieve the perfect balance in the sublime 'Importance of being Earnest' of 1952.
Review of An Ideal Husband
