The Importance of Being Earnest

Watch: The Importance of Being Earnest

Unrated

12/22/19521h 35m

Theatrical Release (US)

~ They don't come any wilder than Oscar Wilde's classic comedy of manners, morals and morality! ~

Overview:

Two young gentlemen living in 1890s England use the same pseudonym ('Ernest') on the sly, which is fine until they both fall in love with women using that name, which leads to a comedy of mistaken identities.

Director:

Anthony Asquith

Status:

Released

Language:

English

Buget:

$0.00

Revenue:

$0.00

Key words:

love triangle
marriage
mistaken identity
etiquette
based on play or musical

Cast

Michael Redgrave

~ as ~

Ernest Worthing

Michael Denison

~ as ~

Algernon Moncrieff

Edith Evans

~ as ~

Lady Bracknell

Joan Greenwood

~ as ~

Gwendolen Fairfax

Dorothy Tutin

~ as ~

Cecily Cardew

Margaret Rutherford

~ as ~

Miss Prism

Miles Malleson

~ as ~

Canon Chasuble

Richard Wattis

~ as ~

Seton

Walter Hudd

~ as ~

Lane

Aubrey Mather

~ as ~

Merriman

View full cast & crew

Reviews (1)

CinemaSerf
Written 2 year(s) ago
7
There's little point in outlining the plot here - it's not what the film is about. It is the combination of characterisations and the wonderfully witty writing of Oscar Wilde that make this a thoroughly enjoyable film to watch. It makes no bones about it's theatrical origins - even featuring a curtain at the start and the finish, and that sets us up for a cracker of a comedy that swipes at snobbery, pomposity, crass stupidity, deception and offers us a tour de force effort from the inimitable Dame Edith Evans ("Lady Bracknell"). Anthony Asquith has created a delightfully honest interpretation of the play - the dialogue is pithy and quickly paced, few lines are wasted and the talents of Michael Redgrave, Michael Denison, Dorothy Tutin, the perfectly cast Joan Greenwood as "Gwendoline" and Margaret Rutherford as the prim "Miss Prism" combine to give us a genuinely laugh-out-loud series of scenarios that are a joy to behold. It's colourfully set, the costumes a delight (though, I felt seriously gaudy at times!) and the comically timed mannerisms, gestures and charisma of the performers is great, too. It is rare for a piece of theatrical comedy to transfer so effortlessly to the big screen, but here it all looks so very natural...