The Importance of Being Earnest (1952 film)

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The Importance of Being Earnest

Directed by	Anthony Asquith
Written by	Oscar Wilde Anthony Asquith
Produced by	Teddy Baird Earl St. John
Starring	Michael Redgrave Michael Denison Edith Evans Joan Greenwood Dorothy Tutin Margaret Rutherford Miles Malleson
Music by	Benjamin Frankel
Release dates	2 June 1952 22 December 1952 (NYC)
Running time	95 min.
Country	United Kingdom
Language	English

The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) is a British film adaptation of the play by Oscar Wilde. It was directed by Anthony Asquith, who also adapted the screenplay, and was produced by Teddy Baird.

Adaptation

The film is largely faithful to Wilde's text, although it divides some of the acts into shorter scenes in different locations. Edith Evans's outraged delivery of the line "A handbag?" has become legendary. As actor Ian McKellen has written, it is a performance "so acclaimed and strongly remembered that it inhibits audiences and actors years later" providing a challenge for any actress taking on the role of Lady Bracknell.

The cutting becomes perverse in (theatrical) Act Three where it starts throwing out the best jokes. It also supplies no reason for Lady Bracknell to know where Gwendolen is and follow her there - which is surreal in the wrong way. Earlier oddities include Algy asking why the giver of the cigarette case calls herself Cecily if she is Ernest's aunt, which makes no sense and sounds like a simple mistake. A political line is dumbed down for later audiences so as to result in Lady Bracknell equating Tories and Liberals - actually the opposite poles of the spectrum at the time.

The film is noted for its acting, yet the parts played by Redgrave and Denison call for actors ten years younger. Redgrave would have been more youthful without his moustache. Margaret Rutherford, who plays Miss Prism in this adaptation, played Lady Bracknell in the 1946 BBC production.

The film stands as the most famous adaptation of an Oscar Wilde play.

Awards and nominations

The film received a BAFTA nomination for Dorothy Tutin as Most Promising Newcomer and a Golden Lion nomination for Anthony Asquith at the Venice Film Festival.