The better of the two films dealing with the Oscar Wilde tragedy released in 1960.
It is 1892, opening night of Lady Windermere’s Fan. Oscar Wilde (Robert Morley), married to Constance (Phyllis Calvert), begins a relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas—Bosie—played by a far‑too‑mature John Neville. Bosie’s father, the Marquess of Queensberry (Edward Chapman), publicly accuses Wilde of being a homosexual. Wilde sues him for libel, but the case backfires spectacularly when evidence of Wilde’s relationships with men is exposed. He is prosecuted, convicted of gross indecency, and imprisoned, leading to his social and financial ruin.
Neville may be miscast, but Morley is superb. He delivers Wilde’s stream of bon mots with effortless charm while also capturing the tragedy of the man, especially during the trial scenes. The film’s high point is the back‑and‑forth between Wilde and Sir Edward Carson, played with icy brilliance by Ralph Richardson. Their verbal duel is as riveting as any courtroom drama of the era.
The word homosexual is never spoken—this is 1960, after all—but the film does not shy away from the implications. Queensberry leaves a calling card at Wilde’s club accusing him of being a “sodomite” (misspelled somdomite), and the nature of Wilde and Bosie’s relationship is unmistakable through gesture, tone, and framing. Dennis Price is excellent as Robbie Ross, Wilde’s loyal friend and former lover, whileAlexander Knox brings quiet intelligence to Sir Edward Clarke, Wilde’s counsel, who realizes mid‑trial that his client has not been entirely forthcoming.
This was the final film directed by actor‑director Gregory Ratoff, who had earlier directed Ingrid Bergman in her Hollywood debut, Intermezzo. Modern audiences may know him best as Max “you sly puss” Fabian in All About Eve.
Adapted by Jo Eisinger (‘Gilda”) from the play “Oscar Wilde” by Leslie and Sewell Stokes
Cinematography: Georges Périnal
Vantage Films
TCF in the US
Please see the TABLE for a WILDE-to-WILDE comparison
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THE TWO 1960 OSCAR WILDE MOVIES COMPARED
Oscar Wilde vs. The Trials of Oscar Wilde BOTH FILMS WERE APPROVED BY THE HAYS OFFICE BECAUSE BOTH SHOWED THE DOWNFALL OF OSCAR WILDE, THE DOWNFALL OF A HOMOSEXUAL. BOTH MOVIES WERE FRAMED AS MORAL TRAGEDIES, particularly Oscar Wilde. The Trials of Oscar Wilde suggested that Wilde may have been heterosexual and perfectly happy with Constance, only to be tempted into sexual deviancy by Bosie and other nefarious characters. | |||||
| 1960 movie | Oscar Wilde | The Trials of Oscar Wilde | 1960 movie | Oscar Wilde | The Trials of Oscar Wilde |
| Hays Code Seal of Approval | SUBMITTED: YES APPROVED: YES | SUBMITTED: YES APPROVED: YES | Rating @TheBrownees | B- | (C) |
| SOURCE | Play OSCAR WILDE by Leslie and Sewell Stokes | Unproduced play THE STRINGED LUTE by John Furnell (the pseudonym of Phyllis Macqueen) | WILDE | Robert Morley (straight actor) | Peter Finch (straight actor) |
| ADAPTION | Screenplay by Jo Eisinger | Screenplay by Ken Hughes and Montgomery Hyde | BOSIE | John Neville (straight actor) | John Fraser (gay actor) |
| DIRECTION | Gregory Ratoff | Ken Hughes | MRS. WILDE | Phyllis Calvert | Yvonne Mitchell |
| PRODUCTION | William Kirby | Harold Huth in conjunction with Warwick Films (Irvin Allen and Albert R. Broccoli) | ROBBIE ROSS | Dennis Price (gay actor) | Emrys Jones (straight actor) |
| DISTRIBUTION | Wide release in the UK, US and Europe. TCF in the US. | Wide release in the UK, US and Europe. Columbia in the US. | QUEENSBURY | Edward Chapman | Lionel Jeffries |
| BUDGET | $250,000 (black and white) | $400,000 (color) | Sir Edward Carson | Ralph Richardson | James Mason |
| Box office | Modest loss – broke even in some regions | A major flop – it almost bankrupted Warrick Films | Sir Edward Clarke | Alexander Knox | Nigel Patrick |
