Because the story is airbrushed to the point of uncertainty, The Trials of Oscar Wilde pales by comparison with Oscar Wilde, the other Wilde movie to be released in 1960. Clearly, the more expensive movie, filmed in Technicolor – the cinematographer is Ted Moore – and with a large cast, The Trials of Oscar Wild boasts a better Bosie (John Fraser) and a better Queensbury (Lionel Jeffries) but a lesser Wilde (Peter Finch) and a lesser sense of the foreboding that precedes a tragedy.
Directed by Ken Hughes with James Mason as Sir Edward Carson and Nigel Patrick as Sir Edward Clarke. The film was released by Warwick Films, a partnership between Cubby Broccoli and Irving Allen, one week after the release of Oscar Wilde. Lionel Jeffries was only five years older then John Fraser who played his son.
Now Streaming on YouTube.
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THE TWO 1960 OSCAR WILDE MOVIES COMPARED
Oscar Wilde vs. The Trials of Oscar Wilde Released a few weeks apart in 1960, Oscar Wilde and TheTrials of Oscar Wilde cover the same story over the same time period. 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. | |||||
| 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 @The Brownees | 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 (straightactor) | Peter Finch (straightactor) |
| 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 | Jo Eisinger for Vantage Films | 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 |
