Oscar Wilde
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (October 16, 1854 - November 30, 1900) was an Irish playwright, novelist, poet, short story writer and Freemason. Known for his barbed and clever wit, he was one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London, and one of the greatest celebrities of his day. Homosexuality was still against the law in England (and in fact would remain so until 1967) and Wilde was arrested for 'gross indecency' and sentenced to two years hard labour in 1895. He never fully recovered from this and would die penniless three years after his release.
"Anyone who lives within their means suffers from a lack of imagination." - Oscar Wilde
A Good Woman (2004)
Director: Mike Barker
Starring: Helen Hunt, Scarlett Johansson, Tom Wilkinson, Stephen Campbell Moore, Mark Umbe...
One of Oscar Wilde's most popular plays, 'Lady Windermere's Fan', is moved to '30s New York. Helen Hunt is Mrs Erlynne, the widow living comfortably o... Read more
An Ideal Husband (1999)
Director: Oliver Parker
Starring: Rupert Everett, Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore
Devoted womaniser and partygoer Arthur Goring (Rupert Everett) is famed for his elegance, repartee and refusal to take anything seriously. When called... Read more
An Ideal Husband / The Successor (1998)
Director: Bill Cartlidge
Starring: James Wilby, Sadie Frost, Jonathan Firth, Jason Connery
'An Ideal Husband' - In a moment of youthful indiscretion, Sir Robert Chiltern betrayed his country and received the money that became the basis of hi... Read more
Dorian Gray (2009)
Director: Oliver Parker
Starring: Ben Chaplin, Caroline Goodall, Colin Firth, Fiona Shaw, Rebecca Hall, Ben Barnes...
Young Dorian Gray (Ben Barnes) arrives fresh on the London social scene and is taken under the wing of corrupt, devilish Lord Henry Wotton (Colin Firt... Read more
Lady Windermere's Fan (1925)
Director: Ernst Lubitsch
Starring: Ronald Colman, May McAvoy, Irene Rich
Unable to rely upon Oscar Wilde's epigrammatic dialogue to carry the day (this was, after all, the silent-film era), director Ernst Lubitsch substitut... Read more
Oscar Wilde Vol 1: The Picture of Dorian Gray (1976) / The Importance of Being Earnest (1988)
Director: John Gorrie, Stuart Burge
Starring: Rupert Frazer, Gemma Jones, Alec McCowen, Paul McGann, Natalie Ogle, Joan Plowri...
Acclaimed BBC adaptations of two of Oscar Wilde's most esteemed works. Lovingly restored, these plays feature a who's who of great actors of the Briti... Read more
Oscar Wilde Vol 2: An Ideal Husband (1969) / Lady Windemere's Fan (1985)
Director: Rudolph Cartier, Tony Smith
Starring: Margaret Leighton, Keith Michell, Jeremy Brett, Dinah Sheridan, Susan Hampshire,...
Volume 2 of the BBC's Oscar Wilde adaptations includes the comedies 'An Ideal Husband' (1969) with Margaret Leighton and Keith Michell; and 'Lady Wind... Read more
Salome (1992)
Director: Derek Bailey, Peter Hall
Starring: Maria Ewing, Michael Devlin, Kenneth Riegel
Richard Strauss' erotic, one-act adaptation of Oscar Wilde's poetic play is filled with decadence, lavish sets and stirring singing. Maria Ewing turns... Read more
Salome's Last Dance (1988)
Director: Ken Russell
Starring: Glenda Jackson, Stratford Johns, Nickolas Grace
British eccentric director Ken Russell pays homage to another flamboyant creative artist, Oscar Wilde, in this colourful adaptation of Wilde's banned... Read more
The Importance of Being Earnest (2002)
Director: Oliver Parker
Starring: Rupert Everett, Colin Firth, Judi Dench, Reese Witherspoon, Tom Wilkinson, Franc...
Sublime reworking of Oscar Wilde's timeless comedy from director Oliver Parker ('An Ideal Husband') features flashbacks and fantasy sequences to enhan... Read more