(Albert Lewin, US 1945, 110 min., 35mm)
Oscar Wilde’s classic tale of the macabre is brought faithfully to the screen by screenwriter-director Albert Lewin. Tempted by the contemptible Lord Henry Wotton (George Sanders) to explore his narcissistic side, Dorian Gray (Hurd Hatfield) unwittingly makes a wish on an Egyptian cat statue that sends his physical aging and vile demeanor into a portrait of himself painted by Basil Hallward (Lowell Gilmore), which he keeps hidden away in his attic. Without the visual deterioration of the life he lives, Gray goes on unimpeded, endangering those around him, including Donna Reed and an Oscar-nominated Angela Lansbury. Shot primarily in black-and-white, the Technicolor shots of the portrait stand out to demonstrate the beauty of Gray in his youth and his degeneration later in life.