"They seek him here, they seek him there..."

The Scarlet Pimpernel

1905 novel

by Baroness Emmuska Orczy

Although written at the beginning of the 20th century, the story of The Scarlet Pimpernel was inspired by events that took place over 100 years before.  It is set in both France and England during the French Revolution.  An Englishman with a well-concealed identity, who is referred to as the Scarlet Pimpernel, along with his band of 19 followers, goes on daring missions into the heart of France to save French aristocrats from death by the guillotine. They are then brought to England, where they can safely start a new life.

But who is this man? Who is the Scarlet Pimpernel?

Nobody knows--not even the people who are saved with his help.

Yet so many are seeking him--particularly the leaders of the new French republic. In their minds, he is keeping wicked people from dying deaths that they deserve. So an ambassador is sent to England by the name of Chauvelin, for the sole purpose of discovering the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel so that they can watch his movements and have him arrested and executed the next time he is on French soil. Chauvelin does as much research as he can before heading over to England, concluding that whoever the Scarlet Pimpernel is, he is a part of the highest social circle in England.

Also within that social circle are Sir Percy Blakeney and his wife, Lady Marguerite Blakeney--a newly married young couple. Sir Percy is a fool who can barely bring himself to think of anything besides fashion and money, yet he is known to be clever and witty at times and comes from very good money. Lady Marguerite is actually a Frenchwoman by birth, who somehow managed to get swept off her feet by Sir Percy and now unhappily resides with him in England. To make up for her husbands foolish ways, Lady Blakeney is breathtakingly beautiful, highly intelligent, cunning and witty. She is regarded as one of the most important women in Europe, and together she and her husband easily glide within the social circle with people like the Prince of Wales.

Chauvelin actually knew Lady Blakeney before she was married, while she was still living in France. He knew her family and is also acquainted with her brother, Armand. While trying to discover who the Scarlet Pimpernel is, he discovers that Armand is one of his 19 followers. He has him arrested and decides to blackmail Lady Blakeney into helping him figure out who it is within her social circle that moonlights as The Scarlet Pimpernel. He promises her that if she does this, he will set her brother free.

Lady Blakeney doesn't know what to do or where to begin. Her dearest brother, her only living blood relative is in danger but if she can discover the identity of the Scarlet Pimpernel, he can return safely to England. But even if she did discover who the Scarlet Pimpernel was, could she really condemn a man who is known to be so brave by his adventures and efforts to save innocent lives?

The Scarlet Pimpernel

1934

Starring Merle Oberon, Raymond Massey, and Leslie Howard

Baroness Orczy's novel The Scarlet Pimpernel has been adapted for the stage and the screen many times before. However, I would say that the best version that I know of and have seen myself would be the 1934 film, which stars Merle Oberon as the beautiful, troubled young Lady Blakeney; Leslie Howard as her dumb husband, Sir Percy; and Raymond Massey as the French ambassador, Chauvelin.

This film adaptation captures all of the tiny details found in the original tale of The Scarlet Pimpernel. It is very well done and brings the adventures of the brave Englishman to life.

And, for your enjoyment, I have found the 1934 version of The Scarlet Pimpernel in it's entirety as one whole video, and you can watch it from beginning to end here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6SnYSLFJiY

"They seek him here, they seek him there,

 Those Frenchies seek him everywhere.

 Is he in heaven? Is he in hell?

 That demmed, elusive Pimpernel."

 -Sir Percy Blakeney

"Suzanne: 'The Scarlet Pimpernel. What a droll name. What does it mean?'

 Sir Andrew: 'It is humble, wayside flower, mademoiselle. And it hides the identity of the best and  bravest man in all the world.'"

"Good books,like friends,are few and chosen; the more select,the more enjoyable."-Louisa May Alcott

Little Women

1868-69 novel

by Louisa May Alcott

Little Women is essentially a story about family.  The story follows the lives of the March sisters--Margaret "Meg," Josephine "Jo," Elizabeth "Beth," and Amy.  Each of them have their own distinct personalities, and occasionally those personalities clash, but time and again, with the help of their loving Father and Marmee, they learn important life lessons: the importance of love and family, forgiveness, having faith in their creator, accepting loss, etc. The story begins when Meg, the oldest of the sisters, is only sixteen, and it follows them, their adventures and life lessons over several years time. It doesn't just look at hard, trying or profound times, either. There are passages that make the reader laugh, and smile.

Louisa May Alcott

The story is written by Louisa May Alcott, and it has strong ties to her real life. The characters of the March family are all based on her real parents, her sisters and herself (as portrayed by Jo), and although the names were changed for most of them, nothing was changed about the character of her beloved sister, Beth--not even her name.  Many of the scenarios that are presented to the reader are actual memories belonging to Alcott of her family.  The story is even set in and around Alcott's childhood home, which is also where she wrote it.  Perhaps because of the deeply personal ties to the story, it is written in a way that makes the reader feel like they know the characters, and take a personal interest in what happens to them as the story goes on.

Alcott originally only wrote the first half of the novel (which is split into two parts) and had it published in 1868. She did not believe that it would be well received, or that people would be interested in it. Therefore, she only published to first part to begin with. To test the waters, if you will.  She was surprised at the warm reception, and agreed to finish the story, with the second half being published in 1869.

I honestly cannot even begin to express how much I love this story. The plot sounds so simple, almost like there is nothing to it, and maybe that's true, but it is so fascinating and fun. It's merely a coming of age story--a story about a family that will make you laugh, smile, cry, and keep turning the pages to figure out what happens to the girls and their loved ones.  I know so many people who have read this story, and I've found that even though the reader always loves the entire March family, they always have that one March sister which is their favorite. I know people whose favorite is Amy, or maybe Meg, or of course, free-spirited Jo. My own personal favorite is Beth. But no matter which sister wins your heart, everybody I know who has read the book loves it, and learns and grows along with the March family as they read.

Beth March

Of course, when there is a book beloved by so many, film adaptations are bound to follow.

There are several classic versions that have been brought to the public over the years:

A 1933 version starring Katharine Hepburn as Jo, Frances Dee as Meg, Jean Parker as Beth, and Joan Bennett as Amy.

A 1949 version starring June Allyson as Jo, Janet Leigh as Meg, Margaret O'Brien as Beth, and Elizabeth Taylor as Amy.

A 1978 version starring Susan Dey as Jo, Meredith Baxter Birney as Meg, Eve Plumb as Beth, and Ann Dusenberry as Amy.

If I were to choose which of the above mentioned classic versions of the movie as my favorite, I would have to say, after seeing all of them, the 1949 version, which I was raised on. We had it as a VHS tape when I was a kid and I watched it so many times I'm surprised it still works.

However, if I had to choose my absolute favorite version of the movie from all time, even though it might not qualify as a classic, it would have to be....

Little Women

1994

Starring Winona Ryder, Trini Alvarado, Claire Danes, Kirsten Dunst, Samantha Mathis, Christian Bale, and Susan Sarandon

This version is by far the best I have ever seen. There is just something about it that really encompasses the true feeling of family and love that you get when you read the book.

It's phenomenal, with Winona Ryder as spirited Jo, Trini Alvarado as pretty Meg, Claire Danes in her first film role as timid Beth, and artistic Amy portrayed both by Kirsten Dunst and Samantha Mathis as she ages.

Susan Sarandon really steps into the role of Marmee, in all her wisdom, and Christian Bale is Theodore "Teddy"/"Laurie" Laurence, the boy from next door.

The book presents such a beautiful story, written from the heart of Louisa May Alcott, and this movie is the only one that truly captures that on the screen, in my opinion.

Here is the trailer for the movie:

"There are many Beths in the world, shy and quiet, sitting in corners till needed, and living for others so cheerfully that no one sees the sacrifices till the little cricket on the hearth stops chirping, and the sweet, sunshiny presence vanishes, leaving silence and shadow behind."

"I may be strong-minded, but no one can say I'm out of my sphere now, for woman's special mission is supposed to be drying tears and bearing burdens."

-Jo March

"Give them all my dear love and a kiss.  Tell them I think of them by day, pray for them by night, and find my best comfort in their affection at all times.  A year seems very long to wait before I see them, but remind them that while we wait we may all work, so that these hard days need not be wasted.  I know they will remember all I said to them, that they will be loving children to you, will do their duty faithfully, fight their bosom enemies bravely, and conquer themselves so beautifully that when I come back to them I may be fonder and prouder than ever of my little women."

-A letter from Mr. March to Marmee

"I've always admitted that I'm ruled by my passions."-Elizabeth Taylor

Just short of one year ago, the world lost yet another star and classic beauty--one of the most beautiful women on earth.

She was talented, beautiful, and passionate.  And three days ago, February 27th, would have been her 80th birthday.  So, this post is in honor of her.

Happy Birthday, Ms Taylor

Elizabeth Taylor

Born February 27, 1932

Died March 23, 2011

Elizabeth Rosemond Taylor was actually born in London, England on the 27th of February in 1932.  However, her parents were American citizens, so she had a life long dual citizenship to both countries.  There was later a time in her life when she wished to become solely a citizen of the United Kingdom, but could not go through with it, because she would not vow to renounce all allegiance to the United States.

The Taylor family already had connections with the film industry, with Taylor's mother being a retired actress, herself.  In 1939, when Taylor was just 7 years old, her family returned to the United States.  They settled in Los Angeles, California, further exposing their young daughter to the life of the Hollywood elite.  Taylor was beautiful, even as a child, and child actors were becoming more common at that time.  It didn't take long until multiple Hollywood film studios were begging for her to sign a contract with them.  The young Elizabeth was given her first contract with Universal Pictures.

She made one film for Universal before they fired her for undisclosed reasons.  It is widely speculated that they didn't like her looks as a child actress, believing she looked "too old" compared to young girls like Shirley Temple.  She didn't possess the "cute" look--she had a more angular face, with deep blue eyes that sometimes reportedly looked purple, and had double eyelashes, due to a genetic mutation.

Later on, Taylor's father did some military work with a producer from MGM.  He learned that they were looking for an actress for a new Lassie film, in the making.Taylor was given the part in the film, and hooked a long-term contract with the studio.She was a famous child star, making around 9 films with MGM as a child star.

Taylor had a seemingly effortless transition into adult roles--probably because, yet again, she always looked mature for her age.Just as when she was considered a child actress, the adult Elizabeth Taylor was a success in her bigger film roles, some of the more noteable ones being Father of the Bride (1950), A Place in the Sun (1951), Ivanhoe (1952), Cat on a Hot Tin Roof (1958), The Taming of the Shrew (1967), and many more.

She remained active in her film career until 2003.  Even then, she did not fade out of the picture.  Taylor was an extremely active humanitarian, providing funding and charities and public awareness for HIV/AIDS, along with other causes.

Taylor remained fairly active, and didn't tend to shy away from the public eye for the remainder of her life.  She died on March 23, 2011, and the world lost a classic beauty, a wife, a mother, a humanitarian, and a true star.

Now, I have chosen a movie of Elizabeth Taylor's that I would recommend watching.

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof

1958

Starring Elizabeth Taylor, Paul Newman, and Burl Ives

An adaptation of Tennessee Williams' play by the same name, the story centers around a very dramatic family celebration.  Maggie "The Cat" Pollitt (Taylor) and her estranged husband, Brick (Newman), are stuck in Mississippi with his family, in order to celebrate his father, "Big Daddy" Pollitt's (Ives) birthday.

Brick is depressed, and refuses to spend any time with his family (including his wife), preferring to drink by himself all day.  The rest of the family notices that Maggie and Brick don't seem to be getting along, and the taunting seems endless to Maggie.

Big Daddy has been ill for a while, and just before his birthday, he and his wife fly to see a doctor to find out if he is dying of cancer.  They return in time for celebrations, along with the news that he is not dying.  However, since the possibility of his death was put into everyone's minds, Brick's brother and sister-in-law decide to have a disturbing competition, wanting to find out who Big Daddy will leave all his money and land to when he dies.

In the meantime, Big Daddy has also noticed that things aren't right with Brick and Maggie, which upsets him because that is who he would prefer to leave his belongings to, if he had to choose.  He forces Brick to talk, forces him to say what it is that has made him turn his back on his wife and his family, the story being that Brick is angry and depressed with himself for not helping a friend who later committed suicide.

Another truth comes out when Big Daddy learns and admits that he really does have cancer, and he isn't going to live much longer.  Feeling a little depressed, himself, at the knowledge of this, Big Daddy retreats to the basement to be alone.  While the rest of the family is falling apart upstairs, due to arguing over Big Daddy's will, Brick goes down to the basement to confront his father.  They argue for a while, but eventually come to terms with eachother and their issues.  They go back upstairs to join the rest of the family.  Big Daddy makes it very clear that Brick's older brother and his wife won't see a penny of his money, and Brick beings to show affection toward Maggie, once again.

It's a very dramatic film, but a very good one.  It focuses on the important things in life, and the importance of forgiveness and truth, and showing true character in the face of death.

"Who has double eyelashes except a girl who was absolutely born to be on the big screen?"

-Roddy McDowall

"God forbid you do anything individual or go against the fad.But I did."

-Elizabeth Taylor

"If you think it's going to rain, it will."-Clint Eastwood

As you'll remember, last month Think Classic had a photo contest, and the winner was Larae Thompson (@thegrouchisin). She submitted her black and white photo on the Think Classic Facebook page (which there is a link to at the bottom of this post).

So, Larae gets a write-up about herself, and who she would pick for Star of the Month, and which movie of theirs she would pick for Movie of the Month.

This is pretty exciting for me, because Larae was one of the fist fans of Think Classic, and she's been following my work since I started.When I asked her what she'd like to have said about her, she very modestly said that I didn't need to say anything, at first. She is a great lover of classic movies, and tends to prefer comedies to other genres.She's also a fan of actors Gregory Peck, Van Johnson, and Jimmy Stewart, and a few of her favorite movies are In the Good Old Summertime (1949), The Philadelphia Story (1940), and The Man Who Came to Dinner (1942). When asked why she loves classic films so much, she replied:

"I like them because they rely on human experiences and emotions to entertain instead of shallow plots and fancy visual effects which visually entertain, but don't mentally stimulate."

And with that being said, here are her picks for Star and Movie of the Month:

STAR OF THE MONTH

Clint Eastwood

Born May 31, 1930

Clinton Eastwood, Jr. was born in the summer of 1930 in central California. Growing up, he was much more interested in athletics than he was in drama. His acting career didn't officially take off until the 1950s, and even then, there were many who wouldn't take him seriously. He was criticised for his stiff demeanor and the way he would pronounce his lines-almost hissing them through his teeth. He earned a contract with Universal Studios, but only had smaller roles off and on. Universal dropped him in 1955, which led him to his first big film role, The First Traveling Saleslady (1956).

Eastwood's career officially launched in the 1960s with films like A Fistful of Dollars (1964), For a Few Dollars More (1965), and The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly (1966). These western films which formed a trilogy also defined the majority of roles that Eastwood would play throughout the majority of his career. He had a very hard time winning the approval of American film critics. One of his first most successful productions was Dirty Harry (1971).

By the early 1970s, Eastwood was already trying his hand at directing. He then took on producing in the early 1980s, and even got involved with music with many of his films.

Eastwood has had a phenomenal career that has been full of an outstanding number of successful productions, which he has recieved many awards for. He has been a part of over 50 major motion picture productions, and is still active at the age of 81.

MOVIE OF THE MONTH

For a Few Dollars More

1965

Starring Clint Eastwood, Lee Van Cleef, and Gian Maria Volonte

Colonel Douglas Mortimer (Van Cleef) and the Man with No Name, although sometiems referred to as Manco (Eastwood), are two bounty hunters. They usually work independently but team up to hunt down a fugitive by the name of El Indio (Volonte), one of the most violent and ruthless in the western territories. Mortimer persuades Manco to find his way into the heart of Indio's gang, which he does.

Indio has been planning to rob a bank and manages to do so while Manco is still with his gang. After the robbery, he leads his followers to a tiny town on the border, where Manco is able to reunite with Mortimer, who he hasn't had contact with. While they're there, one of the members of Indio's gang recognizes Mortimer, who he has had a previous encounter with. He calls out Mortimer, and the two have a showdown--Mortimer survives. Mortimer then manages to gain Indio's trust by cracking open a safe. Indio keeps the money safely locked away, but Manco and Mortimer are planning to steal it back. When members of Indio's gang catch them trying to take back the money, Mortimer and Manco are beaten and bound. Indio instructs his right hand man to set them free, and then sends the rest of his gang running after them, saying that they "got away." His plan is that all of them will die, leaving himself and his right hand man free to take the money and run.

One of Indio's gang members suspects that he is up to something, and he kills Indio's right hand man. He plans to kill Indio, too, but first discovers that Mortimer has moved the money from it's hiding place. He informs Indio of this, and Indio convinces him to help him hunt down Manco and Mortimer. The next day, there is a showdown, and Mortimer and Manco shoot down the remaining gang members, including Indio's new right hand man. Mortimer has a showdown with Indio, during which it is revealed that Mortimer has a personal vendetta against Indio because he killed his sister. Mortimer kills Indio. The bounty hunters have fulfilled their mission, but having successfully gotten his revenge, Mortimer declines his share, leaving Manco to take the bodies of the outlaws, and the money, although it doesn't make it clear whether or not he intends to return it.

That's all for now!

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"Who said anything about goofing off?"-Van Johnson

Hello, all.

I have no book to post about (yet), and I already did a post on January's Star of the Month, but I just felt like posting something.

So, here's a fun post (not that all of my posts aren't fun for me)!

It's about one of my favorite actors, so I hope you enjoy!

Van Johnson

Born August 25, 1916

Died December 12, 2008

Charles Van Dell Johnson was born in Rhode Island in 1916. He was an only child, and had a troubled childhood. His mother was an alcoholic and left the small family when Johnson was very young, and he never seemed to get along very well with his father. He was known for his cheerful attitude throughout his life, but behind the scenes was said to be easily upset by things and suffered from bouts of melancholy.

Johnson was interested in acting and theater from an early age. He performed for social clubs and other such groups when he was in high school. Once he graduated he concentrated on building a career for himself, moving to New York City in 1935. His first big acting gig was a part in New Faces of 1936 on Broadway. After that he had small chorus jobs, off and on, until he was cast in the movie Too Many Girls in 1939. It was with many thanks to Lucille Ball that Johnson got his first contract with Warner Brothers Studios. His relationship with the studio didn't last long, but helped with publicity. Once he was finished with Warner, he gained a lasting contract with MGM.

Johnson starred in around 35 major motion pictures for MGM from 1943-1954. His first big film role with the studio was in A Guy Named Joe (1943), but some of his other well known roles were Marcus Macauley in The Human Comedy (1943), Ted Lawson in Thirty Seconds Over Tokyo (1944), Andrew Larkin in In the Good Old Summertime (1949), Daniel Pierce in Invitation (1952), and Charles Wills in The Last Time I Saw Paris (1954).

Johnson's career didn't end when he left MGM, however. He went on to star in around 18 more movies, and was a part of 21 television productions. It is believed that he started the idea/tradition of "sitcom-walk on" appearances when he made a cameo appearance on the I Love Lucy Show in 1955.

Johnson was married to actress Eve Abbott from 1947 to 1968. The couple had only one child, a daughter named Schuyler (which is one of my favorite names....but only if I pronounce it.Which I supposedly do incorrectly). He stayed active in his career until 1992, when he went into retirement. Van Johnson died of natural causes in 2008, at the age of 92.

Now, I picked a movie starring Van Johnson (and alot of other people), which he made during his time at MGM.

Battleground

1949

Starring Van Johnson, John Hodiak, Ricardo Montalban, George Murphy, and James Whitmore

Battleground is a WWII film that tells the true story of the 101st Airborn Division. The soldiers are in Bastogne, Belgium. They were sent to the frontlines to try and cut off a suspected German attack. There is a change of location several times, until the troops end up on the outskirts of town, in the woods. They are attacked at dawn, and over the next couple of days, the small division finds themselves surrounded, low on ammunition, and soon low in numbers as men get wounded and killed. There is a snow storm, and the weather conditions prohibit transport planes from delivering supplies. But the group perseveres until they can be relieved, earning themselves the nickname "Battered Bastards of Bastogne." The siege of Bastogne is a victory for the American troops.

There are several remarkable things about the movie Battleground. One is that it is considered to be the first significant film about WWII that was released shortly after the war. Also, 20 veterans from the 101st Airborn Division were called in to help train all the actors, and they acted as extras on the movie set. The movie is excellent, and received a good deal of recognition for portraying a very vulnerable side to the soldiers.The movie won 2 Academy Awards.

That's all for today!

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Photo Contest!

Alright, this is definitely a first for Think Classic, and I'm not 100% sure how it's going to turn out, but we're going to try a photo contest!

THE RULES

Since this is basically just an experiment, I'm going to keep the rules really simple.

1. Find a black and white picture you really like. It can be anything. A picture of yourself, your friends, tattoo, jewelry, clothes, travel, a picture you took, or a picture you find online,etc. Just try to be creative and choose a picture you love.

2. Submit it to me either by tagging @Think_Classic in the picture you submit to Twitter, OR post a picture of your choosing on the Think Classic Facebook page wall (link below).

3. You have a week to submit your photo.I will stop accepting them at midnight on Wednesday, January 25.

4. ***PLEASE, if you are searching for a photo online, pay attention to whether it is copyrighted, because Think Classic will not be held responsible for any copyright infringements***

THE PRIZE

For the month of February, 31 Days of Oscar will be going on with TCM, so there is not a specifically chosen Star of the Month.

The prize for the photo contest winner will be a brief mention of them in a post that also includes a write-up on who they would choose for Star of the Month, what movie with that star they would choose for Movie of the Month, and why.

I'm looking forward to seeing what people submit, and who the winner will choose as Star of the Month!

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"I never regretted what I turned down."-Angela Lansbury

STAR OF THE MONTH

Angela Lansbury

Born October 16, 1925

Angela Brigid Lansbury, oldest child of Moyna MacGill and Edgar Lansbury, was born in Poplar, London in October of 1925. Her mother was an actress, and often took her to the theater to see plays. Lansbury also studied the dramatic arts at two different schools in her early days.

In 1940, Lansbury's mother relocated the family to the United States. They originally started out in New York, but eventually settled in Los Angeles, where Lansbury began to work at a local department store. At the age of 18, Lansbury was offered a part in the movie Gaslight (1944). She was nominated for an Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for her first film role.

From there, Lansbury's career took off. She has maintained a very successful career in theater and television, as well as movies. She has been in 17 theater productions at Broadway and West End, including Mame, Hamlet, and Sweeney Todd; been a part of 22 television productions, probably one of her most famous being Jessica Fletcher in the series Murder, She Wrote; and she has been in 54 major film productions (including her upcoming 2012 film Adaline), with some of her most notable roles being Semadar in Samson and Delilah (1949), Eglantine Price in Bedknobs and Broomsticks (1971), Salome Otterbourne in Agatha Christie's Death on the Nile (1978), and Mrs. Potts in the Beauty and the Beast franchise.

Angela Lansbury is still alive and well at the age of 86. She became a naturalized United States Citizen in 1951, and now resides in New York.

MOVIE OF THE MONTH

The Picture of Dorian Gray

1945

Starring Hurd Hatfield, Donna Reed and Angela Lansbury

Dorian Gray (Hatfield) is a very young and extremely easily influenced man. He comes to believe that the two most important things in life are youth and money. He decides life is only worth living if you have those two things forever. His friend Basil paints a portrait of him as a gift, and Dorian makes a wish that his portrait would age instead of himself, so that he could look as young and pure as his likeness.His wish magically comes true, and Dorian does not outwardly age.

Time passes, and Dorian falls in love with a young actress named Sibyl (Lansbury). Unfortunately he is easily convinced by an acquaintance to break her heart and abandon the relationship for "more important things in life." So, even though he really does love Sibyl, he leaves her, and shortly afterwards learns that she has killed herself.

Rather than grieve for this loss, Dorian locks away his emotions and concentrates on worldly things.He begins to notice that the portrait of himself is changing. It frightens him, so he locks away the portrait in his childhood playroom, where nobody can see it.

Time passes, as it always will, and Dorian continues to remain young, even though he should be aging. He occasionally looks at his portrait which has become uglier as he has become more sinful, cold, and hedonistic over the years. He does not, however, change his ways, and the portrait haunts him, constantly weighing on his mind. Eventually his paranoia over it causes him to murder a close friend. Dorian feels his responsibility for the crime, and realizes the person he has become. Wishing to spare Gladys (Reed), the girl he now loves, he stabs his portrait in the heart, thereby breaking the spell and killing himself.

As you might recall, I did a post on The Picture of Dorian Gray, which is based on the novel of the same name by Oscar Wilde, back in June.Obviously it isn't a bright, cheerful story, but it is very interesting. Wilde makes quite a statement on his views towards secular humanism and hedonism, etc. The film is beautifully and artistically done, and presents a fascinating story.

You can view the official original trailer here:

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/58887/Picture-of-Dorian-Gray-The-Original-Trailer-.html

And you can see selected clips from the movie play consecutively here:

http://www.tcm.com/mediaroom/video/252354/Picture-of-Dorian-Gray-The-Movie-Clip-Moral-Leprosy.html

That's all for today!

Don't forget, you can still see more Angela Lansbury movies on TCM every Wednesday in January.

Also, I'll be posting official information about the photo contest tomorrow.

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