Dorian Gray (1970)

User Rating:

5.3/10   

Director:

Massimo Dallamano

Writers:

Marcello Coscia (writer)
Massimo Dallamano (writer)

Release Date:

24 April 1970 (West Germany)

Genre:

Horror

Plot:

A corrupt young man somehow keeps his youthful beauty eternally, but a special painting gradually reveals his inner ugliness to all.

Plot Keywords:

Sex | Female Nudity | Foreign Language Adaptation | Lesbianism | Lesbian Sex

Cast

Helmut Berger	...	Dorian Gray
Richard Todd	...	Basil Hallward
Herbert Lom	...	Henry Wotton
Marie Liljedahl	...	Sybil Vane
Margaret Lee	...	Gwendolyn
Maria Rohm	...	Alice Campbell
Beryl Cunningham	...	Adrienne
Isa Miranda	...	Mrs. Ruxton
Eleonora Rossi Drago	...	Mrs. Clouston
Renato Romano	...	Alan
Stewart Black	...	James Vane
Francesco Tensi	...	Mr. Clouston

Also Known As:

Dorian Gray (UK) (USA)
Das Bildnis des Dorian Gray (West Germany)
Il dio chiamato Dorian (Italy)
The Evils of Dorian Gray
The Secret of Dorian Gray

Runtime:

Portugal:88 min (cut version) | USA:93 min | UK:101 min

Country:

UK | Italy | West Germany

Language:

Italian

Color:

Color (Eastmancolor)

Aspect Ratio:

1.66 : 1

Certification:

Iceland:16 | West Germany:16 (f) | Italy:VM18 | Australia:R | UK:15 | USA:R

Filming Locations:

London, England, UK

Company:

Sargon Film

Trivia:

Richard Todd has said in interviews he had no idea this film was semi porno until he discovered it was playing at Porn Cinema in London.

Movie Connections:

Version of The Picture of Dorian Gray (1973) (TV)

Memorable because it's so trashy

Once you see DORIAN GRAY you can't forget it. It's an updated version of the famous story, updated for the swinging 60s/70s which today is now outdated, which only adds to its many memorable aspects.

There's no point of giving a brief synopsis of the story as we all know it's about a man who remains perpetually young while a painting of himself ages in the attic. But what's really "new" or different here is the tone. It's trashy or should I say Eurotrashy. Helmut Berger plays Dorian Gray as a bisexual jet-setter who likes to mingle with beautiful young women but also with men on the side. The moral of the story is that Dorian has no morals and Helmut is perfectly cast as Dorian.

The one big problem with this version is that it was made a bit too early in the 70s. Had this been made in the mid to late 70s, there would have been a bit more sex or violence. It was sorta ahead of its times with the lurid update of the Dorian Gray story but it could have used a bit more explicitness to make it more true to its intentions. As it is, it hints at things it almost never shows and it's just a big tease of sorts. With a bit more sex it could have enjoyed a wider success like the Emmanuelle films.

But the main reason to watch DORIAN GRAY is for Helmut. It's one of his few starring roles and he shines here as the decadent title character.

Trashy fun!