The Importance of Being Earnest

Michael Redgrave & Michael Denison.

It's surprising that Oscar Wilde's most beloved stage play, The Importance of Being Earnest, has only been adapted for the screen  twice. The reason is likely due to the quality of those productions, especially Anthony Asquith's 1952 production starring a sublime British cast.

Set in the 1890s, the plot follows two charming young Englishmen, Jack Worthing and Algy Moncrieff, who each adopt the alias “Ernest” to escape social obligations and pursue romance. Jack woos the idealistic Gwendolen while Algernon courts Jack’s ward, the innocent Cecily. Both women oddly insist they can only love a man named Ernest. Hence, Jack and Algy must scramble to maintain their fabricated personas, resulting in a humorous unraveling of secrets, family ties, and the true meaning of “earnestness.”

I'll leave it to the intellectual critics to comment on Wilde's social commentary. Let's just say that he skewers the British upper class--but with a light touch. In the guise of a comedy, The Importance of Being Earnest exposes the aristocracy’s self‑importance, moral posturing, and obsession with appearances.

My personal assessment is that The Importance of Being Earnest is one of the funniest film comedies of the 1950s and a sadly underappreciated one. It's a classic example of an absurd situational comedy with brilliant dialogue. One of my favorite scenes is when Jack is being interviewed by his potential mother-in-law Lady Bracknell. Here's one of their exchanges:

Lady Bracknell: Do you smoke?

Jack Worthing: Well yes, I must admit I smoke.

Lady Bracknell: I'm glad to hear it. A man should have an occupation of some kind.

Joan Greenwood.

Of course, even Wilde's wittiest lines require the the right delivery and The Importance of Being Earnest benefits from an impeccable cast. It's stacked with familiar faces in British cinema, such as Michael Redgrave (Jack), Edith Evans (Lady Bracknell), Joan Greenwood (Gwendolen ), and Margaret Rutherford. However, the standout may be Michael Denison as Algy, who plays the charming cad to perfection. Surprisingly, Denison, who performed extensively in the British theatre, never played Algy on the stage. (Some sources claim he appeared in the 1947 TV play, but that is not true.)

For the record, the 2002 adaptation of The Importance of Being Earnest is an enjoyable affair, though not as sharp of the 1952 version. It starred Colin Firth as Jack, Rupert Everett as Algy, and Judi Dench as Lady Bracknell.