An Ideal Husband

Plot

A man's youthful indiscretions come back to haunt him in this droll drawing room comedy. Sir Robert Chiltern (Hugh Williams) is a fine and upstanding British gentleman who has distinguished himself in the political arena and is selflessly devoted to his wife (Diana Wynyard). However, it turns out that he wasn't always a paragon of virtue; early in his career working with the British cabinet, Chiltern sold some confidential information regarding the Suez Canal, and Mrs. Cheveley (Paulette Goddard) has made it clear to Chiltern that she knows what he did and is willing to tell others about it. She agrees to keep silent if he's willing to support a proposal currently being debated in Parliament that would put a phony canal through Argentina. A fearful Chiltern agrees, but his best friend Viscount Goring (Michael Wilding) objects, and he tries to persuade Mrs. Cheveley to rescind her blackmail threat, while explaining to Lady Chiltern how a good man could do something so wrong at some point in his life. This was the third screen adaptation of the sophisticated satire by Oscar Wilde. ~ Mark Deming, Rovi

Review

This version of Oscar Wilde's classic An Ideal Husband is far from perfect, but it does have a number of elements that are worthy of considerable praise. First, it is a surprise and a delight to report that Paulette Goddard's Mrs. Cheveley is absolutely first rate. The danger of casting an American in this part is circumvented by changing the character into an American herself; it doesn't quite jibe with the world Wilde created, but it's a minor quibble. And Goddard proves that the change is well worth it, delivering a portrait of a scheming, conniving, selfish and amoral woman that is both reprehensible and irresistible. Michael Wilding is also well cast as Viscount Goring, who proves himself as capable a manipulator as Cheveley, if one of a higher moral plain. In addition, the color photography is lush and sumptuous, and the costumes are simply and totally stunning. That said, this Husband does have a number of weak spots, starting with Alexander Korda's direction, which is a bit on the staid side. The pacing lags a bit too often, which causes the wit and humor to be a bit more muted than is desired. Korda is treating the work with a bit too much reverence, and it could use a little flippancy here and there. This stuffiness affects the performances of Hugh Williams and Diana Wynyard, and even (to a lesser extent) Glynis Johns. Still, even with its flaws, this Husband is a more than adequate catch. ~ Craig Butler, Rovi

Cast

• Paulette Goddard - Mrs. Cheveley
• Michael Wilding, Sr. - Viscount Goring
• Hugh Williams - Sir Robert Chiltern
• Diana Wynyard - Lady Chiltern
• C. Aubrey Smith - Earl of Caversham

Glynis Johns - Mabel Chiltern; Constance Collier - Lady Markby; Christine Norden - Mrs. Marchmont; Harriette Johns - Countess of Basildon; Michael Anthony - Viscomte de Nanjac; Fred Groves - Phipps; Peter Hobbes - Mr. Montford; Michael Medwin - Duke of Nonsuch; Michael Ward - Mr. Trafford

Credit

Hugh Stewart - Associate Producer, Phil Brandon - Associate Producer, Cecil Beaton - Costume Designer, Alexander Korda - Director, Oswald Hafenrichter - Editor, Arthur Benjamin - Composer (Music Score), Dr. Hubert Clifford - Composer (Music Score), Dr. Hubert Clifford - Musical Direction/Supervision, Dorrie Hamilton - Makeup, Urban P. Hutchinson - Makeup, Georges Périnal - Cinematographer, Alexander Korda - Producer, Vincent Korda - Set Designer, W. Percy Day - Special Effects, John Cox - Sound/Sound Designer, Lajos Biró - Screenwriter, Oscar Wilde - Play Author

Previous:	An Ice Cream Show (1999 Film), An Honourable Murder (1959 Film)
Next:	An Ideal Husband (1999 Film), An Ideal Husband (1969 Film)