I watched two films recently both starring Angela Lansbury, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' and 'The Private Affairs of Bel Ami', because of two books I had just read, 'Bel-Ami (Dear Friend)' by Guy de Maupassant and 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' by Oscar Wilde.
Both of these movies were shot in black and white but had colour portraits spliced into them.
'The Temptation of Saint Anthony' by Max Ernst was spliced into 'The Private Affairs of Bel Ami' and a youthful portrait of Dorian Gray by Henrique Medina was spliced into the beginning and an aged and grotesque portrait of Dorian Gray by Ivan Albright was spliced into the end of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray'.
Oddly enough, Angela Lansbury shares a birthday of October 16th with Oscar Wilde and Henrique Medina would pass away on November 30th, the anniversary of the passing of Oscar Wilde.
And Albert Lewin the director of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray' shares a birthday of September 23rd with me, which was the day I finished the novel, as fate ... or luck would have it:-)
I ended up buying a copy of the 1945 version of Dorian Gray for 14 bucks off Apple TV after watching the Rambling Director's You Tube review of the movie, which was the movie I watched.
I found it amusing that the Egyptian cat in the painting of Dorian Gray is the same cat I've had on my computer desk for decades.
And while I'm often told I look young for my age, I can assure you I don't have a portrait in my home anywhere:-)
Another amusing coincidence was the day I found the 'Bel-Ami' novel in an Op shop, Bryce Courtnay's novel 'April Fool's Day' was next to it, and I bought them both.
Max Ernst passed away on April 1st (AKA April Fool's Day) I noticed while writing up this post.
Bryce Courtenay: The Power of One
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