The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) - 9 stars out of 10

The Importance of Being Earnest (1952) - 9 stars out of 10

It is difficult to go wrong when you have a play as genius as Oscar Wilde's social parody, "The Importance of Being Earnest."  Double entendres, ridiculous characters, and obvious materialism will keep you laughing (whether it is a small chuckle or a full-out guffaw) from start to finish.  The cast is outstanding, as if the actors possessed their characters' personalities in real life.  The peak of ridiculousness appears in the final scene as Edith Evans delivers her lines with an inflection that is amusing, regardless of what the dialogue is expressing.  Oscar Wilde's play is at its finest in this 1952 rendition of British high society.