No one, but NO ONE played Lady Bracknell like Dame Edith Evans. The "handbag" delivery is legendary.

I adore this upper class accent. It blesses my heart, wonderful☺.

I cannot BELIEVE that the director cut Lady Bracknell's line, which should have been spoken at 1:30. After Algernon says: "His doctors found out that Bunbury could not live -- so Bunbury died", Lady Bracknell is SUPPOSED to reply: "He seems to have had an inordinate confidence in the opinion of his physicians." If nothing else, I would have thought that Edith Evans would have insisted on the line being kept in.

This woman is unbelievable. It's hard to imagine a better Lady Bracknell.

This is the definitive performance of "Importance" by which all others will be compared ( and found wanting ). No cast could ever come near to the perfection of this one. Solid gold - every one of them

Such exquisite writing.

Dame Edith issues consonants as if they were edicts. Wonderful performance. None better!

Simply the best Lady Bracknell ever ❤

"When I married Lord Bracknell, I had no fortune of any kind, but I never dreamed of allowing that to stand in my way."

Delicious; Redgrave, Evans and Greenwood with her glorious voice bringing Wilde's superb writing to life - even without the handbag!!

Legendary...Wonderful delivery by all the cast, Dame Edith in particular.

"Do you smoke?" "well yes....." "Good I'm glad to hear it, a man should have an occupation of some kind"

Edith Evans in this role was the precursor to Downtown Abbey!

"Impossible! He was at Oxford!" 😂😂😂 As if that's an excuse

In summary as others have said, this is a wonderful production. All the actors are superb, perfect timing, with Dame Edith Evans of course stealing every scene. Lady Bracknell and Aigernon have the best lines.

The best Lady Bracknell ever..

No-one could ever top Dame Edith Evans's performance her; in fact the whole cast is just perfect. Anything with the great Margaret Rutherford is worth watching :)

Best version out there. It has the true sparkle of wit.

Michael Denison is often underrated. His delivery as Algernon is pure Wilde and should be studied by any actor interpreting the role.

"He has nothing and looks everything -- what more could one desire?"

Classic interpretation of the text, and for me, one of the finest. Vale Oscar Wilde.

Dame Edith, the Lady Bracknell of all time.

"Few girls of the present day have any really solid qualities, any of the qualities that last, and improve with time. We live, I regret to say, in an age of surfaces". Oh boy, if that isn't true today. And i would include men in that too.

7:02 "He subsequently stayed to tea and devoured every single muffin!" Pahahahaha!!!!

Exploded?! Was he a victim of a revolutionary outrage?! :P

Possibly my favorite scene for dialogue from any film.

The best movie version hands down

They left out Bracknell's line about Bunbury having great confidence in his physicians.

It don't get no better. Why do they keep remaking this delightfully arch comedy as a sadly serious play? There will never be another Lady Bracknell. Ditto, Joan Greenwood.

Just as it's well nigh impossible to create an original Richard III after Olivier, so it is with Lady B post Edith. There have been some dreadful assassinations of the Bracknell genius since Dame Edith's great galleon sailed into the horizons of theatrical history.

Cecile Cardew: “I’m sorry, I am an honest girl and - when I see a spade - I call it a spade” Gwendolyn Fairfax: “Well, I for one, have never seen spade ♠️ it must be the company you keep”

Dame Edith, we are not worthy!

I could have sworn that O. Wilde wrote The Importance for the star role of Dame Edith Evans... he did not do so of course, but it is hard to believe that he did not.

a handbag?

Lady Bracknell was remarkably prescient, the original karen, but with class.

The General was essentially a man of peace, except in his domestic life.

*GWENDOLYN?!?!?!! WHOT DOES THISS MEAN?!!?!!?!?!?!?!?!?*

Michael Redgrave and Michael Denison 'hamming it up' for all they're worth. Dame Edith, as usual, is incomparable, incorrigible and impossible!

I wish someone might upload the complete movie

Can you imagine? A "cease communication immediately!" order upon engagement. Crack the whip! "Mr. Worthing, is Miss Cardeu connected with any of the larger railway stations in London?" (OMG I'm dying!)

Glorious

I've got this on dvd so wonderful!

What a lovely accent!

As great an actress dench is she could not hold a candle to this women

Edith Evans is The best Lady Brecknell ever

She said "I am firm" lollll hahaha

A HAAAAAAAAANNNNNNNNNNNDDDDDD BAG?

“This place has gone orf Terribly”

Hope you have not bothered to watch THE NEW IMITATION-REMAKE by STUPID HOLLIWOOD OF THIS BRILLIANT MOVIE which is the overwhelming embarrassment where NO TRACE OF ANY Hollywood "produced" TALENT can be found !! THIS VIDEO IS FROM THE SUPER CLASSICAL MASTERPIECE ~ WATCH THE REAL ORIGINAL ONLY on a GOOD QUALITY DVD - and you'd love to watch it over and over and over again!!! The Importance of Being Earnest (1952 film) with the ORIGINAL CAST superb classic performance!!! Michael Redgrave as John Worthing Michael Denison as Algernon Moncrieff Edith Evans as Lady Bracknell Joan Greenwood as Gwendolen Fairfax Margaret Rutherford as Miss Prism Miles Malleson as Canon Chasuble Dorothy Tutin as Cecily Cardew Aubrey Mather as Merriman Walter Hudd as Lane Richard Wattis as Seton

I'm at a loss for words. It hurts to watch but I can't stop!

Alas this film of IBES has forever spoiled any other iteration of the play, principally because of Edith Evans show is utterly flawless in her reading of the lines. I have watched the clips from the version with David Suchet who obviously has the talent to play the role in drag without seeming to be in drag yet................Evans has trumped a number of other great actresses, e.g., Judy Dench but the former simply put her stamp on the role.

Edith evans its amazing she was born in 1888.

The Sporran, Fyfeshire. Indeed, one cannot easily take issue with such an address. Even these days.

7:23 "After cuuh-full consideration..." Brian Butterfield!! Pahah!

Comment on the platform, heaven forbid!

"To miss any more might expose us to comment on the platform..."

~A handbag~

she be the best!

hahaha ' i dont INTEND to have a brother...' just brilliant. such wonderful accents!!

Please post the handbag scene! We'll be so grateful.

130,000 lbs in that time would be about a couple of million today.

genius

is she wearing a body suit?

Exploded?!

sisileeeh you meh kiss meeeh

it's probably because of all of the demon seed...

there will be comment on the platform LOL

Where does she say "a handbag"?

your - your're

One of her eyes is higher than the other...

"Gwendolyn, what does this mean?" Well, Lady B, looks to me like they're snogging up a storm. Just my opinion, though.

Markby, Markby and who? Oh that's right .....Markby

6:30

But Ernest was supposed to be 29 ¡¡¡

is this queen Mary of Teck? eh eh eh eh

No I know who they were making fun of in those old Warner Bros. cartoons

soooo are they british or american? LOL

What is it with old movies that make them so creepy? So many creepy persons

WHERE THE FUCK is HANDBAAAG? who else wasted 10 minutes?

Judy Dench is better