Lady Windermere's Fan
About Lady Windermere's Fan
In London, Lady Margaret Windermere brushes off Lord Darlington. Her husband pays Mrs. Erlynne £1,500 to keep quiet about a claim that she is Lady Windermere's mother. Lady Windermere, who believes her mother is dead, finds the cheque. Mrs. Erlynne comes to the ball anyway. Lady Windermere goes to Darlington's house and leaves a note. Mrs. Erlynne follows, gets her to go home, and when the men arrive says the fan left behind is her own. The next morning she returns the fan, asks for silence, and turns down Lord Augustus Lorton. He follows her as she leaves for France.
Cast & crew
More about Lady Windermere's Fan
Ernst Lubitsch directed, produced, and edited. Julien Josephson adapted Oscar Wilde's 1892 play. Maude Fulton and Eric Locke wrote the titles. Darryl F. Zanuck is an uncredited producer. Charles Van Enger photographed it. Warner Bros. released it on 26 December 1925. Warner records split the $398,000 gross into $324,000 domestic and $74,000 foreign.
Themes
Look
Charles Van Enger photographed the ball and the scene in Darlington's rooms.
Preservation
Prints are in several archives. Associated Artists Productions put it on 16mm for television in the 1950s. The Library of Congress added it to the National Film Registry in 2002. A 35mm print restored by the Museum of Modern Art, with support from Matthew and Natalie Bernstein, was screened at George Eastman House in 2025 with Philip Carli at the piano. It is on the DVD set More Treasures from American Film Archives.
Notes
- Ronald Colman, lent by Samuel Goldwyn, plays Lord Darlington. May McAvoy plays Lady Windermere. Bert Lytell plays Lord Windermere. Irene Rich plays Mrs. Erlynne.
- Edward Martindel plays Lord Augustus Lorton. Carrie Daumery plays the Duchess of Berwick.
- A Danish listing gives 120 minutes. The 2004 National Film Preservation Foundation print runs 89 minutes. A circulating copy is about 86 minutes.
- In the 1890s American production of the play, Julia Arthur played Lady Windermere and Maurice Barrymore played Lord Darlington.
Scenes
- Mrs. Erlynne claims Lady Windermere's fan in front of the men.
- Lord Augustus follows her toward France after she refuses him.
Influenced by
- Oscar Wilde's play Lady Windermere's Fan (1892)
Also available
- Internet Archive (LadyWindermeresFan)
- Wikimedia Commons (Lady Windermere's Fan (1925).webm)
