The late Australian actor Peter Finch was one of the finest practitioners of his craft ever to work out of the United Kingdom. Although he is known to today’s audience chiefly for his performance as the rogue TV anchorman in the movie ‘Network’, it should not be forgotten that he has a fine body of work besides this admittedly classic movie.

Peter Finch’s talent was spotted by that titan of the theatre and film, Lord Laurence Oliver and Peter Finch’s career without a doubt was helped by the assistance that Lord Olivier gave him. We should be grateful, when looking at Peter Finch’s oveure, that Lord Oliver did this as the worlds of both film and theatre would have been much the poorer without the work of Peter Finch.

Today’s Friday Night Movie offering, the Trials of Oscar Wilde, is one of those Peter Finch movies that does not get the same public attention as ‘Network’ has and it is a great shame that this film is not treated in the same way. In this movie Finch plays Wilde brilliantly. His portrayal of the author takes us from Wilde at his most successful and adored, to Wilde the broken man following the trial that centred on his intimate relationship with Lord Alfred ‘Bosie’ Douglas, the son of the Marquess of Queensbury.

Bosie is also well played by John Fraser who captures well this spoiled brat character’s selfish and thoughtless ways. The selfishness of Bosie is shown most clearly when Wilde confronts Bosie about an incriminating letter from Wilde to Bosie that clearly showed that the two men were intimate at a time when homosexuality was punishable by imprisonment. John Fraser’s portrayal of Bosie’s cavalier attitude to security by losing this letter and opening up Wilde to blackmail attempts, really makes you dislike Bosie for his selfishness.

I was delighted to discover that this movie was available and very much enjoyed it. I hope that you enjoy it too.