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OPEN CLASSIC CINEMA · 890

Lady Windermere's Fan

1925120 minUnited States
ComedyDramaRomance
Video edition
Wikimedia Commons
Original language
No spoken dialogue. Intertitles: English.
This copy runs
86:26
Subtitles
No subtitle track in this language

Languages and subtitles

No subtitle track in this language

Wikimedia Commons · Ernst Lubitsch · Public domain

This copy runs shorter than the reference runtime. Editing and playback speed can differ between editions.

Synopsis

Lady Windermere suspects her husband's financial help to an unfamiliar woman conceals an affair. The woman is actually her mother, whose existence and reputation have been kept from her. A ball, a departure and a forgotten fan bring the hidden relationship close to exposure, forcing the older woman to decide whose reputation she is willing to protect.

Cast

DirectorsErnst Lubitsch

Inspirations

Lubitsch adapts Oscar Wilde's play through glances, objects and the arrangement of people within social gatherings. The fan can carry evidence between rooms even when the truth behind it remains unspoken.

Sources and availability

General references identify the work and its copy. A reference beside an editorial section is linked to the claims checked in that section.

Wikipedia — film referenceWikidata — film identity and credits

Work catalogued as public domain in the United States.

The public-domain references concern the original films in the United States. Rights can differ for other countries, editions, restorations, music or translations. Sources are listed on each film page.

Availability checked on September 12, 2026.

Photograph credit

Photographs cropped, resized and optimized as WebP, displayed in monochrome.

  • Ronald Colman — 20th Century-Fox · Public domain
  • May McAvoy — Clarence S. Bull · Public domain
  • Bert Lytell — Bain News Service; This image is available from the United States Library of Congress 's Prints and Photographs division under the digital ID ggbain.36022 . This tag does not indicate the copyright status of the attached work. A normal copyright tag is still required. See Commons:Licensing . · Public domain
  • Irene Rich — Russell Ball (1896-1942) · Public domain

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