In 1895, Oscar Wilde (Peter Finch) lodged a libel action against John Douglas, the Marquess of Queensberry (Lionel Jeffries), over public proclamations made concerning the notorious playwright's relationship with his son, Lord Alfred Douglas (John Fraser). The ill-considered move resulted in Queensberry's acquittal and Wilde's subsequent prosecution for sodomy, and the proceedings are memorably dramatized here. James Mason, Yvonne Mitchell, Nigel Patrick, Emrys Jones also star.