The screenplay was by Ken Hughes and Montgomery Hyde, based on an unperformed play The Stringed Lute by John Furnell (the pseudonym of Phyllis Macqueen).

In November 1959, Ken Hughes said he hoped for Laurence Olivier or Alec Guinness to play the title role.

Eventually, after confusion at various cinemas, Warwick announced they would release The Trials of Oscar Wilde as The Green Carnation.

[10] In his review of the film, Bosley Crowther wrote: "Mr. Wilde himself could not have expected his rare personality or his unfortunate encounters with British justice on a morals charge to have been more sympathetically or affectingly dramatized.

In comparison to that other British picture about the same subject that opened [in New York City] last week, this one is more impressive in every respect, save one.

"[11] Crowther concludes the review saying "The only thing is you wonder if this is a fairly true account, if Mr. Wilde was as noble and heroic as he is made to appear.

Before his downfall he gives the man the charm that he undoubtedly had....John Fraser as handsome young Lord Alfred Douglas is suitably vain, selfish, vindictive and petulant and the relationship between the two is more understandable.