An optical resonator type organic electroluminescent element has a multilayered film mirror 30, a transparent electrode 12, an electron hole transportation layer 14 and a luminescent layer 16 configuring an organic layer, and a metallic electrode mirror 20, formed on a glass substrate 10. The optical resonator type organic electroluminescent element amplifies a specific wavelength (especially, in a range of about 30 nm toward a shorter wavelength side from a luminescence peak wavelength of the organic layer) in luminescence light by a minute optical resonator, which comprises the multilayered film mirror 30 and the metallic electrode mirror 20. It is determined that the minute optical resonator has an optical length L which is twice as long as a resonance wavelength, the organic layer has a thickness of 100 nm or more, and the transparent electrode has a thickness of 50 nm or more or a thickness so to have a sheet resistance of 30 OMEGA/square or less. Thus, the transparent electrode can be prevented from generating heat even when a large current is caused to flow into it, and the element characteristics can be reliably prevented from being deteriorated. Moreover, the reliability of this element can be improved because the organic layer containing the luminescent layer has a sufficient thickness.