Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920/I)

User Rating:

7.0/10   

Director:

John S. Robertson

Writers:

Robert Louis Stevenson (story)
Clara Beranger (scenario)
(more)

Release Date:

April 1920 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

The world's greatest actor in a tremendous story of man at his best and worst!

Plot:

Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.

Plot Keywords:

Personality | Experiment | Doctor | Dancer | Laboratory

Cast

John Barrymore	...	Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde
Charles Lane	...	Dr. Richard Lanyon
Brandon Hurst	...	Sir George Carew
Cecil Clovelly	...	Edward Enfield
Nita Naldi	...	Miss Gina - Italian Singer
rest of cast listed alphabetically:
Alma Aiken	...	Extra (uncredited)
J. Malcolm Dunn	...	John Utterson (uncredited)
Martha Mansfield	...	Millicent Carew - Sir George's Daughter (uncredited)
George Stevens	...	Poole, Jekyll's Butler (uncredited)
Edgard Varèse	...	(uncredited)
Louis Wolheim	...	Music Hall Proprietor (uncredited)

Directed by
John S. Robertson

Writing credits
Robert Louis Stevenson		(story "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde")
Clara Beranger		(scenario) (as Clara S. Beranger)
Thomas Russell Sullivan		play (uncredited)

Produced by
Adolph Zukor	....	producer (uncredited)

Original Music by
Lee Erwin		(1971)
John Scott

Cinematography by
Roy F. Overbaugh		(photographed by) (as Roy Overbaugh)

Art Direction by
Clark Robinson		(uncredited)

Set Decoration by
Charles O. Seessel		(decorations)

Second Unit Director or Assistant Director
Shaw Lovett	....	assistant director (uncredited)

Art Department
Robert M. Haas	....	architect

Editorial Department
Karl Malkames	....	negative cutter (1971 alternate version)

Other crew
Adolph Zukor	....	presenter

Production Companies

• Famous Players-Lasky Corporation

Distributors

• Famous Players-Lasky Corporation (1920) (USA) (theatrical)
• Paramount Pictures (1920) (USA) (theatrical) (as Paramount-Artcraft Pictures)
• Killiam Shows (1971) (USA) (theatrical) (re-release)
• Viking Video Classics (1986) (USA) (VHS)
• Kino Video (1991) (USA) (VHS)
• Marathon Music & Video (1998) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (1999) (USA) (DVD)
• Kino Video (2001) (USA) (DVD)
• Alpha Video Distributors (2002) (USA) (DVD)
• Delta Expedition (2004) (USA) (DVD)
• Divisa Home Video (2004) (Spain) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2005) (worldwide) (video)
• Estlander (1921) (Finland) (theatrical)
• Continental Home Vídeo (????) (Brazil) (VHS)
• Finnkino (2009) (Finland) (DVD)
• GoodTimes Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Grapevine Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Image Entertainment (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• Jokanan/Collection Ciné-Club Hollywood (????) (France) (DVD)
• Madacy Entertainment (2003) (USA) (DVD)
• Reel Media International (2007) (worldwide) (all media)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (VHS)
• Republic Pictures Home Video (????) (USA) (video) (laserdisc)
• VSI (????) (USA) (VHS)

Runtime:

67 min (1971 alternate version) | 80 min (Kino Print)

Country:

USA

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Sound Mix:

Silent

Certification:

USA:Passed (National Board of Review) | UK:A | UK:PG (video rating) | USA:TV-PG (TV rating) | Canada:G (Ontario) | Finland:K-18 (unrated: 2009) | Portugal:17 (director's cut) | USA:Unrated | Finland:K-16

Filming Locations:

Long Island, New York, USA

Company:

Famous Players-Lasky Corporation

Trivia:

This was one of the first major productions filmed in Paramount's then new Astoria Long Island studios. Opened in 1919 the studios underwent a major soundproofing renovation when talkies arrived in 1929.

Goofs:

Revealing mistakes: When Jekyll is pondering to drink the potion for the first time, we see the glass he's to drink from is half filled with potion. In the next shot when Jekyll brings the glass up to his lips the glass is empty.

Movie Connections:

Featured in Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde (1995)

Barrymore's Hyde is a beaut!

This 1920 production was the work of Famous Players (later Paramount) and the studio's early style of imitating a stage look limits this film visually and in terms of its acting, which is not subtle. However, Barrymore delivers with panache and flamboyance as the dual personality doctor. His makeup and mannerisms as Hyde are really grotesque, providing reason enough to watch the film. The sets are also very well done; you can almost see the slime of grunge coming off the pedestals and door posts, very similar to the look of Universal's later "Phantom of the Opera" w/ Lon Chaney. But what with the static camera, this film comes off as quite a sleep inducer, and seems a lot longer than it is. Still, wroth seeing for Barrymore's performance and excellent makeup.