Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)

User Rating:

6.8/10   

Director:

Victor Fleming

Writers:

Robert Louis Stevenson (novel)
John Lee Mahin (writer)

Release Date:

September 1941 (USA)

Genre:

Drama | Horror | Sci-Fi

Tagline:

A Good Woman! A Bad Woman - who needed the love of both!

Plot:

Dr. Jekyll allows his dark side to run wild when he drinks a potion that turns him into the evil Mr. Hyde.

Plot Keywords:

Evil | Experiment | Potion | Mad Scientist | Remake

Awards:

Nominated for 3 Oscars.

Cast

Spencer Tracy	...	Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
Ingrid Bergman	...	Ivy Peterson
Lana Turner	...	Beatrix Emery
Donald Crisp	...	Sir Charles Emery
Ian Hunter	...	Dr. John Lanyon
Barton MacLane	...	Sam Higgins
C. Aubrey Smith	...	Bishop Manners
Peter Godfrey	...	Poole, Jekyll's Butler
Sara Allgood	...	Mrs. Higgins
Frederick Worlock	...	Dr. Heath (as Frederic Worlock)
William Tannen	...	Intern Fenwick
Frances Robinson	...	Marcia
Denis Green	...	Freddie
Billy Bevan	...	Mr. Weller
Forrester Harvey	...	Old Prouty

Runtime:

113 min | Germany:90 min | Germany:108 min (VHS version)

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Color:

Black and White

Aspect Ratio:

1.37 : 1

Sound Mix:

Mono (Western Electric Sound System)

Certification:

Australia:PG | Finland:K-16 | Sweden:15 | USA:Approved (PCA #7341)

Filming Locations:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Studios - 10202 W. Washington Blvd., Culver City, California, USA

Company:

Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM)

Trivia:

In the original theatrical version, once Dr. Jekyll is first transformed into Mr. Hyde, he walks up to a mirror in his laboratory. As he stares into it he questions his face saying such things as, "It's my face, yet it isn't" This is followed by him exclaiming, "Can this be evil?" In later TV prints, the earlier lines are missing. They're inexplicably missing to this day. Either the negative was damaged or the cuts were made on purpose.

Goofs:

Plot holes: There is no logical reason why Ivy would decide to visit Dr Jekyll, since unlike in the 1931 version she does not know who sent her the money, and on the night they met he did not tell her his name.

Quotes:

Dr. Henry Jekyll: [as Hyde] When you went to see the good doctor, before you left you said... I almost thought, well what did you think? Maybe that you saw a little bit of ME, Hyde in him?

Movie Connections:

Referenced in "Home Improvement: Super Bowl Fever (#4.15)" (1995)

Soundtrack:

See Me Dance the Polka

Ponderous - certainly not scary - but beautiful.

This is a thoughtful interpretation of the Stevenson story but is very rarely emotionally engaging. The theme seems to be sexual repression, with Hyde coming from Jekyll's repressed lust. As Hyde takes over we witness some extraordinary and very graphic Freudian imagery such as Bergman and Turner, naked, pulling a chariot containing Tracy and his whip, and Bergman being screwed out of a bottle by a corkscrew! Amazing. But the horror of the story is never realized and there is too much philosophical chat.

Tracy is terrific in the lead, but his make-up for Hyde is too subtle to be effective. The transformations require him to stand completely still which makes them a bit dull. The final transformation is quite an achievement however. Bergman could have been great but her attempt at a cockney accent seriously detracts from her fine emotional interpretation. Lana Turner is awful as Tracy's true love. But the rest of the cast is very strong - especially Donald Crisp.

The film also contains some fine Fleming touches, including his beautiful slow pans over magnificent sets and crowd scenes. The cinematography is excellent - make sure you don't watch the colorised version - and foggy Victorian London is recreated stunningly. This film never rises to the horror of the 1920 or the 1932 versions but still has much to offer.