Topic: DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE (1931)

[Liz]

Since you guys are into Hammer Horror, I figured you'd be as into this film as I am.  Here's my review of it:

A classic. An absolute classic. By far the best adaptation of the book and my favorite movie of all time. Freddie March does an amazing portrayal of Jekyll, and of Hyde. He is still sexy to this day. Wonderful, wonderful lesson taught, and Rouben Mamoulian does a terrific job of foreshadowing and the transformation scenes were absolutely stunning.

I truly believe that if Hyde were not being controlled by Jekyll, and if Jekyll were not conducting an experiment, and if Hyde were a separate person, that he would not be evil, because really, all this is is Jekyll testing his theory that there are two sides to a person. Hyde would not be acting this way if he weren't inside Jekyll's body.

I love this movie because it is a black horror; it is scary and fun to watch, but also makes us think about what would happne if we were to unleash our bad side and give in to temptation.

Bottom line, this film (and the book) gets five stars and two thumbs up.

[metaldams]

I like this movie overall better than both DRACULA and FRANKENSTEIN, and certainly better than the 1941 Spencer Tracy version.

You mentioned Freddie March being sexy, well, as a guy, I feel the same way about Miriam Hopkins in this one.  I am quite happy we get Jekyll's point of view in the infamous leg scene.  Love the little cane in the garter symbolism, and the swinging leg in Jekyll's mind is a nice touch.  Miriam Hopkins is not just sexy, but she's a great actress too.  She's especially effective when she's begging Jekyll for protection against Hyde.  What an intense scene!  There are plenty of actresses pleasing to the eye today, but very few of them have actual talent.  Miriam Hopkins had talent, though I heard she was a terror behind the scenes.

Jekyll and Hyde, like most gothic horror, took place in a repressed Victorian era so the "good" of this time (sexual purity) is opposite of the "evil" (loose woman like Ivy).  Today, the world isn't so black and white, so I don't think Hollywood could make an effective Jekyll and Hyde today.  The good and evil moments would be caked with irony, just like everything else is these days. 

[Liz]

Today, the world isn't so black and white, so I don't think Hollywood could make an effective Jekyll and Hyde today.  The good and evil moments would be caked with irony, just like everything else is these days. 

All modern horror movies fail at being scary.  Just remember that.

And another thing I'd like to point out:  I have seen this movie so many times and I've read the book, and I know the story so well, that even though it is a horror film, it does not scare me.  I did use to become slightly frightened after the first transformation scene when we see Hyde for the first time, but not so much anymore.  Now, what "scares" me is the way Hyde treats Ivy, or any woman in general.  I know he's supposed to be evil, but being raised taught to assert myself as a woman, and being a good member of society, that behavior scares me.

[SlyVenom]

All modern horror movies fail at being scary.  Just remember that.

I have to respectively disagree with you on this point. On American films I agree with you, but I find many Korean films to be genuinely scary, much as some of the classic horror movies scared me as a kid.

[Boid Brain]

Since you guys are into Hammer Horror, I figured you'd be as into this film as I am.  Here's my review of it:

A classic. An absolute classic. By far the best adaptation of the book and my favorite movie of all time. Freddie March does an amazing portrayal of Jekyll, and of Hyde. He is still sexy to this day. Wonderful, wonderful lesson taught, and Rouben Mamoulian does a terrific job of foreshadowing and the transformation scenes were absolutely stunning.

I truly believe that if Hyde were not being controlled by Jekyll, and if Jekyll were not conducting an experiment, and if Hyde were a separate person, that he would not be evil, because really, all this is is Jekyll testing his theory that there are two sides to a person. Hyde would not be acting this way if he weren't inside Jekyll's body.

I love this movie because it is a black horror; it is scary and fun to watch, but also makes us think about what would happne if we were to unleash our bad side and give in to temptation.

Bottom line, this film (and the book) gets five stars and two thumbs up.

I really like your post Liz, but I must argue in favor of Tracy in the later version. It was bad that he looked the same as Hyde, but there was one scene that  to this day gives me the creeps...

It was when Ivy turned around and said "for a moment I thought", then later as Hyde he said "what did you think?" I'm sure March was a good actor, but I'm a Spencer mencer, and he scared me in that role.

Hopkins was great, her barefoot scene aroused me even as a child...but the pure beauty of Bergman blew me away. March was a buck toothed bully...Tracy was a fiend. It is a great story, ranking up there with Shelly and Stoker....BTW: You concider March sexy??? In my opinion niether he or Spencer are sexy....I give points to the March version for the transformation technology (simple color filters) but there are those that think Barrymore's pure facial distortion was the best.

Go figure....I like Tracy and Ingred.

[shemps#1]

Abbott & Costello Meet Jeckyll & Hyde with Boris Karloff as J&H is a very underrated version, in my opinion. Taking A&C out of the equation you have a very interesting take where Jeckyll is actually evil and using the Hyde persona to kill those he doesn't like. Also there is a rather creepy pedophilia backstory where Jeckyll loves a woman and has since she was a little kid.

[Boid Brain]

Abbott & Costello Meet Jeckyll & Hyde with Boris Karloff as J&H is a very underrated version, in my opinion. Taking A&C out of the equation you have a very interesting take where Jeckyll is actually evil and using the Hyde persona to kill those he doesn't like. Also there is a rather creepy pedophilia backstory where Jeckyll loves a woman and has since she was a little kid.

I started to watch that movie once, but gave up after an hour. Being an avid A&C meet Frankenstien fan the J&H was too slow for me, plus I hate seeing Karloff in roles after 1940.

Your mention of the pedophile sub-plot jogged my memory to a book I read about the author of the "Alice through the looking glass" books. (Lewis Carrol?) Anyway, there really was a little girl named Alice. He wrote those stories for her amusement around the turn of the century. He really had a thing for her. When she turned 15 he asked her father for her hand. Daddy was appauled!

I don't know why I told you this, Mr. Shemps. Just a bit of my endless useless info. Um, did you know that unlike in the movies and modern culture the name "Jekyll" is pronounced: "Gee-kill"? My source for that info is "Classics Illustrated", the old comics from my childhood.