Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

Runtime: 96 minutes

Directed by: Rouben Mamoulian

Starring: Fredric March, Miriam Hopkins, Rose Hobart, Holmes Herbert, Halliwell Hobbes

From: Paramount

You may not have heard of this Pre-Code horror film before... but it is well worth seeing, says I: 

As sometimes happens, this viewing came about due to a messageboard discussion, and the person who put this over did a good job so I paid for the streaming rental on Amazon and it was a wise selection on my part.

The first act is not a horror film at all; it sets up the story and shows how Dr. Jekyll (pronounced “Jeekyll” but I understand that is the proper way to say it, at least according to the classic Robert Louis Stevenson story) is a wise doctor in Victorian era London who is willing to help the poor and crippled. I will safely presume everyone is familiar with the general story so I don't need to dwell on how the good doctor believes everyone has two sides so he creates a potion that releases the evil Mr. Hyde. Well, in this film Hyde does not only act like an animalistic brute, but also looks like one; still effective dissolve effects show the transformations and Hyde resembles an ape. Late in the film you see he hops and moves around like one too.

Jekyll has a love interest named Muriel but her military father wishes they wait a few more months until they marry. Considering that you find out they hadn't been engaged for long... the wait is understandable, even if they have to wait to live together. There's also a young lady from the wrong side of the tracks named Ivy who the Dr. meets and Hyde quite fancies. Their relationship is especially disturbing in these modern times as it's an abusive one and Hyde possesses her. In 2018 when it comes to horror elements, their pairing and how she is terrified of him and he revels in her fear... it is rather effective and as this is Pre-Code, that means the toxic relationship is not filtered.

The film has nice sets that create the appropriate mood and there's are such visual treats as some split screen action and a few minutes which include what had to be a novel idea at the time-first person perspective from the viewpoint of Jekyll-but it is Frederic March as the leads who is the true highlight. He even won the Academy Award for the performance, shared with Wallace Beery for his role as the lead in the original The Champ. This is a rather dynamic early horror film well worth seeing.