Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (film)
"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is a 1941 horror film directed by Victor Fleming, known for classics like "Gone With the Wind" and "The Wizard of Oz." The story, set in Victorian London, follows Dr. Henry Jekyll, a physician who creates a serum to separate the good and evil sides of his nature, leading to the emergence of his sinister alter ego, Mr. Hyde. This film is a remake of a 1931 version and is loosely based on Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella. The film features notable performances by Fredric March, who plays both Jekyll and Hyde, and Ingrid Bergman as Ivy Peterson, a character that reflects adjustments made due to the Hays Code, which imposed moral guidelines on filmmakers at the time.
Despite its significant ambition and box office success, grossing $2 million, the film faced substantial criticism, particularly regarding March's portrayal of Mr. Hyde, which was deemed insufficiently frightening. It was also nominated for three Academy Awards, acknowledging its cinematography, film editing, and score. The film stands as a cultural artifact that illustrates the standards of its era, as well as the challenges of adapting classic literature to the screen while navigating the complexities of censorship and audience expectations.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (film)
- Release Date: 1931
- Director(s): Rouben Mamoulian
- Writer(s): Percy Heath; Samuel Hoffenstein
- Principal Actors and Roles: Fredric March (Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde); Holmes Herbert (Dr. John Lanyon); Rose Hobart (Muriel Carew); Miriam Hopkins (Ivy Pearson)
- Book / Story Film Based On: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was a horror film released in 1941 by Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer (MGM) and directed by Victor Fleming, the director of other classic films such as Gone With the Wind (1940) and The Wizard of Oz (1939). The film is set in Victorian London where Dr. Jekyll develops a serum designed to bring out his evil side, Mr. Hyde. The story is inspired by a novella, Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886. The film is a remake of another film of the same name that was released just ten years prior, in 1931. Both films differ greatly from the novella, however, and are instead more closely based upon a stage version, which premiered in Boston in 1887, starring Richard Mansfield.
In order to make this newer film version, MGM had to obtain the rights to the 1931 version, which had been released by Paramount Pictures, so that the earlier film would be kept out of circulation. To minimize confusion and comparison, MGM ordered that all copies of the 1931 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde be destroyed. For many years following this, the 1931 version only existed in fragments, until the full version was later found.
Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner respectively play Ivy Peterson and Beatrix Emery, the two main love interests in the film. Originally, Bergman was instead cast in Turner’s role, playing the "good girl" Beatrix. However, Bergman had consistently been cast in roles as virtuous women, and wanted to avoid being typecast. Bergman asked to switch roles with Turner and, as a result, had her first opportunity to play a darker character.
Plot
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is set in London in 1887, where Dr. Henry Jekyll, a notable physician, holds the controversial belief that it is possible to separate the good and evil parts of man’s character. In addition, Dr. Jekyll is engaged to be married to the lovely Beatrix Emery. In order to prove his hypothesis, Dr. Jekyll sets out to develop a serum that, upon ingestion, will transform the taker into the taker’s evil self. After experimenting on animals, he believes that he has perfected the serum enough that it will work on a human subject. However, when Jekyll goes to the hospital where his desired subject, a man who has gone mad in a gas accident, is, Jekyll discovers the man has died. Jekyll decides that the only other alternative is to take the serum himself.
When Jekyll takes the serum, he is transformed into his evil alter ego, Mr. Hyde, who looks scary and different. The second time Jekyll takes the serum, Beatrix is away with her father, and Mr. Hyde goes to a music hall where he sets eyes on the beautiful barmaid, Ivy Peterson. Mr. Hyde eventually forces Ivy to let him escort her home, and later forces himself on her.
When Jekyll finally returns to himself, and realizes what he has done to Ivy, he feels shame. Upon Beatrix’s return to London, Jekyll swears that he will never take the serum again. However, when Jekyll is on his way to visit Beatrix, he suddenly turns into Mr. Hyde, this time without taking the serum. He changes course and goes to see Ivy instead. Hyde bullies Ivy and when she begins to scream, he strangles her to death. Hyde escapes back to his lab, but does not have the keys to enter, and goes to ask his friend Dr. Lanyon for help.
Upon finding out that Jekyll and Hyde are the same person, Dr. Lanyon gives Hyde the antidote and watches him transform back into Jekyll. Jekyll then tries to break off his engagement to Beatrix, who refuses to accept, causing Jekyll to transform into Hyde once again. Beatrix’s father comes to help her, but Hyde beats him to death with his cane. Dr. Lanyon discovers Jekyll’s cane, leading the police to search the lab. Upon questioning, Jekyll transforms into Hyde once more, and during the struggle, Lanyon shoots Hyde, killing him as he turns back into Jekyll.
Significance
As a result of the Hays Code, which was a set of moral guidelines films released by major studios had to follow until 1968, much of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde had to be modified. The 1931 version did not have to adhere to these same guidelines, as the code was not strictly enforced until 1934. This meant that the character of Ivy, who was originally a prostitute in the earlier version, was changed to a barmaid. In addition, when the script was submitted to the Hays Office, certain dialogue had to be changed; this included any language alluding to Hyde raping Ivy, or direct suggestions of sadism. Even after changes were made, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde was banned in Memphis, Tennessee because the character of Ivy was deemed "immoral."
Despite attempts to improve upon the 1931 film (which had already been critically acclaimed), the 1941 version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is notoriously known as a critical failure. Much of the film’s criticisms landed on the shoulders of Spencer Tracy, who played both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Tracy was panned for not being terrifying enough as Mr. Hyde, as well as being too American and not at all believable as an upper class Victorian doctor. Tracy himself even said that he thought he looked ridiculous in his Mr. Hyde wig and makeup, and had originally tried to back out of the film at the last minute. Executives also seemed to recognize the shortcomings even before the release of the film, as trailers of the film disguised Hyde’s appearance out of fear that audiences would find it funny. Tracy’s performance was so criticized he thought his Hollywood career was over.
Despite all of the criticism the film endured, however, it eventually made $2 million at the box office. In addition, the film was nominated for three Academy Awards for best cinematography (black and white), best film editing, and best score.
Awards and nominations
Won
- Academy Award (1931/1932) Best Actor: Fredric March
Nominated
- Academy Award (1931/1932) Best Screenplay (Adapted): Percy Heath, Samuel Hoffenstein
- Academy Award (1931/1932) Best Cinematography: Karl Struss
Bibliography
Backer, Ron. Classic Horror Films and the Literature That Inspired Them. Jefferson: McFarland, 2015. Print.
"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde." Encyclopædia Britannica. Encyclopædia Britannica Online. Encyclopædia Britannica Inc., 2015. Web. 26 Jun. 2015 <http://www.britannica.com/topic/Dr-Jekyll-and-Mr-Hyde-novel>
"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)." The New York Times. The New York Times, 13 Aug. 1941. Web. 26 June 2015. <http://www.nytimes.com/movie/review?res=9900EEDB133FE13BBC4B52DFBE66838A659EDE>.
"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)." Turner Classic Movies (TCM). Turner Entertainment Networks, 2015. Web. 26 June 2015. <http://www.tcm.com/tcmdb/title/13855/Dr-Jekyll-and-Mr-Hyde/full-synopsis.html>.
Hutchings, Peter. The A to Z of Horror Cinema. Lanham: Scarecrow, 2008. Print.
Stevenson, Robert Louis. Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. 1886. London: Stacey, 2011. Print.