Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

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Nick M With the release of The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, 1920 can be considered the year that birthed the cinematic horror genre. They were released only a month apart half a world away, which is an interesting coincidence. One wishes that they were on more equal footing, but Dr. Caligari is by far the better picture. Dr. Jekyll is a fairly poor adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's original story. Its set dressing is serviceable but unimaginative, its direction uninspired, and the actors' performances are decidedly mixed. Really the only aspect of the film that is of interest is John Barrymore's performance and make-up as Mr. Hyde. Still mostly known as a stage actor at this point in his career, his dual roles in this film are what began to catapult him into stardom on the screen, earning him the deserved sobriquet: the Great Profile. He is attractive and convincing in the role of the good doctor, but his transformation into and subsequent performance as Mr. Hyde is some of the finest character acting ever seen in the medium up to this point. His monster's mien is perhaps a little silly, but it is fully realized and thoroughly disturbing. It so affected contemporaneous audiences that doors and windows were smashed by people attempting to see its first performances. One reviewer noted that a friend remarked some time after seeing his performance that it gave her "an attack of the blues" from which she didn't expect she'd ever fully recover. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 10/20/24 Full Review Mario C Wow, what a brooding, yet, sensual adaptation of this macabre work of mind being splintered by a passion to be free from moral dilemmas. Watch and find out, if you can delve into another place and time, which will transport you to a stranger's world made up within beastly endeavors. Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 10/30/23 Full Review Audience Member John Barrymore, who plays both Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde in this movie, was such a gifted physical actor that the initial part of his transformation has no makeup. It's him contorting his body and appearance all on his own. This adaption of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson was written by Clara Beranger (who was one of the original faculty members at USC School of Cinematic Arts) and was directed by John S. Robertson, who The Byrds wrote the song "Old John Robertson" about. Henry Jekyll (Barrymore) is led to believe that all men have two sides at constant war for their souls: a good and evil brain, basically. A potion that he creates allows him to access that evil side of his being, unleashing Edward Hyde. Yet by the end of the film, the potion is no longer needed and the transformation comes whenever Jekyll becomes upset. A few years after making this movie, Barrymore bought a house in Hollywood for $6,000. He got the seller to lower the price by a thousand dollars by showing up the closing dressed as Mr. Hyde. Rated 3/5 Stars •  Rated 3 out of 5 stars 02/06/23 Full Review georgan g Barrymore's acting is alone worth the watch. The makeup is more advanced than the earlier silent versions, but it's Barrymore's acting that bring Mr Hyde alive. Rated 3.5/5 Stars •  Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review david l While the 1920 movie adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde lacks in terms of horror/thriller elements, it more than compensates that with a strong, faithfully adapted script, a scene-stealing turn in the main role by John Barrymore and terrific production design. The intertitles are also quite stylish and the score is effective. Rated 4/5 Stars •  Rated 4 out of 5 stars 03/31/23 Full Review Audience Member My favorite version of the film. The acting is memorable Rated 5/5 Stars •  Rated 5 out of 5 stars 02/04/23 Full Review Read all reviews

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

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