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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Actor(s): John Barrymore, Martha Mansfield
Director(s): John S. Robertson
10

Details

MPAA Rating: NR
Content Advisory: Suitable for Children
Movie Release: 1920
DVD Release: 01/12/1999
Format: DVD - Black and White
Audio Tracks: English
SwapaDVD Credits: 1
Number of Discs: 1
Run Time: 1 hrs 19 mins
Studio: Image Entertainment
Members Wishing: 0
Genres: Horror, Sci-Fi Horror
See Also: Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde [Deluxe Collector's Edition], Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Synopsis

In 1920, filmgoers were treated to no fewer than two different film versions of Robert Louis Stevenson's -Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. In this one, John Barrymore plays the humanitarian Dr. Henry Jekyll, who becomes obsessed with the notion of separating the good and evil impulses within every man. To this end, he develops a potion which unleashes his own darker side: the demonic Mr. Hyde. This was the adaptation which established the cliché of having both a "good" and "bad" leading lady, to parallel the doppelganger aspects of the Jekyll/Hyde personality. Martha Mansfield is the good girl, while Nita Naldi, wearing costumes that were daring indeed in 1920, is the bad one. The adaptors also borrowed the character of Lord Henry from Oscar Wilde's -The Picture of Dorian Gray in order to provide Jekyll with an evil mentor/blackmailer. Sadly, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde proved to be one of the last starring films for leading lady Martha Mansfield: she died horribly during filming of The Warrens of Virginia (1924) when her costume touched a discarded match and burst into flame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide

Cast

John Barrymore - Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde
Martha Mansfield - Millicent Carew

Editorial Review

In 1920, filmgoers were treated to no fewer than two different film versions of Robert Louis Stevenson's -Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Let us mercifully bypass the cheapjack Sheldon Lewis version, which updates the story and allows for a happy ending, and concentrate on the John Barrymore version. Barrymore plays the humanitarian Dr. Henry Jekyll, who becomes obsessed with the notion of separating the Good and Evil impulses within every man. To this end, he develops a potion which unleashes his own darker side--the demonic Mr. Hyde. This was the adaptation which established the cliche of having both a "good" and "bad" leading lady, to parallel the doppelganger aspects of the Jekyll/Hyde personality. Martha Mansfield is the good girl, while Nita Naldi, wearing costumes that were daring indeed in 1920, is the bad one (and, frankly, the more interesting one). To add even more intrigue to the Stevenson original, the adaptors borrowed the character of Lord Henry from Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray in order to provide Jekyll with an evil mentor/blackmailer. The film's highlight is the transformation sequence, which Barrymore accomplishes without makeup. Sadly, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde proved to be one of the last starring films for leading lady Martha Mansfield: she died horribly during filming of The Warrens of Virginia (1924) when her costume touched a discarded match and burst into flame. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide