Horror
has pretty much come to be looked upon as the bastard child of the motion
picture industry. Although always profitable, folks no longer seem to want
to give the horror genre its due- I guess they must have forgotten what
horror did for Universal in the 1930, and there might not have been THE
LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, had it not been for The House That
Freddy Built (aka New Line Cinema and their A NIGHTMARE ON ELM
STREET series). However, once upon a time horror really did have some
credibility in the motion picture community with the 1931 version of DR.
JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE earning Fredric March an Academy Award for Best
Actor, not mention additional nominations for adapted screenplay and
cinematography. Fortunately for horror fans, March’s Oscar winning
performance has been digitally preserved on Warner’s DVD release of DR.
JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE ($20), a disc that also includes the 1941 Spencer
Tracy remake.
Directed
by Rouben Mamoulian, this version of the often-filmed Robert Louis
Stevenson proves to be one of the visually interesting and intelligent
adaptations. Also, this pre-code horror classic is steeped in a sense of
sexuality that made it one of most realistic and amoral depictions of the
base nature of the human animal, especially when the façade of Victorian
propriety is stripped away from the title character. The plot of 1931’s DR.
JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE finds Dr. Henry Jekyll (March) expounding the
theory that man has a dual nature- a good side and a bad side- with Jekyll
himself having a great deal of difficulty repressing his darker lustful
side around his fiancée Muriel (Rose Hobart).
Through
chemical experimentation Jekyll hopes to free men from their darker
nature, but his formula gives rise to an uninhibited alter ego dubbed Mr.
Hyde. Hyde has a shocking, almost Neanderthal appearance, which once freed
of Victorian conventions, begins an illicit and increasingly violent tryst
with Ivy Pearson (Miriam Hopkins), a streetwalker, who once tried to
seduce Dr. Jekyll. Although Fredric March’s restrained and unrestrained
performances as Jekyll and Hyde earned him a much-deserved Oscar, Miriam
Hopkins’ earthy turn as a woman of easy virtue (whose plight turns ever
more tragic) proves to be every bit as good as March. The cast of 1931’s
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE also includes Holmes Herbert, Halliwell
Hobbes, Edgar Norton and Tempe Pigott. For those unfamiliar with the
history of 1931’s DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, the film was
originally produced by Paramount, but then it was purchased by MGM who
remade it in 1941. Sadly, this version ended up only buried in the vaults
for quite some time, and also had its pre-code sexuality and violence
eviscerated, over the years. However, for this release, Warner has
assembled the most complete version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE we
are likely to see.
Warner
Home Video has made 1931’s DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE available on
DVD in a nice looking black and white transfer that frames the film in its
proper 1.37:1 full screen aspect ratio. This is a seventy plus year old
film, so the presentation isn’t perfect, but for the most part, it is
quite pleasing. Although there are some scratches, blemishes and other
minor signs of damage, the film elements are in generally good shape. The
image itself usually appears is fairly sharp and reasonably well defined.
There is some softness here and there, but it is never too bad. Blacks are
clean, whites appear stable and contrast is good. While film grain is
noticeable throughout, it never becomes excessive. Digital compression
artifacts are never a cause for concern. The Dolby Digital monaural
soundtrack is quite respectable for a vintage film, with little background
hiss or other audible anomalies. Fidelity is a bit thin, but never too
bad, and the dialogue is well rendered.
The
1941 version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE is quite lavish and glossy;
benefiting from everything that the MGM dream factory could bring to the
table. Perhaps that is the film’s biggest problem, it’s too glossy,
when it should be far grittier than MGM’s high caliber production
values. Additionally, while there are similarities to the 1931 adaptation
of the Stevenson story, director Victor Fleming and leading man Spencer
Tracy make this DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE a rather different animal.
All the overt sexuality and violence have been toned down considerably for
this version, with the central character losing much of the bite he had
when Fredric March portrayed Hyde. Not to mention, Tracy’s Hyde makeup
is far more human in appearance, and as such is fare less frightening.
Also,
Tracy’s Hyde seems more of a drunken lout on a violent bender than the
dangerous subhuman animal that March became in the previous film. Tracy
carries off the nastiness of the Hyde character convincingly, but the
level of menace that March brought to the role is decidedly lacking in the
interpretation. I think Ingrid Bergman was an interesting, but not wholly
successful choice for the film’s bad girl role. Bergman certainly
embodies the tragic qualities of the character quite well, but isn’t
quite convincing establishing Ivy as the lower class barmaid that captures
Hyde’s interest. While Lana Turner is absolutely gorgeous and picture
perfect as Dr. Jekyll’s fiancée Beatrix, I think she could played the
trashy barmaid role with a lot more ease than Bergman. The cast of the
1941 DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE also includes Donald Crisp, Ian
Hunter, Barton MacLane and C. Aubrey Smith.
1941’s
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE looks far better than its predecessor, with
this beautiful black and white film surviving the decades with fewer signs
of age. Joseph Ruttenberg’s Oscar nominated black and white
cinematography has been beautifully transferred with all of its gloss and
sheen intact. The image appears crisp and produces terrific definition,
which brings of the splendor of the costumes and production design. Blacks
are velvety, whites are clean and contrast is excellent. The film elements
are very clean and free from the signs of age one would expect from a
sixty plus year old film. The Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack is in
excellent shape for its age, with almost no background hiss or other
audible anomalies. Fidelity has the expected limitations, but Franz Waxman’s
score remains quite pleasing. No other language tracks are provided for
either film, but both feature English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Music
underscores the interactive menus on both films, each of which are
presented on a separate side of the DVD. Through the menus for both films
once has access to the standard scene selection and set up features, as
well as a few extras. The main extra is a running audio commentary for the
1931 version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE featuring film historian
Greg Mank. Mank’s talk proves to be scholarly and very detail, but it is
also very accessible and quite enjoyable, thus making it something that
every fan and film buff will want to listen to. Also included on the disc
is the 1955 Looney Tunes short Hyde And Hare, in which Bugs
Bunny finds himself the guest of Dr. Jekyll and his ghoulish alter ego. A
theatrical trailer for the 1941 DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE closes out
the extras.
The
1931 DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE is a true horror classic from back in
the days when the genre had a chance at some genuine respect. Warner has
done a very good job with the presentation of this classic, and an even
better job with the 1941 version of the story. If you are a genre fan or
film buff, this is a DVD you will want to add to your collection. Very
highly recommended.
Horror
has pretty much come to be looked upon as the bastard child of the motion
picture industry. Although always profitable, folks no longer seem to want
to give the horror genre its due- I guess they must have forgotten what
horror did for Universal in the 1930, and there might not have been THE
LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy, had it not been for The House That
Freddy Built (aka New Line Cinema and their A NIGHTMARE ON ELM
STREET series). However, once upon a time horror really did have some
credibility in the motion picture community with the 1931 version of DR.
JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE earning Fredric March an Academy Award for Best
Actor, not mention additional nominations for adapted screenplay and
cinematography. Fortunately for horror fans, March’s Oscar winning
performance has been digitally preserved on Warner’s DVD release of DR.
JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE ($20), a disc that also includes the 1941 Spencer
Tracy remake.
Directed
by Rouben Mamoulian, this version of the often-filmed Robert Louis
Stevenson proves to be one of the visually interesting and intelligent
adaptations. Also, this pre-code horror classic is steeped in a sense of
sexuality that made it one of most realistic and amoral depictions of the
base nature of the human animal, especially when the façade of Victorian
propriety is stripped away from the title character. The plot of 1931’s DR.
JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE finds Dr. Henry Jekyll (March) expounding the
theory that man has a dual nature- a good side and a bad side- with Jekyll
himself having a great deal of difficulty repressing his darker lustful
side around his fiancée Muriel (Rose Hobart).
Through
chemical experimentation Jekyll hopes to free men from their darker
nature, but his formula gives rise to an uninhibited alter ego dubbed Mr.
Hyde. Hyde has a shocking, almost Neanderthal appearance, which once freed
of Victorian conventions, begins an illicit and increasingly violent tryst
with Ivy Pearson (Miriam Hopkins), a streetwalker, who once tried to
seduce Dr. Jekyll. Although Fredric March’s restrained and unrestrained
performances as Jekyll and Hyde earned him a much-deserved Oscar, Miriam
Hopkins’ earthy turn as a woman of easy virtue (whose plight turns ever
more tragic) proves to be every bit as good as March. The cast of 1931’s
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE also includes Holmes Herbert, Halliwell
Hobbes, Edgar Norton and Tempe Pigott. For those unfamiliar with the
history of 1931’s DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, the film was
originally produced by Paramount, but then it was purchased by MGM who
remade it in 1941. Sadly, this version ended up only buried in the vaults
for quite some time, and also had its pre-code sexuality and violence
eviscerated, over the years. However, for this release, Warner has
assembled the most complete version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE we
are likely to see.
Warner
Home Video has made 1931’s DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE available on
DVD in a nice looking black and white transfer that frames the film in its
proper 1.37:1 full screen aspect ratio. This is a seventy plus year old
film, so the presentation isn’t perfect, but for the most part, it is
quite pleasing. Although there are some scratches, blemishes and other
minor signs of damage, the film elements are in generally good shape. The
image itself usually appears is fairly sharp and reasonably well defined.
There is some softness here and there, but it is never too bad. Blacks are
clean, whites appear stable and contrast is good. While film grain is
noticeable throughout, it never becomes excessive. Digital compression
artifacts are never a cause for concern. The Dolby Digital monaural
soundtrack is quite respectable for a vintage film, with little background
hiss or other audible anomalies. Fidelity is a bit thin, but never too
bad, and the dialogue is well rendered.
The
1941 version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE is quite lavish and glossy;
benefiting from everything that the MGM dream factory could bring to the
table. Perhaps that is the film’s biggest problem, it’s too glossy,
when it should be far grittier than MGM’s high caliber production
values. Additionally, while there are similarities to the 1931 adaptation
of the Stevenson story, director Victor Fleming and leading man Spencer
Tracy make this DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE a rather different animal.
All the overt sexuality and violence have been toned down considerably for
this version, with the central character losing much of the bite he had
when Fredric March portrayed Hyde. Not to mention, Tracy’s Hyde makeup
is far more human in appearance, and as such is fare less frightening.
Also,
Tracy’s Hyde seems more of a drunken lout on a violent bender than the
dangerous subhuman animal that March became in the previous film. Tracy
carries off the nastiness of the Hyde character convincingly, but the
level of menace that March brought to the role is decidedly lacking in the
interpretation. I think Ingrid Bergman was an interesting, but not wholly
successful choice for the film’s bad girl role. Bergman certainly
embodies the tragic qualities of the character quite well, but isn’t
quite convincing establishing Ivy as the lower class barmaid that captures
Hyde’s interest. While Lana Turner is absolutely gorgeous and picture
perfect as Dr. Jekyll’s fiancée Beatrix, I think she could played the
trashy barmaid role with a lot more ease than Bergman. The cast of the
1941 DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE also includes Donald Crisp, Ian
Hunter, Barton MacLane and C. Aubrey Smith.
1941’s
DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE looks far better than its predecessor, with
this beautiful black and white film surviving the decades with fewer signs
of age. Joseph Ruttenberg’s Oscar nominated black and white
cinematography has been beautifully transferred with all of its gloss and
sheen intact. The image appears crisp and produces terrific definition,
which brings of the splendor of the costumes and production design. Blacks
are velvety, whites are clean and contrast is excellent. The film elements
are very clean and free from the signs of age one would expect from a
sixty plus year old film. The Dolby Digital monaural soundtrack is in
excellent shape for its age, with almost no background hiss or other
audible anomalies. Fidelity has the expected limitations, but Franz Waxman’s
score remains quite pleasing. No other language tracks are provided for
either film, but both feature English, French and Spanish subtitles.
Music
underscores the interactive menus on both films, each of which are
presented on a separate side of the DVD. Through the menus for both films
once has access to the standard scene selection and set up features, as
well as a few extras. The main extra is a running audio commentary for the
1931 version of DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE featuring film historian
Greg Mank. Mank’s talk proves to be scholarly and very detail, but it is
also very accessible and quite enjoyable, thus making it something that
every fan and film buff will want to listen to. Also included on the disc
is the 1955 Looney Tunes short Hyde And Hare, in which Bugs
Bunny finds himself the guest of Dr. Jekyll and his ghoulish alter ego. A
theatrical trailer for the 1941 DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE closes out
the extras.
The
1931 DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE is a true horror classic from back in
the days when the genre had a chance at some genuine respect. Warner has
done a very good job with the presentation of this classic, and an even
better job with the 1941 version of the story. If you are a genre fan or
film buff, this is a DVD you will want to add to your collection. Very
highly recommended.