{"id":40400,"date":"2018-04-30T15:01:43","date_gmt":"2018-04-30T22:01:43","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=40400"},"modified":"2021-01-24T15:18:33","modified_gmt":"2021-01-24T22:18:33","slug":"dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-1931","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=40400","title":{"rendered":"Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><strong>&#8220;It&#8217;s the things one can&#8217;t do that always tempt me.&#8221;<\/strong><\/p>\n<table>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p><a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Poster.jpg\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Poster-233x300.jpg\" alt=\"\" width=\"233\" height=\"300\" class=\"alignleft size-medium wp-image-40401\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Poster-233x300.jpg 233w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Poster-99x128.jpg 99w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Poster.jpg 407w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 233px) 100vw, 233px\" \/><\/a><\/p>\n<p><strong>Synopsis:<\/strong><br \/>\nA kind and generous doctor (Fredric March) engaged to a high-society girl (Rose Hobart) begins torturing a local dancer (Miriam Hopkins) when his frustration over a delayed marriage date prompts him to take a potion that transforms him into a sadistic monster.\n<\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<tr>\n<td>\n<p>\n<strong>Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors:<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fredric March Films<\/li>\n<li>Horror<\/li>\n<li>Mad Doctors and Scientists<\/li>\n<li>Miriam Hopkins Films<\/li>\n<li>Multiple Personalities<\/li>\n<li>Rouben Mamoulian Films<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Response to Peary\u2019s Review: <\/strong><br \/>\nPeary writes that this &#8220;rare venture into horror films by Paramount in the wake of success by Universal&#8221; resulted in &#8220;one of the classiest entries in the genre, a true &#8216;A&#8217; production&#8221; featuring a &#8220;forceful performance&#8221; by March. He notes that March&#8217;s Mr. Hyde is &#8220;one of the cinema&#8217;s most terrifying monsters, a sadistic female-batterer of the first order&#8221; who &#8220;resembles a demented monkey&#8221;, and points out that this pre-Code film &#8220;has strong sexual context and is too gruesome for young kids or the squeamish&#8221; &#8212; indeed, even seasoned film fanatics will likely recoil at how loathsome Hyde is, particularly given the lack of sufficient explanation for how such a monster could co-exist within saintly Dr. Jekyll. The film strongly promotes the notion that those <em>perceived<\/em> as most noble may harbor the most insidious pathologies &#8212; but what a terribly depressing &#8220;message&#8221; that is for humanity! It&#8217;s perhaps easier to focus on the film&#8217;s daring condemnation of sexual repression: with Hobart&#8217;s stodgy father (Halliwell Hobbes) insisting that March and Hobart postpone their marriage for eight months, Jekyll apparently feels justified in releasing his sexual tension through a manufactured alter ego. What&#8217;s unclear (and deeply unsettling) is why the Neanderthal-ish Mr. Hyde perpetrates such evil while satisfying his lust &#8212; and how gleeful he is whenever he emerges.  <\/p>\n<p>Hopkins gives the performance of her (early) career in this film, playing a visibly traumatized and terrorized young prostitute who understands that her life as she knew it is over. (Check out the very bottom photo and caption in <a href=\"http:\/\/www.aycyas.com\/jekyllandhyde1931.htm\"><em>And You Call Yourself a Scientist<\/em>&#8216;s extensive review<\/a>; I agree with her sentiment &#8212; and her review is well worth a read.) Also noteworthy is Mamoulian&#8217;s &#8220;innovative, influential direction&#8221;, including experimentation &#8220;with split frames, superimposed shots (during impressive man-to-monster transformations), and point-of-view shots.&#8221; James Wong Howe&#8217;s stunning cinematography and Norbert A. Myles and Wally Westmore&#8217;s groundbreaking make-up and special effects merit mention as well; as noted in <a href=\"http:\/\/moria.co.nz\/horror\/dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-1931.htm\">Moria&#8217;s review<\/a>, &#8220;The transformation sequences were conducted by the unique effect of painting Frederic March\u2019s face with certain types of greasepaint, the effects of which became more pronounced on the black-and-white film stock as different coloured lights were projected on his face.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p><strong>Redeeming Qualities and Moments: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Fredric March as Dr. Jekyll\/Mr. Hyde (nominated by Peary as one of the Best Actors of the Year in his <em>Alternate Oscars<\/em>)<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-March.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-March.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40405\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-March.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-March-128x85.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-March-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Miriam Hopkins as Ivy<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Hopkins.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Hopkins.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40404\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Hopkins.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Hopkins-128x85.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Hopkins-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Impressive make-up and special effects<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Cinematography.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Cinematography.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40403\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Cinematography.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Cinematography-128x85.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Cinematography-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<li>Atmospheric, innovative cinematography<br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Sets.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Sets.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40402\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Sets.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Sets-128x85.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Sets-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><br \/>\n<a href=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Split-Screen.png\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"http:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Split-Screen.png\" alt=\"\" width=\"720\" height=\"480\" class=\"alignnone size-full wp-image-40406\" srcset=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Split-Screen.png 720w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Split-Screen-128x85.png 128w, https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/04\/Dr-Jekyll-Split-Screen-300x200.png 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 720px) 100vw, 720px\" \/><\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Must See? <\/strong><br \/>\nYes, as a disturbing classic &#8212; though you may not want to stomach it more than once. <\/p>\n<p><strong>Categories<\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Genuine Classic<\/li>\n<li>Oscar Winner or Nominee<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p><strong>Links: <\/strong><\/p>\n<ul>\n<li><a href=\"https:\/\/www.imdb.com\/title\/tt0022835\/\">IMDb entry<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/moria.co.nz\/horror\/dr-jekyll-and-mr-hyde-1931.htm\">Moria Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/www.aycyas.com\/jekyllandhyde1931.htm\">And You Call Yourself a Scientist! Review<\/a><\/li>\n<li><a href=\"http:\/\/classic-horror.com\/reviews\/dr_jekyll_and_mr_hyde_1931\">Classic Horror Review<\/a><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s the things one can&#8217;t do that always tempt me.&#8221; Synopsis: A kind and generous doctor (Fredric March) engaged to a high-society girl (Rose Hobart) begins torturing a local dancer (Miriam Hopkins) when his frustration over a delayed marriage date prompts him to take a potion that transforms him into a sadistic monster. Genres, Themes, Actors, and Directors: Fredric March Films Horror Mad Doctors and Scientists Miriam Hopkins Films Multiple Personalities Rouben Mamoulian Films Response to Peary\u2019s Review: Peary writes&#8230;<\/p>\n<p class=\"read-more\"><a class=\"btn btn-default\" href=\"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/?p=40400\"> Read More<span class=\"screen-reader-text\">  Read More<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40400","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-responses-to-peary"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40400","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=40400"}],"version-history":[{"count":12,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40400\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":65665,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40400\/revisions\/65665"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=40400"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=40400"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/filmfanatic.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=40400"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}