One of the few "Oscar" ™ films running on TCM's 31 days of Oscar that I wanted to see was  Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931). This was the version that became the template for most subsequent film adaptations of the novella. It was the Barrymore version that introduced the whole virgin/wh-re* dichotomy (Millicent Carew/Miss Gina the Italian Singer) which is practically required in all later versions.

In my not-so-humble opinion I think the Hyde/Jekyll split is best in the Barrymore version. Most of the change is in Barrymore's expressions and the overall effect is that Hyde is Jekyll with the ravages of drug addiction. My second favorite is the Fredrick March version where Hyde is a regressed, Neanderthal version of Jekyll. In the Spencer Tracy version the makeup isn't minimal … it may be too subtle for the plot contrivance that no one recognizes Hyde as Jekyll but it is a very elaborate makeup and the transitions are quite ambitious. There is a clear conflict between MGM's decorous house style and the subversive content of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde which hurts the film (a valiant effort IMHO). The house style meshed much better with the story when they adapted The Picture of Dorian Gray.  

I do have a bit of a problem with the whole spousal/girlfriend abuse element. The physical brutality and overt, gleeful sadism really makes me uncomfortable in the March version and in the Tracy version the psychological torture goes so far over the line that it is really sick. All valid things to stress in films that are oriented towards adult concerns. The original novella is quite asexual.

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*What's with YUKU censoring a perfectly legitimate synonym for prostitute?

opticalguy1954@yahoo.com (Spencer Gill)
Last Edited By: opticalguy Feb 6 11 6:31 PM. Edited 1 times.