Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.
- Extra
- (uncredited)
- John Utterson
- (uncredited)
- Hyde's Landlady with Lamp
- (uncredited)
- Street Kid - Raises Fist to Mr. Hyde
- (uncredited)
- Patron in music hall
- (uncredited)
- Old woman outside of music hall
- (uncredited)
- Poole - Jekyll's Butler
- (uncredited)
- Policeman
- (uncredited)
Storyline
Did you know
- TriviaJohn Barrymore hauled many of his prized potted plants from his apartment to the set to appear in scenery in the movie.
- GoofsWhen the giant spider apparition (manifestation of Hyde) climbs onto Jekyll's bed, the legs of the actor manipulating the costume are visible.
- Quotes
Sir George Carew: In devoting yourself to others, Jekyll, aren't you neglecting the development of your own life?
Dr. Henry Jekyll: Isn't it by serving others that one develops oneself, Sir George?
Sir George Carew: Which self? A man has two two - as he has two hands. Because I use my right hand, Should I never use my left?
[Carew pointedly moves both hands indepemdently, making his point known to the whole table]
Sir George Carew: Your really strong man fears nothing. It is the weak one that is afraid of - - experience.
- Crazy creditsExcept for John Barrymore whose name appears above the title,
actors were not originally credited in this movie at the start or at the
end. Instead, four additional actors and their character names are credited
in the inter-titles right before they appear on-screen.
- Alternate versionsIn 1971, Killiam Films, Inc. copyrighted a restored and tinted edition with an original theatrical organ score by Lee Erwin and a running time of 67 minutes plus a minute for new additional credits.
- ConnectionsEdited into Jekyll & Canada (2009)
Whether or not you happen to like this particular version of the famous Robert Louis Stevenson tale will depend a great deal upon your tolerance for the change in acting styles that has occurred between the silent and the modern era. Some silent stars--Lillian Gish, Ramon Novarro, and Louise Brooks leap to mind--were remarkably subtle and worked to create a new style of acting appropriate to the screen, but most actors played very broadly. John Barrymore, considered one of the greatest actors of his day, is among the latter, and was noted for his larger-than-life performances on stage. He brings that same expansiveness to the screen, where it inevitably feels "too big" to the modern viewer.
At the time, Barrymore's transformation into the evil Mr. Hyde was considered shocking in its realism, but today these celebrated scenes are more likely to induce snickers than thrills--as will much of Hyde's make-up, which seems excessive to the modern sensibility. Even so, there are aspects of the film which survive quite well, scenes in which one is permitted a glimpse into the power this film once had. For Barrymore's Hyde is, for all his bizarre ugliness, a remarkably seductive creature--and Barrymore uses his hands and eyes in a remarkable way. One feels the sexual pull as much as one feels the revulsion.
The 1920 DR. JEKYLL & MR. HYDE is available in several VHS and DVD releases. Some of these are quite good, but I generally recommend the Kino version, which offers a good picture, good soundtrack, and several interesting bonuses. Although other releases may seem attractive in price, it's been my experience that you generally get what you pay for.
Gary F. Taylor, aka GFT, reviewer
- gftbiloxi
- Mar 22, 2005
- How long is Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde?Powered by Alexa
Details
- Runtime1 hour 9 minutes
- Color
- Sound mix
- Aspect ratio
- 1.33 : 1