Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Starring: Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner, Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter, Barton MacLane
Director: Victor Fleming
Rating: Passed
Genre: Horror, Science Fiction
1941

Times Seen:
Tim: 1

Summary: Dr. Jekyll (Spencer Tracy) creates a potion that unleashes his dark side, which he finds increasingly difficult to control.

Review:

Tim: When people compare 1941's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde to the 1931 version, they mostly come out in favor of the earlier film. It was the first horror film to win an Academy Award, and it snagged Best Actor at that. The 1941 version is viewed as less effective. I actually believe the opposite- both movies are close, in my opinion, but this one is superior. This version might not have taken home any trophies, but it was nominated for three Academy Awards (all technical categories, but still).

This movie follows the previous one fairly closely. Indeed, this movie is a remake of the 1931 version, not a direct adaptation of the original source material. I'm fine with that. The 1931 version had some cinematic qualities to it that this one emulates. I do wish this film had departed more from the previous film. The biggest departure is more character development of Jekyll (which was sorely needed), but there were dozens of opportunities to improve on the previous film, when this one instead mimicked it. Truly, you'll find these two movies are more alike than dissimilar.

The biggest distinction between these two films is that this one has the superior cast. I know Fredric March won an Academy Award for his performance, but Spencer Tracy is such an accomplished actor, I enjoyed his performance more. His Jekyll is warmer and more human. His Hyde is less over-the-top. There's not much comparison in my mind. While this will never be considered one of Tracy's best performances, it is a solid turn. I loved the casting of Ingrid Bergman as Ivy. She elevates that character to new heights- you can begin to identify with her, and dare I say- fall for her just a little? You start to understand Hyde's obsession with her. Bergman made this role more than it otherwise would have been. I loved the interaction between Tracy and Bergman- they worked well on screen together. Now, I will say that both actors felt their performances weren't up to par. I can see that, but they worked for me in a hammy, B-movie way. Lana Turner was less effective- her character suffers the same issue as in the 1931 version, she's uninteresting and we never get to know her motivations deeply enough. There's no real drama or emotional investment there.

The transformation scenes from Jekyll to Hyde work well. They may not have the surprise "how did they do that?" factor that the 1931 version had, but it was effective enough to make you believe what you were seeing on screen.

This movie was a critical failure upon release. It's probably overly long, but I thought it was a good movie. It was fun seeing Tracy and Bergman in these unexpected roles. I'm in the minority, but I did enjoy this version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde better than the 1931 version. This movie certainly has its flaws, but it did enough to hold my attention.

Rating 1-10
Tim's Rating: 7



If You Enjoyed This Movie, We Recommend: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)