The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960)

Dr. Henry Jekyll experiments with scientific means of revealing the hidden, dark side of man and releases a murderer from within himself.

Director:

Terence Fisher

Writer:

Wolf Mankowitz (screenplay)

Stars:

Paul Massie, Dawn Addams, Christopher Lee

Cast

Cast overview:
Paul Massie	...	Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde
Dawn Addams	...	Kitty Jekyll
Christopher Lee	...	Paul Allen
David Kossoff	...	Dr. Ernst Litauer
Norma Marla	...	Maria
Francis De Wolff	...	Inspector
Joy Webster	...	Jenny

Storyline

Dr. Henry Jekyll is a dull, bookish scientist who spends more time with his lab animals testing theories of alternate personalities than with his beautiful, young wife. Kitty Jekyll has given up trying to find any passion in her distant, preoccupied husband and is involved in an affair with one of Jekyll's old 'friends,' Paul Allen, a weak slacker and wastrel who relies on Jekyll to pay his numerous gambling debts. After experimenting on himself, the bearded, tweedy Jekyll transforms himself into the young, dynamic, and self-confidant Edward Hyde. In his new character he befriends Allen, who has no idea of that this clean-cut, handsome playboy prone to outbursts of violence is really Jekyll. As Hyde, he encourages Allen to introduce him to the dark underbelly of London's night life including opium dens and sex clubs, where he begins an affair with the sensual courtesan Maria, an exotic dancer and snake charmer. When he tries to seduce Allen's mistress, in reality his own wife, he is ...

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Plot Keywords:

snake | experiment | gambling debt | wastrel | sex club | 

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Taglines:

Sometimes, Terror Has A Handsome Face.

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Genres:

Horror | Romance | Sci-Fi

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Details

Country:

UK

Language:

English

Release Date:

3 May 1961 (USA)

Also Known As:

House of Fright

Filming Locations:

Bray Studios, Down Place, Oakley Green, Berkshire, England, UK

Company Credits

Production Co:

Hammer Film Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

88 min

Sound Mix:

Mono (RCA Sound Recording)

Color:

Color (Technicolor)

Aspect Ratio:

2.35 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Christopher Lee's role was written especially for him, and remains one of his personal favorites.

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Quotes

Dr. Henry Jekyll: [to Litauer] This moral quibbling is useless. Man as he is comprises two beings: one of whom I call man as he could be. In his perfection this inner man is beyond good and evil.
Dr. Ernst Littauer: And the other man?
Dr. Henry Jekyll: He too is beyond good and evil - man as he would be... free of all the restictions society imposes on us... subject only to his own will.

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Connections

Version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (2002)

User Reviews

Where's Sister Hyde when you need her?

Ostracized by the scientific community, Dr. Jekyll is doing some rather pointless sounding experiments while his wife is cheating on him with his gambler friend. Unhappy with their relationship, he turns his experiments on himself and becomes the suave Mr. Hyde.

Another take on the Jekyll and Hyde story, this one has some interesting ideas, but it never does much with them. Ultimately, the film is quite dull. Too much focus is placed on Jekyll's poor marriage and the affair his wife is having. It might not have been so bad if his wife were actually desirable, but she's an annoying shrew. Jekyll should just rid himself of her and consider his life all the better for it. Christopher Lee plays the friend with whom she's having the affair. He's playing against type here and is actually sort of the protagonist, but it's hard feeling sympathy for a philanderer. Paul Massie plays Jekyll and Hyde. He's actually not that great as either. His line delivery just sounds unnatural, especially when he's playing Jekyll.

There are some interesting twists towards the end, but it's too little, too late. This isn't one of the better films from Hammer.