Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

19121912
Not RatedNot Rated
12m

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.

6.0/10

643

Director
- Lucius Henderson
Writers
- George F. Fish(play)
- Luella Forepaugh(play)
- Robert Louis Stevenson(novel "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde")
Stars

Top credits

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James Cruze in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912)

Harry Benham, James Cruze, and Florence La Badie in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912)

Dr. Jekyll, a young physician, is possessed of the idea that medicine can affect the soul as well as the body, and has many discussions with his old friend Lanyon, a doctor of the old school. Jekyll continues to experiment in secret, and finally his efforts are crowned with success. He discovers a mixture that brings out all the bad in his nature, and another that will act as an antidote. Bat when he stands forth in his evil guise, Jekyll is horrified. He is such a wicked, repulsive creature that even the interests of science are lost sight of, and he decides to bury his discovery from everyone, realizing that it does not pay physicians or anyone else to bring out the evil that is in one. The doctor finds, however, that it is easy to start evil doing, but not always possible to accomplish reform. The wicked genius that he brought to the surface, simply in the interests of science, returns at intervals to plague him. And in those stages of existence, the courtly, polished, tender-hearted Dr. Jekyll becomes Mr. Hyde, a monster who is feared and hated. By the aid of his medicine, Dr. Jekyll is able to drive Mr. Hyde away, but as the change often takes place at times when he is far from his office, he is unable to use the drug that restores him to a rational being again. At these times he lives in wretched lodgings, under the name of Mr. Hyde, and pays secret visits to the home of Dr. Jekyll. That latter's friends are surprised that the courtly doctor should have such an intimate, but he sadly disregards their remonstrances, for he alone knows that Dr. Jekyll cannot ever be rid of Mr. Hyde. Jekyll loves the vicar's daughter, and his love is returned. While calling upon her one day the change in identities comes upon him, and he hastily excuses himself to his fiancée. But as he passes out of the grounds, he becomes Mr. Hyde, the man who tortures little children and is a hater of all mankind. He returns to the girl, not as a suitor, but intending to be her slayer. The vicar hears his daughter's cries and gallantly runs to her aid. The feeble old man, however, is no match for the maniac Hyde, and is killed. Hyde flees, safe for the time being. When Dr. Jekyll is restored to himself, his grief is profound. His life is forfeited, his happiness ruined. And at intervals, growing briefer and briefer, the demon Hyde asserts his mastery. An accident deprives the doctor of the medicine that restores him to the Jekyll existence. He locks himself in his room, ordering his servant, through the barred doors, to bring him certain drugs. The servant, who loves Jekyll, does not recognize the voice of Hyde. He runs off and calls assistance, believing that the kindly doctor has been slain by Hyde, the man the servant bated. The police arrive and Hyde is commanded to open the door in the name of the law. He is unable to restore himself to the Dr. Jekyll existence. As Hyde, his life forfeited, the wretched man ends his life with poison just as the doors crash in and the police enter, too late to save him for the gallows. —Moving Picture World synopsis

monster character names as title dr. jekyll and mr. hyde characters five word title male police officer 13 more

Genres
Certificate
- Not Rated
Parents guide
- Add content advisory

Trivia
Although James Cruze was credited as playing both Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, in some scenes Hyde was actually played by Harry Benham. In a 1963 interview published in Famous Monsters of Filmland magazine, Benham remembered that he and James Cruze shared the same costume and wig, but had their own separate sets of false fangs.

Goofs
In a scene, a man is supposed to be dead, but yet he can clearly be seen breathing.

Connections
Edited into Jekyll & Canada (2009)

Top review

3/10

Robert Louis Stevenson in eleven minutes

James Cruze is remembered by silent film buffs as a man who worked behind the camera, most memorably as director of one of the first great Western epics: The Covered Wagon, released in 1923. However, in earlier years he worked as an actor for the Thanhouser company of New Rochelle, New York, a studio of modest size that was active circa 1910-1917. Cruze can be seen in the role of Dr. Jekyll in Thanhouser's one-reel version of Robert Louis Stevenson's famous tale, an adaptation that is neither the best nor the worst but surely one of the fastest film versions, clocking in at just over eleven minutes. Given the time constraints, these filmmakers really had to cut to the chase! After a brief shot of Dr. Jekyll discussing his theories with an unidentified companion, he's in his lab mixing the potion, and the first transformation takes place before one minute has elapsed. Perhaps it goes without saying that we get only the highlights of the story here.

Don't expect the cobble-stone streets of Victorian London, for this is a low-budget production that appears to have been filmed in the suburbs of New Rochelle, identified only as "the village" in title cards. The presentation is straightforward and rather subdued, and the performances are low-key by the standards of the day. Hyde's makeup job is fairly restrained too, big teeth notwithstanding, certainly when compared to some of the later versions. I was a little surprised to learn that Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde are played by two different actors, at least in some shots. If you watch carefully you'll see that Harry Benham's Hyde is distinctly shorter than Cruze's Jekyll. Ordinarily actors relish the opportunity to play both of these roles, but perhaps the technical limitations of the time dictated this unusual casting decision.

There is one especially effective moment when Jekyll realizes he's on the verge of a transformation into his evil alter ego in the presence of his fiancée, and attempts to get away from her. Viewers familiar with the source material might be interested in a couple of minor alterations from the novel: here, Jekyll's fiancée is the daughter of a minister, and there is a plot twist in the final scene relating to Hyde's death that may come as a surprise. Over all, however, this rendition of the story is little more than a moderately interesting curio. It isn't all that exciting, sorry to say, though allowances should be made for pioneer filmmakers. You know it's still early in cinema history when the shelves in Jekyll's study are painted on the walls -- and you know the movie isn't sufficiently exciting when you find yourself examining Dr. Jekyll's bookshelves.

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