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IMDbPro

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

  • 19311931
  • PassedPassed
  • 1h 38m
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
14K
YOUR RATING
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
  • Horror
  • Sci-Fi
Dr. Jekyll faces horrible consequences when he lets his dark side run wild with a potion that transforms him into the animalistic Mr. Hyde.Dr. Jekyll faces horrible consequences when he lets his dark side run wild with a potion that transforms him into the animalistic Mr. Hyde.Dr. Jekyll faces horrible consequences when he lets his dark side run wild with a potion that transforms him into the animalistic Mr. Hyde.
IMDb RATING
7.6/10
14K
YOUR RATING
  • Director
    • Rouben Mamoulian
  • Writers
    • Samuel Hoffenstein(screen play)
    • Percy Heath(screen play)
    • Robert Louis Stevenson(based on the novel by)
  • Stars
    • Fredric March
    • Miriam Hopkins
    • Rose Hobart
Top credits
  • Director
    • Rouben Mamoulian
  • Writers
    • Samuel Hoffenstein(screen play)
    • Percy Heath(screen play)
    • Robert Louis Stevenson(based on the novel by)
  • Stars
    • Fredric March
    • Miriam Hopkins
    • Rose Hobart
  • See production, box office & company info
    • 141User reviews
    • 76Critic reviews
  • See production, box office & company info
  • See more at IMDbPro
    • Won 1 Oscar
      • 6 wins & 3 nominations total

    Photos115

    "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" Frederic March 1931 Paramount / **I.V.
    Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
    Fredric March in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
    Fredric March and Edgar Norton in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
    Fredric March and Edgar Norton in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
    Miriam Hopkins and Fredric March in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
    Miriam Hopkins and Fredric March in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
    Miriam Hopkins and Fredric March in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
    Tempe Pigott in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
    Miriam Hopkins and Tempe Pigott in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
    Miriam Hopkins in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)
    Fredric March and Edgar Norton in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

    Top cast

    Edit
    Fredric March
    Fredric March
    • Dr. Henry Jekyllas Dr. Henry Jekyll…
    Miriam Hopkins
    Miriam Hopkins
    • Ivy Pearsonas Ivy Pearson
    Rose Hobart
    Rose Hobart
    • Muriel Carewas Muriel Carew
    Holmes Herbert
    Holmes Herbert
    • Dr. Lanyonas Dr. Lanyon
    Halliwell Hobbes
    Halliwell Hobbes
    • Brigadier-General Carewas Brigadier-General Carew
    Edgar Norton
    Edgar Norton
    • Pooleas Poole
    Tempe Pigott
    Tempe Pigott
    • Mrs. Hawkinsas Mrs. Hawkins
    Robert Adair
    • Ivy's Admirer at Music Hallas Ivy's Admirer at Music Hall
    • (uncredited)
    Harry Adams
    • Pub Patronas Pub Patron
    • (uncredited)
    William Begg
    William Begg
    • Party Guestas Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Leonard Carey
    Leonard Carey
    • Briggs - Lanyon's Butleras Briggs - Lanyon's Butler
    • (uncredited)
    Rita Carlyle
    • Jekylls Patientas Jekylls Patient
    • (uncredited)
    Frank Goddard
    • Undetermined Roleas Undetermined Role
    • (uncredited)
    Bobbie Hale
    • Pub Patronas Pub Patron
    • (uncredited)
    Pat Harmon
    Pat Harmon
    • Music Hall Customeras Music Hall Customer
    • (uncredited)
    Sam Harris
    Sam Harris
    • Party Guestas Party Guest
    • (uncredited)
    Boyd Irwin
    • Police Inspectoras Police Inspector
    • (uncredited)
    Tom London
    Tom London
    • Undetermined Roleas Undetermined Role
    • (uncredited)
    • Director
      • Rouben Mamoulian
    • Writers
      • Samuel Hoffenstein(screen play)
      • Percy Heath(screen play)
      • Robert Louis Stevenson(based on the novel by)
    • All cast & crew
    • See more cast details at IMDbPro

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    Storyline

    Edit

    Did you know

    Edit
    • Trivia
      The first horror movie ever to win an Academy Award.
    • Goofs
      Immediately after Hyde changes to Jekyll in front of Dr. Lanyon, he moves his head and briefly reveals the padded armature attached to the back of his chair, intended to hold his head in the same position while the makeup artists worked on various stages of his transformation.
    • Quotes

      Dr. Lanyon: Perhaps you're forgetting, you're engaged to Muriel.

      Dr. Jekyll: Forgotten it? Can a man dying of thirst forget water? And do you know what would happen to that thirst if it were to be denied water?

      Dr. Lanyon: If I understand you correctly, you sound almost indecent.

      Dr. Jekyll: What names you give things!

    • Alternate versions
      Originally released at 97 minutes. Later reissues are taken from a shortened 82-minutes print. Deletions include:
      • A 3.5 minute segment immediately following the opening credits. This is filmed in first person, and shows Jekyll playing the organ and getting ready for his lecture.
      • Jekyll helping a young girl to learn to walk in the free ward. This 1 minute scene precedes the scene with the sick woman in bed.
      • After his first transformation, Jekyll does not go immediately to the pub as in the cut version. Instead, Poole comes to the laboratory, and Jekyll takes the antidote and then lets him in. Jekyll then visits Muriel and learns that she is going away on a trip. Jekyll is preoccupied with her absence. When he learns she will be away another month, Poole suggests he go out. Jekyll knows a man of his position cannot be seen in the establishments of the lower classes, so he decides to take the potion again. Another on screen transformation occurs, this time while he is seated in a chair. He then leaves for the pub at which Ivy is singing. This sequence lasts 6.5 minutes.
      • Just before Jekyll's transformation in the park, the restored scene reveals the reason for his transformation without taking the potion. He sees a bird being killed by a cat up in a tree. The traces of the drug in him, combined with the witnessing of this violent act, is enough to trigger the transformation, which he now has no control over. This restored cut lasts 45 seconds.
      • The last restored scene is when Jekyll visits Muriel to "set her free". This adds additional details as to the torment Jekyll is going through, and confusion of Muriel as to what is troubling Jekyll.
    • Connections
      Edited into Mondo Lugosi - A Vampire's Scrapbook (1987)
    • Soundtracks
      Toccata and Fugue in D Minor, BWV 565
      (1708) (uncredited)

      Music by Johann Sebastian Bach

      Played by orchestra during opening credits and in some scenes by an anonymous organist dubbing Fredric March

    User reviews141

    Review
    Top review
    8/10
    Not Quite the Book BUT Mesmerizing Performance by March and Innovative Direction/Camera
    For all the existing film versions of Robert Louis Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" (1886), this 1931 Paramount offering starring the incomparable Frederic March is probably the best. None quite follow the original book, whose tale is actually told backwards in a way. The book does not follow a series of linear events that lead to the so-called "transformation". Instead, rumors of a strange man surface between two characters in the very opening. We learn about Hyde first before Jekyll, which is not the way any film adaptation has ever told the story.

    Still, the present film has a lot going for it. At the forefront is Frederic March in the classic dual role of good and evil. When he first becomes Hyde, I thought another actor was playing the role, it's that good! Another distinctive aspect is the camera work which must have been extremely innovative for its time. The opening moments are shot with a first person perspective. The transformation is done relatively seamlessly considering CGI effects had yet to be invented. There are other moments of shadows and dark corridors. The atmospheric fog that permeates the entire film is worth the price of admission.

    As stated by other reviewers, some of the dialog hearkens back to an earlier era of the Vaudeville Melodrama. Characters didn't just love each other, they loved each other for eternity! Still a fine film all things considered, dated perhaps in places, but still March's performance is unbeatable, and definitely deserved of the Academy Award for Best Actor.
    helpful•43
    0
    • classicalsteve
    • Nov 2, 2007

    FAQ7

    • What is 'Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' about?
    • Is "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" based on a book?
    • Is it pronounced "Jekyll" or "Jeekyll"?

    Details

    Edit
    • Release date
      • January 3, 1932 (United States)
    • Country of origin
      • United States
    • Language
      • English
    • Also known as
      • Dr. Jekyll ve Bay Hyde
    • Filming locations
      • Paramount Studios - 5555 Melrose Avenue, Hollywood, Los Angeles, California, USA
    • Production company
      • Paramount Pictures
    • See more company credits at IMDbPro

    Box office

    Edit
    • Budget
      • $535,000 (estimated)
    • Gross worldwide
      • $16,615
    See detailed box office info on IMDbPro

    Technical specs

    Edit
    • Runtime
      1 hour 38 minutes
    • Color
      • Black and White
    • Aspect ratio
      • 1.20 : 1

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