Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

• Dude, there’s nothing I love more than classic horror. When I say “classic”, I’m not saying ‘A Nightmare on Elm Street’ or ‘The Texas Chain Saw Massacre’. Obviously, I really love those, but “classic” as in ‘Nosferatu’, ‘The Invisible Man’, and now this. Jekyll and Hyde has always been one of my favorite characters in fiction, even since I was young. The book is great, the concept is wonderful, and it inspired one of my favorite Batman villains, Two-Face. This is actually the first film adaptation that I’ve seen depicting this character and story, and it’s one for the ages. This is probably the definitive film adaptation, so much so that Fredric March actually won the Oscar for Best Actor. Well, he technically tied for it, but a win is still a win. At just over 90 minutes, the film doesn’t take too long to get into the nitty gritty, but it’s just long enough to provide character depth. It’s pretty innovative as well, specifically for 1931. It’s shot really well, using first person POV at times, with Jekyll/Hyde transitions that would’ve blown my mind in the 30s. When watching it now, it seems corny, but I promise it’s not. Jekyll’s first transition was absolutely awesome, and the Hyde makeup was also done amazingly. After you watch this, do yourself a favor and look up the behind the scenes about the makeup. They pulled it off really well, though Hyde’s teeth were comically too big. Fredric March came in clutch and pulled off both Jekyll and Hyde beautifully. It’s almost hilarious, which is kind of the point, but at the same time, it’s very serious and raw. There’s only so much they can show in the 30s, but I’d love to see an R-rated, body horror version of this, set in the original time period (maybe that will be a job for me someday….). Overall, this film is just wonderful, with some tense and provocative scenes (this was Pre-Code, remember?), and an iconic horror performance from March. It’s shot gorgeously, the makeup was divine, and it’s such a good adaptation of an infamous story. I would highly recommend this to all classic horror fans. This film is officially Berry Approved, so go watch it now!