As I write this I’m watching Fredric March’s performance as Jekyll and Hyde in the 1931 film, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. He won an Academy Award for his performance.
One thing leaps out at me about it. Hyde is not the way Stevenson described him. Stevenson had a single theme that recurs throughout his works: evil is more attractive than good. That’s why Jekyll, a very good man, is drawn to transform himself into Hyde again and again.
Who is the most interesting, attractive character in Treasure Island? It’s not Squire Trelawny or Dr. Livesey, the “good” characters. Obviously, Long John Silver. Similarly with Alan Breck in Kidnapped and James in The Master of Ballantrae. They’re not good people but they’re more interesting and attractive.
Hyde is not described as physically deformed but more subtly as having a sort of moral deformity. Maybe some day there will be a film adaptation which capture that aspect of the novel. Spencer Tracy’s Jekyll/Hyde comes closest. Too bad it’s such a lousy picture.
I think the Hammer production, The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll, starring Oliver Reed, has that angle. From Wikipedia: “In contrast to other film versions, Jekyll was portrayed as a rather bland and faceless person, while Hyde was presented as suave and handsome. This reflects director Fisher’s belief in what critics (such as biographer Wheeler Winston Dixon) called “the charm of evil”.” I’ve not seen it for a long time to be able to recall whether it’s good, but it’s probably pretty to look at and probably a good role for Reed.
Never seen it. I’ll check it out.
Oops, Oliver Reed didn’t star, it was Paul Massie. I could have sworn Reed played the part at some point, and it was that connection I was looking for.
Guess I’m just lowbrow,
reminds me of the Nutty Professor.
You’re right. Of the many screen adaptations, in some ways The Nutty Professor is closer to what Stevenson was writing about than many of the others.