DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE

US, 1941, 113 minutes, Black and white.
Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, Lana Turner, Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter, C. Aubrey Smith, Sarah Allgood, Barton Mac Lane.
Directed by Victor Fleming.

Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is a famous novel by Robert Louis Stevenson (Treasure Island, Kidnapped). It has been filmed many times during the 20th century. There was a silent version with John Barrymore. Fredric March won an Oscar for his performance in the 1931 version. With the coming of television, there has been a proliferation of versions of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. Of interest is the John Malkovich-Julia? Roberts film Mary Reilly, where the events are seen from the point of view of Mary Reilly, Dr Jekyll’s maid.

Where the earlier films relied on special effects for the transformation of Dr Jekyll into Mr Hyde, this version relies more on Spencer Tracy’s expressions and performance. He is able to create the transition and appear sinister. There is interesting casting with Ingrid Bergman being unexpectedly cast as the prostitute, Ivy, and Lana Turner cast as the elegant wealthy fiancée.

The film was directed by Victor Fleming soon after his winning an Oscar for Gone with the Wind as well as his directed The Wizard of Oz, 1939. He was to direct Ingrid Bergman as Joan of Arc.

1. How do you account for the continued popularity of this story? Does it appeal as a horror story? A story with psychological overtones? Early science fiction? How well does it comprise all three?

2. How did the film create a 19th century atmosphere? The initial sequence in the church? The discussion of medicine? The atmosphere of evil in Victorian England? The impact of the sermon and the mad response? Dr. Jekyll's concern? What issues of medicine did the film raise? What issues of psychology? What were the attitudes of the 19th century towards psychology? Where were audience sympathies meant to lie?

3. The status of Dr. Jekyll as a doctor? What kind of person was Dr. Jekyll? Were audience sympathies for him at the beginning? His behaviour at the church and his concern? Dr Jekyll as a proud man? As a curious man? What drove him to investigate the psychic? How much evil was there in him? Did this drive him to his investigations?

4. Dr. Jekyll in relation to his friends and associates? What was their response to him? Was he popular? Why were people suspicious of him? His relationship with John and the consequences of this relationship throughout the film? The suspicions of Sir Charles? Why? His love for his fiancee and his behaviour to her? Her belief in him? Her status and position in society? The impact of the sequence of Dr. Jekyll with Ivy? What did this illustrate about him? Why was he so concerned and helpful? The dependence and appreciation of Ivy for him?

5. How well did the film handle the transformations? Was it melodramatic or was it well handled? What happened to Dr. Jekyll during the transformation? What did he discover? The impact of the fantasy sequence of the wind and the dream and the faces of the two women? The impact of this on the audience? What evil emerged from Dr. Jekyll? How was this symbolised in his face? The nature of his behaviour - was it convincingly evil?

6. The effect of the transformation on various people? on Ivy? The sequence at the hotel and his wanting her to serve him? The impact on his fiancee and the strain between them? Her voyage overseas? The dilemma of his getting back to normal? What selfishness did it reveal in him that he wanted to continue changing? What did he prove to himself? How did he relish the power he had as Mr. Hyde?

7. How important was the sequence between Mr. Hyde and Ivy? What effect did this power struggle have on Ivy? What did it reveal about the cruelty in Mr. Hyde? and in Dr. Jekyll? What did this lead to in Dr. Jekyll’s degeneration? In his killing someone?

8. The dramatic impact of the final dilemma? Of his revealing himself? Of his not having the key? Of the difficulty in getting back to Dr. Jekyll? The possibilities of his death? His hatred of his friends?

11. Was the ending too melodramatic? The continued use of the transformation of Dr. Jekyll's face? The realisation of the truth at the end?

12. What was the effect of this film meant to be? Merely an exciting horror story? Or was there a strong moral to it as regards good and evil, appearance and reality? How is the story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde a parable?

13. This film was made in the early forties. What impact does it have today?