DOCTOR JEKYLL AND SISTER HYDE

UK, 1971, 97 minutes, Colour.
Ralph Bates, Martine Beswick, Gerald Sim, Lewis Fiander, Dorothy Allison.
Directed by Roy Ward Baker.

Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde is a studio's version of Stevenson's classic story. Filmed many times with John Barrymore, Frederick March, Spencer Tracey, David Hemmings, it has proven a popular fable for the contradictions of good and evil within human nature.

This version, stylishly made in the Hammer manner has Ralph Bates and Martine Beswick as the two facets of Dr Jekyll. Much is given in the screenplay to the scientific beliefs of the 19th century, about progress, about playing God and having control over life. This time Dr Jekyll does experiments for seeking the prolonging of life and as experiments with male and female hormones. This results in his alter ego becoming a woman. In terms of psycho, it is-an interesting portrait of the complementarity and contrast between the male and the female, in Dr. Jekyll. Ralph Bates is good as the Ur-and-there is a strong supporting cast including Gerald Sim as the inspector, Lewis Fiander as the neighbour who becomes infatuated with Sister Hyde, Dorothy Alison. The film was directed By Roy Ward Baker, veteran British director who made a number of these horror films.

The film also combines the Jack the Ripper stories with Dr. Jekyll. (Jack the Ripper had been linked to Sherlock Holmes stories in murder by decree as well as with H.G.Wells in Nicholas Meyer’s Time after Time).

1. The popularity of Stevenson’s story? Portrait of human nature, good and evil? The Victorian setting? The tradition of Jekyll and Hyde films?

2. Hammer studios, production values, recreation of the Victorian era? Their horror tradition and giving the thriller horror aspects? Violence, visual, menace, suggested?
The musical score?

3. The title and the variation on the theme? The male and female within the one individual? Comparisons, contrast? The split personality?

4. The interest in science, experimentation, progress, the prolonging of life? Experiments, playing God, the consequent violence - and madness? The scientist as self destructive?

4. The character of Dr Jekyll his work, bodies, experiments, the fly, male and female hormones? His neighbours and their friendship, his isolation? Friendship with the police inspector? The Jack the Ripper murders? His setting down his memoirs, experiments.

5. Dr Jekyll's motivation? Science, personal ambition, psychological drives, sadistic drives, intellectual drives? The connection with the Jack the Ripper murders? Immortality? The experiments, the bodies? His injecting himself, the transformation to Sister Hyde (and the visuals to convey this)? Sister Hyde, sensual, vain, the mirror, dresses? Going out, provocative behaviour? Attraction to Howard? Seductive? Dr Jekyll coming back? Conscious of what he had done? The attraction to Susan, her concern, visits? Promises? The violence in his own room? The murder of the inspector? The blind man and the clues? His deterioration? Moving in and out? The pursuit by the police, the roof tops, his fall and death? His diary being consumed by fire? An interesting interpretation of Stephenson's character?

6. Howard, the Victorian gentleman, home life, Susan? The mother? Susan and her attraction? The concern about Dr Jekyll? The seductive behaviour, their responses?

7. The blind man, the Jack the Ripper murders, hearing the footsteps, the puzzle, the confrontation?

8. The inspector, his behaviour, investigations, friendship with Dr Jekyll? His death? The police, the searching, the interrogation? The pursuit of Dr Jekyll?

9. The body snatchers, their role in 19th century society, supplying bodies to the Doctors for experimentation?

10. The world of the slums, the taverns, the prostitutes, the drinkers, the singers? Victims of people like Dr Jekyll and Jack the Ripper?

11. The popularity of the theme? An interpretation of the 70s?