The Jekyll and Hyde timeline

Even though my Jekyll and Hyde isn’t looking at the films chronologically, I’ve been watching them more or less chronologically in hopes of seeing patterns. Here are my initial thoughts, definitely open to revision as I watch more.

First we have the novel, itself, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. This was rapidly followed by stage adaptations, which was typical for the Victorian era. These kept the mystery structure, revealing Hyde is Jekyll late in the show. They added details of Jekyll’s good side (he works as a doctor in a charity clinic) and gave him a fiancee. These details carry over into the silent films, which are mostly trimmed-down shorts condensing the story and skimping on character. The 1920 Barrymore version is the first feature film version and gives us a Bad Girl lover for Hyde, though she plays a minor part in the story.

Then comes the 1932 Fredric March adaptation, which won March the Oscar. In 1941, Spencer Tracy took the Jekyll/Hyde role in MGM’s remake of the 1932 version. The superior March version went into the vaults for around 30 years (MGM bought the rights so they could do that — a standard way to avoid unfavorable comparisons) which left Tracy’s take as the one movie-goers would know.

Whether because of rights or because the MGM version stood as definitive, we only saw a couple of straight adaptations, such as Hammer’s Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll — in the next 25 years. We did see lots of cartoons and several comedy versions — Abbott and Costello Meet Jekyll and Hyde, The Ugly Duckling and The Nutty Professor.

Then comes Dan Curtis’ superb Jekyll and Hyde adaptation for TV in 1968. Then the 1970s and things start to run wild — a lot more sex and a willingness to shake up the formula big-time. Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde being the big one in that era. Though straight adaptations continue as they always do, with Christopher Lee in I, Monster.

This is only a first impression and I haven’t included all the films from this era. But I think as an overview, it’s a sound start.

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