Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde: A Review

Rouben Mamoulian's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1931 and Victor Fleming's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde in 1941 both center on the duality of human nature. Both of the movies revolve around horror, a theme the American public had not really experienced up to that point. Thomas Doherty describes this genre in stating, "The aesthetic ambition of the horror film is single-minded: it aims to scare" (Doherty, 296). Both films did just that, although there are some differences between the two. Rouben Mamoulian directed his 1931 version at a time when it was possible to have themes of sexuality and sexual misconduct. On the other hand, Victor Fleming's 1941 version was filmed in a time when such themes were not acceptable. This distinction definitely gives the advantage to the 1931 version as it is capable of creating a more intense and striking picture overall.

Mamoulian's film opens with the audience seeing through the eyes of Jekyll. The camera becomes active and valuable by engaging the audience and putting them in the position as if they were one of the characters. The viewer first meets Dr. Jekyll through the use of the mirror. One might argue that Mamoulian's approach is much more powerful than Fleming's method because the audience feels as if they are a part of the film right from the start. Mamoulian connects with the audience more by allowing them to gaze through the eyes of Jekyll as if they were actually him making the movements and performing the actions.

In both films Jekyll states, "Man is not merely one, but two." He says that one state is good and the other is evil. This sets the stage for the events to come and forecasts his transformation into Mr. Hyde. However, prior to this transformation, the viewer gets a little insight into Jekyll's character. There are definitely differences between the behaviors of the two Jekylls. Spencer Tracy's Jekyll in the 1941 version is more along the lines of a "mad scientist" than anything else. He is an individual who does not hesitate on the thought of experimenting on people even if it is extremely risky. Conversely, Fredric March's Jekyll is only willing to experiment on himself. The viewer sees March's Jekyll as a very helpful and warm-hearted person. He helps a girl walk without crutches and misses an important dinner to operate on Mrs. Lucas. This type of behavior of helping the poor is much different than Spencer Tracy's experimentation on innocent animals. It is somewhat silly to be experimenting on animals in the first place when one is researching the soul. Critics might argue that March's Jekyll is much more passionate that Tracy's Jekyll. Tracy's Jekyll is frustrated with Beatrix going away while March's Jekyll is devastated by the loss of Muriel. Prior to these events, both Jekylls show their affection for their fiancées. However, it is March's Jekyll that displays a greater love for his significant other. The relationship between March and Muriel is more intense than Tracy's relationship with Beatrix. The connection is really there between March and Muriel as he makes believable statements of his love for her. One could easily argue that this passion between Tracy and Beatrix is not as strong. In the end, this stronger attraction between March and Muriel allows for a greater downfall of the main character and ultimately a better ending to the film.

One night Dr. Jekyll stumbles into Ivy in the street and ends up in her room. This eventually leads to an interesting scene between these two individuals. Miriam Hopkins and Ingrid Bergman both do a remarkable job playing Ivy in her room, but there are a few subtleties that make the films slightly different. Miriam Hopkins's Ivy is more seductive, and the scene is simply more sexual in general. Ivy shows him the bruise on her inner thigh and forces him to put his hand there. The camera focuses on her legs dangling from the bed, and she begins to take off her garters and stockings in a very seductive manner. In the 1931 version, the viewer then sees Ivy somewhat exposed under the covers trying to seduce Dr. Jekyll. Ivy kisses him as Dr. Lanyon enters the room. Consequently, this appearance by Dr. Lanyon startles them, which in turn exposes her naked back and the side of her breasts to the audience. She tries to seduce him by stating, "Come back soon, won't ya?" Dr. Jekyll exits the house, but the thought of Ivy cannot leave his head. This is evident as her leg remains dangling and dissolved on the screen. As a result of the Code's enforcement, this scene from the 1931 film is more intense and more sexual than the 1941 version. Hopkin's Ivy is also portrayed as a prostitute, and this theme definitely drew more attention around the years of the Code. When Jekyll rejects her in the 1931 film, she does not show any emotion and goes on as if nothing ever happened. However, in the 1941 version, Ivy breaks down crying when Jekyll tries to leave because he actually meant something to her. This modification of the film ultimately addressed the issues of morality that came up throughout this scene. Her portrayal as a prostitute in the 1931 version caught the eye of regulators as it violated the Code.

This scene leads to increased tension within Jekyll and ultimately the transformation into Hyde. One might argue that March did a much better job in terms of the preparation of Jekyll's transformation. In the 1931 version, the audience gets a better sense of the frustration Jekyll experiences. March really lays the framework for Hyde and the horror to follow. On the other hand, Tracy's Jekyll does not do as good of a job illustrating the stress and frustration he is going through. Some might argue that Hyde simply came out of nowhere in the 1941 version as there is no true anger within Jekyll prior to the transformation.

As a result of his frustration, Jekyll makes a mixture in an attempt to separate the two natures in man. In both films Jekyll has an extremely evil look on his face when he holds up the glass prior to drinking the mixture. In the 1931 film, the viewer sees through the eyes of Jekyll again in an attempt to put him in Jekyll's shoes. This scene would be really scary during that time period as nothing of this nature was ever attempted before. He looks at the mirror, and through the use of special effects, the audience experiences this incredible transformation from Dr. Jekyll to Mr. Hyde. Rouben Mamoulian's use of special effects in addition to the amount Jekyll changes really allows for a horrifying scene. Thomas Doherty describes this 1931 transformation as "one of the most famous special effects sequences of the 1930s" (Doherty, 305). Overall March's creativity allows for a more interesting scene. Hyde's hideousness may also give the advantage somewhat to March. March's Hyde was more of animal-like creature with hairy arms and bushy eyebrows. He even walked like an animal, which suggests he is somewhat inhuman. Some viewers might interpret this image as extremely horrifying while others may perceive it as something fake. Thus, some might argue that Tracy's Hyde is more complex and authentic because it deals more with the psychological aspects rather than just the actual appearance.

The audience gets to experience the evil within Hyde through the way he treats Ivy. In the 1931 version, he acts as if he owns her as he states, "You belong to me. If you do one bad thing while I'm gone, I'll show you what horror means!" The audience never experienced anything like this before, and this scene definitely frightened viewers to a great extent. Ultimately Ingrid Bergman's Ivy had a more difficult task displaying her true horror simply because of the Code. With only so much to work with, she is the one that really makes this scene work. Overall Miriam Hopkins and Ingrid Bergman do an outstanding job with their roles and help create the best scenes in the movies because of their horrific nature. Both films have the scene of Ivy at home when she wishes to see Jekyll more and Mr. Hyde less. Through the mirror, the viewer can see her and the entrance to the room. One can see the hideous Hyde enter the room through the door silently, and Ivy drops her glass in complete terror. Her scream illustrates the fear she feels and parallels the fright the viewer experiences. This was a truly horrifying scene as it frightened me to some extent, which is pretty impressive considering these films were released nearly seventy years ago.

Overall both directors do a remarkable job in creating a thriller in addition to countless horrifying scenes. Losing control of one's mind, living two lives, and losing a loved one were all themes in these films, and they truly helped create some of the most terrifying movies during that time period. Generally speaking, Rouben Mamoulian's version is more authentic in terms of the built of tension within Jekyll that forces him to transform into Hyde. Victor Fleming produces a well-rounded film considering he directed the movie after the Code was released. He had to squeeze the same themes into the film as Mamoulian did but with greater restrictions and firmer boundaries.

Bibliography:

1) http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0033553/

2) http://www.fandango.com/dr.jekyllandmr.hyde1941dr.jekyllandmr.hyde1931_119600/movieoverview

3) Mamoulian, R., Hoffenstein, S., Heath, P., March, F., Hopkins, M., Hobart, R., et al. (2004). Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Burbank, CA: Warner Home Video.