Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

A doctor who has covered up a secret life full of bad and cruel deeds. He feels as if he is always fighting within himself between what is good and what is evil, and is pushing away people dear to him. After drinking a potion of his own creation, Jekyll is transformed into the cruel, remorseless, evil Edward Hyde, representing the hidden side of Dr. Jekyll's nature brought to the fore. Dr. Jekyll has many friends and has a friendly personality, but in the nature of Mr. Hyde, he becomes mysterious, violent, and secretive and as time goes by, Mr. Hyde grows in power.

The book was published in 1886 by Robert Louis Stevenson, it was an immediate success.

1887 Stage Play in Boston
1910 Film in Denmark
1912 Move in USA
1920 Movie in USA
1920 Movie in Germany
1931 Movie in USA Starring Fredric March, best actor
1941 Movie, USA Starring Spencer Tracy, Lana Turner, and Ingrid Bergman Spencer plays both parts.
1959 Movie in France
1960 Movie in UK
1963 Movie in USA, Screwball comedy "Nutty Professor"
1968 Movie in USA and Canada
1971 Movie in UK, shows him as a she
1972 Movie in Spain, El Hombre Lobo
1973 Movie USA Musical starring Kirk Douglas
1981 Made for TV in UK
1982 Movie in US, instead of surgery, cocaine is used
1985 Movie in USSR
1889 USA Edge of Sanity, low budget with Tony Perkins
1989 Made for TV at UK 1
990 Made for TV in US stars Michael Caine
1991 Stage play in London, invents a sister for Jekyll
1995 Movie in USA, Descendant turns self into woman
1996 Movie in USA Stars Julia Roberts as the maid
1997 Musical
2002 TV movie in UK
2006 Canadian Film where the drug ecstacy enhances and changes the personality.
2007 TV serial in UK Six part drama in modern London
2008 TV Movie


SPOOFS
1925 Dr. Pycle and Mr. Pryde
1953 Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
1971 UK Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde
1995 Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde
NO DATE Julia Jekyll and Harriet Hyde (children's series)
2004 A snoodle's Tale: The Strange Case of Dr. Jiggle and Mr. Sly.

Spencer Tracy's performance as Hyde was judged by the critics in 1941 to be inadequate, principally because he was not frightening enough. In addition, Tracy was considered "too American" and too "rough" to be believable as an upper-class doctor in Victorian London. He later received an amusing telegram from Fredric March, the star of the 1931 version, who said that his earlier performance as Hyde was always compared favorably with Tracy's. After watching the film, Tracy confided to a friend that he believed his acting career was over. Which of course, it was not.