Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Blu-ray Movie

Rating summary

Movie		4.5
Video		5.0
Audio		4.0
Extras		3.5
Overall		4.5

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Blu-ray Movie Review

Finally, the good version!

Reviewed by Randy Miller III October 9, 2022

Thankfully released several years before the Hays Code took full effect, Rouben Mamoulian's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) is a superior adaptation of the influential Robert Louis Stevenson story, one that was hastily remade a decade later by Victor Fleming with Spencer Tracy in the lead role(s). But it wasn't just any remake: MGM bought the negative to Mamoulian's film and a 1920 silent version starring John Barrymore, recalling and destroying prints ito erase both previous films from the public eye. It worked temporarily, but Mamoulian's film has endured thanks to unforgettable visuals, strong direction, and an Academy Award-winning* lead performance by Fredric March.

Although the 1941 film -- which I'll stop talking about soon, honest -- is virtually a scene-by-scene remake, a revised run-through of Jekyll and Hyde's plot is necessary due to differences between the two. Still, its core story is identical: Dr. Henry Jekyll (March) is well-known in his field for radical ideas about "separating" humans' good and bad sides, and he's also deeply in love with his fiancée Muriel Carew (Rose Hobart). Unfortunately, her father Sir Danvers (Halliwell Hobbes) doesn't give consent right away, as he's skeptical of Jekyll's impulsive nature. For now, Jekyll remains married to his experiments alongside colleague Dr. John Lanyon (Holmes Herbert) and, one night on the way home from work, they break up a fight in which singer Ivy Pierson (Miriam Hopkins) is being abused by a suitor. Ivy is smitten with her white knight and attempts to seduce Jekyll, who again is well aware of his "dark side"... and once Muriel leaves on a month-long trip with her father, he good doctor finalizes a "separation" formula and tests it on himself.

The result is Jekyll's horrific transformation into a primitive-looking man he names "Mr. Hyde", a cruel soul who acts completely on impulse and threatens almost everyone who stands in his way. This of course includes Ivy, who again becomes a victim of abuse as he repeatedly forces himself on her, initially enticing the singer with his wealth and silver tongue. The fear of retribution keeps Ivy from leaving him, as does the occasional reassurance of Dr. Jekyll after Hyde secretly transforms back into his former self. No ones knows about his dual identity but the illusion can't last forever, especially since he's gradually losing control of it, and it's not long before the cold truth comes out.

In short, everything about this 1931 "original" (for lack of a better word) meets or beats the 1941 remake, from Karl Struss' moody cinematography to the stunning dual performance by Fredric March. It's a visually ambitious film with plenty of interesting camera tricks and techniques used to serve the story, from a few first-person vignettes and mirror shots to several wiping split-screens that help us keep an eye on two situations at once. (Then of course there's the numerous transformation scenes, which are absolutely stunning and used a special makeup trick not revealed by the director until the publication of a 1971 book.) The film's excellent music and sound effects work also make it an early standout among "talkies", which had barely been in existence for four years at this point in history. Pound for pound, this adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a true "total package" production, and one that stands alongside even Universal's "Classic Monsters" films that began earlier that same year with Dracula and Frankenstein.

Easily Warner Archive's standout in a sadly light month, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde remains a highly anticipated title for fans hoping to secure it before October 31. No worries if it shows up later than expected -- this film plays well in any month and will be worth the wait, as it serves up yet another top-tier 1080p transfer that includes the infamous cut footage last seen on Warner Archives' own 2018 DVD. Forget Halloween, this is an early Christmas present.

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* - Fredric March actually shared the honor with Wallace Berry, who played boxer Andy Purcell in The Champ; this was only the second and final time that award was split. If there's one thing Americans hate, it's a tie.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Blu-ray Movie, Video Quality 

Much like the recently-released Mark of the Vampire, a trusted source has informed me that Warner Archive's exclusive restoration of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde stems from a recent 4K scan of the original nitrate camera negative... or at least most of it does. Before MGM bought the film from Paramount in the late 1930s, roughly 17 minutes of footage were cut for a theatrical re-release to comply with studio restrictions. Since the negative for those scenes no longer exists, Warner Archive was able to use the best-available substitute: a composite safety duplicate, which has been skillfully blended with its restored negative footage to create an extremely consistent and mostly seamless 2K presentation.

Those familiar with Warner Archive's purist-friendly restoration work should know what to expect during most of the film: a very stable and and well-cared for image that features stunning fine detail, visible textures, mostly strong black levels, and a pleasing layer of film grain that gives it a truly authentic theatrical appearance; combined with the studio's careful cleanup, the end result is quite a stunning image indeed. The blended cut scenes can often be picked out due to their slightly harsher contrast levels and marginally lesser amount of fine detail yet, despite their intermittent arrival, a thoroughly convincing illusion is maintained from start to finish. Fans will find this to be a best-case scenario under the circumstances, one that easily eclipses earlier home video releases and can certainly be described as "worth the wait". Further aiding the transfer's strength once again is Warner Archive's expert encoding, giving the film ample room to breathe on a dual-layered disc that runs at a high bit rate from start to finish. Aside from stray unavoidable source defects, which mostly include a few missing frames here and there, it's about as perfect as you can get.

This Blu-ray is also the first home video release to feature Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde's original aspect ratio of 1.19:1 ("Movietone" ratio), which was Paramount's old standard before the film industry finally settled on 1.37:1 the following year -- a format kept for several decades until the popularity of TV prompted films to go widescreen.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Blu-ray Movie, Audio Quality 

Similarly, this Blu-ray's DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio (split mono) mix was assembled from two separate sources -- the primary one being Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde's original negative -- with a remarkably consistent end result. Dialogue is uniformly clean and clear with only subtle hints of hiss and distortion at higher volume levels. Background effects and the score (which includes several pieces by Johann Sebastian Bach, none more immediately striking than Toccata and Fugue in D Minor) are balanced well without fighting for position. The overall track may not be as immediately stunning as its new transfer but, like the best audio mixes, it simply does the job without calling attention to itself.

Optional English (SDH) subtitles are included during the main feature only.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Blu-ray Movie, Special Features and Extras 

This one-disc release ships in a standard keepcase with poster-themed cover art and no inserts. The bonus features are mostly carried over from older DVD releases but two are new* and exclusive to this release.

• Audio Commentary #1* - This recent audio commentary appears to be newly recorded for WA's Blu-ray and features screenwriter/film historian Dr. Steve Haberman and film historian Constantine Nasr, who have partnered on other horror home video releases like the Hammer Films Ultimate Collection. It's a very well-organized and informative track that covers the bases nicely; topics of interest include other classic horror films from the era, Jekyll & Hyde's influence, camera tricks, themes explored during the film, the Scopes trial (which serendipitously lines up with 1960's Inherit the Wind, featuring both Fredric March and Spencer Tracy), the film's "censored" footage, other adaptations of the original novella, art director Hans Dreyer, and much more.

• Audio Commentary #2 - Not to be outdone, this outstanding DVD-era audio commentary features the incomparable author/film historian Greg Mank, who contributes an equally valuable track full of interesting production details and insights. There's a tiny bit of overlap here and there but topics include director Rouben Mamoulian's style, cinematographer Karl Struss, a fun little production mistake, several helpful time markers for the cut footage (including educated guesses as to why it was cut), historical details about minor background characters (!), notes from the film's original press book, deifying Jekyll, original casting choices, the career of Robert Louis Stevenson, and more, all delivered in his typically candid and down-to-earth style.

• Looney Tunes Short: "Hyde and Hare" (7:05) - This classic 1955 cartoon, featuring Bugs Bunny vs. a seemingly friendly man at the park, is always worth a watch. Seen in screenshot #31, it looks to have been upscaled to HD with DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio but is clearly taken from a dated DVD-era master with a soft overall appearance and visible aliasing. Ah well, it's better than not having it at all.

• Theater Guild on the Air Radio Broadcast* (52:06, audio only) - This vintage radio adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sounds rough but is likewise encoded in DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio. It features Fredric March and Barbara Bel Geddes in the lead roles with Hugh Williams as narrator.

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Blu-ray Movie, Overall Score and Recommendation 

Rouben Mamoulian's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is an outstanding adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's horror classic, one that was almost wiped away by an inferior 1941 remake but still endures thanks to its great performances, strong cinematography, and outstanding visual effects. Warner Archive's Blu-ray gives this film the respect it deserves with another top-tier 4K-sourced restoration, as well as bonus features highlighted by two enjoyable audio commentaries. One of the year's most essential catalog releases, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is Highly Recommended.