Rating summary

Movie		3.0
Video		4.5
Audio		4.0
Extras		0.5
Overall		3.5

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

The Long (wait until) Halloween.

Reviewed by Randy Miller III May 5, 2022

Released as a remake of Paramount Pictures' 1931 film starring Fredric March*, Victor Fleming's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, produced by MGM, is one of countless adaptations of the original novella by Robert Louis Stevenson, itself the base of over a dozen films during the first half of the 20th century. The modern moviegoer's complaint of "too many remakes" may not exactly be an original one (how's that for irony?), but a rival major studio re-doing a film only a decade old? That's pretty damn tacky, especially considering the 1931 version was a box office success (even rivaling Dracula, Universal's first of their now-classic monster films) and won a shared Best Actor Academy Award†.

Yet here we are, back again in 1887 London where wealthy physician Henry Jekyll (Spencer Tracy) distances himself from contemporaries with his attempts to separate the good and bad sides of animal test subjects via an experimental serum. His lovely fiancée Beatrix (Lana Turner) endures Henry's feverish work ethic, but her stuffy father Sir Charles Emery (Donald Crisp) is less patient -- he doesn't appreciate their public displays of affection either, even complaining on the ride home from church. That's where Henry discovered the raving Sam Higgins (Barton MacLane), an accident victim put in his care... who would have been the first human recipient of the serum, had he not died right before the procedure. Undeterred, Henry decides to take the serum himself, briefly changing into a wide-eyed and wicked alter ego he dubs "Mr. Hyde" to disguise the horrible secret from his dutiful butler, Poole (Peter Godfrey).

Of course, this won't be the last time Jekyll becomes Mr. Hyde, with each subsequent dose leading to more prolonged and hideous results. Only a few in Henry's inner circle have any inkling of their shared identity, such as his good friend and fellow physician John Lanyon (Ian Hunter). Then, of course, there's poor Ivy Pearson (Ingrid Bergman), a barmaid saved by Henry and John in a nighttime attack: the doctor's good side is clearly attracted and keeps things mostly platonic... but when Hyde comes out to play, she's suddenly trapped in a nightmarishly abusive relationship.

The durable source material translates to film almost as effectively as previous standout versions from the era, which also include Paramount's own 1920 silent film starring John Barrymore. There are some clear pros and cons this time around: casting is uniformly excellent, the shadowy cinematography creates an outstanding atmosphere, and Spencer Tracy's performance strongly separates both characters enough to make his "unknown secret identity" believable -- and until the final reel, is done without excessive makeup and prosthetics. Unfortunately, its release during the Hays Code era means that some of the raw edges are sanded down; small details, like Ivy's job (she's actually a prostitute), and of course broader elements like rape and abuse are vaguely implied but never spoken by name. Yet the film's largest handicap is its mere existence: this is essentially a scene-by-scene remake of the 1931 version with bigger names and resources including director Victor Fleming, fresh off Gone with the Wind and The Wizard of Oz.

As a whole, this 1941 adaptation is still good -- borderline great in some areas -- and might hold up better if you've got a nostalgic attachment. But it still can't be considered a truly necessary adaptation of one of the genre's most enduring tales, whether in the form of Stevenson's original novella or the 1887 stage version by Thomas Russell Sullivan, which many film adaptations (including this one) follow more closely. Nevertheless, Warner Archive's Blu-ray treats it with the utmost respect, highlighted by yet another outstanding A/V presentation that clearly outpaces the extras.

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* - Fans of the 1931 film needn't worry: Warner Archive will be releasing it in time for Halloween this year.

† - Fredric March, as Jekyll and Hyde, tied with Wallace Berry who played boxer Andy Purcell in The Champ; it was only the second and final time that award was split. If there's one thing most Americans hate, it's a tie.

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

Although its restoration details were not specified on Warner Archive's May press release, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has clearly been treated with the same level of care as other nitrate films in the studio's vast library. By and large this is an exceptionally clean transfer -- I was only able to spot a handful of dirt and debris marks but, considering the state of previous home video releases, it offers a substantial improvement in overall cleanliness, fine detail, and overall depth. Close-ups reveal a staggering amount of information, from clothing textures to facial details either garishly grotesque (in the case of Mr. Hyde, particularly near the end) or soft and smooth (Beatrix and Ivy). Even in the latter moments, a pleasing amount of rich film grain is retained, although a handful of scenes -- particularly one exchange between Jekyll and Beatrix -- display trace amounts of excessive noise in lighter tones and medium-grays. Yet the wide majority of this Blu- ray is as perfect as we've come to expect from the boutique label, never more evident than the challenging foggy nighttime London scenes, which play smoothly and without the banding and posterization we'd expect from a lower-tier format or studio. Front to back, it's fantastic work that will delight long-time fans of this adaptation.

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

Though obviously short on true sonic spectacle, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sounds true to its source with an even-handed, modestly robust DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio mono mix that offers crisp dialogue, mild depth, good overall balance, and enough room left over for Franz Waxman's original score. No major amounts of hiss, popping, or distortion were heard along the way, and no audio sync issues could be detected either, rounding out the experience nicely.

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 artwork. Extras are minimal.

• Theatrical Trailer (3:42) - This rousing promotional piece can also be seen here.

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

Victor Fleming's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde served as MGM's hasty scene-by-scene remake of Paramount's successful 1931 adaptation starring Fredric March. Although watchable on its own terms, it doesn't do enough to justify its existence as a worthy iteration of classic source material. Nonetheless it has its fans, and they'll appreciate Warner Archive's solid Blu-ray edition: featuring another great A/V restoration, it's dependably good treatment of a modestly popular catalog title. Staunch fans of the 1931 film, however, should wait for that version's Blu-ray release later this year.