In Victor Fleming’s version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella, Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, Spencer Tracy plays the lead role, a Victorian researcher who discovers a potion that transforms him into a monstrous killer.
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Initially, Ingrid Bergman was cast as Jekyll’s virtuous fiancee and Lana Turner as the prostitute Ivy, but Bergman succeeded in changing the casting and landing Turner’s role, which is meatier and showier.
That said, Bergman struggles with attempting a Cockney dialect, due to her heavy Swedish accent at the time.
Essentially miscast, Tracy does not look much different (or frightening) when he transforms from the good to the evil man.
Rouben Mamoulian’s previous version, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde,” in 1932, from a screenplay by Samuel Hoffenstein and Percy heath, is a better, scarier picture.
The source material has been used before in the silent 1920 feature, with John Barrymore, and the great French actor and mime Jean-Louis Barault played the famous part in Renoir’s “Testament of Docteur Cordelier.”
Fredric March, then at the height of his career, plays the titular role, and under Mamoulian’s direction, his transformation, from the handsome Jekyll into the deformed and diabolical Hyde is mesmerizing.
Less effective in the romantic scenes, March is utterly compelling as the tortured Hyde. Even so, March won his first Best Actor Oscar in a tie with Wallace Berry, recognized for “The Champ.”
MGM bought the rights to the 1931 film, which was made by Paramount, and tried to destroy every existing print of the 1931 picture. Fortunately they had not succeeded and Mamoulian’s version was found and later restored.
Oscar Nominations: 3
Cinematography (b/w): Joseph Ruttenberg
Scoring of Dramatic Picture: Franz Waxman
Film Editing: Harold F. Kress
Oscar Awards: None
Oscar Context:
The Cinematography Oscar went to Arthur Miller for How Green Is My Valley.
The Scoring Oscar was won by Bernard Herrmann for All That Money Can Buy.
The Editing Oscar went to William Holmes for Sergeant York.
Cast
Spencer Tracy as Henry Jekyll / Mr. Hyde
Ingrid Bergman as Ivy Pearson
Lana Turner as Bea Emery
Donald Crisp as Sir Charles Emery
Ian Hunter as John Lanyon
Barton MacLane as Sam Higgins
Aubrey Smith as Bishop Manners
Peter Godfrey as Poole, Jekyll’s butler
Sara Allgood as Mrs. Higgins
Frederic Worlock as Dr. Heath
William Tannen as Intern Fenwick
Frances Robinson as Marcia
Denis Green as Freddie
Credits:
Directed by Victor Fleming
Produced by Victor Saville
Written by John Lee Mahin, Percy Heath, Samuel Hoffenstein, based on Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1886) by Robert Louis Stevenson
Music by Franz Waxman
Cinematography Joseph Ruttenberg
Edited by Harold F. Kress
Production company: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Distributed by Loew’s, Inc.
Release date: August 12, 1941
Running time: 127 minutes
Budget $1,140,000
Box office $1,279,000 (domestic)
$1,072,000 (foreign)