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Ryan Coogler’s film “Sinners” has made history by becoming the most-nominated film in the history of the Oscars, with an astonishing 16 nominations. Notably, it has also set the record for the most nominations ever received by a horror film. While the Academy has previously recognized movies like “The Exorcist,” “Silence of the Lambs,” and “Get Out,” horror films often face steep odds at the Oscars. This trend is intriguing, especially considering that the genre first garnered attention at the Academy Awards nearly a century ago with the 1931 film “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.”
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This adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s gothic horror novella, set in Victorian London, was celebrated at the Oscars with nominations for Best Adapted Screenplay and Best Cinematography, and it clinched a Best Actor award for Fredric March. March’s victory was notable as it resulted in a rare tie with Wallace Beery for “The Champ.” For those interested in revisiting this cinematic milestone, “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is currently available for streaming on HBO Max.
In the film, Dr. Henry Jekyll, portrayed by March, leads an enviable life. He enjoys the respect of his colleagues, lives in a beautiful home, and is engaged to his beloved fiancée, played by Rose Hobart. However, Jekyll is driven by a desire to prove that both good and evil reside within everyone. This quest leads him to create a formula that transforms him into Edward Hyde, a man who indulges in his darkest impulses. Although Jekyll initially controls his transformations, he soon finds himself losing mastery over his dual identities.
Fredric March’s Oscar-winning performance remains powerful, capturing the stark contrast between Jekyll’s polished demeanor and Hyde’s primitive ferocity. March skillfully hints at the malevolence lurking within Jekyll before the notorious transformation occurs. Director Rouben Mamoulian’s interpretation of the story diverges from Stevenson’s original text, emphasizing a visually striking metamorphosis with Wally Westmore’s remarkable ape-like makeup. This transformation, still iconic today, feels like a cinematic magic trick, captivating audiences with its ingenuity.
Karl Struss, the film’s cinematographer, crafted the transformation effect by skillfully using different colored filters on black and white film to create the illusion of Hyde’s emergence. This technique made it appear as though the change was occurring internally rather than through editing. The film opens with a stunning shot from Jekyll’s point of view, achieved by cleverly integrating hidden cuts to maintain a natural flow. “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” showcased groundbreaking filmmaking techniques at a time when “talkies” were still relatively new. Watching it today is a testament to the creativity and innovation of early cinema.
Fredric March’s dual performance is mesmerizing
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Fredric March’s Oscar win was very much deserved, and his performance hasn’t lost an ounce of potency in the decades since. Jekyll and Hyde are two aesthetically different characters, with the former resembling the “respectable” upper class gentleman and the latter taking the form of a snarling, primitive beast. It’s a testament to March that he’s able to convey shades of Hyde inside of Jekyll before the iconic transformation. Director Rouben Mamoulian’s depiction of the doctor’s bad side is a deviation from Robert Louis Stevenson’s text, in which Hyde’s ugly appearance comes down to how he’s perceived by others. But Wally Westmore’s ape-like makeup created a disturbing transformation that’s a lot more visual, and it remains iconic to this day. Jekyll’s metamorphosis is still a jaw-dropping special effect that makes you feel as if you’re witnessing cinema itself pulling one heck of a magic trick.
Cinematographer Karl Struss achieved the in-camera effect by swapping between different colored filters while shooting on black and white film stock. It ensures that the makeup that was already caked on March’s face seamlessly appears as if it was actually changing him from within rather than achieving the effect through separate cuts. Struss lures the viewer in right off the bat with a spectacularly impressive opening shot that puts you inside Jekyll’s POV. It achieves the mirror effect by having March in another room before implementing a hidden cut to make it feel natural and smooth. The clever filmmaking techniques on display in “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” were groundbreaking — remember, the “talkies” were only a few years old at this point in time. Watching the film today leaves you in awe of how creative it is.
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is still a frightening film
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“Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” still feels edgy and frightening today, partly because it was made in the pre-Hays code era, when there was a more lax attitude towards depictions of violence and sex. This allowed Rouben Mamoulian to explore the darker aspects of the story relatively unshackled, such as Hyde’s abusive relationship with singer Ivy Pierson (Miriam Hopkins), illustrating the depths of the terror he inflicts on her. It’s still upsetting to watch him break her down by using her promiscuous side against her. There’s no score beyond Bach’s “Toccata and Fugue in D minor, BWV 565” in the opening credits, which makes the long stretches of silence amid Hyde’s evil deeds that much more sinister.
Horror fans should consider themselves lucky that 1931’s “Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde” is accessible today considering MGM purchased the prints of both the 1920 and 1931 adaptations with the intent of locking them away so its inferior 1941 remake starring Spencer Tracy would thrive, paying a whopping $125,000 for them. It wasn’t nearly as successful despite landing three Oscar nominations of its own. There’s also a hilarious irony considering March and Tracy would later go face to face in a Jekyll and Hyde-esque showdown in Stanley Kramer’s stirring 1960 courtroom drama “Inherit the Wind,” one of the best lawyer movies of all time. Thankfully, a print of the 1931 film was unearthed in the mid ’60s. It would have been a real travesty had this wonderful movie been locked away and forgotten.