Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931) - A Film Review

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 I read the book that inspired this film. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from 1931 is a black-and-white silent film. The movie isn't all that far off from the book. Aside from adding a love interest (like they do in lots of films), the plot is close enough once you get to Jekyll actually getting the idea for the potion. 

Courtesy of Alamy.com

I give this film an 8 out of 10. It was entertaining, but the music was situation-deaf. The organ music during Hyde beating a man to death with a cane was...a choice. Cheerful music for being attacked by Hyde, beating a man to death, and someone dying of poison were all tone-deaf choices for tense moments. Any other filmmaker would have used more tense pieces for such scenes. 

The acting itself was good, minus those melodramatic transformations. The women in this film knocked it out of the park. You could tell the prostitutes and women around Hyde hated him - but the prostitutes couldn't say no to money and feared him. They effectively told you how they felt about Hyde and acted out what was only implied in the books. Those women deserve awards for that. The men were also great, but they didn't have to express the emotions the women did because they mostly saw Jekyll. All actors did great. No notes. 


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Morrow is released! This novella is the story of two women writing a family history for the Morrow family. They find a nasty secret while researching. Will they survive their internship? 

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