Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)

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1. 

   AFGiant

   I disagree with the com commenters below. I thought Spencer Tracy gave one of the most nuanced Hyde performances there has ever been. This film is indeed a remake of the 1931 version, but the main area where it diverges is in the portrayal of Hyde. The 1931 film establishes the brutish, animalistic Hyde that we see in most protrayals. The 1941 version makes Hyde a subtle, manipulative character, less outwardly monstrous, but nonetheless abusive and fear-inducing.
   
   The script was weaker in this one than in 1931, and Ingrid Bergman's accent was atrocious, but it really wasn't a bad film. 9 years 3 months ago
2. 

   seithscott

   really feels like a hammed up remake of the 1931 version, which is sad because the cast made it seem like it was gonna be great but it never gets there. 12 years 1 month ago
3. 

   Siskoid

   1941's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has to be a lot tamer than the 1931 version (Hays Code and all), but isn't completely devoid of the story's dark sexuality, especially present in the surreal Freudian visions Jekyll initially sees during his transformations. But the scenes with Ivy play more as melodrama than horror, and the make-up is so simple, that the dual role is really in the playing of it. Spencer Tracy is a warmer Jekyll than most, and his wild-eyed Hyde is only a shade away, physically. It might even have been more interesting had there been NO make-up, because it comes close to being psychosomatic. Of course, Tracy's American accent is odd, though no less odd than Ingrid Bergman's cockney - both of them should go see Henry Higgins - and since I can't refuse Bergman, I shall have to let that go. This version of the film, with its slick cinematography and all-star cast is good, but pales in comparison to its immediate predecessor. It's more intellectual and less visceral, and might not HAVE to be compared if it didn't borrow so much (including staging and set design) from the 1931 classic. 5 years 5 months ago

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