“I’ll show you what horror means…”grows the hideous Mr. Hyde (Fredric March) as the helpless, terrified Ivy (Miriam Hopkins) cowers on her bed. And now you’ll see too, in this meticulously restored 1931 version of Robert Louis Stevenson’s spine-chilling masterpiece.
Director Rouben Mamoulian’s choice of young, handsome Fredric March to play the lead raised studio hackles. But Mamoulian’s insistence paid off as March’s performance earned him an Oscar as Best Actor. Indeed, the public’s fascination with Hyde equaled that of Boris Karloff’s Frankenstein and Bela Lugosi’s Dracula.
For thoughts on Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1931), please check out our discussion on The Video Attic:
Video Quality
This tremendous new 1080p Blu-Ray from Warner Archive is derived from a recent 4K scan of the best surviving Nitrate elements. This is a title that fans have been clamoring for over a decade, and it is safe to say it has been worth the wait. Due to the release history, this easily could have had a botched release considering the negative was compromised due to censorship issues when the film was re-released during the Hays Code, but the experts at the Warner Archive have worked with a deft hand to provide a seamless experience between the original negative and the secondary source used for these cut sections.
When you look at the results of their work, you might just be left speechless. This black and white feature has gorgeous natural film grain throughout that provides a deep amount of detail to the image. The image shows off a dazzling amount of depth, most notably in the shadows where there is no trace of any crush. The object detail that this image unlocks is unreal. The black levels are immensely deep and hold up consistently throughout with no evidence of any compression artifacts. Warner Archive always seems to find a way to top themselves, and we love them for it.
Audio Quality
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1931) is presented here with a strong DTS-HD 2.0 Master Audio split mono mix which represents the film well. A subtle amount of age-related hiss remains at high volumes, but mostly the audio presentation is free of issues – especially compared to many films of this vintage. Sync issues do not pop up along with any other such missteps. Music is not a consistent part of this presentation, but what is present sounds nice and stable with impeccable fidelity. Dialogue and background noises are balanced well with any competing sounds. Lines are rendered crisp and clear in a way that is virtually flawless. Warner Archive does provide optional English (SDH) subtitles.
Special Features
- Audio Commentary #1: Dr. Steve Haberman and Constanine Nasr provide a new commentary track in which they discuss the film’s place in horror history, the inventive camera techniques utilized, how Mamoulian made the text his own, how the film tackles the themes of good and evil, and so much more that gives a terrific assessment of this work.
- Audio Commentary #2: Film Historian Greg Mank delivers an incredibly detailed and engaging archival commentary track in which he dives deep into the history surrounding this production as well as the talent involved with it, the technical skill in the crafts, the pronunciation of the title, performers who nearly started in this production and more.
- Hyde and Hare: A seven-minute WB Looney Tunes cartoon from 1955 in which finds Bugs Bunny in his own Jekyll/Hyde situation.
- 11/19/50 Theater Guild On The Air Radio: A 52-minute radio broadcast is provided in which Fredric March reprises his famous role years after playing it on screen.
Final Thoughts
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1931) would be adapted again a decade later under the shadow of the Hays Code with a version which remains effective even with some creative constraints. Yet, you only need to look at this earlier version to see the full potential of the classic text. Each version has elements that work a bit better than its counterpart, but by and large this 1931 version is the all-around champ. The unsettling imagery paired with the careful artistry of the craft is a delightful concoction. Warner Archive has released a new Blu-Ray featuring a 5-star A/V presentation, an entertaining couple of commentary tracks and a couple of additional special features. It does not get much better for classic horror fans. Highly Recommended
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde (1931) can be purchased directly through the Warner Archive Amazon Store or various other online retailers.
Note: Images presented in this review are not reflective of the image quality of the Blu-Ray.
Disclaimer: Warner Archive has supplied a copy of this disc free of charge for review purposes. All opinions in this review are the honest reactions of the author.
Dillon is most comfortable sitting around in a theatre all day watching both big budget and independent movies.