Ever since the birth of film, Robert Louis Stevenson’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been a popular subject for adaptation. Not only does the classic story of a good doctor who unleashes his evil instinct via potion serve as a potent metaphor for everything from sexual repression to drug addiction, but the dual role of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has provides an excellent opportunity for an actor to show off.
The first film adaptation of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is believed to have been made in 1908. Two more version followed in 1912 and 1913 and then, suddenly, 1920 saw three different film versions.
The best known of the 1920 version is our film for today. This version is best remembered for John Barrymore’s powerful performance in the title role but it also holds up remarkably well as a work of cinematic horror.
Through the Shattered Lens 
I’ve been fortunate enough to catch the Fredric March version on the big screen (for which he received an Oscar). The Spencer Tracy version plays this Sunday at the Astor Theatre.
By the way, the original title for the novella was “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde”. Also, the original book had fewer than one hundred pages. It just goes to show you that you don’t need to write a hefty tome in order to tell a great story.
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