Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde is a 1971 British film directed by Roy Ward Baker based on the novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The film was made by British studio Hammer Film Productions and was their third adaptation of the story after The Ugly Duckling and The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll.[citation needed]
The film is notable for showing Jekyll transform into a female Hyde; it
also incorporates into the plot aspects of the historical Jack the Ripper and Burke and Hare cases.[1] The two characters were played by the film's stars, Ralph Bates and Martine Beswick.
A remake of the film was reportedly under consideration as of 2011.[citation needed]
Contents
- 1 Plot
- 2 Cast
- 3 Production
- 4 Release
- 5 Critical reception
- 6 References
- 7 External links
Plot
Dr. Henry Jekyll dedicates his life to the curing of all known
illnesses, however his lecherous friend, Professor Robertson, remarks
that Jekyll's experiments take so long to actually be discovered, he
will no doubt be dead by the time he is able to achieve anything.
Haunted by this remark, Jekyll abandons his studies and obsessively
begins searching for an elixir of life, using female hormones taken from
fresh cadavers supplied by murderers Burke and Hare,
reasoning that these hormones will help him to extend his life since
women traditionally live longer than men and have stronger systems. In
the apartment above Jekyll's lives a family: an elderly mother, her
daughter Susan Spencer, and Susan's brother Howard. Susan is attracted
to Jekyll, and he too returns her affections, but is too obsessed with
his work to make advances. Once mixing the female hormones into a serum
and drinking it, it not only has the effect of changing Jekyll's
character (for the worse) but also of changing his gender, transforming
him into a beautiful but evil woman.
Susan becomes jealous when she discovers this mysterious woman, but
when she confronts Jekyll, to explain the sudden appearance of his
female alter ego, he calls her Mrs. Hyde, saying she is his widowed
sister who has come to live with him. Howard, on the other hand,
develops a lust for Mrs. Hyde.
Dr. Jekyll soon finds that his serum requires a regular supply of
female hormones to maintain its effect, necessitating the killing of
young girls. Burke and Hare supply his needs but their criminal
activities are uncovered. Burke is lynched by a mob and Hare blinded.
The doctor decides to take the matters into his own hands and commits
the murders attributed to Jack the Ripper. Dr. Jekyll abhors this, but
Mrs. Hyde relishes the killings as she begins to take control, even
seducing and then killing Professor Robertson when he attempts to
question her about the murders.
As Mrs. Hyde grows more powerful the two personalities begin to
struggle for dominance. Dr. Jekyll asks Susan to the opera, however when
he is getting dressed to go out, he unconsciously takes Mrs. Hyde's
gown from the wardrobe instead of his own clothes, realizing that he no
longer needs to drink the serum in order to transform. Susan is
heartbroken when Jekyll fails to take her out to the opera, and she
decides to go alone. However, the evil Mrs. Hyde decides that innocent,
pure Susan's blood is just what she needs to finally overtake Jekyll's
body. She stalks Susan through the dark streets, but Jekyll's will only
just manages to thwart Mrs. Hyde's attempt to kill Susan. He then
commits one last murder to find a way to stabilize his condition, but he
is interrupted by the police after a comment by Hare leads them to
realize the similarity between Jekyll's earlier experiments on cadavers
and the Ripper murders.
As Dr. Jekyll tries to escape by climbing along the outside of a
building, he transforms into Mrs. Hyde, who, lacking his strength, falls
to the ground, dying as a twisted amalgamation of male and female.
Cast
- Ralph Bates as Dr. Henry Jekyll/Jack the Ripper
- Martine Beswick as Sister Hyde
- Gerald Sim as Professor Robertson
- Lewis Fiander as Howard Spencer
- Susan Brodrick as Susan Spencer
- Dorothy Alison as Mrs. Spencer
- Ivor Dean as William Burke
- Tony Calvin as William Hare
- Philip Madoc as Byker
- Paul Whitsun-Jones as Sergeant Danvers
- Virginia Wetherell as Betsy
Production
|
This section does not cite any references (sources). (February 2015) |
Hammer Horror actress, Caroline Munro was the first choice to play Sister Hyde, but she declined because the role required nudity.[2]
Release
This section requires expansion. (September 2014) |
Critical reception
This section requires expansion. (September 2014) |
Time Out called the film "enormous fun" and an "admirably successful attempt to ring new changes on an old theme".[3]
References
- "Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde Review. Movie Reviews - Film - Time Out London". timeout.com. Retrieved 19 August 2012.
External links
- Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde at the Internet Movie Database
- Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde at AllMovie
- Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde at Rotten Tomatoes
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