Movielogr
The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1960)
Directed by Terence Fisher
Twitter Facebook Google+Overview
After a series of scientific experiments directed towards freeing the inner man and controlling human personalities, the kindly, generous Dr Henry Jekyll succeeds in freeing his own alter ego, Edward Hyde, a sadistic, evil creature whose pleasure is murder.
Rated NR | Length 88 minutes
Actors
Paul Massie | Dawn Addams | Christopher Lee | David Kossoff | Norma Marla | Francis de Wolff | Joy Webster | Magda Miller | Oliver Reed | Helen Goss | Arthur Lovegrove | Walter Gotell | Percy Cartwright | John Bonney | Denis Cleary | Doug Robinson | Fred Stone | Mackenzie Ward
Viewing History (seen 1 time)
| Date Viewed | Device | Format | Source | Rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 03/05/2020 | Home Theater | Blu-ray | Owned | 6 stars |
| (Average) 6 stars |
Viewing Notes
An interesting adaptation of Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde which flips the outward appearance of the roles, offering up Henry Hyde as an effete dandy instead of the usual brutish, hairy monster we typically associate with his character.
Christopher Lee plays a supporting role as Jeckyll/Hyde’s “friend” who’s also carrying on an affair with Jeckyll’s wife, played against type by a red-haired, red-lipped Dawn Addams. She’s not the typical bustier-busting, top heavy eye candy; she presents as the typical worried, doe-eyed, long-suffering, stoic wife but is quickly revealed to be having an affair and conning Jeckyll as he ignores her in favor of his experiments. It’s great to see Lee in a different role that allowed him more range in his acting than the Dracula roles.
Not everything works well but it was fun to see a more underhanded, ultimately more sinister take on the Hyde character and I really appreciated that the rest of the characters were morally ambiguous and complex, drifting in and out of moral outrage and caring.
The print is gorgeous with great color. Apparently this is the original version as the U.S. version suffered from stupid cuts to dialogue (hades instead of hell? really?) and an erotic snake dance. Speaking of the snake dance, it’s pretty boldly sexual in a way that isn’t typically seen in early sixties Hammer films, even though they were typically risque for their era.
Also, Oliver Reed shows up in a small role as a nightclub pimp!
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