The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll (1961)

If the ambition is to provide two hours of instantly forgettable, popcorn-munching escapism, it succeeds.

Fun premise, good actors, bad writing. This film seemed to have potential at the beginning but it quickly devolves into a trite action film. Ultimately it's very boring.

I am only giving this movie a 1 for the great cast, though I can't imagine what any of them were thinking. This movie was horrible

It really made me laugh, but for some moments I was tearing up because I could relate so much.

Hammer's take on Jekyll & Hyde. It's interesting, for sure, but not one of their better efforts. The most notable difference between this and earlier versions is that here Jekyll is the ugly one and Hyde is handsome. While that's a cute twist, I thought they went overboard on Jekyll's makeup. He looks like a caveman! Also a major part of the plot involves Jekyll's adulterous wife and her lover. While an interesting parting from previous versions where Jekyll's wife was a saint, it ultimately adds very little in my opinion. For a movie short on likable characters, it really hurts that these two play such an important part. The cast is solid. Paul Massie does a fine job as Jekyll, though even he can't overcome the caveman makeup issue. Christopher Lee, despite being the biggest name in the cast, is given the role of the wife's lover. He does a great job but I can't help but wonder how he might have handled the lead. Dawn Addams is good as the wife. Oliver Reed has a small part as what I believe was a pimp. It's not a bad movie by any stretch but lacking something. Well, several somethings. There is no one to root for and the ending just kind of sneaks up on you, to name two. Also, Terence Fisher's direction is a little dull. See it if you love Hammer but keep expectations low.

The Sex is more Salacious and the Color is more Dominant in this Hammer Horror. Two Things that the Beloved Studio Honed in the Fifties with Their Modernization of the "Famous Monsters of Filmland". This one has an "Ahead of its Time" Feel.The Classic Story from Robert Louis Stevenson is given somewhat of a Twisted Facelift here and it is Shocking but Not in the Way You Think. Hammer Emphasizes, even more than usual, the Victorian Sexual and Moral Hypocrisy. Cab Driver..."It's only wicked if you're poor." Some of the more Close-Up Sexuality and Overtly Crude Dialog was deemed to Explicit for American Audiences in 1960 and was Cut for Stateside Distribution. Thankfully the Film can now be Seen with the Footage Restored and the Beautiful, but Gaudy Costumes and Sets can be Relished in Blazing Color in HD on Blu-ray.Christopher Lee wanted a Non-Monster Role and He Plays a Womanizing, Adulterous, Cad who is Addicted to Gambling, Abuses Alcohol and Drugs, and is a Nasty "Gentleman" to say the least. He Plays the (Non-Monster?) Character with an Energy of Enthusiasm.Gracing the Screen alongside Jekyll and Hyde is Dawn Addams a Red-Headed Beauty that also Throws Herself into the Role of Dr. Jekyll's Wife and Lee's Mistress. Paul Massie Paints both Faces as a Depressingly Doomed and Suffering Creature.But some of the Dialog and Exposition are a bit Unclear about Motivation. Massie does OK but is Burdened by some Overwritten Scenes and some of it seems Forced.Overall, a Wonderful Looking Movie that is Different and it does have an Edge to it. Not as Well Formed as the other Classical Hammer Offerings but it Sure is a Treat to Watch.

Like many Hammer Films that were pooh-poohed at the time of their release as exploitational, THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL is much better than its reputation would have you think, and it's surprisingly frank in its depictions of adultery and sexuality. It's well-directed by Terence Fisher, and the sets, costumes, set decorations and cinematography are excellent, making very good use of color (particularly in the Can-Can sequence). Performances are also excellent, particularly Paul Massie in the title roles, though he may seem a bit over-the-top at times. He does an excellent job of differentiating between Jekyll and Hyde, even vocally (though he sounds oddly post-synched in both roles). No, this isn't the foggy, gas-lit London of previous versions of J&H - color more or less ruled that out - but its nevertheless effective in its own way and deserves re-examination.

Dr. Henry Jekyll (Paul Massie) has no life anymore, chained to his work and stuck in a loveless marriage to Kitty (Dawn Addams), he busy's himself working on a character altering potion. Firstly testing it on primates, Jekyll ignores the warnings from his friend Dr. Ernst Littauer (David Kossoff) and experiments on himself. The result brings out Jekyll's alter ego, Mr. Edward Hyde, a debonair gentlemen who holds within a sadistic dangerous streak. Hyde spells danger for anyone who gets too close to him, particularly Kitty, Jekyll's morally bankrupt friend Paul Allen (Christopher Lee) and more worryingly, Jekyll himself.The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll is by Hammer Film Productions. It's directed by Terence Fisher and is adapted by Wolf Mankowitz from the famous story of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. Tho very much a middle tier offering from the house of Hammer, this version of the often told tale puts a different slant on things to make it unique and always interesting. Jekyll here is a bland and reclusive person, the people closest to him cheat on him and he is powerless to stop it. Contrast with Hyde, handsome and charming and able to take what he wants either by cunning or brute force. This was a deliberate shift from the normal by Fisher and Mankowitz, they didn't want Hyde as some furry half man beast frothing at the mouth, they sided with evil lurking behind a charming facade. It's also notable for its ending too. Where they had the courage of their convictions to stay with a differing formula.The problems come if one is searching for a horror film in the Hammer tradition. For although Hammer traits such as a smouldering sexiness hang over proceedings, the film is in truth lacking in terror. Something which is sure to annoy the horror purists. But if you can accept this as a more restrained psychological horror piece, one that deals in the duality of man, the pursuit of something more and the often treacherous nature of the human being, the rewards are there to be enjoyed. The cast are fine, Massie is competent without the ham, and Lee is elegantly vile to fit seamlessly into character. But the bonus is with a flame headed Dawn Addams who comes up with something more than the usual heaving bosom Hammer leading lady. The cast also features an early appearance from none other than Oliver Reed, suitably playing a night club pimp type bit of muscle. Shot in Megascope and Technicolor the film thankfully looks gorgeous and has transfered excellently on to DVD. With the sultry red lipped Addams and Jekyll's garden particularly benefiting from the pinging colours.A dam good story with wit and cautionary observations of the human condition, this isn't one for the blood and gore brigade. But it has many other qualities just waiting to be discovered by the more literary minded horror fan. 7/10