Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde has been the subject of numerous adaptations, with some proving more enduring than others. Chronicling the titular English doctor’s creation of his violent and evil alter-ego Mr. Edward Hyde via a dangerous chemical concotion, the celebrated Gothic tale has been a popular go-to for many Hollywood stars and producers, with famous faces like John Barrymore, Spencer Tracy, Christopher Lee and Michael Caine all tackling the difficult dual roles.

Though intended to be a work of horror and a psychological thriller, the great literary masterpiece has also been given the comedy treatment, with pictures like the Jerry Lewis-led The Nutty Professor parodying the story as well as iconic dream team Abbott and Costello going head-to-head with the deranged doctor in the beloved hit Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Throughout the decades, many have tried to capture the essence of the complex characters, with varying results. Let’s take a look at the best Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde moves.

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9 The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll

     American International Pictures 

In the Hammer Film Productions 1960 adaptation of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic novella, Paul Massie takes on the role of the famed doctor who unwittingly unleashes a violent and dangerous alter ego within himself following a science experiment gone awry. In The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll, Henry Jekyll is depicted as a dull and mild-mannered scientist while his deranged counterpart is presented as a handsome, charming lothario who wreaks havoc on London.

MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

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MOVIEWEB VIDEO OF THE DAY

This was one of the first instances in which the characters were shown in such an opposing manner (with Hyde being less of an incomprehensible beast and more like a bourgeois womanizer), with director Terence Fisher wanting to showcase “the charm of evil.” The horror film is also unique in the fact that Jekyll/Hyde do not perish at the end like in previous versions and in the novel.

8 I, Monster

     British Lion Films 

Cinema legend Christopher Lee headlines 1971’s I, Monster, with the adaptation changing the characters’ names to Dr. Charles Marlowe and Mr. Edward Blake yet remaining faithful in all other aspects to the Stevenson story. The iconic horror actor steals the show as the psychologist, who creates a new drug that releases one’s inhibitions and results in the doctor transforming into the ugly and malicious Edward Blake. He faces off against his lawyer and close friend Utterson (Peter Cushing), who believes Marlowe is being blackmailed by the evil man and will do anything he can to stop him. I, Monster really showcases Lee’s brilliance as an actor,, and he is truly the bright spot in the installment.

7 Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde

     MGM-EMI Distributors 

Giving the Stevenson Gothic tale a refreshing and creative update, 1971’s Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde is memorable for its depiction of Jekyll’s alter ego, with the horror flick transforming the doctor into a stunning and sinister woman instead of a terrifying and horrid man. Ralph Bates and Martine Beswick appear as the titular duo, and the version also integrates elements featuring Jack the Ripper and the notorious graverobbers Burke and Hare into the novella rendition. The film was a critical and commercial hit, garnering immense praise for its exciting reimagining of the classic tale as well as the performances by Bates and Beswick; it went on to win the award for Best Screenplay at the French Fantastic Cinema Convention.

6 Jekyll and Hyde

     ABC

British film icon Michael Caine delivered a brilliant performance as the gifted but troubled doctor in the 1990 television horror movie Jekyll and Hyde, in which his character enjoys the freedoms that come with embracing his violent and deplorable desires and impulses. Dr. Jekyll is able to act out his sinful pleasures while being able to later return to his true form and once again be a respected member of society. For his thrilling and spine-tingling portrayal of the deranged doctor, Caine nabbed both a Golden Globe nomination for Best Actor in a Miniseries or Television Film and an Emmy nod.

5 The Nutty Professor

     Paramount Pictures

“The King of Comedy” Jerry Lewis appeared in an uproarious parody of the Stevenson novella with 1963’s sci-fi black comedy The Nutty Professor, in which the celebrated comedian portrays the socially-awkward, nerdy scientist Julius Kelp who creates a powerful serum that helps transform him from an unattractive and bumbling professor into a handsome-yet-abhorrent ladies man. Lewis not only starred in the picture but also directed it, drawing on the Stevenson tale to help bring his sketch character to life in hilarious fashion. The Nutty Professor was a massive hit with both audiences and critics, landing on the American Film Institute’s 100 Years…100 Laughs list and spawning the 1996 Eddie Murphy remake.

4 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941)

     Loew's, Inc. 

Renowned Hollywood great Spencer Tracy appeared alongside fellow silver screen stars Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner in Victor Fleming’s 1941 horror flick Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, with the picture serving as a direct remake of the 1931 Fredric March version. Despite initially being deemed too American to take on the English character, Tracy served up a superb performance as the unhinged doctor, silencing naysayers with his eerie and disturbed portrayal. The adaptation went on to earn three Academy Award nominations, and contemporary reviews of the picture have been far more positive than upon its initial release.

3 Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

     Universal Pictures 

Acclaimed comedy dream team Abbott and Costello joined horror icon Boris Karloff in the lively 1953 picture Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which follows the comedians as they portray two police officers in Victorian London hot on the heels of a murdering monster terrorizing its citizens. Karloff is fantastic as the diabolical Dr. Jekyll, who uses his dangerous serum to kill his colleagues and other doctors that mock his out-of-the-box experiments.

The sidesplitting duo finds their path crossing with the doctor’s, and Costello’s character Tubby even gets injected by the perilous serum. The spectacular horror comedy delivered big laughs, with the Los Angeles Times writing, “If Robert Louis Stevenson is turning over in his grave, it’s probably only so he can get in a more comfortable position for a belly laugh.”

2 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920)

Hollywood royalty and prominent screen star John Barrymore took on the eponymous dual roles in the 1920 silent horror film Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, terrifying moviegoers with his chilling interpretation of the literary classic and the character’s descent into madness and mayhem. Touted as one of the earliest American horror films, the adaptation relies heavily on Barrymore’s undeniable talent and ability to embody the evil alter ego due to his innate skills of contorting his face and body (paired perfectly with the ghastly make-up).

It currently holds a 92% Rotten Tomatoes score and was a knockout role for Barrymore, with Movie Metropolis noting, “A wig, hairy prosthetic hands, and a slouched posture were all Barrymore needed to bring Stevenson’s defining creation to life, and he did so with gusto.” The imagery and performances in Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde truly instilled fear in audiences, with children specifically being frightened during picture and many growing paranoid and unsettled.

1 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1931)

Fredric March won the Academy Award for Best Actor when he starred in the 1931 pre-code horror adaptation Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, superbly and memorably portraying the doctor in one of the most lauded installments of the Stevenson novella to grace the cinema (and one of the very few horror films to take Oscar gold in a major category). Respected make-up artist Wally Westmore came up with the gruesome appearance of Hyde, giving the violent alter ego large canine teeth and a simian look that would become the foundation for future images of the character in the media.

Due to the picture being released before the Production Code was fully enforced, it was therefore able to be more daring with its sexual content and violence that would not be present in future versions. With its gripping performances, cutting edge special effects and foreboding atmosphere, the 1931 adaptation is without-a-doubt a knockout rendition that to this day leaves audiences on the edge of their seats.