The Many, Many Film Adaptations of "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde"

This episode surveys the vast screen history of Robert Louis Stevenson’s 1886 novella "Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde". There are some 120+ films ranging from the silent era through present day. Recurring themes include: the duality of man, the struggle between good and evil, civilized vs primitive, sexual repression, the constraints of society, etc.  These films are hard to distinguish from one another since many have the same title-- "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde".  The landmark versions are considered the 1920 silent movie (starring John Barrymore) and the 1931 black and white film (starring Frederic March). The role won March an Academy Award for Best Actor. This is highly unusual for a horror film. The only other actor to win an Oscar for Best Actor in a horror movie is Anthony Hopkins for "Silence Of The Lambs".  There's also a 1941 remake of the 1931 movie starring Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman and Lana Turner. It definitely has a powerhouse cast but it just didnt have the depth of the earlier movie IMHO.  Other notable interpretations include: 1968's "Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde" (a TV movie starring Jack Palance), 1971's "Dr Jekyll and Sister Hyde", 1971's "I, Monster" (starring Christopher Lee and Peter Cushing), 1990's "Jekyll and Hyde" (a TV movie starring Michael Caine and Cheryl Ladd), a 2007 BBC miniseries called "Jekyll" (starring James Nesbitt) and 2023's "Doctor Jekyll" (starring Eddie Izzard). We've got comedies, musicals, cartoons, parodies, versions where Dr Jekyll turns into a woman--you name it. And I didnt even include the shows where Jekyll/Hyde appear as ensemble characters such as "The League of Extraordinary Gentleman". We also have modern interpretations of this story that, while they dont feature Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, they're the same basic premise such as "The Nutty Professor" (both Jerry Lewis and Eddie Murphy adaptations), "The Hulk", etc. I'm sure Stevenson had no idea how many different forms his story about a man struggling with his inner demons would take.  Photo Credit: Here