The remarkable Jekyll-to-Hyde transition scenes in this film were accomplished by manipulating a series of variously colored filters in front of the camera lens. Fredric March's Hyde makeup was in various colors, and the way his appearance registered on the film depended on which color filter was being shot through. Only in the late 1960's did Mamoulian reveal how this was done.
The first horror movie ever to win an Academy Award.
35 period-accurate studio sets were built for the movie.
When MGM decided to produce its own version of "Dr. Jeckyll and Mr. Hyde" in 1941 ( Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1941) ) with Spencer Tracy, it acquired the rights to this film. In order to avoid any competition or unfavorable comparison, MGM essentially suppressed the 1931 version and made it unavailable for viewing for many years.
The very first film to be screened at the world's very first film festival: August 6, 1932, in Venice, Italy.