This is an interesting spin on the Robert Louis Stevenson story. I say "spin" because the movie has little in common with the book, other than utilizing the main theme of each person having a darker side. The film introduces two characters who did not appear in the book: Millicent Carew (the nice girl who loves Jekyll) and Gina, a dance-hall girl. In fact, there are no female characters in the original story, except for Hyde's housekeeper. The characters of Millicent and Gina would re-appear in subsequent film versions, with different names. Of course, the big star here is Barrymore, who does an exceptional job transforming into Hyde. In one scene, he actually throws himself into the air, landing on his back.
His Jekyll is handsome and gentlemanly, and cares for the less fortunate.
His Hyde is ugly, hunched over, and no doubt a rapist (which he is most definitely not in the original story). His misshapen head is a bit jarring, but the makeup is a lot easier to swallow than Fredric March's ape-like alter ego. In one of his earliest roles, Louis Wolheim plays the dance hall owner who gladly foists Gina (Nita Naldi, who is very sexy) onto Hyde. Later, after Hyde has used her, we see her as a completely wasted woman.
Martha Mansfield, who portrayed Millicent was only 20 when she made this film. Her performance is a bit hammy when she sees her father's dead body, but overall she acquits herself well and is quite lovely. This may be her only surviving work.
His Jekyll is handsome and gentlemanly, and cares for the less fortunate.
His Hyde is ugly, hunched over, and no doubt a rapist (which he is most definitely not in the original story). His misshapen head is a bit jarring, but the makeup is a lot easier to swallow than Fredric March's ape-like alter ego. In one of his earliest roles, Louis Wolheim plays the dance hall owner who gladly foists Gina (Nita Naldi, who is very sexy) onto Hyde. Later, after Hyde has used her, we see her as a completely wasted woman.
Martha Mansfield, who portrayed Millicent was only 20 when she made this film. Her performance is a bit hammy when she sees her father's dead body, but overall she acquits herself well and is quite lovely. This may be her only surviving work.