Fri 2 Nov 2018
A Movie Review by Jonathan Lewis: THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL (1960).
Posted by Steve under Horror movies , Reviews[5] Comments
THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL. Hammer Films, UK, 1960. Also released in the US as House of Fright and Jekyll’s Inferno. Based on the 1886 novella “Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde,” by Robert Louis Stevenson. Paul Massie (Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde), Dawn Addams, Christopher Lee, David Kossoff, Norma Marla, Francis De Wolff, Joy Webster. Director: Terence Fisher.
Hammer’s The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll isn’t a particularly good film, but it’s one I’d nevertheless recommend watching. Not so much for the screenplay or the direction – both competent but no more – but for the production design and the aesthetic, the sets that don’t remotely look like sets, the color scheme, the sense of otherworldliness.
These, as much as the acting, are what make Hammer Films worth viewing. Somehow, on their somewhat limited budgets, the studio was able to create overtly theatrical horror dramas that unfolded as much in deeply saturated colors as in dialogue.
This adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s novella about the duality of man is no exception. If neither Paul Massie, who portrays both Jekyll and Hyde, nor Christopher Lee, who portrays a friend to both men, deliver supremely memorable performances, that isn’t to say that there isn’t other things happening on screen to keep the viewers attention for the duration.
There are a few scenes set at a London nightclub called The Sphinx that are beautifully executed and lavishly designed. Similarly, there’s a short montage sequence in which Mr. Hyde visits the seedy side of town, making an appearance at a fight club and later at an opium den. But these are unfortunately few and far between in what is basically a rather talky movie that doesn’t do the material justice.
November 2nd, 2018 at 4:37 pm
The night club and out on the town scenes almost look as if they were filmed for another movie, and I can only agree much of the pleasure of Hammer lay in its look, vibrant rich colors and Gothic sets that enhanced even the lesser outings.
The “studio” where many of the early Hammer Horrors were filmed was more or less a home, the owners living there and even appearing in some of the films.
November 2nd, 2018 at 10:17 pm
This is not one of the Hammer classic horror films I’ve seen. I think at all of the times I’ve had a chance, I was “overdosed” on the Jekyll/Hyde story. Given another chance, I think I’m ready.
The Hammer “esthetic” is also quite the attraction, isn’t it?
November 3rd, 2018 at 5:54 am
I found it slow going myself, and lacking even the frisson of a good “transformation” scene. On the other hand, as Jonathan noted, it has a nice look to it, and Christopher Lee relieves the tedium in an interesting part.
November 3rd, 2018 at 10:28 am
I have a confession to make. This review was supposed to have been posted before Halloween, not after. I messed up!
August 29th, 2026 at 1:38 am
“The “studio” where many of the early Hammer Horrors were filmed was more or less a home, the owners living there and even appearing in some of the films”
This was Down Place which Hammer purchased in 1951 to use as their studio facility and renamed it Bray Studios. They built one sound stage on the lot in 1952 and a second stage that opened in 1959.
A sound stage is typically large enough to hold several interior sets at one time.
The early gothics were noted for high production values created under very tight budgets. But over the years this has been transformed into cheap looking, cost cutting productions where interiors sets were actually rooms in a old mansion, etc.
The Down Place interiors were rarely used as “sets” since most of the house was converted to use for production offices, camera, wardrobe, make up, art and publicity departments along with a screening room.
(Wikipedia/Bray Studios)
More stages were added after Hammer signed a five picture a year distribution deal with Columbia in 1959 By the time Hammer departed from Bray in 1966, there were four sound stages on the lot
If Hammer needed extra stage space when they were at Bray, which was the case with Two Faces and Abominable Snowman, they would build some of the sets at either Pinewood or Elstree. But most of the gothic horrors were shot on Bray’s sound stages.
It was the Hammers shot at Elstree, after they left Bray, that started to look cheap and low rent. But productions shot at Pinewood at the same time looked much better. There’s no clear explanation why. The budgets weren’t higher at Pinewood
The old Bray studio is currently owned by MGM/Amazon