The Silent Cinema: Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1912)

Directed by Lucius Henderson. Cast: James Cruze, Florence La Badie, Marie Eline.

Released January 16, 1912. One Reel

The original Thanhouser production of Robert Lewis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is the first screen version of the story. Filmed in 1911 and released in early 1912, the film stars James Cruze in the dual title role.

There are many impressive elements to this historically important piece of cinema. First is the very idea that this is the first film version of the story. Second, the fact that its highlights can be compactly told in a mere twelve minutes. Finally, the acting of Cruze as he takes the potion and transforms into Hyde is couple with a stop-camera effect.

There is no exposition. No narrative structure. The film opens with Jekyll taking the potion and turning into Hyde, then Hyde taking it again and changing back to Jekyll. The triumph he shows purely with facial nuance adds a certain depth to his performance.

From this point he is shown courting the minister's daughter. This places him into an accepted position in society. However this is followed by a scene where his transformation into Hyde goes beyond his control. He doesn't change back. He remains evil and unbridled, a hideous figure gleefully causing destruction.

For such a primitive film, it is remarkable how eerie the film still is over 100 years later. One can only imagine how early moviegoers responded to the hideousness of the Hyde makeup and the close calls of Jekyll changing from the monster back to his gentle self. The film not only is fascinating on a historical level, it remains compactly entertaining. Film was so new. Filmmakers were still learning how to structure story, use editing, use close-ups, and explore what can be done with cinema's visual effects. To transform Jekyll in to Hyde, the director simply stops the camera, has Cruze apply the Hyde makeup, the turns the camera back on, making it appear he abruptly changed into the monster.No longer able to handle the transformation, Hyde takes poison and kills himself, concluding the movie.

There have been many versions of this tale, including one made only a year later at Universal with King Baggott in the dual role. John Barrymore played it effectively without makeup in 1920. Fredric March was magnificent in 1931. Spencer Tracy took the role ten years later, and several others after that, including a comic take by Jerry Lewis in "The Nutty Professor" (1963)

This 1912 version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr Hyde" is the blueprint for any version that came along afterward. In one quick reel, the basics of the story are presented as one of cinema's earliest horror movies.