Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde (1971), dir. Roy Ward Baker, Hammer Film Productions
We're nearing the end of our Hammer lookback and man. We've talked about Hammer's 1970's output and how they tended to be either poorly thought out or just out there but in a good way. This is defiantly one of the latter.
As many versions have done before, we meet Dr. Henry Jekyll (Ralph Bates). The difference here is that the good doctor doesn't care one whit about the duality of man. Nope, what he wants to do is cure diseases, ALL diseases. His mentor Professor Robertson (Gerald Sim) lauds the man for his dream, but he points out the difficulty. Why, in one lifetime one man could never hope to accomplish that goal.
Jekyll listens to the word, but his conclusion is warped. If he can't cure all disease in one lifetime, then he'll simply to have extend his own life!
That sends Jekyll down the rabbit hole, as it were, of noticing that women tend to live longer than men. Therefore he starts gathering as many female organs as possible, thanks mostly to local corner Byker (Phillip Madoc). From the ovaries and uteruses Jekyll manages to extend the life of a male fly, of a species that only lives for hours.
A few days later and the fly is still kicking. He hurriedly invites Robertson over but the old man dismisses his work. True a male fly living this long would be impressive, but that specimen is clearly female (he notices the freshly laid eggs). Jekyll knows he couldn't have made a mistake but rather he found an instant sex change formula. He's not sure, of course, so the next step-human subjects.
Soon the transformed Jekyll (Martine Beswick) is marveling at her new appearance. The new tenant is quickly noticed by the other people who live in Jekyll's apartment. The elderly Mrs. Spencer (Dorothy Allison) and her two children; daughter Susan (Susan Brodrick) and son Howard (Lewis Fiander). Susan has eyes on Dr. Jekyll but the doc pretty much ignores her in favor of his work. Howard finds this suspicious but the hot lady downstairs? She's alright, and the lady even seems to favor Howard. She's newly widowed and a new husband wouldn't be out of the question.
The effects of the formula don't last, driving Jekyll to order more ingredients. Byker cuts him off but there's always the more direct route-enter misters Burke (Ivor Dean) and Hare (Tony Calvin). Don't ask any questions and they'll tell you no lies. They hit the boneyards and streets to get parts but soon their work is noticed. Burke gets hanged and Hare blinded via lime pit.
Well, if you want something done right you've got to do it yourself. Thus, with the rational that his work is more important than a few streetwalkers, Dr. Jekyll starts the slicing and dicing himself in Whitechapel.
Jekyll is still aghast at the murders, but his "sister" Edwina Hyde has no issue. In fact it's rather easy as the ladies have no problem letting a proper lady approach them. With both sides at war, who will emerge victorious?
So, we have a Jekyll/Hyde, Jack the Ripper, and even Burke and Hare tossed in for good measure. You can't say this film lacking for anything. Honestly, rather impressed; with a lesser script or director this could have been a jumbled mess but the different parts just click.
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