Welcome back boils and ghouls. We have another horror countdown this year, and we're kicking things off with the familiar tale of man's inner struggle.
Dr. Henry Jekyll (Spencer Tracy) is a man on a mission. After witnessing a man's breakdown during a church service, Jekyll talks at length during that night's dinner with his fiancé Beatrix (Lana Turner) and her family. Her father, Sir Charles Emery (Donald Crisp), is not impressed and finds the whole thing MOST unorthodox.
On the way home with his friend Dr. Lanyon (Ian Hunter), Jekyll witnesses Ivy (Ingrid Bergman) being assaulted by a drunk. Rescuing her, the thankful barmaid tearfully informs Jekyll that she's been gravely wounded. Would it be possible for him to treat her...in the privacy of her apartment?
Jekyll agrees, but Lanyon interrupts before things get too serious. Later, Jekyll decides that his work to drive out the evil side of man needs one more thing, namely human experimentation. Taking the chemicals himself, Jekyll turns into Mr. Hyde.
The whole experience lasts only a few minutes, but Beatrix is struck by a premonition that her future husband is in grave danger. Rushing to his house, she is followed by her father. Forcing his way in, the sight of two clothed adults having a conversation sends the man into a conniption. Finding the whole scene most unorthodox and scandalous thing he's ever witnessed, Sir Emery takes Beatrix with him to Europe, to return when he's good and ready and not before.
As the days turn into weeks, Jekyll finds his mind drifting back to Ivy and his time as Hyde. He downs the potion and sets out for a high time. He finds Ivy in her tavern, but just make sure he has her undivided attention he starts a brawl and gets her fired. Not too worry, Hyde gracefully offers to put her up in a fancy apartment and buy her all the clothes she wants. The cost of this is Hyde getting to act on any little impulse that goes through his mind and he has a lot of impulses.
Six weeks go by before Beatrix returns. Jekyll tries to break it off with Ivy, but Hyde doesn't need the formula anymore. No, Hyde is free to come and go as he pleases, a fact Ivy discovers the hard way.
Pretty powerful, although that can be attributed to Tracy. His Hyde is a pure sadist. His treatment of Ivy is rotten through and through, but his Jekyll is interesting. The man talks a good game about wanting to vanquish evil, but all he really wants to do is indulge in his vices without being called on it.
No comments:
Post a Comment