DVD Review HTF REVIEW: Dr. Jekyll And Mr. Hyde (1932 & 1941) - (HIGHLY RECOMMENDED). (1 Viewer)

[Jeff_HR]

I wonder if anyone still has this book & could post some pictures?

 

[Steve Christou]

I've always preferred the 1941 version myself, although I like the 1932 classic too. Hyde becomes more and more ape-like each time he changes in the 1932 by the end he looks like someone wearing a gorilla mask in top hat and tails.

I'm a big fan of Spencer Tracy's and love his portrayal of pure evil in the 1941 version, Tracy refused to wear heavy make-up for Hyde and the film is all the better for it. Franz Waxman's music was great too.
Looking forward to my dvd of these horror classics.

btw my 25fps BBC copy of the 1941 Dr.Jekyll has a running time of 116m 40s, longer than the US dvd copy which runs at 24fps, strange.

 

[Jeff Job]

I have the Richard Anobile book, and that frame shot of Ivy is in the book. When I first got the "restored" VHS release, I was surprised that there was a jump cut at this scene.

I will try and post it as soon as I can.

 

[Jim Peavy]

Any luck, Jeff?

 

[Jeff Job]

The joys of getting older - memory loss. After searching for it, I remembered that I lent it out. (The book uses the cut version of the film, so there is a fair amount of footage in this release that is not in the book.)

However,

A friend of mine has a copy of the DVD at his video store and I had a brief look at it yesterday. The scene of Ivy in question is intact and complete. Hyde's declaration to Ivy that he is Jeckyll is also (finally) intact. If someone already has the DVD, maybe they could post some screenshots.

 

[Randy A Salas]

OK, all of this going back and forth prompted me to go back to Mank's commentary and hear what he specifically said during Ivy's famous bed scene. Here it is:

"Now we see some specially restored shots for this DVD release showing Ivy naked in bed. These shots were missing in the film's original video release. The entire strip apparently doesn't exist anymore due to various cuts over the years, but we're seeing a pretty vivid reconstruction of it."

So there you have it. It's intact--kind of.

 

[Randy_M]

Just listened to the commentary track last night, and it's EXCELLENT! What a superb value this disc is.

 

[Jim Peavy]

 

[Roger Rollins]

It has been posted elsewhere, (perhaps on this board, but I am not certain), that ADDITIONAL restoration was done by Warners on JEKYLL '32 AFTER Greg Mank had recorded his commentary. That is why he talks about the line "I AM JEKYLL" being restored, and it is restored on the video master itself, but in the audio underneath Mank on the commentary track, it isn't.

I believe these additional restoration work effected and elongated the notorious "nude Ivy" shots, to the degree that anything of this vintage could deal with nudity. No matter how "progressive" pre-code films were getting to be, there were still pretty strict limits on anything more than a slight glimpse or implication, when it came to female nudity.

 

[Mark Zimmer]

I don't know why Warner didn't go back and fix other missing bits of dialogue like the "I AM Jekyll" one, though they're nowhere near as critical. For instance, there are several lines as Jekyll is talking to the little crippled girl where the beginnings of both of their sentences are clipped off so their statements make no sense. I think there are 7 or 8 such instances scattered throughout the film. I should think they'd be able to drop those lines in as they did the one from Hyde, but just didn't bother to do so.

 

[jimbo w]

Great disc! Hadnt seen the 32 version in ages. I would have bought it for the 32 version alone but the Tracy version and extras (especially the BB cartoon) make this a no brainer! Jim

 

[Jeff Job]

I haven't gotten my copy of the Anobile book back yet, but just to clarify:

There are two frameshots in the book of the scene of Ivy getting into bed. BOTH of these frames are also in the "restored" scene on the DVD.

 

[Jim Peavy]

Okay, so the Anobile book doesn't have any frame grabs (in this sequence, at least) that are not on the DVD.

The way it was originally phrased ("I used to have the book...and I can definitely confirm that the shot of Ivy getting into bed nude was in the book.") made it sound as if there was, in the book, a shot of Miriam Hopkins in the nude before she got into bed; not nude (or at least topless) in bed, holding the covers up to her chest (as is seen on the DVD).

Anyway, this is starting to make me sound like a perv, and I promise I'm just interested in knowing whether there were still missing shots...! (he,he :b)

Urban legends drive me crazy, and if their truth (or falsehood) can be established, I like to try.

 

[Larry Sutliff]

No, it was a shot of her getting into bed, but you could see more of her body. The scene as it appears in the film seems to start slightly after the frame blowup in the book, with Ivy already covered.

But I haven't actually seen the book since the early eighties, so maybe I'm just not remembering correctly. Though I always thought that this image would be seared into my memory for all time.

 

[Bill Parisho]

Nice review! I think we should thank WB for putting out the double feature. Perhaps, this will encourage them to put out some other double features. Example: "Boys Town" and "Men of Boys Town". Well, maybe that's not such a good example as "Men of Boys Town" is an inferior sequel not a remake.
Bill

 

[Seymour Uranowitz]

I don't have the Anobile book, but these are the shots I found on the DVD with the most exposed skin (purely for research purposes, of course ). Not sure if these are the shots in question, though.

Nothing too risqué here, I don't think. Busby Berkeley showed a lot more in some of his pre-code dance numbers at Warner Brothers.

Ivy Getting Into Bed

Ivy and Jekyll 1

Ivy and Jekyll 2

 

[Herb Kane]

Thanks Bill. For those not aware, the upcoming WB release of Gaslight, contains both the 1940 & 1944 versions. A couple of the reviews from this wave are already complete, but can't be posted till Tuesday.

Herb.

 

[Joel Stein]

I'm a new member, and just found this thread. I have the Anobile book. The revealing photos from the book that are the source of the "nude scene" rumors are the same as Seymour's screen captures. So you all can rest assured that there is nothing in the book that is not also in the dvd.

In case anyone still wants to see the actual photos from the book, I made some scans and posted them on the web. But because I am a new member, I can't give the URLs here until I've made 15 posts. If you want to see the pics, email me and I'll send you the links.

Joel

 

[Robert Crawford]

Another example as to why Warner is fast becoming my favorite studio.




Crawdaddy

 

[John Sparks]

I started watching my 1931 version and it shows very little shadow detail. I compared it to my LD and it's like watching a different movie.

The opening scene when the camera is Dr. Jykell and he turns and faces the mirror and starts to fix his tie, the LD clearly shows the a film crew member scooting under the camera lens(reflected in the mirror), whereas the DVD being so dark, barely shows this person. If you didn't know about it you'd miss it.

The DVD used a different source because the LD had no burn prints, jumps and jittering of the film.

It's nice to have two sources of the film, one to show the beginning and one that is the most complete version and of course shaper.

By the way, if you freeze frame when she gets into the bed you can see that she's wearing a pair of panties but not a bra. The gray scale shows a line around her waist but nothing around her right underarm.