Editor's Note
Based on Robert Louis Stevenson's often adapted 1886 socially conscious horror novella, this version stars the incomparable John Barrymore as Dr. Henry Jekyll, a gentle, saintly Victorian physician. However, when the good Dr. Jekyll meets the diabolical Sir George Carew by chance one evening, Jekyll becomes fascinated by the dark side of the human psyche. Further goading his imagination is the sinfully seductive Miss Gina, who arouses more of Jekyll's nascent sexual and sociopathic longings. Determined to explore the dark side of consciousness without endangering himself, Jekyll concocts a potion that transforms him into Edward Hyde, an uninhibited rogue whom Barrymore brilliantly brings to life with the help of only artificial teeth and fingers. Soon, Jekyll finds that it is becoming harder and harder to separate his two personalities, sending him into a downward spiral that seems destined to end with the destruction of his former identity.
Plot Summary
In this brilliant silent version of the Robert Louis Stevenson classic, starring John Barrymore, a doctor investigates dividing man's intellectual side from his baser instincts. His experimentation awakens the monster within and the good doctor must fight himself to save the ones he loves.
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