Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1908 film)

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Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Directed by	William G. Selig
Produced by	William G. Selig
Written by	Luella Forepaugh George F. Fish Robert Louis Stevenson
Starring	Hobart Bosworth Betty Harte
Release date(s)	7 March 1908
Running time	16 minutes
Country	US
Language	Silent film
IMDb profile

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (a.k.a. The Modern Dr. Jekyll)is a 1908 horror film, and the first screen adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, based on the 1897 stageplay by Luella Forepaugh and George F. Fish. The film is directed and produced by William G. Selig. It starred Hobart Bosworth and Betty Harte. There are no existing copies of the film.

[edit] Plot

The film began with the raising of the stage curtain. Dr. Jekyll vows his undying love for Alice, a vicar's daughter, in her spacious garden. Suddenly, seized by his addiction to the chemical formula, Jekyll begins to convulse and distort himself into the villainous Mr. Hyde. He savagely attacks Alice, and when her father tries to intervene, Mr. Hyde takes great delight in slaughtering him. Later on, Jekyll transforms again, but haunted by visions of the gallows, Mr. Hyde takes a fatal dose of poison, killing both identities. In true theatrical tradition, the curtain then closes to an assumably appreciative audience.

Regarded by many as a prestigious production, the critics were enthusiastic, giving the anonymous actor in the title role special mention. "The change is displayed with a dramatic ability almost beyond comprehension."