| Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde | |
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| Directed by | Lucius Henderson |
| Written by | Robert Louis Stevenson (novel) |
| Starring | James Cruze, Florence La Badie |
| Release date(s) | January 16, 1912 |
| Running time | 12 minutes |
| Country | United States |
| Language | Silent film English |
Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1912 horror film based on both Robert Louis Stevenson's novella The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) and on the play version (1887) of Thomas Russell Sullivan. Directed by Lucius Henderson, the film stars actor (later noted film director) James Cruze as the dual role of Jekyll/Hyde.
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James Cruze's white-haired Dr. Jekyll has secretly locked himself in his laboratory administering himself with a phial of formula. He slumps into his chair with his head on his chest. Slowly, as the drug takes effect, a dark-haired, taloned beast now appears in the chair. After repeated use, Jekyll's evil alter ego emerges at will, causing Jekyll to murder his sweetheart's father. The evil personality scuttles back to the laboratory only to discover that the antidote is finished and that he will be as Mr. Hyde forever. A burly policeman breaks down Jekyll's door to find that the kindly doctor is dead after taking poison.
This film was produced by Thanhouser Company. In a 1963 interview, Harry Benham revealed that while Cruze played both Jekyll and Hyde, he and Cruze shared the role of Hyde, with Benham appearing as Hyde in some scenes.
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