"The world's greatest actor in a tremendous story of man at his best--and worst" promised the 1920 movie posters, and I'm sure this silent horrorshow was the talk of the town, particularly for its then impressive special effects. Today, however, this over-the-top and often unintentionally hilarious adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's classic tale, starring The Great Profile himself, John Barrymore, is more historical curiosity than nail-biter. Devotees should note that this isn't the first DVD release of this version; Image Entertainment released a version in 1999, and if it's the film alone you need you're better off going with that one. While the print isn't as good as the one used here, Kino sliced off nearly six minutes from the film's original length. The real strength of this release is its extras, which include an excerpt from a Sheldon Lewis-starring rival version at the time; a very informative essay on the story's origin and incarnations; and a hilarious two-reeler Stan Laurel parody of the Lewis version called Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pride, which, despite its sadly decomposed state, is practically worth the cost of the disc alone. If money allows, snap up both versions, but if you've only got room for one, the Kino extras make this albeit slightly edited version the better choice, if only for its importance to the history of silent film. Recommended. [Note: also available in Kino's silent series are Blood and Sand, Gaucho and The Penalty.] (S. C. Sickles)[DVD/Blu-ray Review—Jan. 28, 2013—Kino Lorber, 79 min., not rated, DVD $29.95, Blu-ray: $34.95—Making its latest appearance on DVD and debut on Blu-ray, 1920's Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde sports a fine transfer with extras including the 1925 slapstick parody "Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pride" starring Stan Laurel (22 min.), excerpts from the 1920 Louis B. Mayer version starring Sheldon Lewis (15 min.) and the 1912 Thanhouser version with James Cruze (14 min.), and a rare 1909 audio recording of "The Transformation Scene" (3 min.). Bottom line: a fine high-def edition of a classic silent film.
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
Kino, 73 min., not rated, DVD: $29.95 Volume 16, Issue 6
Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde
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