Review of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

Ever since seeing this TV remake decades ago, I have been a continual fan. In my opinion, this is the single best screen adaptation of the Robert Lewis Stevenson classic ever made. I have seen the greatest actors in the world perform the role, from Fredrick March to Spencer Tracy, and although they were all superb, the often overlooked Jack Palance SHINED in the role, using every bit of his experience to breathe life into this dusty morality play. First, I appreciated their choice of using minimal makeup on him, letting his acting carry the day to breathtaking effect, thanks to the efforts of the iconic Dick Smith. I recall the Tracy version looking so incredibly heavy that he looked like a cross between a deranged monkey and a Neanderthal. But what was so thrilling is how Palance balanced that thin line between civility and crude evil with the grace of a mountain goat, always entertaining, but never going over the top of believability. The way he played both roles was an exercise in restraint. Better yet was the SUPERB all-British cast of seasoned stage and film performers they surrounded him with, including a terrific Billie Whitelaw as the victimized dance hall girl (who also played the demonic nanny in an equally excellent, "The Omen"), a superb Denholm Elliot as the long-suffering best friend, and even a memorable cameo by the great Welsh stage and screen star, Tessie O'Toole, in the most memorable musical number of the entire film. But the only reason that I did not give this wonderful production a well-deserved "ten," was the rather hokey use of video that the producer, Dan Curtis, decided to use (to his utter shame) instead of shooting it on film. Since video was in its infancy at the time and used only in TV, I suppose that his familiarity with the medium was one reason to utilize it, its incredibly inexpensive cost another major factor. But unfortunately, the entire film suffered as a result. As Mr. Curtis was primarily known as the producer of the much hailed horror TV classic, "Dark Shadows," it logically followed that he should continue in his favored genre (including incorporating the same spooky, low budget music score that held him in good stead in the TV series), but overall I think the decision flawed an otherwise perfect film.