Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1920 Haydon film)

Lore & Background

The film's plot follows the atheistic Dr. Henry Jekyll (Sheldon Lewis), who conducts experiments to separate good and evil in human personality, aiming to disprove God's existence. His fiancée Bernice calls off their engagement, and in rage he unleashes Mr. Hyde, described by the butler as 'the Apostle from Hell!' Hyde, with fangs and scraggy hair, commits heinous acts, is caught, jailed, and strapped into the electric chair. Jekyll then awakens from a nightmare, declares 'I believe in God! I have a soul...', and abandons the potion to embrace religion.

Producer Louis Meyer (not Louis B. Mayer) worried about copyright infringement from the other two 1920 versions, so he set the film in New York and altered the plot structure, possibly also for budgetary reasons. Contemporary accounts say this film went into production before the Barrymore version, but the Paramount film was released first.

Reader's Guide

The 1920 Haydon-directed Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is historically significant as one of three adaptations of Stevenson's novel released in the same year, but it was largely overshadowed by the John Barrymore Paramount version. Reviewer Troy Howarth criticized the film's low budget and rushed production, noting that Sheldon Lewis's overacting made Hyde unintentionally humorous and that the makeup was minimal. The final product was so crude that director J. Charles Haydon removed his name from the credits. Despite its obscurity, the film is notable for its unique plot twist—Jekyll's atheism and eventual conversion—and for being part of the early horror cinema landscape. Sheldon Lewis later reprised the role in a 1929 one-reel sound film short. The film remains a footnote in cinematic history, illustrating the competitive and often hasty nature of early film adaptation.

Did You Know?

• The film was one of three adaptations of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde released in 1920.
• Director J. Charles Haydon had his name removed from the credits due to the film's crude quality.
• Sheldon Lewis returned to play Dr. Jekyll in a 1929 one-reel sound film short.