A close look at the credits for both films will show that the 1941 "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" is more than merely a remake of the 1931 version. The screenplay of the later film was literally based on that of the earlier, and there are scene-by-scene and, in places, word-for-word duplications. Both are excellent, with my own preference going to the 1941 and Spencer Tracy. His performance is amazing, and so subtle that it's frequently dismissed as inferior work. To the contrary, it's every bit worthy of an early graduate of the Actors Studio. Spoilers follow.
The highlight of the film is the astonishing scene when Jekyll first changes involuntarily into Hyde. He's walking the sidewalk in the fog, whistling a Strauss waltz he earlier danced with his fiancée, played well in a throwaway role by Lana Turner. Without meaning to his whistling changes to the polka sung by barmaid Ingrid Bergman, whose performance is nearly a match to Tracy's. He stops, a confused look on his face, then walks on whistling the waltz. Again it changes to the polka, and he stops again, wiping his brow, confusion again on his face. Now unsure, he starts to walk again, and can only whistle the first notes of the polka. He stumbles to a park bench and changes into Hyde. Hyde looks about and then hurries over to the barmaid's flat, where as Jekyll he's just told her Hyde will never come again. Ivy is celebrating with champagne. In a brilliant mirror-shot we see her look of horror as the door opens and Hyde enters. The rest of the scene is simply unforgettable, between the deranged Hyde and the terrified Ivy, realizing her fate is at hand.
There are nice directorial touches in both films, and both tell the story very well. Many will prefer the more straightforward, showier 1931 version. For myself the 1941 is supreme, with Tracy delivering one of the all-time great screen acting performances. 9/10.
The highlight of the film is the astonishing scene when Jekyll first changes involuntarily into Hyde. He's walking the sidewalk in the fog, whistling a Strauss waltz he earlier danced with his fiancée, played well in a throwaway role by Lana Turner. Without meaning to his whistling changes to the polka sung by barmaid Ingrid Bergman, whose performance is nearly a match to Tracy's. He stops, a confused look on his face, then walks on whistling the waltz. Again it changes to the polka, and he stops again, wiping his brow, confusion again on his face. Now unsure, he starts to walk again, and can only whistle the first notes of the polka. He stumbles to a park bench and changes into Hyde. Hyde looks about and then hurries over to the barmaid's flat, where as Jekyll he's just told her Hyde will never come again. Ivy is celebrating with champagne. In a brilliant mirror-shot we see her look of horror as the door opens and Hyde enters. The rest of the scene is simply unforgettable, between the deranged Hyde and the terrified Ivy, realizing her fate is at hand.
There are nice directorial touches in both films, and both tell the story very well. Many will prefer the more straightforward, showier 1931 version. For myself the 1941 is supreme, with Tracy delivering one of the all-time great screen acting performances. 9/10.