Post by phantomparticle on Jul 8, 2021 0:34:47 GMT
I saw the Tracy version during a re-issue in 1956 when MGM still had the 1932 Paramount film under lock and key and had to wait until it finally became available in the 1980's.
The Rouben Mamoulian film is a nightmare fantasy laced with pre code sexuality. March's no holds barred portrayal of Hyde earned him an Academy Award, an honor with he was forced to share with Wallace Berry's performance in The Champ (the only time in Hollywood history that has happened). The makeup is continually adjusted so that Hyde becomes increasingly horrific as his crimes mount and his final transformation is truly hideous. It is one of only two times that I was actually frightened by an image as an adult (the other was the double face in The Exorcist).
Tracy had a different approach to the role. He was a periodic alcoholic and wanted to slant the character in that direction. The MGM film is slicker and more refined than its predecessor. Tracy's subdued makeup is more believable than that of March. You can picture Tracy/Hyde walking the streets, mostly unnoticed. That is not not possible with March.
I have nothing but praise for both Miriam Hopkins and Ingrid Bergman as the doomed Ivy. Hopkins's electric sexuality burns up the screen. Bergman's coquettish warmth intensifies the tragedy of her ultimate fate.
Both movies rank high on my Favorite Classic Horror Film List, but the 1932 version is the superior.
The Rouben Mamoulian film is a nightmare fantasy laced with pre code sexuality. March's no holds barred portrayal of Hyde earned him an Academy Award, an honor with he was forced to share with Wallace Berry's performance in The Champ (the only time in Hollywood history that has happened). The makeup is continually adjusted so that Hyde becomes increasingly horrific as his crimes mount and his final transformation is truly hideous. It is one of only two times that I was actually frightened by an image as an adult (the other was the double face in The Exorcist).
Tracy had a different approach to the role. He was a periodic alcoholic and wanted to slant the character in that direction. The MGM film is slicker and more refined than its predecessor. Tracy's subdued makeup is more believable than that of March. You can picture Tracy/Hyde walking the streets, mostly unnoticed. That is not not possible with March.
I have nothing but praise for both Miriam Hopkins and Ingrid Bergman as the doomed Ivy. Hopkins's electric sexuality burns up the screen. Bergman's coquettish warmth intensifies the tragedy of her ultimate fate.
Both movies rank high on my Favorite Classic Horror Film List, but the 1932 version is the superior.