A remarkably faithful adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, director Stephen Weeks' first feature film--made when he was only 22--is also a surprisingly good one. Christopher Lee stars as Charles Marlowe, an early 20th Century psychologist who has discovered a drug that appears to diminish inhibitions. When early tests prove fatal to his vermin subjects, Marlowe takes the next logical course of action and ingests the medication himself. Meanwhile, the doctor's lawyer Frederick Utterson (Peter Cushing, STAR WARS) has learned of Marlowe's friend Blake, who is prone to fits of violence. After trampling a young girl in the street, Blake rushed to pay off the girl's father--with a check written in Marlowe's name. As Marlowe's experiments spin out of control, Utterson comes closer and closer to discovering the horrible truth. Though made on an obviously tight budget, the film is supported by Lee's complex performance, unexpectedly good sets, and the introduction of overtly Freudian themes to the classic story. It also boasts an entertaining amount of cheese, due in part to the fact that the project was originally intended to be presented in 3-D.

release year: 1971

star(s): Christopher Lee