Jekyll and Hyde Archive

 Den skæbnesvangre opfindelse , in English titled Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde  was Danish director August Blom's direct adaptation of Stevenson's novella.  The film was made for the Nordisk Film company and starred Alwin Neuß and Oda Alstrup. Unfortunately, as most adaptations of it's day, the film is lost media, and minimal information remains available. It is known that the film had about 17 minutes of runtime, and was potentially directed by Viggo Larsen alongside Blom. A small number of images from the film have survived, all of which are compiled here.

 Created by H.B. Irving, The Duality of Man was among the first Jekyll and Hyde film adaptations of the 1910s. The film is presumably lost media, and not much about it is known of it's creation or contents other than it was produced and distributed by Wrench Films and more directly an adaptation of Irving's play version of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde  than the initial novella. 

 Among the first of film parodies and comedic retellings of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde  is Kenyon's 1909 A Modern Dr. Jekyll . Similar to many films of the day, the film today is lost media. However, while unwatchable today, the film is cited as both the first comedic adaptation as well as the first including a male-to-female transformation, a trope which would continue in popularity to the present day. Instead of only having a transformation to Edward Hyde, Dr. Henry Jekyll undergoes transformations into multiple personas whilst evading law enforcement in this film. While the actor for Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde isn't confirmed, it is considered most likely that he was 34-year old Henry Arthur Barrows. The identity of director Kenyon, however, remains anonymous. 

 While generally, Turner's adaptation is given the titles of the first film adaptation of Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde and first American horror film, some debate does remain on if Olcott's version more accurately holds that title. The film starred Frank Oakes Rose in the roles of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. The film was a one-reeler, and was produced by the Kalem Company. Less information exists regarding this film as it was less thoroughly documented, and thus with it having become lost media, information on the film is difficult to scavenge.

The first film adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde  was directed by American director, Otis Turner, on March 7, 1908 and produced by William N. Selig. The film maintained numerous plot differences as it was more directly an adaptation of George F. Fish and Luella Forepaugh's 1897 four-act stage play. This film, while today lost media, became the first American horror film as well as the standard for the plots of future Jekyll and Hyde adaptations.  The film starred Hobart Bosworth as Dr. Henry Jekyll and Mr. Edward Hyde, and Betty Harte as a third main character. It had a sixteen minute runtime and was critically praised for it's transformation scene done in a singular shot without the use of special practical effects.  Allegedly, this poster was advertising for the film as well, however I have only seen confirmation that the first image was advertising. This advert is potentially for Sidney Olcott's adaptation of the same year. ...