The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1968 film)

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde
Directed by	Charles Jarrott
Screenplay by	Ian McLellan Hunter
Based on	Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde 1886 novella by Robert Louis Stevenson
Produced by	Dan Curtis
Starring	Jack Palance Denholm Elliott Tessie O'Shea
Music by	Bob Cobert
Production company	Dan Curtis Productions
Distributed by	American Broadcasting Company
Release date	January 7, 1968 (1968-01-07)
Running time	120 minutes
Countries	United States Canada
Language	English

The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1968 Canadian-American television film based on the 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. It was directed by Charles Jarrott, produced by Dan Curtis, and written by Ian McLellan Hunter.

It was one of a series of adaptations of famous novels done by ABC.

Plot

Voiceover by Denholm Elliott: "It has been said, that many men have found their way through the valley of violence to the palace of wisdom. But if all men must learn wisdom tomorrow from violence today, then who can expect there will be a tomorrow?"

In London 1888, lawyer George Devlin is working his way through the streets to a meeting at the amphitheater in the back of the hospital where his friend Dr. Henry Jekyll just addressed a report to the academy of physicians on his findings that in all men there exists two distinct beings; one good and one evil. As Devlin arrives, the academy as a whole disapproves of Jekyll's findings and are arguing until the chairman Dr. Lanyon calls the meeting back to order. Jekyll tells the academy that he has developed a formula to experiment with that will separate these dual natures from each other. The academy is concerned if it does work, Jekyll might create a monster but he tells them his objective is to separate "the more upright twin" to give humanity a better chance at survival. Devlin adds that he has set up a trust funded entirely by Jekyll to perform his experiment under controlled situations and that it would cost the academy nothing. "Except our time" retorts Sir John Turnbull thinking the whole idea is insane. As the meeting ends, Jekyll thinks to himself "Thank you, gentlemen. If my experiment needed any justification, you have just provided it. And be damned to the lot of you."

Later in his laboratory, Jekyll is checking his chemicals and making notes. He then takes a beaker of his finished formula, pours some into a glass and drinks it down repeating his last words to the academy "Gentlemen, be damned to you." On the surface nothing happens, so he returns to take notes. Suddenly a great pain strikes him. He screams in terror as his glasses shatter and he falls to the floor.

At 8:00 the next morning, Jekyll's butler Poole is bringing him his breakfast and morning newspaper. Jekyll slowly wakes up feeling like he only slept a few hours. Asking Poole if he had a lot of wine with dinner, Poole tells him he doesn't recall Jekyll having dinner, that he remembers Jekyll telling him not to disturb him as he went off to the laboratory. Jekyll slowly remembers he was working on the experiment and excuses himself from Poole and his breakfast, and goes off to the laboratory. Checking his chemicals, he sees all is well, including his experimental formula. Going to his desk to his notes, he sees where his glasses broke and his strong box was broken into. Putting on a spare pair of glasses, he finds a note "IOU 65 pounds, thank you". Slowly remembering he goes to his closet where he finds a suit of clothes. Inside the jacket pocket he finds among other things a bottle, a flyer from the Windmill Music Hall mentioning Tessie O'Toole and her dancing soldier girls and a tassel with a monogrammed "G" on it. Slowly his memories of the night before begin to come back.

That evening, wearing the suit he took from the closet, Jekyll goes out to the Windmill hoping to fill in the missing details of the night before. Seeing owner Tessie O'Toole, he asks her if she remembers him. Tessie says she doesn't. Jekyll says he came in with a friend, both of whom got drunk the night before and he can't remember much. Two of the barmaids, Billie and Liz approach Jekyll hoping he'll buy them champagne. When he asks them what they meant by "two swells in a row" when they greeted him, they begin to tell him about a man named Mr. Hyde who came in last night and really went to town buying champagne for everyone. He learns Hyde spent about 60 pounds. Tessie tries to get Liz not to gossip about other customers, but relents after Jekyll tells her Hyde was a friend of his. They had come to the Windmill together, but Jekyll never made it this far. Jekyll now realizes the potion turned him into a more aggressive man who he named Edward Hyde, and all that occurred that night happened while he was Hyde. Naturally he did not want to tell the barmaids this. Tessie goes on to tell Jekyll, that Hyde broke a window upstairs because three men went after him. Jekyll offers to pay for the damage which surprises Tessie but she accepts the money. Jekyll then asks Tessie, if Hyde was interested in any of the girls knowing his taste wouldn't be for Billie or Liz. Tessie tells him that Hyde's "cup of tea" was a girl named Gwyneth just as she enters the room. As Jekyll notices Gwyn, he sees she is wearing a monogrammed G similar to the one he found. Tessie has her bartender Alfred bring a bottle of champagne out as Gwyn and Jekyll sit down at a table. As Gwyn fills in Jekyll on the rest of the events, a man named Garvis enters the bar and orders a drink. Gwyn includes in her story that Garvis was the man Hyde had trouble with last night. After the first dancing number, Hyde had started to take Gwyn upstairs to her private dining room and Garvis got in the way (apparently Garvis is smitten with Gwyn). It appears Hyde bribed Tessie 5 pounds (which now accounts for the 65 in the IOU) to let Gwyn out of the second show. At any rate, Garvis got jealous and he and Hyde had a fight, hence the broken window. Gwyn invites Jekyll to a nice quiet dinner, but he refuses and pays her for the champagne. Asking Jekyll that if he should see Hyde again, Gwyn tells him that she has learned Garvis is trying to get friends together and Hyde should be warned about it. Jekyll agrees to, but thinks if warned Hyde might decide not to come back to the Windmill. Gwyn laughs it off telling Jekyll that "He may be a friend of yours, but you don't know Hyde. He'll be back with bells on". As Jekyll leaves, Garvis returns to his drink.

Later that night at his laboratory, Jekyll receives his latest test tube of the latest chemical used in the Hyde formula from Stryker who he has been paying 400 pounds for from the account set up by Devlin. He then dismisses Stryker telling him Devlin will send him the money in the morning. Before he leaves, Stryker tries to sneak a peek at Jekyll's notes to learn his progress because he (Stryker) is worried about Jekyll's safety. Fortunately, Jekyll snatches the book away from him before he can learn that Jekyll and Hyde are one and the same. He dismisses Stryker out the back door as Poole knocks on the door that leads to the house. Poole tells Jekyll that Lanyon and Devlin along with Mr. Enfield are waiting for him in the house. Jekyll tells Poole that he doesn't like his friends showing up announced and asks Poole to ask them to leave as he busy with his work. After Poole leaves, Jekyll pours the test tube Stryker gave him into his equipment which will circulate the chemical til it reaches a beaker set up with some of the formula. After entering some more notes, he lies down on a couch and goes to sleep. The chemicals continue to flow through the night and into morning. Shattering of glass wakes Jekyll up to see his beaker now full. He goes to his desk takes a few more notes, then pours himself a glass of the potion and drinks it down, taking off his glasses first this time. This time the pain comes right away along with dizziness. He watches how his hands go from bare to extremely hairy. His face becomes thicker, especially his eyebrows and his hair grows darker and styled differently. He has become Edward Hyde. Looking himself over, Hyde chuckles at his appearance and stretches his hands high to begin a new day.

Some weeks have gone by, and Hyde has taken a home on Greek Street in Soho. He has invited a fencing master to come over to help get him into shape. After defeating the master knocking the foil from his hands, a package arrives for Hyde. It is a combination sword/cane imported from France. As Hyde puts it showing it to the master, "the ones they make here are little more than toys." The master pulls out the sword and practices waving it around. "Excellent", he says resheathing it. "The very best steel". "Yes", Hyde agrees. "and the very best lead" breaking a statue with the end of the cane. That evening, Hyde drives a hansom cab over to the Windmill. Leaving his cane and hat along with a 5 pound note for Tessie (she'll know what it's for) with Alf, he's greeted by Billie and Liz and buys Ambrosia for them and the house. He then joins Tessie up on the stage as she finishes her song, taking drinks from everyone's glass he can spot. While all this is going on, a youngster tips off Garvis that Hyde is at the Windmill carousing as usual. As Hyde takes a seat, Tessie comes out with the barmaids dressed as the Soldiers of the Queen and sings again. Gwyn spots Hyde in the background and blows him a kiss as she dances by. As the song continues Garvis and friends arrive at the bar, unnoticed by Hyde but noticed by Gwyn. As Tessie finishes the song, Hydes joins the patrons in throwing money at the girls. Gwyn throws herself into Hyde's arms who kisses her all over as he tells her where he's been. "Lady, you are exquisite", he tells her. Gwyn then asks Hyde if Jekyll warned him about the last visit, to which Hyde says yes, but he hasn't seen Garvis all night. Gwyn calls his attention to the bar where they see Garvis "has brought some reinforcements." Gwyn begs Hyde to take her out to dinner elsewhere, but he insists on taking her upstairs and slings her over his shoulder. He gets to the bar ignoring Garvis, and has Alf bring him some champagne. Once Alf gives him the bottle, Hyde picks Gwyn back up and takes her upstairs all the while Gwyn sticks her tongue out at Garvis. Later that night, Hyde hails a cab outside the Windmill, but then decides to walk home. Eventually Garvis and three friends catch up with him, but Hyde is ready. The four men split up, and the youngest one tries to trap him in an alley. However Hyde surprises him and knocks him down a flight of stairs to his death where his friend finds him. "Is your friend all right?", taunts Hyde from the head of the stairs. The man slowly climbs the stairs to the top where Hyde beats him with his cane then pushes him through the glass next to the stairs where he joins his friend dead, just as Garvis and his last friend arrive. "Oh, Dear Me" laughs Hyde as he comes down the stairs and sees the two men. "Oh, an accident" he says to Garvis and his friend. "I was on my way home." Garvis' friend pulls a knife on Hyde but he knocks it put of the man's hand and wounds him with the sword. He then turns on Garvis who also has a knife drawn. Hyde knocks it out of his hands leaving Garvis defenseless. "Help", he yells. "Stop! Please Sir! I won't never, I swear." Hyde points his sword at Garvis' stomach. "I'll tell you what you'll never", he roars. "You'll never go to the Windmill again, you'll never bother Gwyneth again and you'll never show your face where I ever have to look at it again." "I swear", cries out Garvis nodding and trembling. "You don't need to take an oath" says Hyde striking Garvis in the nose. Garvis cries out as his puts his arms to his now blood smeared face, "what the hell have you done?" "I just made sure you kept your word", says Hyde sheathing the sword back into the cane. "I don't think you'll want to show your face in public again. Not with your nose slit." He turns and walks away while the terrified Garvis and remaining friend go the other way. Eventually Hyde arrives at the back entrance to Jekyll's lab. Once seeing he hasn't he been followed he pulls out a key and enters. Changing back to Jekyll's lab clothes, Hyde dances around the room whistling and singing the song Tessie sang when he arrived at the Windmill. Pouring himself a glass of the potion he remembers the last thing he said to Gwyn, "Lady, you are exquisite" as he drinks down the potion. The pain and dizziness come sooner than before, but eventually subside as he hands, eyebrows and hair return to the familiar appearance of Jekyll. For a brief few minutes, Jekyll flails about with Hyde's sword til he sees Garvis' blood on the tip. "Murderous lot", he says wiping the blood off with a rag. "They deserved it, didn't they, Your Highness?". He burns the bloody rag with a Bunsen burner on his desk.

Months later, Jekyll is hosting a dinner for Lanyon, Devlin and others and their discussion is similar to their argument at the academy about the dual nature of man. Only where Jekyll had originally wanted to erase the aggressive instinct, now he seems to believe without it we can't survive which surprises the others especially Lanyon. Of course, the others know nothing about the dual life Jekyll has been living literally although Hyde has become a known name in many circles. Lanyon worries that Jekyll's experimenting with new drugs could end up in the hands of the young. Jekyll laughs it off sarcastically saying he is opening a new den for the young to all drug up. Lanyon begins to feel he and Jekyll can't communicate any more. Devlin and another guest, Mr. Enfield tries to change the subject to something more pleasant like women. Jekyll returns "why choose another subject that Lanyon is ignorant". But when they remind him of his lack of a woman in his life, let alone desire for one, Jekyll simply states his work adequately satisfies him. "As does mine", returns Lanyon. When Poole comes in and mentions he is serving coffee in the study, Devlin asks Jekyll to speak to him alone. As the other go inside making idle conversation, Lanyon casually asks Enfield if he contemplates the horror of eternal damnation. "Not where it concerns me", replies Enfield. "Then do contemplate it," Lanyon says "regarding your friend Henry Jekyll." Meanwhile, Devlin tells Jekyll he has been horrific things about Hyde. Even that Police Sergeant Grimes has been questioning Hyde's bank account. Naturally word got Devlin because he was the funding the account with Jekyll's money. Bluntly Devlin asks Jekyll if Hyde is blackmailing him. Jekyll dismisses the thought, saying Hyde is the subject of his experiments, his guinea pig if you will. It takes a lot of words, but Jekyll manages to convince Devlin to trust him. When a maid comes back into the dining room asking if Jekyll and Devlin want their coffee in there, Jekyll dismisses her, then asks Devlin to make apologies to the others as he needs to go to the laboratory. Devlin protests, but lets him go.

Nights later, Hyde is returning to his home in Soho when he hears Gwyn bringing a man named Cassidy inside. Thinking she is using his home as a love nest, Hyde breaks in on them and starts to attack Cassidy. Gwyn finally yells out that Cassidy is engaged to Liz who also has been hiding in Hyde's home. While Hyde is calm, Gwyn gets Cassidy to take Liz away then tries to convince Hyde they were gonna get married and go away when he burst in. Hyde tries to apologize but Gwyn keeps at him. "I am will not be criticized, not in this house!", he roars out, them tell Gwyn to bring a bottle upstairs. She refuses and goes up to the bedroom alone and closes the door. Hyde breaks into the room and attacks her while a policeman walks aground smiling at what he thinks is a simple lover's quarrel. Later on, Hyde dresses to go back out and tells a now bruised Gwyn that if she wants to be seen with him in the future to clean up her looks. He then leaves silently unaware he's being followed by Stryker. After a little drinking escapades with other women, Hyde hails a cab. The first one drives off without him, but he manages to manually stop the horse on the second one. "Who are you, Dick Turpin?", asks the cabbie. Hyde dismisses this telling the cabbie where to take him, unaware there is a passenger in the cab. Pulling the passenger out, he sees that it is Lanyon to whom he just states he is simply "hailing a cab". Thinking Hyde drunk, Lanyon starts to argue with him but Hyde turns around and beats Lanyon with his cane. He doesn't kill Lanyon but eventually leaves him on the street with a fractured skull and rides off with the cabbie, all witnessed by Stryker. Later after changing back to Jekyll and washing his hands, Jekyll starts regretting the earlier incident. "What's your excuse this time?", he asks himself. "None. That's the answer, none." he answers himself as he falls asleep.

The next morning, Poole comes into Jekyll's room to wake him as usual. As he starts to get out bed, Jekyll looks at his hand, it's full of hair. Quickly he tries to make an excuse to Poole that he will be sleeping late that morning. Poole tells him that Sergeant Grimes is downstairs waiting to see him. Without giving himself, Jekyll tells Poole he will be down as soon as possible. After Poole leaves the room, Jekyll quickly looks in the mirror and gasps when he sees Hyde's face staring back at him. He had gone to sleep as Henry Jekyll and woke up Edward Hyde, without drinking the potion. How was this to be? Nonetheless, he had to make his way down to the laboratory and change back before Grimes and the servants all saw him this way. Fotunately Poole's conversation with Grimes moved further into the house away from the door that led to the laboratory. As soon as Hyde reached the laboratory, he drank the potion down but no effect. It took a double dose til the pangs of turning back to Jekyll came upon him while in the meanwhile Poole and Grimes had reached the laboratory to see if he was in there. Not finding Jekyll on the premises, Poole started to ask Grimes to come back later when Jekyll appeared and asked Poole to contact Devlin asking him over for lunch that day. When alone, Grimes then showed Jekyll the newspaper article about Lanyon's beating the night before, that he was in the hospital with stitches and there was a witness besides the cabbie who saw what happened. When Jekyll asked him why Grimes was questioning him, Grimes told him the witness followed Hyde to Jekyll's laboratory door and had learned he had a key. Jekyll manages to convince Grimes to find Hyde and search his home at which point Grimes leaves. Later at lunch, Jekyll asks Devlin to make him up a new will leaving everything to Hyde in case of his "death or disappearance". Devlin refuses, but Jekyll manages to convince him this was a scientific approach to explore the inexplorable and to do this for him based on trust and their friendship. Reluctantly, Devlin agrees.

Later that day, Jekyll goes to visit Gwyn at Hyde's Soho home. Remembering him from when he visited the Windmill the first time she lets him in. He tells her that Hyde has gone away to seek employment in the far East but Gwyn is still afraid of him as he has gotten violent lately. She shows him the injuries to her back from the beating of the night before to which Jekyll applies some cream. He then gives her some money claiming it was from Hyde, and if it runs out to come over to the house for more. Allegedly, Hyde didn't want her to go broke. Noticing he is still shy, Gwyn tries to ask him to come for dinner now and then now that Hyde is gone. Jekyll quietly takes his leave, but Gwyn smiles after him. "You'll be back doctor." she says as he leaves.

That night as it thunders and rains outside, Jekyll is storing the Hyde formula along with his clothes and sword cane in the closet of his laboratory hoping to never use them again when there is a knock at the laboratory door, it's Stryker. Jekyll tells him he's busy and can't talk now. "it's just a visit, Doctor" says Stryker, "maybe I can talk to Mr. Hyde". Jekyll tries to tell Stryker that Hyde is not there, but he is convinced Hyde is in there with him. Letting Stryker in, Jekyll shows him Hyde is not there and has moved on to the Far East. Stryker responds with the line the cabbie used when Hyde beat up Lanyon "Who do you think you are, Dick Turpin?" and works his way in. Jekyll tries to stop him but Stryker comes back with "Careful, Dick Turpin was hanged." After walking around a bit, he tells Jekyll that he has been following him for months and that he knows that Jekyll and Hyde are one and the same. He finds Hyde's cane. "One blow would have been enough, after all, Jekyll was a friend". "I struck noone!", cries Jekyll grabbing the cane back and tells Stryker that his supposition is insane. But Stryker is not there to turn him in. He tells Jekyll, it is a scientific break through and to think that he played such a small part in it. At which point, Stryker asks Jekyll for 200 gold sovereigns monthly to guard his secret. Immediately Jekyll realizes Stryker is blackmailing him but tells him he can't prove it. "Who needs proof?", says Stryker and tells Jekyll he could always go to the police at which point Dr. Jekyll's reputation will better no better than Mr. Hyde's. Stryker then leaves, telling Jekyll he expects to see him at his shop by noon the next day with the 200 gold sovereigns. He starts to put the cane back in the closet, then opens it up knowing Stryker was the witness to Lanyon's beating and could tell the police. Later, Stryker is checking his own lab. Thunder and lightning continue as he gets ready for bed. Suddenly a face appears at his window during a loud clap of thunder, it is Hyde. Hyde breaks into the house and startles Stryker as he gets ready bed. "So you wanted to meet Mr. Hyde, eh?", he taunts and proceeds to run Stryker through with his sword over his yells for help, and with servants witnessing. Police whistles sound, and Hyde runs like mad through the alleys back to Jekyll's home. After changing back, Jekyll Hammers up his closet with the formula and destroys the rest of his laboratory. He then gets on his knees in prayer, never to become Hyde again as it continues to thunder and lightning outside his laboratory door.

The next day, Jekyll reads about Stryker's death in the newspaper as Poole shows Devlin into the study. After praising Stryker's scientific abilities, Devlin says there is no question Hyde did it. Jekyll had told him Hyde left the country based on what Hyde told him and produces a note written by Hyde that he has now finally left England in lieu of the crimes he committed and will never come back. He gives Devlin the note to take to the police, but when Devlin asks for the envelope, Jekyll claims he burned it. However, it bore no postmark, it was hand delivered. Devlin then leaves, but asks Jekyll was it Hyde that dictated his will clause about "disappearanve". Jekyll acknowledges it. "I knew it", says Devlin. "He meant to murder you." As he leaves, Devlin asks Poole about the letter saying Jekyll told him it was hand delivered and asked what the messenger looked like. But Poole tells him nothing was delivered that day except by post which leaves Devlin with a strange feeling.

6 months have gone by, and Jekyll has given up science and goes back to practicing medicine at the hospital which makes a fully recovered Lanyon happy. So much so that after Jekyll's current class Lanyon invites him to dinner. It was if the beating was now ancient history. Jekyll hesitates at first, but then accepts his old friend's invitation. That night, as Jekyll struggles with his bowtie and asks Poole to come fix it for him, the butler tells him he has a visit from Gwyn. She's there to thank him for all the money he has been sending her for the last several months. He tries to convince her that the money is from Hyde but she tosses it off saying Hyde would never spend that much on her. He then tries to send her home because he has a dinner appointment, but she insists he have his cab take her home on the way. As they ride to Soho, she reminds him of the day he patched up her back and that she knew he was sending her money not Hyde. Jekyll asks what she would do if Hyde came back. She says she would turn him right over to the police and watch him hang. She then kisses Jekyll, telling him "shyness can be cured, you know". Ge tries to let her out so he can get to his dinner at Lanyon's but she insists he come up and have a drink. Jekyll comes into the house, where Gwyn kisses him on the couch and undoes his bowtie. "I'll never be able to fix that", he says. "You won't have to", says Gwyn who then dismisses the cabbie and proceeds upstairs. Jekyll looks after her from the bottom. "Come on up", says Gwyn. Jekyll climbs the stairs where Gwyn is doing her hair in the mirror. She smiles as he walks in and begins to massage her shoulders, but all of a sudden she sees his hands in the mirror, they are all hairy. She knows it's not Jekyll behind her anymore, it's Hyde who laughs an evil laugh and chokes her. Minutes later he has broken her neck. Running out of the house in Soho, Hyde rushes to Jekyll's house and tries o break in realizing he no longer has the key. Finally breaking through a window and breaks into the closet and down the formula. The pain in the transformation to Jekyll is more intense than ever but he does change back. He comes to himself crying knowing he killed Gwyn, and now the police will be after him like dogs. He falls into a chair sobbing and nearly falls asleep when looking at his hands, he realizes he has changed back to Hyde again. He screams in agony.

The next night, Hyde is still screaming in agony. The servants in Jekyll's house can't stand it. Pooleloads a gun and sends for Devlin. Poole tells Devlin that the screams have been going on for a night. He also mentions that he has been getting notes from Jekyll passed under the door asking for chemicals urgently. The box would be delivered and dragged in by "whomever is inside the laboratory". Devlin and Poole both deduce it's Hyde and that he has killed Jekyll. Devlin threatens to have the door battered down. Hyde responds that he will open the door but only if Devlin comes in alone, Devlin armed with Poole's gun agrees as Hyde opens the door enough to let him in. Devlin begins searching the room for Jekyll. Hyde tells Devlin that he didn't murder Jekyll. He admits murdering Stryker was wrong because his drugs can't be replaced. He tries to convince Devlin there is nothing to do for Jekyll but help him escape. Devlin starts to go for the police, but Hyde stops him agreeing to show him Jekyll. He pulls out the last beaker of the potion and tells Devlin that Jekyll "is in there". "Remember you asked for this", he says pouring out the last glass. "What you are about to see may make you curse your eyes and destroy every moral value you live by. Perhaps destroy you". Devlin scoffs at this as Hyde drinks down the last of the potion, and in pain changes back to Jekyll in front of Devlin's shocked eyes. "My God, Jekyll what you have done is Satanic! They said you might create a monster, but to have created one out of yourself". Jekyll then explained that for the last two nights every time he fell asleep he would change back to Hyde without the potion. He was trying to save the last dose for his escape. He begs Devlin to get him his passport and as much money as possible. If he can concentrate hard enough to stay awake, he won't change back. Devlin worries that he would be letting Hyde escape, Jekyll insists yes, but he would work on the formula. Yes Hyde is a murderer, but he knows he'll hang unless he can become Jekyll again. If Devlin doesn't hurry, it's the last time he'll see Jekyll. Before he agrees to it, he asks Jekyll why did Hyde murder? Jekyll tries to explain it was pure extinct and that yes he was destined to become a monster. Devlin asks why he didn't get rid of him? Jekyll admits he tried but then it was too late. "So you used Hyde", yells Devlin. "to do all the things you couldn't or wouldn't do". Jekyll still cries about being no time to waste about the killing of Gwyn, that he (Jekyll) took her back to her home in Soho but it was Hyde that killed her. Finally Devlin agrees to help Jekyll and goes to get him the money plus to tell Poole in a hurry to get him some black coffee to stay awake. Before Devlin leaves, Jekyll asks him for a backup plan; in the event something worse happens to meet in the back of the hospital. Devlin hurries out asking Poole for the coffee without explanation then hurries out to get the money. Meanwhile Jekyll is watching one of his experimental animals when he nods off and falls asleep. Poole shows up with the coffee shortly thereafter, only to have his skull crushed and the tray dropped as Hyde hits up with his cane.

Later that night, Devlin and the police are searching for Hyde near the hospital. Eventually, they chase him into the hospital. Devlin still armed with Poole's gun walks through the amphitheater and meeting hall, where Jekyll first argued his report that unknown to thr academy would create Hyde. Echoes of words from Jekyll, Lanyon and others fill the chamber ending with Sir John Turnbull's last question, "Suppose this potion of yours did work. Suppose it did split the dual nature of man right down the middle. Might it not produce........a monster". As the word "monster" echoes through Devlin's memory, Hyde taunts out "Are you a betting man, Devlin?" He then appears ready to kill him for bringing the police. Devlin pulls the gun on him but Hyde tells him 'If you kill me, you will be killing Henry Jekyll" "You don't understand" says Devlin cooly, "he deserves to die. Jekyll is responsible, not you". Hyde chuckles, "Well in that case, George, I should be free to leave". Devlin tries to call him back. He finally turns around throwing away his sword cane, and Devlin shoots him through the heart. Hyde stumbles to the stage and with another gun shot appears to die. Devlin stands over what was once his oldest friend's body. "I'm sorry, Henry", he says quietly. For a second Hyde lurches forward, then falls down dead for good. The police cover Hyde up to cart him away, as Devlin slowly walks out of the meeting hall.

Reprise of Denholm Elliott's opening voiceover: "But if all men must learn wisdom today from violence today, then who can expect there will be.........a tomorrow."

Cast

• Jack Palance as Dr. Henry Jekyll / Mr. Edward Hyde
• Denholm Elliott as Mr. George Devlin
• Leo Genn as Dr. Lanyon
• Torin Thatcher as Sir John Turnbull
• Rex Sevenoaks as Dr. Wright
• Gillie Fenwick as Poole
• Elizabeth Cole as Hattie
• Duncan Lamont as Sergeant Grimes
• Paul Harding as Constable Johnson
• Oskar Homolka as Stryker
• Billie Whitelaw as Gwyn Thomas
• Tessie O'Shea as Tessie O'Toole
• Donald Webster as Garvis

Production

Dan Curtis decided to make a film of Jekyll and Hyde. Originally, Rod Serling wrote a draft of the script, and Jason Robards was to star, with filming to take place in London. However, the project soon was beset with problems. Robards was unhappy with the script. In addition, filming in London proved difficult due to a technician's union strike. Filming was pushed back, and Robards decided to drop out, unhappy with the script.

Curtis decided to get a new script and find a new star. Ian McLellan Hunter wrote a new script. Curtis had discussed doing another project with actor Jack Palance, who agreed to take over the lead role. The producer decided to film in Canada, where it would be cheaper than the U.S.

Filming took place in Toronto over seven weeks in 1967. Curtis had to pay $200,000 to build a replica of Washington Square in Toronto. Palance was injured while filming a stunt. The budget was approximately $900,000. ABC paid for approximately half of this.

The show was nominated for four Emmy awards - Outstanding Dramatic Program, Outstanding Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role in a Drama, Best Graphic Design, and Best Make-up.

External links

• The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde at IMDb