Wednesday, June 16, 2010

THE TWO FACES OF DR. JEKYLL - Heneker/Norman - "House Of Fright" (1960)

Tonight's WTF? feature film was originally going to be "Robo Vampire," one of the most WTF? movies I've ever seen, but there's another completely different film that's been hanging around here for for almost two years that I need to get out of my system first, and since we just did "The 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao," seems like it's finally the prefect time for "The 2 Faces Of Dr. Jekyll"!!

So here's the two faces, and just like Jerry Lewis in "The Nutty Professor," it's the reversal of the original tale, the good doctor goes from basic bland to wild nightlife playboy! Unlike Jerry Lewis, I cannot for the life of me get into the character of Paul Massie as Dr. Jekyll, it just doesn't work for me, and even his voice bugs me, other than that, it's a pretty damn good movie!!

The best part of the whole film for me is the appearance of Dungeon Hero, Oliver Reed, in one of his earliest roles. Talk about your single degrees of separation, one of Oliver's earliest credits, was also one of the main quotes from "The 7 Faces Of Dr. Lao," a movie entitled, "Life Is A Circus," done the same year as this film!

To show you how tough Mr. Hyde is, they have him beat the living crap out of Oliver Reed! Yes, that is Christopher Lee egging him on!

London had a pretty swingin' nightlife back in 1874 according to this movie, and if too many of them swingers had personality defects like Mr. Hyde, then it might just be a stone's throw away from Gommorah!

Norma Marla puts in one of only two career credits, as Maria, the exotic dancer with a short life expectancy! Norma was also in another Hammer Dr. Jekyll vehicle one year earlier, "The Ugly Duckling!"

Now Ladies and Gentlemen, we present to you the next new mixed tag team champions of the world, Mr. Edward Hyde and diva Maria!!

Poor Maria, she seemed like such a worldly and intelligent gal, but she just wasn't a good judge of character, and that bad boy thing only goes so far!

I'm sorry but that narrow little bench Chris Lee is sitting on just doesn't look comfortable!!

The city is only wicked if you're poor, but Mr. Hyde's got money!! Yeehaw!!!

This is a very good message, and some quite sound advice for all you retro home buyers out there! "Beware of bad houses!"

"The Two Faces Of Dr. Jekyll" is quite lively musically, and sexually for a period piece, and not that far removed from an episode of American Bandstand!! Musical credits go out to Monty Norman, who also composed the original James Bond theme (Wouldn't you like to have those royalties?), and David Heneker, whose few other credits are mostly TV.

As long as he was high on absinthe or opium, Mr. Hyde remained pretty cool, but it was when he had to deal with his own mind, that the problems arose!!

Don't F with Mr. Hyde! You're his best friend one minute, the next minute you are dead!

The whole damn thing has gotten out of hand, and it's time to turn this matter over to the authorities! Hey, who's out on patrol?? No wonder the world has gone mad with debauchery!!

5 comments:

RODAN! said...

Awesome post!

Christopher said...

I actually prefer this over some of the other more well regarded early Hammer Horrahs!

Prof. Grewbeard said...

this twit beats up Oliver Reed?!? not buyin' it!...

Anonymous said...

Great film and great post! Thanks.

Greg Goodsell said...

This was a failure at the box office due to film's moral ambiguity. Good and evil collide ... the saintly Dr. Jekyl in this film pushes down a handicaped little girl tot he ground at one point!

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