Jekyll & Hyde ** (1990, Michael Caine, Cheryl Ladd, Joss Ackland) – Classic Movie Review 8276

Michael Caine reunites with writer-director David Wickes from his 1988 hit TV film Jack the Ripper for this rather less successful slab of Victoriana, the 1990 British TV film Jekyll & Hyde, made by David Wickes TV, King Phoenix Entertainment and London Weekend Television.

It finds little new to add (except talk) to the three first-class Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde movies of Robert Louis Stevenson’s book The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde about the doctor with a split personality (the 1920 silent Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with John Barrymore, Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with Fredric March in 1931, and Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde with Spencer Tracy in 1941).

And for once even Caine only makes a little bit of headway as Dr Henry Jekyll and Mr Edward Hyde, though he was nominated for a Golden Globe and a Primetime Emmy. However, Caine does provide a measure of involvement and Wickes a share of tension.

Cheryl Ladd (as Sara Crawford) seems out of place among such top British character actors as Joss Ackland (Dr Charles Lanyon), Lionel Jeffries (Jekyll’s father) and Ronald Pickup (Jeffrey Utterson).

Also in the strong cast are Kim Thomson, Kevin McNally, Lee Montague, Diane Keen, David Schofield, Miriam Karlin, Joan Heal, Frank Barry, Martin Jacobs, Duncan Gould and John Scarborough.

Jekyll & Hyde is written by David Wickes, based on Robert Louis Stevenson’s novel The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, is shot by Norman Langley, is produced by Patricia Carr and is scored by John Cameron.

© Derek Winnert 2019 Classic Movie Review 8276

Check out more reviews on http://derekwinnert.com