There are a few prominent non-Universal horror films of the 1930s. However, the other studios, while envious of all the greenbacks Universal was taking in, were quite sniffy about producing something as low brow as a horror picture, much less a monster film. So they tended to cast themselves as prestige pictures adapted from classics of literature. Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1931) is one of these, even garnering a Best Actor Oscar for Fredric March, the only such award for a horror pic until Anthony Hopkins snagged a statuette for Silence of the Lambs. Frankly, the 1931 version is not my favorite. I find it over-directed, and it gives me even more respect for the sly, deft touch of James Whale. Meanwhile, I’ve generally found March to be a bit too mannered of an actor for my taste (although I have a friend who adores him). Still, as a pre-code the film can be surprisingly frank in some regards, and is definitely worth a look.
