"I believe it is most important for the director to learn cinematography, for most cinematographers are men of many years' experience, and have worked with so many directors that they can hardly help knowing the basic principals of direction"
-Rouben Mamoulian
Premiering on 31 December 1931 with a nationwide release 2 January 1932, Paramount's DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE garnered favorable reviews, largely on the skills of director Rouben Mamoulian, cinematographer Karl Struss, and lead actor Fredric March's Hyde makeup by Wally Westmore. It didn't hurt that the pre-code subject matter had a significant sexual subtext as well, bolstered by the presence of Miriam Hopkins as local tavern floozy, Ivy Pierson.
While not quite as shocking as Universal's FRANKENSTEIN (released just the previous month), the film still packs a visceral punch, especially with March's transformation into Mr. Hyde and his subsequent violent behavior (on a side note, Wally Westmore's makeup lost out to Jack Pierce's work on THE MUMMY for the 1932 Hollywood Filmograph Makeup Trophy -- Westmore would go on to an illustrious career and this would be Pierce's only formal recognition for his makeup work during his lifetime).
Rouben Mamoulian (October 8, 1897 – December 4, 1987) was the man in the director's chair for DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE, but in this interview in AMERICAN CINEMATOGRAPHER (February 1932), he sat down with A.S.C. member William Stull and explained that he owed just as much to his camera man, Karl Struss for the film's success. Free of any overt egotism, Mamoulian politely discussed how the two worked together to produce what would become one of the classic horror films of the 1930's.
An added bonus are the production stills from DR. JEKYLL AND MR. HYDE that accompany the article. Also note the ad for Max Factor. His makeup was used exclusively by Westmore during the making of the film.
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