Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde Comparing the Book to the Film

             Hyde- written by Robert Louis Stevenson in 1886, and the film "Dr. Hyde- directed by Victor Fleming and produced in 1941, I realized the similarities. Not only were there similarities but there were also things that were in the film which were not in the novel. I believe the novel guides the reader's imagination and encourages the reader to think for themselves, because of this I feel the novel has a greater impact.
             Both the novel and the film take place in Victorian Britain. They both portray the good and evil in the society and in Dr. Jekyll. The setting also portrays good and evil, for instance in the novel everything is always dark and gloomy. The film, although in black and white, takes place mostly at night. Both the novel and the film have Dr Jekyll living in similar houses except that in the film Dr. Jekylls cabinet is below the laboratory. .
             Dr. Jekyll played by Spencer Tracy in the film, has the same occupation in both the novel and film, he is a doctor and a high class gentleman. Dr. Lanyon played by Ian Hunter in the film, is portrayed also similar to the novel. He is great friends with Dr. Jekyll, and although he does not believe in his views on medicine, he remains close to him. The difference of Dr. Lanyon in the film that is most noticeable is that in the film Dr. Lanyon is young, and lives out to turn Dr. Jekyll in to the police. But in the novel Dr. Lanyon is an older gentleman and dies before Dr. Jekyll. In the film there were new characters introduced, Ivy Peterson, Beatrix, and Sir Charles Emery.
             These new characters change the original plot. Beatrix is shown as Dr. Jekylls fiancé and Ivy is shown has Mr. Hydes woman. Sir Charles Emery is the father of Beatrix, his character links the film to the novel. In the novel, Sir Danvers Carew was murdered brutally by Mr. Hyde. Sir Charles Emery is also brutally murdered by Mr. Hyde in the same manner. The novel was told by Mr.