Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde

Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde

Year: 1971

Runtime: 97 mins

Language: English

Director: Roy Ward Baker

HorrorHorror the undead and monster classicsChilling experiments and classic monster horrorCreepy chilling and terrifying horrorGory gruesome and slasher horror

Set in fog‑shrouded Victorian London, Dr. Jekyll conducts experiments on deceased women to craft an elixir of immortality. The potion transforms him into the beautiful but psychotic alter‑ego, Sister Hyde, who stalks Whitechapel’s dark alleys, hunting young women to sustain his research. With each change Hyde grows stronger, threatening to permanently silence the frail Dr. Jekyll.

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Timeline & Setting – Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)

Explore the full timeline and setting of Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971). Follow every major event in chronological order and see how the environment shapes the story, characters, and dramatic tension.

Time period

1880s

Set in the late 19th century, the tale borrows from London’s feverish obsession with progress and danger. Gaslight, rumor, and a string of brutal killings create a climate of fear and sensationalism. The period’s confidence in science is mirrored by the risk of scientific misadventure.

Location

London, Whitechapel

Gas-lit streets and crowded tenements frame the late Victorian London where the story unfolds. The city’s atmosphere blends scientific curiosity with crime-ridden alleys, perfuming the mood with dread and mystery. Its social contrasts—wealth and poverty, order and chaos—amplify the tension between Jekyll’s experiments and the peril they unleash.

🏙️ Urban 🕯️ Gothic 🧭 Victorian London

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:42

Main Characters – Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)

Meet the key characters of Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971), with detailed profiles, motivations, and roles in the plot. Understand their emotional journeys and what they reveal about the film’s deeper themes.

Dr. Henry Jekyll (Ralph Bates)

A brilliant physician driven to extend life, Jekyll abandons conventional work in his obsession with an elixir. When the serum yields a female alter ego, he finds himself fighting to maintain control as Hyde asserts dominance. The struggle pits scientific ambition against morality, with devastating personal consequences.

🧪 Scientist 🌓 Dual identity ⚖️ Morality

Sister Hyde / Mrs. Edwina Hyde (Martine Beswick)

Hyde is the liberated, dangerous side of Jekyll, reveling in power and murder. She seduces and overpowers others, even killing to extend her hold over Jekyll’s body. Her emergence makes identity itself the battleground between desire and restraint.

👩‍🦰 Alter ego 🔪 Murder 💃 Seduction

Susan Spencer (Susan) (Susan Brodrick)

Susan is the love interest who stands at the edge of the danger surrounding Jekyll. Her heartbreak over Jekyll’s neglect and the atrocities that follow heightens the emotional stakes. She becomes a witness to Hyde’s violence and a reminder of what Jekyll could lose.

💗 Love interest 🕯️ Fear 🕊️ Loyalty

Howard Spencer (Lewis Fiander)

Howard, Susan’s brother, is drawn to Hyde, exposing a vulnerability that mirrors Jekyll’s own desire for power. His fascination with Hyde reveals how the two sides of the same coin can captivate those around them. He serves as a cautionary figure about unchecked longing.

🧒 Youth 💘 Desire 🕵️ Suspicion

William Burke (Ivor Dean)

Burke supplies the female hormones for Jekyll’s experiments, tying the medical horror to historical crime lore. His activities are exposed and punished by mob justice, underscoring the era’s brutal consequences. He anchors the film’s connection between science and crime.

🩸 Crime figure 🧬 Hormone supply 📰 Exposure

William Hare (Tony Calvin)

Hare assists in the grim network that provides bodies and materials for the experiments, becoming a casualty of the underworld’s exposure. His role highlights the cost of Jekyll’s pursuit and Hyde’s emergent power.

🩸 Co-conspirator 🗞️ Exposure ⚠️ Consequences

Professor Robertson (Gerald Sim)

Professor Robertson is a respected scholar who probes Jekyll’s dangerous work, serving as the voice of skepticism and moral restraint. His questions threaten Hyde’s secrecy, leading to a violent confrontation. He embodies the tension between scientific curiosity and ethical responsibility.

🎓 Scientist 🛡️ Authority 🗡️ Murder

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:42

Major Themes – Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971)

Explore the central themes of Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde (1971), from psychological, social, and emotional dimensions to philosophical messages. Understand what the film is really saying beneath the surface.

🪞 Duality

Dr. Jekyll’s quest for longevity births a second self, Mrs. Hyde, who embodies suppressed desires and aggression. The transformation is both literal and symbolic, exposing how identity can fracture under ambition. As Hyde grows stronger, the boundary between physician and monster blurs, challenging moral boundaries. The film asks whether a person can split the self without losing what defines them.

🧪 Obsession

Jekyll’s relentless hunt for an immortal life drives him toward dangerous experiments and murder. The hormone-based solution consumes his empathy and ethics, turning curiosity into compulsion. The price of obsession is a eroded sense of humanity and control. The narrative anchors around the peril of pursuing power at any cost.

🔪 Violence & Morality

Violence shifts from clandestine experiments to murder, revealing how society reacts to unknown danger. Hyde’s ascendance highlights the moral cost of unchecked ambition and the fragility of accountability. Mob justice against Burke signals a crowd-driven morality parallel to the killer’s acts. The film invites reflection on responsibility when science overreaches.

Last Updated: October 04, 2025 at 14:42

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Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde Summary

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Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde Summary

Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde Timeline

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Dr. Jekyll & Sister Hyde Timeline

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