Episode 311: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde

[00:00:27] Speaker A: Welcome to the mysterious old Radio Listening Society, a podcast dedicated to suspense, crime, and horror stories from the golden age of radio. I'm Aaron. [00:00:36] Speaker B: I'm Tim. [00:00:37] Speaker C: And I'm Joshua. [00:00:38] Speaker D: We love mysterious old time radio stories, but do they stand the test of time? That's what we're here to find out. [00:00:43] Speaker C: This week we continue our month long Halloween series, Monsters on the air with an adaptation of Robert Lewis Stevenson's classic 1886 novella the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from NBC presents short story. [00:01:00] Speaker A: This short lived series ran from February 20, 151 to May 30, 1952, and, as the title suggests, featured radio adaptations of classic and contemporary short stories. According to radio historian John Dunning, NBC presents short story gained no real attention and no appreciable audience. Coming so late in radio's history and so completely without budget or fanfare. Despite languishing in obscurity, or perhaps because of it, the program presented a number of stories, rarely if never adapted before or since, including 50 grand by Ernest Hemingway, leader of the people by John Steinbeck, pot of Gold by John Cheever, the Rocket by Ray Bradbury, and the Lottery by Shirley Jackson. [00:01:47] Speaker C: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and. [00:01:49] Speaker D: Mr. Hyde, however, has been produced for radio several times. In 1943, actor and producer George Edwards expanded the novella into a 52 part serial for australian radio. 30 years later, Hyman Brown aired an hour long version on his radio revival series, CBS Radio Mystery Theater. Over the course of its 100 year history, BBC Radio has produced more iterations than we have the patience to count. [00:02:11] Speaker C: Today's version sticks fairly close to the plot of Stevenson's original, with a few glaring exceptions we'll discuss later in the podcast. For now, let's listen to the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from NBC presents short story, first broadcast sometime in 1951. [00:02:30] Speaker A: It's late at night and a chill has set in. You're alone and the only light you see is coming from an antique radio. Listen to the sounds coming from the speaker. Listen to the music and listen to the voices. [00:02:46] Speaker E: NBC presents short story Today Robert Lewis Stevenson Robert Lewis Stevenson, scottish novelist, essayist, poet, and short story writer, is best known for his tales of fantasy and adventure and his romantic essays in the personal vein. One of his most famous stories we'll hear dramatized today, the Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, which was first published in 1886. In this classic battle between good and evil, we find Dr. Jacob, a man beloved by all for his philanthropic endeavors, and Mr. Hyde, who is positively loathsome and plunges into all manner of evil. You see, Dr. Jacob has discovered a potion that. But that's part of our story. Which will begin in just a moment. And now, the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Lewis Stevenson. [00:04:06] Speaker B: Every man is truly two beings cursed with a struggle of good and evil within him. What will this duality be like? Separated. Each part living alone. The good companion and then the pure and ugly evil of a man. That you, Poole? Yes, Dr. Jekyll. And come in, come in. Did you get the salt? Yes, sir. Finally, sir. But only three pounds of it. It was all the chemist had. Good. It will suffice. Thank you, Poole. Anything else, sir? Oh, no, Poole. Good night. I beg pardon, sir. If I may ask her, is the experiment nearly done? I think so, Poole. This time I think it's really nearly done. Splendid, sir. Cook will be glad to hear it too. Yes. Good night. Good night. Yes, and a gram of salt. Now, where's your courage, Jekyll? Drink it. Drink it. The mirror can too. Look. Your face. Your face. The essence of evil within you growing before your eyes. His breath and your other half, checkle. You've given him the miracle of life. The essence of the hidden evil in a man, Dr. Jekyll. The miracle of consummate evil come to life. The hidden soul of Jekyll. I am Mr. Hyde. That night, like a shadow from an evil place a stooped figure walked alone in the London streets. About him was a feeling of deformity and decay. He had come from the by street door of Dr. Henry Jekyll's house, from his laboratory. And it was the same door he entered again when the first light of dawn dispelled the night. But during the day, the house and the laboratory were quiet while the master slept. That evening, Mr. Utterson, the lawyer, stood before the bright fire in the library. Dr. Jekyll had sent for him. This will is preposterous, Jekyll. I'm your lawyer. Yes. There's nothing to be so concerned about, Utterson. Edward Hyde is a new friend of mine. I want to be sure he's provided for in case something happens to me. That's all. But nothing's going to happen to you. How could you just disappear as you've stated in this testament? Now, how could I know that, Utterson? Well, it's strange, Jekyll, but if this is the way you want it. Hyde has captured my interest, Utterson. His well being is the one thing uppermost in my mind. I want to be certain in case something does happen to me. That Hyde will be financially secure to carry on. I see. Well, all right, Jekyll. As you wish. The well will be ready for your signature in a few days. I'll bring it around myself. Splendid. Artisan. Now, what about that spot of wine? Thanks, no. Dr. Lanyon's expecting meon. He was only asking about you the other evening. Jekyll, we see you so seldom these days. I've been rather hard at it in the laboratory. Sure you can't stay another time? Good night, juggle. Good night. Wonder who the devil this Edward Hyde is. Mr. Utterson was the first of many Londoners who were to wonder about the hideous specter like Mr. Hyde. Who were to fear the shadows of night because of him. One evening, nearly a week later. Help me, young fellow. What's the matter? [00:08:54] Speaker F: He's a monster, sir. He struck me with his cane. Help me, sir, please. [00:08:58] Speaker B: Nobody's going to hurt you. Now, where is this monster you speak of? [00:09:02] Speaker F: He was right behind me, sir, all the way from Clement street. Look there, under the corner light. You'll not let him come at me again, will you, sir? [00:09:10] Speaker B: Will you? No, no, my lad. No Harm will come to you. Sir, he's seen us. Now, wait, my George. It is a monster. [00:09:17] Speaker F: Look, sir. He's making for that doorway. The small one in the shadow just there. [00:09:21] Speaker B: So he is. Hey. Here, fellow. Wait a minute. There. Come along, my lad. [00:09:24] Speaker F: But, sir, don't let it. [00:09:25] Speaker B: It's all right now. Don't be afraid. You there. Did you strike this child? If the ruffian molests me again, I'll strike him again. What kind of a devil are you? There's no gentleman but wishes to avoid a scene. It was an accident. Maybe this pound note will ease the boy's pain. [00:09:49] Speaker F: Oh, no. [00:09:50] Speaker B: Take it, lad. Now, if you'll excuse me. Wait a moment. In this door. Isn't this Jekyll's laboratory? You must be Mr. Hyde. I'm an old friend of the doctors otison of Gone street. You must have heard of me. I was just on my way to see Jekyll. Juno and Mr. Hyde. We have common friends. Who are they? Jekyll, for one. Come, let me see your face. Mr. Hyde. How well shall I know you when we meet again? We shall not meet again, Mr. Utterson. Well, so that is Hyde. Now, my lad, run along. I've got a call to make. [00:10:30] Speaker F: In this house, sir? [00:10:31] Speaker B: Yes, but at the front door. I want to see if Mr. Jekyll's in. Now, my lad, you run along home. And don't let me catch you out on the dark streets like this again. [00:10:40] Speaker F: Yes, sir. You will, sir. Thank you. Thank you. [00:10:50] Speaker B: Good evening, Poole. Good evening, Mr. Utterson. Dr. Jekyll homepool? I'm afraid not, sir. Thought you'd be here at this late hour. The most gently he is, sir. I just saw that Hyde fellow go in by the laboratory door. Is that right? When Dr. Jekyll's away from home? Quite right, Mr. Utterson. Mr. Hyde has a key. Your master seems to put a great deal of trust in him. Yes, sir. He does indeed. We all have orders to obey him, although we see him seldom. He mostly comes and goes by the street door. And at night, sir. Well, tell Dr. Jekyll I'd like to see him as soon as possible. And give him these papers, will you, Poole? Yes, I was talking with him about them a few days ago. Yes, sir. Night, Poole. Good night, Mr. Utterson. The sword. Place to hide. Hurry. Mix it will. Pour the powder in slowly. Drink it. Now, look. That strength of good, Mr. Haik. The triumphant strength of good at your face. Clearer of your eyes. Unclouding straightening of your crooked, evil soul. The masking of an ugly idol in the glass. It's the last of you, Mr. Hyde. You'll never exist again. Is that you, Dr. Jekyll? Yes, Poole. I'm so sorry, sir. I only just told Mr. Utterson that you were not at home. I came in by the laboratory door. Poo. But Mr. Hyde, sir. Mr. Hyde is gone. Oh, I see. Mr. Utterson left this paper envelope, sir. He asked also to see you as soon as possible. Oh, thank you, Pooh. Put it there. Shall I bring you some chocolate, sir? No, I'll go to bed. I'm very tired, Poole. I've been alone too much lately. What do you say to my taking your advice and having their dinner party? Oh, that would be like old times, sir. We'll talk it over tomorrow. Splendid, sir. And, Poole, I don't think Mr. Hyde will be back again. Good evening. Come right in, sir. Dr. Lanyon and Miss Julie. Come in. Hello, Jackal. Good to see you out of that shell after all these months. This isn't going to be one of those stuffy dinner parties, is it? [00:13:45] Speaker F: Pay no attention to your hats and coat, Dr. Lenny. [00:13:49] Speaker B: Oh, yes, Poole. By the way, Jekyll. Yes? This is your walking stick, isn't it? Quite. Well, so it is. You went off with mine the last time you were over and left yours. Did I? I am sorry. Look for Dr. Lanyon's cane, will you, Poole? Yes, of course. I'd rather have this one. I'm fond of canes and sherry. A little dog's head is nicely carved. Perhaps we'll arrange a swap someday. Well, Dr. Jekyll. Good evening, good Sir Andrew. Hello there. Where have you been hiding all these weeks? Hiding? Right here, Sir Andrew. Right here. Well, we've missed you. Mrs. Fielding's dinners aren't the same without. I must say, it's good to see you, Jekyll. You're not evading me this time. Been trying to see you all week. Why? Something on your mind? Not here, old fella. Come along. We can steal out a few minutes before dinner. But only a few. I've got a house full of guests, remember? Look, there's nobody here in the laboratory. Sit down by the fire. My word, it does look like you've been working. Well, it takes a lot of equipment for chemical experiments. Now, what's up? You should know without asking that will, of course. Oh, that. I don't like a jackal. You never did. And especially since I've met your Mr. Hyde. He's a jackal. The other night. Let's not talk about it, Utterson. It's not as you fancy. I can be rid of Hyde the moment I choose. What's the matter? I was just going to say, let's leave the will as it is. And will you promise me one thing? What's that? I still take a great interest in Hyde, and I only ask for justice for you to help him if the time comes when I'm no longer here. The whole thing's preposterous, but it's a promise. I'll do my best. Well, look here, Jekyll. Are you. No. No. But your face, man. Your face. Don't look at me, Allison. Jekyll, wait a minute. He saw you, Mr. Hyde. My eyes. Let me alone. Let me alone. You've got to die and stay dead forever. You're afraid, Mr. Hyde. Afraid of him? Can you kill the strongest force in the world? You've got to have the strength of Hyde to murder the inordinate strength of Hyde. You can't kill me, Jekyll. The good in you can never kill. And I shall never die. Not as long as you can live it. [00:16:43] Speaker E: Our story continues after this brief pause. And now back to today's short story. [00:17:11] Speaker F: Anna, what's the matter? Oh, Miss Julie. Close the window. Close the window, quick. What happened? That hideous creature we heard about, ma'am. That Mr. Heidi. I just saw him kill a man. Kill a man? Where? In the street just outside. I screamed he looked up at me like a wild man. He. No, no, don't go out there, miss. You. Anna, get yourself in hand. [00:17:33] Speaker B: What's going on here? [00:17:34] Speaker F: Something on the street, Father, you'd better go out and see what's happened. The creature was about to come up to the balcony, Dr. Lanyon. It was stooped and hidden. [00:17:42] Speaker B: Put her on the bed, Julia. I'll be right back. [00:17:45] Speaker F: I've just been sitting here peaceful like, watching the moonlight, ever since you and Dr. Lanyon came back from Dr. Jekyll's party. Then the white haired gentleman came along and this monster home. It's all right, Hannah. And the white haired gentleman just asked about the pulse. And this monster struck him with his cane and then kicked him and kicked. It was that hide monster, Miss Julia. Where'd he go? When I screamed, some people came out from the houses and she looked round like an animal and then ran away. We might come back, Miss Julia. Don't let him come back. Don't let him come. [00:18:28] Speaker B: Here. Get back there. What's happened? You're the poor blighter. Such an old man. He's been murdered. Dr. Lanyon. Good Lord. It's Sir Andrew Carru. Looks like he was on his way to the post and some madman attacked him. Here, you call an officer. Already been called. Look at this. What is it? A walking cane. What the murder was done with. Most likely it's broke plumbing, too. Here, let me see that heavy sort of cane. Easy to do a murder with that. How terrible. Some maniac's done this. [00:18:57] Speaker F: That Mr. Hyde we've heard so much about. And some folks have seen that. Who's done it? [00:19:04] Speaker B: Sherry Kane, with a dog's head carved in the handle. This is Dr. Jekyll's. Clark. Clark. Let me have a room, any room. Quick. Yes, right away. And I want a note delivered immediately. Will you register, sir? Is the time I tell you. Give me a room and send me a message, quick. Do you want these fingers around your throat, or will you do as I say? Yes. Sam, show this gentleman up to 210 and wait for a note he wants delivered. My word. Fingers around my throat. And by Gary, I really meant it. I cannot impress upon you too strongly the importance of this note, Dr. Lanyon, you have been a dear friend and now my life is in your hands. Go immediately to my house. Poole will admit you from my laboratory cabinet. Remove the fourth drawer from the top with all its contents intact and take it to your house, where a man will present himself in my name at exactly midnight tonight. You must not fail me, Henry Jekyll. What an extraordinary thing. Well, I've done as Jekyll said. Now we'll see. Right on the dot. Who's there? Are you from Jekyll? Yes. Jegwyang. Have you got this? I have. But look here. We have the drawer. It's in my study through that door there. Where is it? There, on the table. Have you got a graduated glass? On the shelf beside you. But what are you going to do? I am going to perform a miracle. Now look here. Jekyll didn't say anything about. If this is some fiendish thing Jekyll's cooked up, I'll be no partner to it. Who are you, anyway? Look at you, Dr. Lanny man. Answer me. Who are you? You've already guessed that, haven't you? I am Mr. Hyde. Hyde? Is your curiosity great enough to watch me drink this potion? What are you talking about? Get out of here, you devil. If you watch me, a new knowledge will be open to you, Dr. Lenyon. And in this room this instant, your sight will be blasted by a prodigy that would stagger the unbelief of Satan himself. You're a madman. Get out of my house now. Jackal. Jackal. Heaven's name, it's you. The birth of a good man before your eyes. Now you see why I hid myself away all those weeks. Dr. Lanyon. Jackal, what are you saying? At first it took a strong drought of the formula to bring him to life. Weeks ago that was. But now he's too strong. Now the Jekyll you see before you hasn't the power to keep him back. 2 hours from now, Dr. Lanyon, I'll be Mr. Hyde again. And no strength of my will can stop it. Jekyll, you're mad. Leave me alone. I've got alone more of the powder. Dr. Lanyon. In heaven's name, don't you see? I've got to find more of the powder. This was the last of it, Jackal, have mercy. Let an old man alone. Together we can do it, Dr. Lanyon. Poole got the powder for me. But the shop where he got it hasn't, or more. It must have contained some impurity that did the trick. You've got to help me find out what that impurity was, Dr. Lanyard. You've got to help me murder this evil hide in my soul. Jackal, stop. What? Stop. Dr. Lenyon. Dr. Lenyon. No. His heart. Not the wonder of your miracle, Dr. Zekl. You have killed him. The one man who could save your life is dead. Oh, God bless you, Mr. Atheson, for coming so quickly. What on earth's happened? Paul? I'm sorry. Afraid Dr. Jekyll's been murdered, sir. What? Murdered? Come with me, sir. Don't make a noise. We mustn't be heard. But where are you taking me? He's a candle, sir. To Dr. Jekyll's laboratory. And if by any chance he asks you in. Don't go, Mr. Hutchison. Don't go. But how could Jekyll be dead? Sir? I beg of you. You see, he's been in the laboratory all day, and he won't come out. And every time I knock, wait and you shall see. Here's the door. Mr. Utterson, sir, asking to see you. Yes, sir. Poor, that isn't. Well, that doesn't sound like Jekyll to me. No, sir. I'm glad to hear you say so. Because, Mr. Edison whatever is in there cries to heaven for help and wails and driving at Poole. Well, sir, it all began early this morning after they'd found Dr. Lanyon dead. Yes. Yes, I saw him. Such terror in his face. Well, sir, it was sometimes Dr. Jekyll's wait to leave orders on a sheet of paper outside this door. And since early this morning, sir, we've had nothing else except notes and a closed door. And food left outside to be smuggled in when nobody was looking. A dozen times, Mr. Utterson those notes were sent me flying all over London to wholesale chemists for a certain powder. But every time, soon after I brought it back there'd be another paper telling me to return it. Because it wasn't right, sir. And this drug, sir, is wanted very badly. Then maybe it is jackalpool. Maybe. Oh, sir, do you think I wouldn't know my master after 20 years? That thing in there, Mr. Utterson had done away with Dr. Jekyll. Then who do you think it is in there? I give you my Bible word, Mr. Utterson. It's that monster, Mr. Hyde. That's what I thought. Come on. We've got to break in. Yes, sir. We need an act. Something to pry the door with. Well, I have the tools here. I've also taken liberty of sending a footman with the boy around by the bystreet entrance. Just in case. And I have a gun here. Good. Can they catch him if he tries to escape? They can, sir. Here's the exit. Here, hold the candle. I'm going to knock first. Mr. Hyde, will you let me in? I can't see anybody. Go away. If you don't open the door. I'm going to break it down. In heaven's name, have mercy. Leave me alone. Stand back if you value your life. Stay away. We're coming in there, Mr. Hyde. No. Do you break down the door. I'll kill you. Do you hear me? I'll kill you. No. Mrs. And wait. I'll unlock the door. Give me that, gunpool. The door is unlocked. Open it and come in if you dare. Stand behind me, Poole. I'm going to push it open. It's the monster. Mr. Anderson has got a knife. Stay back from us, Mr. Hyde. Here you see, evil incarnate, Mr. Anderson, and murder is my forte. So you have murdered Dr. Jekyll because he wished me dead. Now both of you shall die. Coming at us, sir. Stay back. Besides him, look out. Is he dead, sir? He's dead, Paul. Then we must find Dr. Jekyll. His body must be here somewhere in the laboratory. Wait. Look. His face. It's changing. Sir. You're looking at the shell of an evil soul pool dissolving, turning back to the form of its creator. But it's Dr. Jekyll. What does it mean, Mr. Atison? It means the evil man is deadpool. For here lies the better half of his duality, triumphant. [00:29:03] Speaker E: This has been NBC short story. Today, the strange case of Dr. Jacob and Mr. Hyde by Robert Lewis Stevenson. Join us again next time when NBC presents short story. [00:29:24] Speaker A: That was the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde from NBC presents short story, here on the mysterious old radio listening society podcast. Once again, I'm Eric. I'm Tim. [00:29:36] Speaker C: And I'm Joshua. [00:29:37] Speaker A: There's a lot of things I want to say about this. Joshua, though, would like to start us off by contextualizing Dr. Jekel. Jekyll. What was he calling her? [00:29:51] Speaker D: Oh, I don't know. [00:29:52] Speaker A: It was all mispronounced, announced. [00:29:54] Speaker D: Yeah, Welsh and weird. [00:29:56] Speaker A: Jekyll. I'm so mad about that. [00:30:00] Speaker C: Anyway, well, I just wanted to share my reason for being enthusiastic about choosing this episode, particularly in the context of last week's episode, in which I was really hard on Tim's choice. I'm going to come out of the gates here and say that I think this is an extremely okay to meh episode of NBC Presents short story. But I think it opens up an interesting discussion about a classic story, like the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, that has been utterly and completely spoiled for, I don't know, 150 years, or however long since it's been published. How do you create tension and suspense from a story that, when originally published, was a mystery story. [00:30:54] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:30:54] Speaker C: The reveal comes at the end, and. [00:30:57] Speaker A: We know what's coming, so it's hard. [00:30:59] Speaker C: So the original, you read it, and it's like a Sherlock Holmes story. [00:31:04] Speaker A: Yeah. [00:31:05] Speaker C: All the remakes have to be turned into a Colombo mystery. Right. And this story does the same thing. It opens with Dr. Jekyll Monster. [00:31:17] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:31:17] Speaker C: Mixing the formula and becoming Hyde. And then the big challenge becomes, can you find suspense in this story in some other form other than the mystery of what is the strange connection between Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde? My biggest fantastical wish would be to go back in time because I really love the story, the original novella, and read this. Not knowing. [00:31:48] Speaker B: Yeah. [00:31:48] Speaker A: Right. [00:31:49] Speaker C: The solution. It would just be amazing because I still think on the page, it really has a lot of life. Mainly because this story is just so infinitely interpretable, depending on who you ask. It's an allegory for drug crime, drug use, drug addiction, sexual repression, class industrialization, you name it. It can almost become anything. But then it's caught in this problem with the mystery. It's like remaking the 6th sense and starting by revealing, oh, he was dead the whole time. [00:32:23] Speaker A: First of all, every time I Jekyll and Hyde story of any kind I come across or listen to, I'm always taken by how much I'm drawn toward the metaphor of drug addiction. It just seems you turn into another human being and you can't stop taking seemed. I'm sure it has many layers, and it can be representational of many things, as you just said. But it's always, to me, finds its way in my head to be drug addiction. Second, I have an opportunity here to defend Tim and to take you down, you son of a. For being so mean to Tim last week. And I could just say, there, there, yours sucks this week, too. However, you, my friend, have made this a three for three month for me, because I loved this. I know it's hard. It's hard to do a Jekyll and Hyde story, but I thought this was brilliantly fun and well acted and scary and cool, and I loved everything about it. But before we dive too much further in, I am shocked about the NBC short story. Never heard of it. [00:33:32] Speaker C: We've listened to it. Have we? [00:33:34] Speaker A: What else did we listen to? [00:33:35] Speaker D: The lottery. [00:33:36] Speaker C: The lottery. [00:33:37] Speaker A: Oh, that's right. [00:33:38] Speaker C: And we've listened to the rocket from Ray Bradbury, one of our Patreon happy hours. [00:33:44] Speaker A: It never sticks in my head that that was NBC presents short story. Like, I remember those episodes, but not the name of the show. So that's just age, everybody. That'll be an edit. It won't because Joshua will just use son of us. [00:33:59] Speaker D: Tell me about the show's concept. That feels vaguely like homework, right? [00:34:04] Speaker C: Not as bad as NBC University theater. Right. [00:34:07] Speaker A: Tim had his anniversary party last night. We spent 20 minutes of it going, why was that one? And we just realized two old guys not remembering anything that we'd ever recorded. [00:34:16] Speaker B: Who are these people? [00:34:17] Speaker A: Who's your wife, Tim? So, yeah, I thought it was just fantastic. And also, I just want to touch on this briefly. A 52 part serial for australian radio. Wow. Let's do that on cliffhanger with Dr. [00:34:35] Speaker C: Jekyll as a child. I'm not exaggerating. And filled in all this. [00:34:40] Speaker A: Oh, my God, no. [00:34:44] Speaker D: Turning into baby hide. [00:34:46] Speaker A: Turning into baby hide. [00:34:48] Speaker B: Yes. [00:34:48] Speaker C: That is all baby. [00:34:51] Speaker A: That's called puberty. So, yeah, man, I loved it. And you found it middling to Matt. [00:35:00] Speaker D: As their ability, I will give my two cent here. I thought as a whole, I don't know that I could really praise it that much. But there's so many nice bits. There's so many lovely things, performance wise, production wise, and just conceptually wise, that delight me. The problem is, exactly what you described of this story was not built to be. It was built to be a mystery. And without that, it kind of wanders around, and this is the thing that happens, and this is the thing that happens, and then it stops. But that criticism is very mild compared to the performance of switching back and forth, I thought was great. [00:35:40] Speaker C: One of the strengths of this episode. [00:35:41] Speaker A: Yeah, absolutely. I found everybody's performance to be quite wonderful, even the adult playing the child, which usually makes me angry, but I thought the little boy was great. I liked all of it, man. [00:35:54] Speaker D: I think a lot of average people, if you just ask them, like Jekyll and Hyde, what is that? They know the concept of you drink a thing and then you become a different person, and then you hit somebody with a stick. And that's kind of what Jekyll and Hyde is. [00:36:08] Speaker A: Tequila. [00:36:11] Speaker D: And this might be something that you have in your notes to discuss about, but the actual this monstrous creature, Hyde, by comparison to other monsters, is like, he's rude and he does kill a guy. Talks gruff by comparison to classic monsters, which he is a classic monster. It seems a lot of bark and some bite. [00:36:33] Speaker A: That's why. And I'm going to get thrown out of this podcast and everybody who's a pay, you're all going to hate me. This is why I like that movie so much. [00:36:44] Speaker D: Free Willie. [00:36:51] Speaker A: Yes, free Willie. [00:36:52] Speaker B: Remember when the whale. [00:36:53] Speaker A: Remember when the whale jumps over him? That's like a hide. No, no. What's the movie? I'm talking about? The league of extraordinary gentlemen. Everybody hates the movie. Everybody tells me I'm wrong, and I love that movie. But that is to me, the best Mr. Hyde. Because it becomes what, like a werewolf beast thing? Like it becomes a huge monster. Huge monster, which I really loved that. Finally, it wasn't just a guy in a top hat with a snarl on. [00:37:23] Speaker C: His face, but it does entirely undermine the point of the novel. [00:37:27] Speaker A: That, of course, I'm just talking about pure fun. [00:37:30] Speaker C: Oh yeah, for pure fun, you just put a werewolf in there. You're out of the podcast, is what I'm saying. You're absolutely right. Get out. [00:37:37] Speaker D: To continue. My thought, though, of. So to me, that is part of why, listening to the plot, the actual plot of the story, it can be a little underwhelming of this is a classic monster. Like, I want you to be worse than hitting somebody with a stick anyways. But so many of the things I do love about Jekyll and Hyde, it's a story that can be. It can run a range of focuses. [00:38:02] Speaker B: Okay. [00:38:03] Speaker D: Anyways, it can be about the horror of being Jekyll, about being trapped in this incredible hulk. [00:38:09] Speaker B: Yes. [00:38:10] Speaker D: That you are going to become a monster and you can't stop and you're losing yourself to it. And it can be about all the damages done by a person of privilege that has no morals. [00:38:21] Speaker A: That's my favorite part of Jekyll and Hyde, is when Dr. Jekyll is hitchhiking down the road with his thumb out at the end. [00:38:31] Speaker C: You bring up a good point. It's incredibly influential. You probably don't even realize the incredible hulk, I think to a certain degree. Smeagol and Gollum in Lord of the Rings, of course, you have Dr. Heckle and Mr. Jive. [00:38:51] Speaker A: That one. I don't know. [00:38:53] Speaker D: It's a minute work. [00:38:54] Speaker C: Song. [00:38:55] Speaker A: What song? [00:38:55] Speaker D: Minute work. [00:38:56] Speaker B: You don't remember? [00:38:57] Speaker C: No, I'm not going to sing. [00:39:00] Speaker A: No. [00:39:01] Speaker C: But even doctor who, to a certain extent, a lot of those ideas are present in regeneration, that different aspects of your personality, they might be good or bad, can come to the fore when the doctor regenerates and he doesn't know what he's going to get. So it's a variation on Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the nutty professor. [00:39:23] Speaker A: Sure. [00:39:23] Speaker C: The citizen Kane of Jerry Lewisville. Well, Tim brings up the lightness in some ways. Of the monster when it sticks close to the book. One thing that's interesting about this adaptation, and I don't know if it's because it's 1951 but they actually soften much of the violence that is in the book. The events occur from the book. But, for example, the little boy who Mr. Utterson witnesses being apparently hit with a cane who seems absolutely fine. He's just like that guy bonked me on the beaner with his cane and. [00:40:05] Speaker A: He got a pound. [00:40:05] Speaker C: It seems like it's just one step beyond poke. You kids, get off my lawn. [00:40:10] Speaker A: Well, it's exactly what it felt like. Yeah. [00:40:12] Speaker C: In the novel. [00:40:13] Speaker A: Dismemberment. [00:40:14] Speaker C: No, not quite. But he's charging down the street, Mr. Hyde and young girls running the opposite way. And they come around the corner and he's described as basically trampling her like a juggernaut. And he just walks over her, steps on her, leaves her screaming on the ground. Pastor Byers come to make sure she's okay. And there's a whole sequence where he has to basically bribe himself out of the situation because they're going to call the cops on him and things like that. [00:40:45] Speaker A: Now, the X Men juggernaut is in my head. [00:40:48] Speaker C: It's far more visceral. [00:40:49] Speaker A: Right. [00:40:50] Speaker C: And when the young lady witnesses the murder from the window it describes him that Mr. Hyde broke out of all bounds and clubbed him to the earth. And next moment, with ape like fury he was trampling his victim underfoot and hailing down a storm of blows under which the bones were audibly shattered and the body jumped upon the roadway. At the horror of these sights and sounds, the maid fainted. [00:41:15] Speaker A: So, yeah, it is more in line with the novel to picture him or to visualize him or to represent him as a very large creature, incredible hulk like or something. [00:41:28] Speaker C: He's actually described as very small. [00:41:31] Speaker A: Oh, it's just the rage. [00:41:32] Speaker C: And there's nothing about him in the book that people can really nail down why he's so repulsive to them. They keep thinking he's deformed in some way, but then they look at him, they can't tell where. So they have this cognitive dissonance. What they are sensing is his internal deformity. I don't know why I keep looking at Tim when I say your wedding is really. And you can't really tell how. It's not particular to Tim. So it's really internal. It's not a physical manifestation of his evil. [00:42:02] Speaker A: So they're sensing his. [00:42:03] Speaker C: Yes. Which I think is more frightening. This adaptation doesn't draw that out at all. Mr. Hyde has to be something that you fear that you could become. [00:42:13] Speaker D: Yeah, that's my line of thought. They focused more on the horror of being Jekyll rather than the horror of the effects of Hyde. [00:42:19] Speaker C: Yes. [00:42:20] Speaker A: Which I loved. [00:42:21] Speaker C: I had a little bit of a problem with the ending in that it is altered from the book. I don't mind that if it is powerful, but I feel it's altered in a way that is disappointing. In the book, when they burst in, I get it for an audio, they want to have action, but Hyde is already dead. Hyde has actually killed himself out of cowardice because he doesn't want to face the gallows for having murdered this man in the street. And here they kill him, and then he transforms back into Jekyll, which he never does in the book. And they add some very pro social 1950s speech like, and there is Dr. Jekyll triumphant in death, and it rings hollow. It doesn't match the rest of the story, and it obviously has more tragedy in the story because Jekyll has just died. He's been completely consumed by Hyde, and he's gone. [00:43:16] Speaker D: This is my exact reaction to that ending. [00:43:18] Speaker A: What? [00:43:19] Speaker D: Oh, okay. Yeah, I see what you're doing there. [00:43:24] Speaker C: It's a sort of add on button that is unearned. You could twist this story into something hopeful if you wanted to, but you can't do it in the last line. Does that make sense? [00:43:37] Speaker B: Yes. [00:43:38] Speaker C: I'm not that much of a purist, as much as I do love the original story. [00:43:42] Speaker A: All right, voting. I've already made my vote clear. I really liked it. I don't think it's a classic. I really loved it, though. I liked the production, and I liked the performance, and I liked their adaptation in 30 minutes, and I liked what they did explore, which was the torture of being Jekyll. And I loved it. And we are three for three on monster month with me. I enjoyed this a lot. It's a great October listen, and so thank you, Joshua. See how that's done. See how that's done. [00:44:19] Speaker D: I really enjoyed it. I might be a little controversial. I don't know about stand the test of time. [00:44:24] Speaker A: Wow. [00:44:25] Speaker D: Which is not to disparage it, but it is an adaptation of its time, which may be going with what Joshua's saying, that some of the things about the eventual novel that are a little more timeless, it might have left on the wayside. But as a fan of old radio, I think this is a really fun, good episode of old radio. [00:44:43] Speaker C: I agree with you, Tim. It's a tough call on standing the test of time, and it's with a story that has been so massively and entirely spoiled, and I don't think this adaptation does enough to compensate for that. And one of the ways I would have compensated is by leaning into the tragic horror of Hyde. And in fact, they go the opposite. And I can only guess at the reasons for softening the evilness of Hyde is because of some sort of sanitized 1950s sensibility comic book code. But that seems strange to me, too, because at this time, we've commented a lot on the 1950s radio we've been listening to. Radio seems to be opening up and becoming far more mature. So maybe it was just the choice of the writers who adapted it. The thing I love most about Hyde is that you could be him. And that is why people instinctively are repulsed by him, because they see something of themselves in Hyde, and that's what makes him terrifying. He's also a little like in Marx Brothers movies, when women just instinctively know to run from Harpo. [00:45:56] Speaker D: Harpo Marx. [00:45:58] Speaker C: I'm going to write that show. Just a lot of horn honking and women running. [00:46:06] Speaker A: All right, Tim, tell them stuff. [00:46:07] Speaker D: Please go visit ghoulishdelights.com. That is the home of this podcast. There's many other episodes there. When you're there, you can comment, vote in polls, let us know what you think about these episodes. Share with our community, our lovely, lovely community of listeners. Also, there you can link to our social media pages. There's not many. It's not a lot of social media pages. You can link to our threadless store, get some swag, and you can join us on Patreon from there. [00:46:34] Speaker C: Yes, go to patreon.com, slash them, and become a member of the mysterious old radio listening society. It's a lot of fun, guys. We have bonus podcasts. We have monthly happy hours where we get together with listeners on Zoom and talk about old time radio. I do a semi regular mysterious old book club. We have not talked about the strange case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, but maybe we will sometime. I don't know if that's a perk or if it turns you off. Just become a member and you can suggest what book we read in the mysterious old radio book club. We are also, right now doing in our Patreon only podcast, Cliffhangers of Doom. We are listening to the 1938 australian serial Frankenstein. So if you become a Patreon, you can just gorge yourself on Frankenstein serial. [00:47:29] Speaker D: Not 52 episodes of it. [00:47:31] Speaker A: No. [00:47:32] Speaker C: 13. And we are doubling up. We're doing two episodes per podcast episode, so it'll be much shorter. [00:47:39] Speaker A: The mysterious old radio Listening Society is more than a podcast. It's also a theater company. [00:47:43] Speaker C: It's a breakfast series. [00:47:45] Speaker A: It's a floor wax. That is theater company that performs live on stage recreations of classic old time radio audio drama and old time radio shows. And also, we do a lot of our own original work. You can find out where we're performing monthly, and we have been performing monthly for a very long time. You can find out where we are and what we're performing and how to get tickets every month by going to ghoulishdelights. Mysterious, mysterious, mysterious, mysterious old radio listening society. There you can see all the information. And if for some reason you can't come see us live, we'd love to see you, meet you, have some dinner, watch a show. It'd be great. But if you're not in that area, which is primarily the Twin Cities, I make it sound like we travel the country, and that's just not the case. [00:48:30] Speaker B: Someday. [00:48:31] Speaker A: Someday we don't even go to north branch. That's a joke for Minnesotans. [00:48:36] Speaker C: You're just digging yourself into a hole here. [00:48:40] Speaker D: South Minneapolis. [00:48:41] Speaker A: But if you're. We filmed them, and Patreons get to watch them as part of their Patreon donations. So that's another way to see us and another perk of Patreon. What's coming up next? [00:48:53] Speaker D: Coming up next is another contribution from me for our monster on the air. This is a vampire story from nightfall, their adaptation of Carmilla. Until then. [00:49:13] Speaker A: That'S not. Not helping. Did they sing it in a falsetto like that? [00:49:20] Speaker C: We're going to watch the video when we're done here.