The Ugly Duckling (1959 film)

Last updated

The Ugly Duckling
Uglyduckling1959.jpg
British quad poster
Directed by Lance Comfort
Screenplay by Sid Colin
Jack Davies
Story bySid Colin
Produced by Michael Carreras
Starring Bernard Bresslaw
Jon Pertwee
Reginald Beckwith
Cinematography Michael Reed
Edited by John Dunsford
Music by Douglas Gamley
Color process Black and white
Production
company
Distributed by Columbia Pictures
Release dates
  • 9 August 1959 (1959-08-09)(UK)
  • January 26, 1960 (1960-01-26)(US)
Running time
84 minutes
CountryUnited Kingdom
LanguageEnglish
Budget£110,000 [1]

The Ugly Duckling is a 1959 British science fiction comedy film, directed by Lance Comfort and starring Bernard Bresslaw, Jon Pertwee and Reginald Beckwith. [2] The screenplay was by Sid Colin and Jack Davies. The film is a comic adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde storyline and the opening credits include "with ideas stolen from Robert Louis Stevenson". The film has no connection to the Hans Christian Andersen story. [3] The tagline on posters was "He's a changed man after taking Jekyll's family remedy." [4]

Contents

Plot

Joe Loss and his Orchestra are playing at a dance. Joe Loss then introduces the Henrietta Jekyll Old Time Dance Team and her brother Henry Jekyll, who is a rather incompetent last-minute stand-in. They give a display of formation ballroom dancing with their brother Victor Jekyll taking over the conducting, but Henry turns it into a disaster, much to his sister's dismay.

Henry is a bungling, awkward and socially inept man. He is working in his brother's pharmacy, which is still named after their great-great-grandfather: "Dr Henry Jekyll M.D. – Pharmacy, Estabd. 1812". Victor and Henrietta discuss their worries about Henry as he goes to bed with his golliwog.

Reginald Bannister comes to woo Henrietta but suggests that Henry should be kept out of the way if they marry. Henry is in the pharmacy lab when his elfin young female friend Snouty appears and accuses him of being a square. Luckily they are both in the rear yard when the lab explodes. The explosion reveals a small metal box containing a scroll. The scroll contains an old formula created by Dr Jekyll in the 19th century which claims to turn "a man of timid disposition into a bold, fearless dragon". He eagerly mixes the formula, takes one drink, and is transformed into the suave, dashing and self-confident Teddy Hyde, who makes a big impression at the local dance hall and with the ladies. He encounters Victor at the bar but is unrecognised, and belittles Victor by pouring a drink down the front of his trousers. This draws attention to the crooks who own the dance hall. They are initially going to throw him out but he impresses the boss, Dandy, with his bravado and he recruits him for a robbery he has planned. Teddy leaves just as the potion wears off and Henry wakes in his bed with a bad headache, and his only memory of the events of the previous night is that he thinks it was a dream.

Later, Henry accidentally drinks the formula again, and Teddy leaves to join up with Dandy for the robbery. When Snouty tells Victor that the person at the dance hall was called Hyde, he immediately understands the connection from the family history and realises something must be done. Meanwhile, Teddy breaks into a house through a rooflight and cracks a safe to steal some very valuable jewels. As he and Dandy leave, they separate to avoid a policeman, but the formula wears off and when Dandy draws up to pick him up he does not recognise him, so Henry is unwittingly left with the jewels.

Next morning, when Victor and Snouty see Henry, who again has a bad headache and cannot remember where he was last night, they question him and are shocked to find the jewels still in his pocket. Having decided to return them, Snouty gets into Dandy's office to try to find where the jewels are from, but she is caught by the gang and reveals that Henry plans to return the jewels.

With Victor's help, Henry then starts to remember being Hyde and together they try to replace the jewels before they are missed, but they barge in on a special event to show off the jewels, which Henrietta and Reginald are attending. Dandy and a sidekick are also there to make another attempt at getting the jewels. Victor and Henry struggle on the roof due to their fear of heights. Meanwhile, the police and show organisers find the jewels are missing. Victor and Henry eventually get in and find the still-open safe and return the jewels. The police then return and see the jewels and the show continues as intended. Dandy in the audience realises the jewels are back, so he and his accomplice pull guns to steal the jewels. Snouty convinces Henry that he can do anything Hyde can do and he takes on the armed Dandy. Victor has hidden behind Dandy and knocks him out before he can fire on Henry.

Later, at a special event at the dance hall in honour of Henry, he and Snouty (in a dress) dance for the first time.

Cast

Production

Filming too place at Bray Studios in Berkshire. [5] The film was shot in the summer of 1959. It was not a success at the box office, losing £20,000. [1]

A brief extract from James Bernard's theme to Dracula (1958) (also made for Hammer Films) is played whenever Jekyll drinks the potion.

Critical reception

The Monthly Film Bulletin wrote: "Kicking off well with some unabashed slapstick in a dance hall and containing, towards the end, another piece of nonsense with Bresslaw and Jon Pertwee negotiating a girder across a chasm, the film is otherwise only intermittently and moderately amusing. Bernard Bresslaw performs well enough within his limited range and is supported by a carefully chosen cast but, whatever the possibilities of a Jekyll and Hyde skit, the script barely starts to explore them." [6]

In British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959 David Quinlan rated the film as "average", writing: "Comedy fails to build on its original good idea." [7]

TV Guide gave the film two out of five stars and wrote, "This attempt at comedy never really pays off." [3]

Related Research Articles

<i>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> (1931 film) 1931 film by Rouben Mamoulian

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1931 American pre-Code horror film, directed by Rouben Mamoulian and starring Fredric March, who plays a possessed doctor who tests his new formula that can unleash people's inner demons. The film is an adaptation of The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, the 1886 Robert Louis Stevenson tale of a man who takes a potion which turns him from a mild-mannered man of science into a homicidal maniac.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bernard Bresslaw</span> British actor and comedian (1934–1993)

Bernard Bresslaw was a British actor and comedian. He was best known as a member of the Carry On film franchise. Bresslaw also worked on television and stage, performed recordings and wrote a series of poetry.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (character)</span> Fictional character by Robert Louis Stevenson

Dr. Henry Jekyll and his alter ego, Mr. Edward Hyde, is the central character of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. In the story, he is a good friend of main protagonist Gabriel John Utterson.

<i>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> (1941 film) 1941 American horror film directed by Victor Fleming

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1941 American horror film starring Spencer Tracy, Ingrid Bergman, and Lana Turner. The production also features Donald Crisp, Ian Hunter, Barton MacLane, C. Aubrey Smith, and Sara Allgood. Its storyline is based on the 1886 Gothic novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde written by Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. There have been many filmed adaptations of the novella. This movie was a remake of the Oscar-winning 1931 version starring Fredric March.

<i>The Army Game</i> British TV sitcom (1957–1961)

The Army Game is a British television sitcom that aired on ITV from 19 June 1957 to 20 June 1961. It was the first ITV sitcom and was made by Granada, and created by Sid Colin. It follows the exploits of Hut 29, a dysfunctional group of soldiers and their National Service conscription into the British Army during the post war years.

<i>Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde</i> 1971 British film by Roy Ward Baker

Dr. Jekyll and Sister Hyde is a 1971 British horror film directed by Roy Ward Baker and starring Ralph Bates and Martine Beswick. It was based on the 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. The film was made by British studio Hammer Film Productions and was their third adaptation of the story after The Ugly Duckling (1959) and The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll. (1960) The film is notable for showing Jekyll transform into a female Hyde; it also incorporates into the plot aspects of the historical Jack the Ripper and Burke and Hare cases.

<i>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> (1920 Paramount film) 1920 film, directed by John S. Robertson

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1920 American silent horror film produced by Famous Players–Lasky and released through Paramount/Artcraft. The film, which stars John Barrymore, is an adaptation of the 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson. John S. Robertson directed the production, and Clara Beranger wrote the screenplay, based on the 1887 stage play by Thomas Russell Sullivan that in turn was based on the novel.

<i>The Horror of Frankenstein</i> 1970 British film by Jimmy Sangster

The Horror of Frankenstein is a 1970 British horror film by Hammer Film Productions that is both a semi-parody and semi-remake of the 1957 film The Curse of Frankenstein, of Hammer's Frankenstein series. It was produced and directed by Jimmy Sangster, starring Ralph Bates, Kate O'Mara, Veronica Carlson and David Prowse as the monster. It was the only film in the Frankenstein series which did not star Peter Cushing. The original music score was composed by Malcolm Williamson.

<i>The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll</i> 1960 British film by Terence Fisher

The Two Faces of Dr. Jekyll is a 1960 British horror film directed by Terence Fisher and starring Paul Massie, Dawn Addams, Christopher Lee and David Kossoff. It was produced by Michael Carreras for Hammer Film Productions. The screenplay was by Wolf Mankowitz, based on the 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson.

<i>Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> 1953 American film directed by Charles Lamont

Abbott and Costello Meet Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1953 American horror comedy film starring the comedy team of Abbott and Costello, co-starring Boris Karloff, and directed by Charles Lamont.

<i>Hyde and Hare</i> 1955 film by Friz Freleng

Hyde and Hare is a 1955 Warner Bros. Looney Tunes cartoon, directed by Friz Freleng. The short was released on August 27, 1955, and stars Bugs Bunny. The short is based on Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The cartoon pits Bugs against Dr. Jekyll, who continues to turn into Mr. Hyde. The title is a play on the expression "neither hide nor hair."

<i>Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> (1908 film) American silent horror film

Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde is a 1908 silent horror film starring Hobart Bosworth, and Betty Harte in her film debut. Directed by Otis Turner and produced by William N. Selig, this was the first film adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 novel Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. The screenplay was actually adapted by George F. Fish and Luella Forepaugh from their own 1897 four act stage play derived from the novel, causing a number of plot differences with the original source. Despite Stevenson's protests, this film became the model which influenced all the later film adaptations that were to come.

<i>Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde</i> 1995 film by David Price

Dr. Jekyll and Ms. Hyde is a 1995 science fiction comedy film directed by David Price, based on Robert Louis Stevenson's 1886 horror novella Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde. It stars Sean Young, Tim Daly, and Lysette Anthony. The story takes place in modern times and concerns a bumbling chemist who tampers with his great-grandfather's formula, accidentally transforming himself into a beautiful businesswoman who is determined to take over his life. This marked the second collaboration between Young and Daly after both previously starring in TV movie Witness to the Execution (1994).

<i>Hyde and Go Tweet</i> 1960 film by Friz Freleng

Hyde and Go Tweet is a 1960 Warner Bros. Merrie Melodies animated short directed by Friz Freleng. All of the voices were performed by Mel Blanc. The short was released on May 14, 1960, and stars Tweety and Sylvester.

<i>The Son of Dr. Jekyll</i> 1951 American film by Seymour Friedman

The Son of Dr. Jekyll is a 1951 American horror film directed by Seymour Friedman and starring Louis Hayward, Jody Lawrance and Alexander Knox. The film is a continuation of Robert Louis Stevenson's original classic 1886 novella Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

Adaptations of <i>Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde</i> Adaptations of 1886 novella

Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is an 1886 novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson. It is about a London lawyer, Gabriel John Utterson, who investigates strange occurrences between his old friend, Dr. Henry Jekyll and the misanthropic Mr. Hyde. In a twist ending, it is revealed that Jekyll and Hyde were the same person, and that Jekyll had regularly transformed himself into Hyde by drinking a serum.

<i>Up in the World</i> 1956 film by John Paddy Carstairs

Up in the World is a 1956 black and white comedy film directed by John Paddy Carstairs and starring Norman Wisdom, Maureen Swanson and Jerry Desmonde. It was produced by Rank.

<i>Jekyll & Hyde: Direct from Broadway</i> American TV series or program

Jekyll & Hyde: Direct from Broadway is a 2001 television film of the Broadway production of the 1990 musical Jekyll & Hyde as captured live in performance on Broadway featuring the show's final Broadway cast. The show was captured at Broadway's Plymouth Theatre in New York City December 2000 utilizing multiple high-definition cameras by Broadway Worldwide.

Frankenstein is a British horror-adventure film series produced by Hammer Film Productions. The films, loosely based on the 1818 novel Frankenstein; or, The Modern Prometheus by Mary Shelley, are centered on Baron Victor Frankenstein, who experiments in creating a creature beyond human. The series is part of the larger Hammer horror oeuvre.

<i>Manns Best Friends</i> British TV series or programme

Mann's Best Friends is a British television sitcom which first aired on Channel 4 in 1985 It is set in a boarding house where the easy-going landlord fails to control the antics of his chaotic tenants, leading him to seek the assistance of the domineering Hamish James Ordway who has recently retired from the Water Board.

References

  1. 1 2 Marcus Hearn & Alan Barnes, The Hammer Story: The Authorised History of Hammer Films, Titan Books, 2007 p 46
  2. ↑ "The Ugly Duckling". British Film Institute Collections Search. Retrieved 25 December 2023.
  3. 1 2 "The Ugly Duckling".
  4. ↑ "The Ugly Duckling - Hammer".
  5. ↑ Howard Maxford (8 November 2019). Hammer Complete: The Films, the Personnel, the Company. McFarland. pp. 70–71. ISBN   978-1-4766-2914-8.
  6. ↑ "The Ugly Duckling". The Monthly Film Bulletin . 26 (300): 125. 1 January 1959 – via ProQuest.
  7. ↑ Quinlan, David (1984). British Sound Films: The Studio Years 1928–1959. London: B.T. Batsford Ltd. p. 395. ISBN   0-7134-1874-5.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.