AllMovie

One of the earliest American screen versions of Robert Louis Stevenson's immortal drama, Thanhouser's one-reel version of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde took the easy way out by casting different actors in the title roles. James Cruze, who went on to direct the groundbreaking Western epic Covered Wagons (1923), played the kindly Jekyll while Harry Benham, Thanhouser's general-purpose leading man, took care of the more interesting Hyde. Since this version was based on Thomas Russell Sullivan's well-known stage adaptation, a romantic story line featured the company's reigning ingénue, the ill-fated Florence LaBadie. One impressed reviewer, writing for the Morning Telegraph, found the results of Thanhouser's labors "a dramatic and unforgettable production."