Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pride

Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde (1925)

** 1/2 (out of 4)

Stan Laurel plays the respectable Dr. Pyckle who starts messing around with various chemicals and turns himself into the silly Mr. Pride. Naturally this is a take off on the Jekyll and Hyde story but it really hits close to the 1920 John Barrymore version. This isn't a classic by any stretch of the imagination but it manages to be fairly entertaining in its short running time. Laurel does a very good job in the role and there are several instances where he does a good impression of Barrymore performance from the earlier film. There aren't enough laughs to keep the movie going but there are a couple sprinkled throughout.

This is an entertaining parody feature in itself, and it is also of interest as one of Stan Laurel's more substantial earlier roles. Although it would probably work all right as a spoof of the basic story, it is particularly designed as a parody of the John Barrymore version of "Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde", so if you see or have seen that particular version, there are many more amusing details and parallels that you can spot.

Laurel's character, like the original Dr. Jekyll, has an alter ego, but here it is merely a mischievous one. It's funny to see the light-hearted parallels to the much more serious scenes in the original story, and while the movie is rather unrefined overall, most of it is amusing.

Laurel's approach to the role reflects not so much his own style as a deliberate exaggeration of Barrymore's vigorous performance. Since Laurel also gets to play both the upright doctor and the disreputable alter ego, the role gives him quite a bit to work with. Laurel did a solid job in this kind of parody feature, and it's interesting to watch him perform with an approach that's different from the style that's so familiar from all the great Laurel & Hardy features.

I've only seen a few of Stan Laurel's pre-Ollie movies and, truth be told, the ones I've seen aren't that great so I wasn't expecting much going into this one. However, this parody of John Barrymore's 1920 turn as the famous Dr. Jeckyll is fairly amusing. Laurel actually does a good imitation of Barrymore in monster mode, and wrings plenty of laughs out of the fact that his 'evil' deeds mostly consist of childish pranks. Laurel seems to be a good example of a talented actor needing to find the single role that's right for him in order to be successful. He's good here, but he isn't particularly memorable as an actor or comedian in his own right. It's sobering to think that, had he not been teamed with Oliver Hardy, Laurel's name might have been consigned to cinema's forgotten history along with the likes of Larry Semon and John Bunny.

It is really an amazing parody of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. Stan Laurel at his best plays the goofy professor Dr. Pyckle who terns to Mr. Pryde! Mr. Pryde “terrorizes” the society by doing all kinds of evil deeds, like stealing Ice Cream from little kids and pulling lots of other pranks! The world is not safe from Mr. Prydes evil mischiefs. People will try to put an end to his games and bring back piece to the society. Can he really be stopped though? Or the world will never be a safe place again? Stan Laurel gives a great performance in this silent piece of comic art. Although it is only 20 min, it is enough for Stan Laurel to put Jekyll and Hyde in a new comic perspective. All this years I never had the chance to see Laurel alone. I only knew him from the Laurel and Hardy movies. I am really glad that I got the chance to see him perform alone and I must say I could't stop laughing. So if you are a fan and you manage to get your hands on this movie, by all means don’t be reluctant and give it a shot. You might be in for a surprise by the scary Dr. Pyckle!

Stan Laurel's "Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde" is flat-out hilarious. It's a perfect combination of concept, gags, and performance to create good comedy. As a formerly lost film this also makes it a rare example of something sought-after and highly touted that lives up to (and probably exceeds) expectations.

This film was released five years after the John Barrymore version of "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde," which I watched the day before, but Stan Laurel interprets Barrymore's brilliant dramatic performance with a comic turn of equal quality. Presumably, though the direct source material was five years old, audiences would have been familiar enough with the Jekyll-and-Hyde story that there would not have been an actual need to have seen that particular version.

The gags are well-spaced and well-chosen here, getting laughs equally with the stylistic butchering of the Jekyll-Hyde story. What almost makes the film is the look of mischief of Mr Pryde's face as he scurries about the town committing trivial acts of wrongdoing. It's a few different executions of a similar joke, but I cracked up every time. The best moment of the short involves Stan's stealing a child's ice cream cone with a look of triumphant evil glee on his face.

"Dr. Pyckle and Mr. Pryde" also boasts very funny title cards; there's a winning joke in virtually every one. In brief, I was laughing constantly through my viewing of this two-reeler, and I'm extremely glad it's been recovered and restored so we can enjoy it today.