The Ugly Duckling

Bernard Bresslaw had already appeared in Hammer's 'The Men of Sherwood Forest' in 1954, and only lost the role of Frankenstein's monster to Christopher Lee because his agent asked for more money. Ironically his best known horror role was in the Carry On spoof 'Carry On Screaming' (1966)' and it was in comedy that he was making his name in TV's 'The Army Game' when Hammer invited him back to star in their big screen version, 'I Only Arsked' in 1958; which was sufficiently successful to spawn this sequel of sorts in which he became the first actor to play Jekyll & Hyde for Hammer.

Reversing Hammer's 'straight' version, 'The Two Faces of Jekyll' (1960), he sprouts facial hair in the form of a rakish moustache as part of the transformation; and like Jerry Lewis's 'Buddy Love' in 'The Nutty Professor' (1963) also acquires a slick new wardrobe in which he wows the girls and develops an amoral new persona.

So far, so good, and under veteran director Lance Comfort's assured tutelage the first two thirds is enhanced by vivid black & white photography by Michael Reed and an almost expressionist rooftop set by Bernard Robinson. But it's at this point it rather loses its way and begins to fizzle out; although it lingered strikingly in the memory when I originally saw it aged about 10 over half a century ago; and Jean Muir makes an appealingly elfin little beat chick.

Despite her name Miss Muir's not the fashion designer, although the rather patrician vowels she's inclined to occasionally slip into would better accompany one of the latter's creations than the fetchingly boyish short hair and slacks she wears for much of the film.

In so many ways, "The Ugly Duckling" is similar to the later movie, "The Nutty Professor" with Jerry Lewis. However, although I'm not a huge Lewis fan, I think his movie is vastly superior.

Henry (Bernard Bresslaw) is a gangly, dorky, insecure guy...and most people think he's pretty hopeless. However, he is related to the famous Dr. Jekyll and finds the crazed doctor's formula. After taking it, he's a suave...but also criminally oriented. He soon joins a local gang and becomes a thief. However, when the formula wears off, Henry is horrified and his friend Victor (Jon Pertwee) helps him try to set things right.

The problem with this movie is that they have a good idea...making a loser a sophisticated ladies' man. But after a funny start, the film seems to lose its way. Instead of a comedy, it becomes much more a silly crime film and lost its momentum. Still, you might want to see this and then the Lewis film, as it's quite possible this movie lead to "The Nutty Professor".

Thanastasia to TPTV I have at last managed to see this film again,59 years after seeing it at the ABC Golders Green.I enjoyed Bernard Bresslaw in the joint role.The film did flag a little towards the end.However the great way of presenting the cast at the end pepper thinks up.Good to see the last of the big band leaders Joe Loss.Incidentally,Sid Colin the scriptwriter,was once a musician in the big bands of the thirties.

Bernard Bresslaw is the clumsy and backwards member of the once proud family of Jeckle. While working on a pick-me-up, he samples the concoction and turns into..... yep, you guessed it, Teddy Hyde.

It's Hammer's humorous take on the Robert Louis Stevenson classic, and has such talented comic performers as Jon Pertwee and Maudie Edwards in support. The trouble is that Bresslaw is more to be pitied than laughed at as he turns unconsciously into a dangerous man of action who steals the crown jewels without realizing it as his better self. I found myself more interested in Joe Loss's orchestra and the issue of where they had had found a contrabass saxophone and someone to play it, than the story, or the lack of funny shenanigans.

I saw this film on its initial release as the lower half of a double bill,I forget what made up the other half as this is the film that impressed me. The star was Bernard Breslaw a popular comic actor at this time as he was one of the troop of conscripts in a TV show called "The Army Game". A show that was loosely based on the classic "Phil Silvers" or "Bilko" show transported to an English setting. Breslaw played Pvt "Popeye" Poppelwell. This show was popular enough to get a Film Version made called " I only Arsked" Popplewell's catchphrase and Breslaw had a hit single with a song called "Mad Passionate Love" delivered in the style of his Popeye character. N.B IMDb only lists him as appearing in two episodes of "The Army Game" but I remember him as one of the main recurring characters.If it was indeed only two episodes he made a hell of an impact as he is fondly remembered by those who recall the series, fifty years later.

I don't think it is giving too much away to say that "The Ugly Duckling" is a comic updating of the Jekyll and Hyde story. Breslaw in Popplewell mode as Henry Jekyll is a pharmacist working in a chemists shop. He discovers the formula for the Mr Hyde solution and is transformed from the idiot Jekyll into the smooth and dashing Teddy Hyde. As the dashing and handsome Hyde dressed in a natty suit he becomes the fearless leader of a gang of crooks. Breslaws performance in the dual role is terrific. Moving from the bumbling incompetent to the suave master criminal with equal conviction.

One thing to note is that the gag of having Hyde as a handsome womaniser pre dates the same idea used in "The Nutty Professor", with Jerry Lewis making a similar transformation, by four years. I have often wondered if Lewis saw this before making his own version.

Sadly this film is unavailable at the time of writing I would welcome a DVD release to re acquaint myself with it.