From Book to Film: Stevenson’s 'Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde' (1886) and Rouben Mamoulian’s Film Adaptation (1932) – a Comparison

On the following pages we will have a closer look at the process of film adaptation by analyzing Rouben Mamoulian’s Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde (1932) – probably the most accomplished film version of Stevenson’s novella – and by comparing it with its literary model. At first, we will recapitulate the complexity of the source text, especially with regard to the question of genre. We will also examine T.R. Sullivan’s theatrical adaptation, which can in some respects be seen as a blueprint for Mamoulian’s film. Then, we will have a look at the literary macrostructure of the film at hand, discuss Mamoulian’s interpretation of Stevenson’s Strange Case and compare the source text with its screen adaptation from a narratological point of view. To finish our analysis, we will shed light on some techniques used by the director in order to communicate his ideas.