Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde
Encyclopedia
Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde is a 1976
blaxploitation
horror film
. It was loosely inspired by the novella
, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
by Robert Louis Stevenson
. The film stars Bernie Casey
and Rosalind Cash
and was directed by William Crain
, who had also directed the successful Blacula
for American International Pictures
in 1972
.
) is a noteworthy scientist who is working on an experimental remedy for liver damage. Along with his colleague, Dr. Billie Worth (Rosalind Cash
), he perfects a serum that has the potential to reverse damaged liver tissue. Pryde also donates his services as a medical practitioner to a free clinic in the Watts projects
.
Motivated by reasons that seem to be connected to the traumatic death of his mother when he was younger, Pryde begins a series of unorthodox experiments to test his serum. First he injects a dying elderly patient with the treatment, causing a violent reaction that causes the black woman's skin and hair to briefly turn white. When Dr. Worth, who is clearly in love with Henry, objects to his unethical experiment, Henry uses the serum on himself. The results are disastrous: he transforms into a hulking white creature.
From here, Pryde's mental condition seems to rapidly deteriorate. He has a genuine affection for a young woman named Linda (Marie O'Henry), a patient he treats for hepatitis at the clinic. Linda is a prostitute, and when Dr. Pryde unexpectedly asks her out on a date, he reveals to her that he harbors resentment over the death of his mother when he was a child; Pryde's mother worked as a cleaning woman in a bordello, and the prostitutes refused to help her when she fell ill, resulting in her death. Linda is touched by Pryde's revelation, until he takes her to his house and tries to get her to take the serum. She refuses but Pryde turns forceful, and Linda tries to deflect him by asking him to take the injection first just to prove that it is safe. Pryde transforms and tries to attack her, but she escapes.
Seemingly beyond control now, Pryde begins murdering the prostitutes and pimps that Linda works with. When the police begin to investigate, Linda is tormented by the fact that she knows who the murderer is, yet feels helpless to stop it. Pryde realizes that Linda will give him away, and he attacks her as Mr. Hyde, dragging her to the Watts Towers
. Confronted by police, Hyde releases Linda and climbs the towers, where he is shot down and falls to his death.
1976 in film
The year 1976 in film involved some significant events.-Events:*March 22 - Filming begins on George Lucas' Star Wars science fiction film...
blaxploitation
Blaxploitation
Blaxploitation or blacksploitation is a film genre which emerged in the United States circa 1970. It is considered an ethnic sub-genre of the general category of exploitation films. Blaxploitation films were originally made specifically for an urban black audience, although the genre's audience...
horror film
Horror film
Horror films seek to elicit a negative emotional reaction from viewers by playing on the audience's most primal fears. They often feature scenes that startle the viewer through the means of macabre and the supernatural, thus frequently overlapping with the fantasy and science fiction genres...
. It was loosely inspired by the novella
Novella
A novella is a written, fictional, prose narrative usually longer than a novelette but shorter than a novel. The Science Fiction and Fantasy Writers of America Nebula Awards for science fiction define the novella as having a word count between 17,500 and 40,000...
, The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde
Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde is the original title of a novella written by the Scottish author Robert Louis Stevenson that was first published in 1886. The original pronunciation of Jekyll was "Jeekul" which was the pronunciation used in Stevenson's native Scotland...
by Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Stevenson
Robert Louis Balfour Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet, essayist and travel writer. His best-known books include Treasure Island, Kidnapped, and Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde....
. The film stars Bernie Casey
Bernie Casey
Bernard Terry "Bernie" Casey is a professional actor who initially had a career as an interscholastic, intercollegiate and professional football player. Casey was also a record-breaking track and field athlete for Bowling Green State University...
and Rosalind Cash
Rosalind Cash
Rosalind Cash was an American singer and actress, whose best known film role was as Charlton Heston's character's love interest Lisa, in the 1971 science fiction cult classic, The Omega Man...
and was directed by William Crain
William Crain (filmmaker)
William Crain is an American film and television director. He was one of the first black filmmakers from a major film school to achieve commercial success....
, who had also directed the successful Blacula
Blacula
Blacula is a 1972 American horror film produced for American International Pictures. It was directed by William Crain and stars William Marshall in the title role about an 18th century African prince named Mamuwalde, who is both turned into a vampire and locked inside a coffin by Count Dracula...
for American International Pictures
American International Pictures
American International Pictures was a film production company formed in April 1956 from American Releasing Corporation by James H. Nicholson, former Sales Manager of Realart Pictures, and Samuel Z. Arkoff, an entertainment lawyer...
in 1972
1972 in film
The year 1972 in film involved some significant events.-Top grossing films :- Awards :Academy Awards:*Avanti!, directed by Billy Wilder, starring Jack Lemmon and Juliet MillsB...
.
Plot summary
Dr. Henry Pryde (Bernie CaseyBernie Casey
Bernard Terry "Bernie" Casey is a professional actor who initially had a career as an interscholastic, intercollegiate and professional football player. Casey was also a record-breaking track and field athlete for Bowling Green State University...
) is a noteworthy scientist who is working on an experimental remedy for liver damage. Along with his colleague, Dr. Billie Worth (Rosalind Cash
Rosalind Cash
Rosalind Cash was an American singer and actress, whose best known film role was as Charlton Heston's character's love interest Lisa, in the 1971 science fiction cult classic, The Omega Man...
), he perfects a serum that has the potential to reverse damaged liver tissue. Pryde also donates his services as a medical practitioner to a free clinic in the Watts projects
Watts, Los Angeles, California
Watts is a mostly residential neighborhood in South Los Angeles, California.-History:The area now known as Watts is located on the Rancho La Tajauta Mexican land grant...
.
Motivated by reasons that seem to be connected to the traumatic death of his mother when he was younger, Pryde begins a series of unorthodox experiments to test his serum. First he injects a dying elderly patient with the treatment, causing a violent reaction that causes the black woman's skin and hair to briefly turn white. When Dr. Worth, who is clearly in love with Henry, objects to his unethical experiment, Henry uses the serum on himself. The results are disastrous: he transforms into a hulking white creature.
From here, Pryde's mental condition seems to rapidly deteriorate. He has a genuine affection for a young woman named Linda (Marie O'Henry), a patient he treats for hepatitis at the clinic. Linda is a prostitute, and when Dr. Pryde unexpectedly asks her out on a date, he reveals to her that he harbors resentment over the death of his mother when he was a child; Pryde's mother worked as a cleaning woman in a bordello, and the prostitutes refused to help her when she fell ill, resulting in her death. Linda is touched by Pryde's revelation, until he takes her to his house and tries to get her to take the serum. She refuses but Pryde turns forceful, and Linda tries to deflect him by asking him to take the injection first just to prove that it is safe. Pryde transforms and tries to attack her, but she escapes.
Seemingly beyond control now, Pryde begins murdering the prostitutes and pimps that Linda works with. When the police begin to investigate, Linda is tormented by the fact that she knows who the murderer is, yet feels helpless to stop it. Pryde realizes that Linda will give him away, and he attacks her as Mr. Hyde, dragging her to the Watts Towers
Watts Towers
The Watts Towers or Towers of Simon Rodia in the Watts district of Los Angeles, California, is a collection of 17 interconnected structures, two of which reach heights of over 99 feet . The Towers were built by Italian immigrant construction worker Sabato Rodia in his spare time over a period of...
. Confronted by police, Hyde releases Linda and climbs the towers, where he is shot down and falls to his death.