Another horror classic receives the Blaxploitation treatment; wisely, the producers recruited for the task the director of the most sustained effort in this vein, namely the original BLACULA (1972). While not emerging a success on a similar level, the film under review is still a reasonably interesting one. The main reason for this is that it keeps a generally sober approach throughout (apart from the caricatured depiction of pimps) and the central performances (notably Bernie Casey and Marie O'Henry) are as committed as can be expected under the circumstances. As in the horrid BLACKENSTEIN (1973), the script contrives to incorporate some half-baked form of social commentary: the effects of substance abuse (since here the doctor injects himself rather than drinks a potion) and – less successfully, given Stan Winston(!)'s ludicrous make-up – race relations (Dr. Pride, as the protagonist has been renamed, turns white as a result of the drug!). Perhaps the most unexpected trait allotted the transformation in this case is "Hyde"'s unearthly shriek, which is effective at first but does begin to grate with the repetition! Unlike in previous versions, too, this monster (apart from the typical savagery of his depredations, at one point, he is made to throw a prostitute clear across the street!) proves remarkably resilient in being put down – necessitating attacks by police dogs, innumerable gun-shot wounds and, finally, a leap from L.A.'s oddly-shaped Watts Tower. Rosalind Cash (from THE OMEGA MAN {1971}) appears as Pride's conservative colleague-cum-neglected fiancée.
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Bunuel197624 October 2013
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GroovyDoom22 March 2007"Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde" is cursed by the same affliction as its protagonist/villain: it is a good movie that constantly morphs into a bad movie, until finally it's nothing more than a bad movie.
The plot starts off well, and is very intriguing at first. Dr. Pryde (Bernie Casey) is working with female colleague Billie Worth (Rosalind Cash) on a way to regenerate damaged liver tissue. He donates medical care to patients of a clinic in the Watts projects. There is some interesting tension in the movie's early scenes, as Dr. Pryde speaks frankly with one of his clinic patients, a prostitute named Linda (Marie O'Henry) that he's treating for hepatitis. Linda is an interesting character in the film, as the first time we see her, she's sitting nude on an examination table. A bold introduction for a character, especially a major one, and I don't remember many films where the director has made a move like this. Linda is very sympathetic, and Pryde seems to truly respect her, despite how some may look down on her profession.
The attitude toward prostitution in the film is very matter-of-fact, which was fairly daring for a movie made in the early 70s, and it even proves to be a pivotal plot element. Dr. Pryde has an emotional discussion with Linda about how his mother passed away, which he blames on the inhabitants of a whorehouse who refused to help her. The main three actors here (Casey, Cash, and O'Henry) are all in very good form, which helps give the movie an unusual lift in quality.
It's in the details that the film starts to go wrong. If the early scenes with Casey had not been so good, it might have been easier to accept that he descends into a dual personality after taking some of his own liver serum, which of course turns him into a rampaging beast. But considering that Pryde shows so much real interest and respect for Linda at the outset, it's impossible to understand why he would betray her the way he does. After taking a single injection of the serum himself, he then decides to woo Linda on a date, lays a big line on her about not wanting her "professional services" and simply wanting her company, and then he reveals that it was all because he wants her to allow him to inject her with the serum. We lose our sympathy for Pryde, and immediately the film unravels.
The Mr. Hyde creature is a strange one. One of the characters in the film refers to it as a "haint", which I don't get. My grandmother was southern, and I know full well that a "haint" is a ghost. Mr. Hyde is just Casey with some contact lenses, facial molds, and white makeup. It's funny how the people in the film are so easily duped by the transformation; in one scene, Hyde rampages inside a seedy bar, gets cut, and bolts outside into the parking lot, where he reverts to Pryde. His pursuers don't recognize him at all, despite the fact that he's wearing the same clothes, bleeding, and all that's changed is his complexion. Hyde doesn't even really look "white", as the movie suggests, and it's hilarious that the black folks in the movie pretend to be fooled by it. Perhaps if the makeup had been more shockingly white, it would have been an effective contrast.
It bears mentioning that the film's director also made "Blacula", a film that is eons better than this one. "Blacula" was pure silliness too, but it was very entertaining and it never betrayed its characters the way this one does. "Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde" also has a bigger problem: it has no thrills or chills. There is only one mild shock, when an old lady patient suddenly lunges at a nurse. There's also a fairly effective chase scene where Hyde goes after Linda in an abandoned warehouse.
Unfortunately, the remaining parts of the movie are fair to awful. The supporting cast is mostly terrible, especially the policemen who are working on the Hyde case, and it seems as if this part of the script is really badly done. The situations in the film make no sense, including one scene where Mr. Hyde uses his car to run down a pimp in an alley, and the pimp takes out his knife and attempts to "stab" the grille of the car in self defense. Whatever! Maybe if he'd hit a vital belt or gasket, he would have had a chance.
In a very strange ending, Hyde climbs the Watts towers and is shot down, just like King Kong. The image is surprisingly haunting, a human body inside the twisting metal of the tower, but it's not enough to make up for the gross sins that have come before it. It's worth mentioning that "Dr. Black and Mr. Hyde" is not nearly as bad as one of the other blaxploitation horror riffs, "Blackenstein"--but those of you who have actually SEEN "Blackenstein" will understand that this is not saying very much. -
jaguiar31315 November 2012Blacksploitation classic tells the story of Dr. Henry Pryde (Bernie Casey) who is working tirelessly to find a cure for liver disease. He develops a serum that shows potential but, he can't perfect it without human experimentation. After a failed test on a dying woman, Henry decides to test the serum on himself. The result transforms the valiant doctor into a super strong, violent tempered white man. Directed by Blacula's William Crain, this 70s horror treats it's story with respect despite how silly it is and Crain, as with Blacula, gets good performances out of his cast that also includes Rosalind Cash (The Omega Man) and Marie O'Henry as Pryde's love interest, a local hooker named Linda. Sadly, Larry LeBron's script from an idea by Lawrence Woolner doesn't nearly make as much use of the classic story it's based on as did Blacula, nor is Crain able to give this film the Gothic flavor and style he did with that film. It's pretty much a generic monster movie with Mr. Hyde stalking and killing Linda's fellow hookers and their pimps and the police trying to find and stop the killer. The obvious blaxploitation elements are present but, seem a bit forced here as opposed to Blacula where they were just part of the characters and their life at that point in time. Still the film does have that 70s nostalgia and is worth a look for those interested in the blaxploitation era of filmmaking. Also noteworthy as, the Mr. Hyde make-up effects on Bernie Casey are by the legendary Stan Winston.
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bssweb28 May 2000--Don't take it seriously and you'll have a great time with this film.--
Here's another point of view about the "quality" of this movie. If you're the kind who doesn't take life too seriously, enjoys b-movies and/or blaxploitation flicks, and doesn't mind a classic bad movie every now and then for a good laugh, then you'll enjoy this film. But the point is to not take the film seriously. After all, what film do you know of with a character named Silky the pimp will be a contender for an Academy award!
No, this movie is not *that* scary, though there is lots of suspense. But it *is* funny (make your own jokes as the movie rolls), with lots of action, crazy blaxploitation-style music, kitschiness. . . did I mention Silky the pimp? It is not meant to be a commentary on race relations. It's bad film entertainment at it's worse, er, I mean best! It ranks up there with "Blacula;" it's quality comes from the fact that it is played so "straight."
I recommend this to all other fans of bad b-movies and blaxploitation films like myself. Kick back with this film, some friends, some snacks, and laugh all night! -
Wow, is this a cheap Blaxploitation film. Now it is true that many films of the genre have low budgets, but this one is strictly grade-z. Unlike other Blaxploitation films, this has almost no incidental music, has really poor camera-work and looks like it was made with an 8mm camera and $59.99 to pay the cast and crew. Oddly, however, the doctor drives around in a classic Rolls! What an odd dichotomy!
Bernie Casey plays an incredibly stupid and listless doctor who is performing research on the side. My wife was laughing at how he didn't wear gloves and conducted his "experiments" like he had no idea what he was supposed to be doing. I thought it funny that the doc didn't seem to think it was a big deal when one rat he injected with a serum killed all the other rats! In fact, soon after this, he injected it in some poor lady--who became a crazed zombie and soon died. So naturally, he decides to try it on himself!! Wow, nobody is any dumber than Casey! And, after turning into a bad fighting machine that looks like he fell into a vat of flour while using the drug, he then insists on injecting others! Duh!
Well, unfortunately it never really gets any smarter or more interesting. The only actor who seemed like a professional and had some presence about him was Ji-Tu Cumbuka as Lt. Jackson. Even the usually talented Casey seems like he was totally uninterested in making this film.
Perhaps the film was meant to appeal to the audience's antipathy towards White folks, as the rat and Casey both turned white and became killing machines. But because the whole thing is so dull and listless, any attempt at social commentary is wasted--if it was even attempted in the first place.
By the way, this is an odd observation, but if you do watch the film, notice the color spectrum. All too often, the film (which is already washed out) looks really bleak--with lots of browns and whites but very few blues or greens. They really should have noticed this, but considering the film was made by rank amateurs, it's not surprising it looked so craptastic (or is the word 'craptacular'?).
Also, and I know this will sound cruel, but it was also amazing that there were so many unattractive women in the film that were naked. Couldn't they afford better?
No humor, no suspense, no nothing--this film is a dog from start to finish. This film is only for the most hard-core nut who has already seen all the other Blaxploitation monster films, such as ABBY (sort of like the Black EXORCIST), BLACKENSTEIN or the Blacula movies (and I am one of those nuts who has seen 'em all--so you won't have to).
By the way, the DVD extras have absolutely nothing to do with the film. Instead, it consists of some fan-created films involving superheros (the type usually shown at ComicCon or distributed on the internet). For fan films, they are amazing and look 1000x better than DR. BLACK, MR. HYDE. -
sol12187 November 2003***SPOILERS*** Updated version of Robert Louis Stevenson's "Dr. Jekyell and Mr.Hyde" in the Watts ghetto of L.A. with the understanding and gentle Dr. Henry Pride, Bernie Casey. Henry through his experimenting with a serum would cure hepatitis and regenerate liver cells. It in fact turns him into the brutal and ruthless Mr.Hyde! A much better movie that one would guess with Casey and the supporting cast lifting the film well above the standards that one would expect from this black exploitation movie of 1976.
Henry had a lifelong dream of curing damaged liver cells and related diseases, like hepatitis, since his dear mother died of liver disease right in front of him and his sister Dr. Billie Worth, Rosalind Cash, when he was a little boy. Henry also has over the years developed a deep hatred and resentment against prostitutes whom he holds responsible for his mothers death. Henry's mother worked as a maid in a local bordello, where she and her son and daughter were given a place to live by the owner, and the night that she fell ill and died none of the "ladies", as Henry called them, would come to her aid or call for medical help.
Coming up with a serum that he thought would cure liver disease Dr. Pride needed someone to try it on but if it was ever found out that he did that, as his sister warned him, it would destroy everything that he and his sister worked for. Which is the free clinic that they founded and ran in the Watts ghetto for the poverty stricken people who lived there.
Trying the serum on himself turned the sweet and kindly Henry into an albino-like monster where his hatred of prostitutes and those who employ and support them, pimps and johns, came to the surface with deadly and destructive results. Linda, Marie O'Henry, a local prostitute who Henry fell in love with, and was treating for hepatitis, once tried to use the serum on her to see if it would work but without success, Linda refused to be injected with it. Dr. Pride then tried the serum on himself where, to Linda's shock and horror, he turned into murderous Mr.Hyde!
With the body count of his victims raising at an alarming pace Linda begged Henry, while he was still normal, to turn himself over to the police so that the killing would stop and that he could get help. Henry wouldn't listen and continued with his murderous rampage until the police finally tracked him down and cornered him in the Watts Towers. After holding the police off, with Linda as a hostage, Henry doing a King Kong imitation climbed to the top of the towers and is then killed by a barrage of police bullets. As Henry fell to his death the terror that he unleashed on the ghetto of Watts, and the people that live there, came to an end.
Much better then one would expect with Bernie Casey and the supporting cast rising up the movie where it's entertaining as well as thought-provoking. You really feel for Dr. Henry Pride to the point where your both sympathetic as well as outraged at what he was and what he became. With an ending that makes you see that Henry's obsession with curing liver cells and hepatitis was indeed a noble and righteous effort, for the good of all humanity. It's the way that Henry went about it and with the consequences that resulted from it destroyed, like his sister warned him, everything that he ever worked for and in the end even himself. -
JoeKarlosi6 October 2013I love the film BLACULA (1972), but this Blaxpoitation flick is a dull misfire that had potential to be entertaining in an offbeat way early on, but then blows it. Bernie Casey is a laid back and soft spoken scientist whose experiments with a formula for liver preservation cause him to turn into a light-skinned albino who likes to go around killing people, especially hookers. There are some fun moments, like 'Hyde' beating up a group of thugs on the street, and later mowing down a chick with his Rolls Royce. The first transformation scene involves a female patient who Casey uses as a guinea pig, and her makeup is quite creepy, featured in a quick sequence that sends a chill through you -- but that's about all; most of this then turns into slow-moving tedium, unfortunately. Also features Rosalind Cash, known for her role opposite Charlton Heston back in THE OMEGA MAN (1971). The best I can conclude about DR. BLACK, MR. HYDE is at least it's not quite as bad as BLACKENSTEIN (1973). *1/2 out of ****
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yelsinnestfort1 November 2020It's in this movie I seen the mental health of a man, one part nice and caring about everyone he can then after taking a formula becomes selfish and homicidal. Otherwise this movie is so funny 😂😂😂😂 Thanks to Brown Sugar app I got to catch this for my Halloween movie of the night 👏🏿👏🏿👏🏿
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mark.waltz22 October 2021The great Bernie Casey seems to be sleepwalking his way through this blaxploitation horror film that lacks the campy elements of "Blacula" and "Blackenstein". He's a very serious doctor who works mainly in white run hospitals, going to clinics in black areas on occasions where his prostitute patient, obviously offering him a free bee, accused him of having turned white. On the sly, he's working on a serum to help his patients, and when an elderly black woman all of a sudden turns into a goal before having a massive heart attack and died in, and certificate in himself and all of a sudden takes on a second identity.
His whole face turns powdery white, and when he is confronted by a group of street thugs who think he actually is white, he shows them otherwise. It's an intelligent moment in the film that shows that uppity Caucasians were not the only targets of these films, that the writers were determined to make a statement about the black community as well. The beautiful Rosalind Cash, with her gentle voice, is fabulously vulnerable as the woman who loves him. Of course like in Robert Louis Stevenson's story, the prostitute becomes one of Hyde's victim in a shocking and violent way.
The problem with this movie is that it moves as a snail's pace which really makes it not nearly as good as any of the umpteen other versions of the story, only changing the period of time it is sent in and the theme. A reference to Jack the Ripper does make me wonder why they didn't do the obvious. Casey under plays his part so much that it nearly seems like he's sleepwalking through it. Only on occasion does it come to life, but as an important blaxploitation film, it really is a missed opportunity. -
kannibalcorpsegrinder22 February 2017Attempting to work on a special formula, a doctor attempting to fix liver cancer in his patients inadvertently stumbles across a special formula that turns him into a dangerous criminal and tries to keep it under control while his personal life is threatened by the change.
This one wasn't all that bad of a Blaxploitation effort or even a true horror film. What really works well for this one is the fact that there's quite a bit of fun to be had here with its traditional horror elements taking place within the confines of the blaxploitation story. The first half here showing his slow transformation into the titular beast following his honest quest to carry out the experiment for the necessary procedure and then just accidentally stumbling upon the change makes for quite a fun horror- based effort throughout here. Those scenes, from the patients' change in the hospital to the first round of changes he experiences where he goes out and begins attacking the goons on the city streets makes for some rather fun times here as this one really ups the action makes for quite an improved pacing during this section. There's even more good fun in the final half as the fact that this one really enhances the action with him going on a more pronounced and explicit rampage as it involves elements quite common-place here with the pimp encounter in the alleyway as well as the stalking and brawling inside the girlfriends' house that leads into the foot- chase that carries across the city which becomes quite fun and has a great overall resolution to it all. Still, while these are quite enjoyable, there are a few flaws to be had here that hold this one down. One of the main elements wrong with this one is the fact that there's just barely any action within here as the film goes for more of a slow-build to his change in favor of scenes showing his good- natured doctor career as well as the tepid and feeble romance that really drags the film to a halt. Each of these really holds it back, with the good-natured doctor role being so clichéd and hammered home in the first few minutes that it really doesn't need to be repeated throughout here to further that particular storyline while the romance is again clichéd and formulaic in these kinds of films. The way she steadfast refuses to accept the truth and stays with him as long as she does before she does turn him in for his crimes is way too long to really make an impact in here as the scenes of them leading up to that are just bland, boring and really make the film feel far longer than it really is since it's quite a quick film overall. As well, the make- up effects are simply terrible and look laughable more than terrifying which does make for a rather goofy main villain when it's hard to feel terrified by him. These here are what hold this one back.
Rated R: Graphic Language, Violence, Nudity and drug references and use. -
BandSAboutMovies28 March 2024American-International Pictures' Blacula was a big success. Its director, William Crain, and AIP wanted to make more black films that were classic stories retold for a new audience. What's interesting here that while adapting Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde by Robert Louis Stevenson, the evil side of Dr. Henry Pride (Bernie Casey) appears to be a mix of King Kong, Frankenstein's Monster and an evil white man.
Pride may be a celebrated and wealthy African American medical doctor, but as he fails to discover a cure for cirrhosis of the liver - along with his colleague Dr. Billie Worth (Rosalind Cash) - he begins to experiment on himself and others. Coming just a few years after the way our government treated the Tuskegee airmen with their syphilis experiments, this feels like not only a crime against nature, but a black man attacking his very race.
By the end, he's killing sex workers and their pimps, leading the police to Watts Towers, where he climbs upward - again, like King Kong - before being shot and falling to his death.
This also had the working titles The Watts Monster, Hyde, Serum and Decision for Doom. Along with the aforementioned Blacula, Scream Blacula Scream, Sugar Hill, Blackenstein, JD's Revenge, Abby, Ganja and Hess and Petey Wheatstraw, there are some other black-themed horror films from this era but not enough. Later films in the genre that I would recommend are Bones, Def by Temptation and Tales from the Hood.
How incredible is it that the South Korean VHS release of this had the Iron Maiden artwork from Killers on its back cover? -
phibes01200012 February 2005I remember seeing this film advertised on an Atlanta TV station late night in 1976: then I saw the rating, "R", and being 10 years old with religious parents I knew I'd never see it. Little did I know then that VCRs were just around the corner. Dr. Pride is looking for cures in liver diseases, and he discovers a formula that doesn't do too much for the liver but makes the user a monster. After a botched attempt on an old lady at the hospital he tries it on himself...becoming Mr. White Monster. This film isn't very scary, but its mighty entertaining. I can see how William Crane (the director) probably was making a statement about drug abuse. Bernie Casey is good as the doctor. The film also stars Rosiland Cash and was distributed by Dimension Pictures (Kingdom of the Spiders & Ruby).
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This was a movie that I feel like I first heard about on Horror Noire: A History of Black Horror. It was one that I'm sure I threw on my list of films to check out at some point. I'm giving it a viewing as part of the Movie Club Challenge over on The Podcast Under the Stairs. It is fitting as I've been watching a lot of variations on the 'Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde' story as well. The synopsis here is when a scientist develops a formula to regenerate dying liver cells; it accidentally turns him into an albino vampire with a taste for prostitutes.
We start this movie off with Dr. Henry Pride (Bernie Casey). We learn that he's a world-renowned doctor who has won awards. He is giving a tour to some other scientists and during this we get to meet his assistant of Dr. Billie Worth (Rosalind Cash). Together they're working on research to regenerate or at least slow down the degeneration of liver cells in hopes to eliminate cirrhosis.
Along with working on his research Dr. Pride also works in a free clinic that is also part of a thrift store. The movie never comes out and states it, but this is supposed to be Los Angeles where this clinic is in the vicinity of Watts' neighborhood. It is there we see Dr. Pride interacting with a prostitute of Linda Monte (Marie O'Henry). She has a thing for Dr. Pride, as I assume most women from this area would. He is a black man who is a doctor and giving back to the community. She had a bout with hepatitis to which Dr. Pride helped eliminate. She comes in for vitamin shots and she will only let the doctor administer. It is interesting that here she is completely nude when he comes in.
That night Dr. Pride goes back to his laboratory and Dr. Worth asks him if he would like to get dinner. It appears they're having some kind of relationship and he lets her know that he he's going to stay late. During this stint, he administers an injection into a black rat which turns it white. On top of the changes to its color, it attacks the others in its cage. Dr. Pride ends up falling asleep and is woken up by Dr. Worth the following morning. They go into the lab to find all the rats were killed by this now albino one. He's upset for falling asleep and she tells him that he's been working too hard.
There is then a patient that is brought into the hospital by the name of Emily Harris (Cora Lee Day). Dr. Pride wants to use the serum on her, but Dr. Worth states he can't. It isn't ready for human trials. He does it anyway and there is an interesting side effect. Before she dies, she goes white and attacks a nurse. Dr. Worth realizes what he's done and is quite upset. It could ruin all their work. Also on this day, Dr. Pride gets into an argument with Linda. She claims that he would never give a woman like her a chance due to assimilation. The way she words it is that he drives a white car, probably now attracted to white women and that all his schooling as well as his profession has taken out the person he was growing up. It is interesting that later we learn he did grow up in similar conditions to the people he's helping.
Since he couldn't get really any information from Emily, Dr. Pride decides to inject himself with the formula. It turns him into a white man with incredible strength. That night he goes to the area where his clinic is looking for the lounge where Linda works. It is here that we learn she used to work for Silky (Stu Gilliam), a local pimp, but now works for herself. There's an altercation that goes in the lounge where she works. Dr. Pride is seduced with what happens with the injection and continues to do it. He also wants Linda to partake in the experiment as well, but when she sees what it does to him, it terrifies her.
That's where I'm going to my leave my recap of the movie and I do have to say, this is an interesting take on the Robert Louis Stevenson story here. Of course, being that this is a blaxploitation film, we have black people in the prominent roles and that works for me. Dr. Pride is an award-winning doctor. Dr. Worth is his assistant doing her own research which is ahead of its time for a black woman. There is also Lt. Jackson (Ji-Tu Cumbuka) who is a detective looking into the murders. I'm not surprised by a good portion of this with William Crain helming the picture. He's the same guy that did Blacula and its sequel so that makes a lot of sense there. We do also get Linda who is a prostitute, Silky the pimp who are also black but in less savory positions. I do think it does well with Linda being a strong independent woman. For Silky, he's answering to Preston (Marc Alaimo) which I feel is there stating that it is the white man behind all of the problems here.
Now Duncan did state that this is a funny movie for some reason and I was really wondering where that was going to go. From what I gather, I'm assuming he means that this movie is pretty problematic. Dr. Pride when he becomes Hyde is the actor Casey in white face. It was interesting to see that Stan Winston did the look here. I can also see why Duncan said this movie probably couldn't be made today. There have been some people getting 'canceled' today for being white and appearing in black face. This is the same exact thing, just of course reversed. It also makes Hyde super strong. I'm thinking that Crain is pushing a social commentary that we have a white man, coming to the lower income area of this ghetto and wreaking havoc. I can really see and to be honest, there might not have been as much a fuss and it is sad to say that.
Before getting away from this completely, I just want to draw some parallels from the actual story to what we get here in the movie. We obviously have the doctor who injects himself and becomes a monster. Dr. Pride is also working in a clinic to help the less fortunate, which is from the original source material. He gets caught up in wanting to continue to become Hyde, leading to his downfall. These are done with a twist to include race and I think that does add a dimension to what we're getting here.
I feel that next should be the acting of the movie. Casey I think does a really good here in being this benevolent doctor we see in the beginning. I think the interaction with Linda really makes him question things as well that and getting the taste of something different causes changes to this good man for the negative. He still is a tragic character after we learn about his back-story to still feel for him. Cash is solid as the counterpart to Dr. Pride who is not seduced by the experiment. I think that O'Henry is good. She is a character who is born into circumstance and doing what she can to survive. Cumbuka and Milt Kogan are solid as the detectives. Gilliam and the rest of the people at the lounge work for me as well to round this out for what was needed.
To the effects of the movie, I was shocked to see Winston's name in the credits. I like what he did with Casey to make him into Hyde. It isn't great, don't get me wrong. It was done practical though so I will give credit for that. It did remind me of The Omega Man, which oddly enough has Cash in it as well. It makes Casey and Day look albino. It was quite creepy. Aside from that, we don't get a lot effects. There is a transformation scene with rat that was time lapsed. The cinematography was well done.
The last thing to go over would be the soundtrack. There were a lot from this era that I'm a fan of and this feels like that. There's almost an electronic feel to it and it did stick out to me a few parts of the movie. It isn't great. It isn't one that I'll listen to regularly. For the era this movie is made, it really did feel that like which I can appreciate.
So now with that said this movie isn't great. It isn't the best take on the Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde story or the blaxploitation sub-genre. What I do think is that it does explore some interesting concepts. It is a bit problematic though as it does come off as racist with some of the things that are being done. What does make it interesting though is the era that it came out, Crain being the director and some of the things it is exploring. I do think that the acting is good though. The effects are solid enough and the soundtrack is about the same there. I would rate this overall as an above average movie. Not great, but does do some really good things in my opinion.
My Rating: 6.5 out of 10 -
Michael_Elliott29 February 2008Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde (1976)
** 1/2 (out of 4)
The black Dr. Henry Pride (Bernie Casey) takes a formula that turns him into an evil white man. Here's another blaxploitation film but this one here is actually pretty good thanks in large part to the very good performance by Casey. The film is over the top in every way possible from the non-stop Kung Fu fighting to the wonderfully funny pimp. The first scene where the evil white guy is about to get jumped by three hoods is priceless.
This film hasn't been officially released but it is out there in bootleg form. -
dcb-422 October 2014SPOILER Having, in years past, seen Blacula, Blackenstein, and Scream Blacula, Scream!, it was inevitable that I would get to this. It's the story of Dr. Pride (Wait! I thought it was Dr. Black. Maybe Dr. Black-Pride?), brilliant research scientist by day, and also by day, a volunteer at the Watts Free Clinic & Thrift Shop. Yes, you read that right. You can't make up the Seventies...
When one of his serums turns a blackish rat white and makes it so violent that it attacks and kills the other rats in the cage, the good doctor takes it as a sign that this may just be the cure for psoriasis of the liver. Oh, did I mention that he's looking for a cure for psoriasis of the liver? Yep, he's looking for a cure for psoriasis of the liver. Anyways (that's for you, Debbie), Doc BP decides he needs to try it out on humans to get real, useful data...rules, regulations, and ethics be damned. So he tries it out on a patient that's been brought in for liver failure and is not expected to live out the night. She turns white, lunges at him, and promptly dies.
This leaves the doctor with no choice but to try it on himself, which is strange, because he's never mentioned that he's even got psoriasis of the liver. Nope, not even an inkling that he's got psoriasis of the liver. This, of course, turns him into an angry white man with incredible strength, who decimates any brotha who stands in his way. Oh, and he also kills hookers because.....well.....um....psoriasis of the liver!!! Bernie Casey is actually pretty good (probably because he's an excellent actor) and the whole thing is a lot of fun. There's a really cool stunt involving him throwing a store clerk through several rows of vegetable bins--no CGI, and all done in a single take, and a bravura finale in which the evil Mr. White...er, Hyde (never called that) climbs the Watts Towers.
For some reason.
Oh, just go with it! -
faisal_khan21 May 2004I saw this film years ago on cable and enjoyed it for what it was. I suppose that's because I cam to it without any hype or expectations and enjoyed it all the more for it. The trouble with films like 'Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde' and the more famous 'The Thing With Two Heads' is that the gimmick often promises more than it delivers. Likewise when you get over the premise of 'Blacula', it's nothing more than an extended episode of 'Kolchak:The Night Stalker' held together by nothing more than the excellent William Marshall.
But I digress. I think too many people expect these movies to have some meaningful insight into social issues of the day when many mainstream Hollywood films dealing with the same premise would be let off the hook. Dr. Black, Mr. Hyde is nothing more than the Jekyll and Hyde story told with a black actor and should be viewed on that basis alone.
As a blaxploitation horror, this is competent stuff, though I'd recommend 'J.D's Revenge' over this as a better example. As a showcase for Bernie Casey this is far more enjoyable and one of the reasons I have remained a fan of this movie after many years.
NOTE: DS9 fans will enjoy seeing Casey and Marc Alaimo together some 17 years before their appearance as Cal Hudson and Gul Dukat in the DS9 2-parter 'The Maquis'. -
Sincere scientist Dr. Henry Pride (an earnest and likable performance by Bernie Casey) uses himself as a test subject for an experimental remedy on liver damage he's working on. Alas, said remedy causes Pride to occasionally transform into a murderous albino psychopath with a penchant for killing prostitutes. Director William Crain, working from a clever and engrossing script by Larry Le Bron and Harry Woolner, relates the entertaining story at a steady pace, makes fine use of the gritty urban locations, offers some interesting social commentary on the racial divide between whites and blacks (the successful and upwardly mobile Pride is accused by other African-Americans of being a sell out to "The Man" because he drives a silver Rolls Royce and resides in a huge white mansion in a fancy neighborhood), and stages the attack scenes with real flair, with the tense and rousing "King Kong"-style climax set at the Watts Towers rating as an exciting highlight. Moreover, the often hilarious profanity-ridden jive slang dialogue gives the picture an extra tangy punch, Stan Winston provides the nifty monster make-up, and there's a decent smattering of gratuitous female nudity. The cast have a ball with the outrageous material, with stand-out work by Rosalind Cash as Pride's concerned colleague Billie Worth, Marie O'Henry as sassy hooker Linda Monte, Ji-Tu Cumbuka as no-nonsense homicide detective Lt. Jackson, Milt Kogan as Jackson's equally hard-boiled partner Lt. Harry O'Connor, Stu Gilliam as slimy no-count pimp Silky, and Marc Alaimo as sleazy drug pusher Preston. Johnny Pate's funky'n'jazzy score does the groovy trick. Tak Fujimoto's crisp cinematography is likewise up to par. A fun fright flick.
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kg200630 May 2012This film got little coverage in horror books or magazines I collected growing up, and I only became aware of its availability in the internet age. The premise was intriguing, although I assumed it to be more of a comedy and probably cheaply made. As a fan of Crain's Blacula I was pleasantly surprised to discover his involvement-even more so when "Big Skillet" Ji-Tu Cumbuka shows up--playing a straight talking police detective who reminds one of Samuel Jackson. The film does appear cheaper than Blacula and has less dramatic tension--on the other hand it manages to give its central character a bit more depth than one would expect from the Jekyll and Hyde story having been done so many times previously. The scene where Casey tells the prostitute about his childhood and mother is poignant, and makes his request to her all the more chilling since we realize he has some sincere reason to do his research and wont take no for an answer. A mad scientist with a twist.
The makeup by future fx star Stan Winston who had worked with Casey on the TV movie Gargoyles isn't a big deal by today's standards and despite the title he doesn't really look caucasian but more like a Haitian voodoo zombie. Whether Winston was hampered by budget or it was a conscious decision to make him more of a ghoul is an open question.
There are some story lapses and the ending seems rather abrupt and too basic for a story that had established such a dramatic impetus for the main character--but it has a few amusing lines and is probably worth a look for people seeking an alternative drive-in horror film. 6 1/2 out of 10. -
jacobjohntaylor17 February 2022This only got 5.2 and that is just underrating it. This is a very scary movie. If it does not scary you no movie will. It has great acting. It also has a great story line. This is scarier Then The Exorcist. If it does not scary you no movie will. You will get scared do not watch this alone.
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Mister-628 August 1999If anyone actually takes this as a serious commentary on race relations, they need counseling. Immediately.
The tale, as you can probably take from the title, is more or less a riff on the "Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde" storyline, only this time a black doctor's (Casey's) experiments turn him into a rampaging albino-skinned monster!
Pretty thinly-veiled commentary, eh?
The monster attack scenes look like they should be played for laughs. The ZAZ (Zucker, Abrahams, Zucker) brothers would have had a field day with this. Indeed, if you watch this, you'll find yourself laughing at every scary and/or racially-motivated moment.
But no, it's played straight and all the sadder. Casey is a good actor, an important actor, even. Unless he was intentionally playing this for laughs, there's just no excuse for such inanity.
The least they could have done was have Casey morph into Leslie Nielsen. Now THERE we would have known where we stood.
One star.
Great; I probably just gave Hollywood an idea for a remake. -
Wizard-819 January 2012I like a lot of the movies that came out of the blaxploitation movie era of the 1970s, so I thought this example would be pretty appealing to me. While most examples of the genre were action-based, this is one of several having a horror theme. The premise - a black doctor coming up with a serum that makes him both white and homicidal - had a lot of promise. Indeed, the scenes that show the doctor in his monster personality are kind of fun. Unfortunately, the rest of the movie is not. The rest of the movie is pretty boring, to tell the truth. Bernie Casey tries, but his charisma can't save things. And while the movie is rated "R", it barely earns that rating. In fact, it might have gotten a "PG" rating had the "f" word not been uttered a couple of times. Watch the trailer for this movie instead - it's campy, fast-paced, and a lot of fun - which the movie as a whole isn't.