Horror Taboos

[Murfreesboro]

Jekyll & Hyde is another story, like the Wolfman, about the monster we hide inside ourselves. Since that predates WWII, though, it can't have anything to do with Nazis.

[Pumpkin_Man]

Jeckyl & Hyde was made nto 4 movies that I know of, and I have all four of them. The first one was a silent screen version. Then there was one that came out in the 30s, and then one that came out in the 40s. My personal favorite version of that story, however, was a made-for-tv movie produced by Dan Curtis Productions. IMHO It was much closer to the original piece of literature. I also don't think that Jeckyl & Hyde was based in any long standing lor like vampires or wearwolvs. Neither was "Frankenstein." Those were purely literary works. "Dracula" and "The Wolfman" were based in lor that's been around long before movies were even invented.

One side note regarding Jeckyl & Hyde. I think that scenario is very relevant to today's worls. Ever hear of Crack Cocane??? That drug litteraly turns people into monsters who will do anything to get their next hit. It's turned young girls into prostitutes, it turned a lot of young men into murders, thieves, and the people who push it will kill you as to look at you if they think you're cutting in on their business. If EVER there was a real life Dr. Jeckyl and Mr Hyde drug, it's Crack Cocane.

Mike

[Murfreesboro]

Good points, Mike. Jekyll & Hyde was written in the 1890s, I believe, and may have been suggested by the interest in psychology that was becoming quite prevalent then. Also, I believe people at that time did experiment with drugs, though different ones from those we use today. But those are modern preoccupations, I think--drug usage, and psychology.

I have the silent film version of J&H in a horror collection. Somewhere I think I also have the Spencer Tracy version, but I can't find it at the moment.

[Pumpkin_Man]

Murf, drug abuse is nothing new. It's been going on for hundreds of years. Morphine addiction was a major problem back in the Civil War days, as was alcaholism. Ladnum was also another drug that many people got addicted to. Marijuana was legal and openly sold in market places, and wo was cocane until it was federaly banned in the 20th century. There's even a popular song that came out in the 30s titled "I Get a Kick from Cocane."

Crack cocane is truely something that will LITTERALY turn a good person into a monster, as it's said that one hit of crack and you're instantly addicted.

Mike