DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE

Evening Star, Issue 17542, 23 December 1920, Page 9

DR JEKYLL AND MR HYDE

In connection with the picturisation of ‘Dr Joky]] and Mr Hyde,’ jfcvhich, with John Barrymore in the title role, will be presented at the Octagon Theatre tonforrow, it is interesting to recall the circumstances under 'which Robert Louis Stevenson wrote the story. His biographers relate that he conceived the narrative in a dream. For three days he wrote feverishly, and at the end of that time read the complete talo to his wife and stepson. They approved it enthusiastically. Bub in a day or two Stevenson’s mood changed. He regretted having written the story, and burnt it. Later he was persuaded to re-create iff, and after six weeks of revising and building anew it was_ sent to the publisher,' who made a “shilling shocker” of it. ‘Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde’ made an unobtrusive appearance on the London bookstalls during the Christmas season of 1885. It was given a poor reception. Suddenly the London ‘Times’ discovered the book, and ran a sensational review of it. It became popular overnight, and inside six months over 40.C00 copies were sold in England alone. As a motion picture, Stevenson’s story is as notable as it was in book form.